Tamagodon – Japanese Egg Rice Bowl (10 Minute Recipe)

A 10-Minute Japanese Egg Rice Bowl

This egg rice bowl is one of the meals that immediately takes me back to childhood.

My mom was a full-time working mom, so dinner at home often needed to be simple, quick, and satisfying. She had a few reliable dishes she could make in minutes, and this Japanese egg rice bowl was one of them. My siblings and I absolutely loved it.

With just eggs, onions, and a few pantry ingredients, she could make a warm Tamagodon in about 10 minutes. It’s humble, comforting, and incredibly satisfying.

Another thing I like about this recipe is that it doesn’t use mirin, which makes it easier for more people to enjoy since mirin isn’t always available everywhere.

For me, this dish is definitely childhood comfort food.

The Egg-Binding Technique Used in Donburi

This recipe uses a traditional Japanese technique called tamago-toji, or egg binding.

Beaten eggs are poured into simmering ingredients and gently cooked so the eggs bind everything together. This technique is used in many classic donburi dishes such as oyakodon (chicken and egg rice bowl) and katsudon (pork cutlet and egg rice bowl).

This version is a very simple egg rice bowl without meat, but it’s easy to customize. If you add chicken, it becomes similar to an oyakodon-style egg rice bowl with chicken. If you add a cutlet, it becomes closer to katsudon.

The eggs are also very flexible. If you like softer eggs, cook them briefly. If you prefer firmer eggs, simply cook them a little longer.

How to Make Tamagodon (Japanese Egg Rice Bowl)

This simple egg rice bowl recipe comes together in about 10 minutes and uses the classic Japanese tamago-toji technique.

Thinly sliced onions are simmered with water, dashi, sugar, and soy sauce to create a light savory broth. Beaten eggs are then poured over the onions and gently cooked until just set.

The result is a comforting Japanese egg rice bowl that can easily be customized. Add chicken to make an oyakodon-style egg rice bowl with chicken, or add a cutlet to create a dish similar to katsudon.

Finally, the egg mixture is placed over a bowl of warm rice and optionally topped with radish sprouts or shibazuke pickles.

Ingredients (1 serving)

Eggs: 2
Cooked rice: 1 cup
Onion: ¼ onion (about 2 oz), thinly sliced
Water: 1/3 cup
Dashi powder (Hondashi): 1/2 tsp
Sugar: 1½ tsp
Soy sauce: 1 tbsp

Optional toppings
Radish sprouts (kaiware): 5–6 sprouts
Shibazuke pickles: 1 tbsp

Instructions

1. Slice the onion very thinly.

2. Add the onion, water, dashi powder, sugar, and soy sauce to a small pan. Cook over medium heat until the onion softens, about 2–3 minutes.

3. Beat the eggs and pour them evenly over the simmering onion mixture.

4. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 1–2 minutes while watching the texture of the eggs.

5. Turn off the heat and let it rest covered for 1 minute.

6. Place the egg over cooked rice and add optional toppings if desired.

Notes

• Slice the onion as thinly as possible so it softens quickly. If the onion cooks too long, too much liquid evaporates and the eggs may turn into an omelet instead of a soft egg rice bowl texture.
• If your eggs are already cooked to your preferred firmness, you can skip the instruction number 5.