Japanese-Style Chicken and Egg Omelet over Rice

Makes
4 to 6 servings
Cook Time
30 minutes

Oyako donburi—chicken and egg cooked with onion and seasonings and served on top of steaming-hot rice—is Japanese comfort food and a satisfying meal in a bowl. The chicken and egg mixture customarily is made in individual portions in a small pan, but we use a 12-inch skillet to make a simplified family-style version that we then spoon onto bowlfuls of cooked rice. Dashi, or stock made with seaweed and, typically, shaved dried bonito, lends the dish an umami-richness and a distinctly Japanese flavor. You can make the stock from scratch, but instant dashi, sold in packets in many well-stocked supermarkets, is a convenient option. Otherwise, low-sodium chicken broth works well in its place.

Tip

Don’t forget to cover the skillet after adding the eggs. The lid traps heat and speeds up the cooking, which helps the eggs cook up light and fluffy.

Ingredients

5
large eggs
1 ½
pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed, halved crosswise and thinly sliced on the diagonal
1
small yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
½
cup dashi (see headnote)
¼
cup soy sauce
2
tablespoons mirin
2
tablespoons sake
4-6
cups cooked Japanese-style short-grain rice, hot
4
scallions, thinly sliced

Step 1

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs; set aside. In a 12-inch skillet, combine the chicken, onion, dashi, soy sauce, mirin and sake. Bring to a vigorous simmer over medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, the chicken is cooked through and about ¼ inch of liquid remains in the pan, 8 to 11 minutes.

Step 2

Pour the egg in an even layer over the chicken mixture. Cover, reduce to medium and cook without stirring until the eggs are just set, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

Step 3

Divide the rice among individual bowls. Spoon the chicken-egg mixture onto the rice, then sprinkle with the scallions.