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Tamago Donburi

Soft onion-and-egg bowl simmered in dashi.

15min
463kcal
20.1gprotein
Tamago Donburi — Japanese recipe, finished and plated
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Ingredients

Servings 2
  • 4 Egg
  • 1 Onion
  • 400 g Japanese short-grain rice
  • 2 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
  • 2 tbsp Mirin
  • 1 Kombu (dried kelp)
  • 2 Scallions (optional)

Method

  1. Rinse the rice and cook it in twice its volume of water, covered, until tender and the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
  2. While the rice cooks, slice the onion and beat the eggs loosely.
  3. Simmer the onion in dashi with soy and mirin until soft.
  4. Pour the egg over and cook until just set but soft.
  5. Slide over the hot rice and top with scallion.

Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.

About Tamago Donburi

Tamago donburi is one of Japan's gentlest rice bowls: sliced onion simmered in seasoned dashi until soft, then bound with loosely beaten egg and slid, barely set, over a bowl of hot rice. It belongs to the same family as oyakodon but drops the chicken, making it a quick, thrifty, meatless meal that comes together in about fifteen minutes. The soul of the dish is the simmering liquid — a kombu dashi rounded out with soy and mirin — which sweetens the onions and flavors the egg as it cooks. The egg is cooked only until it just sets, so it stays custardy and silken rather than firm.

Eating it is comforting in the plainest sense: soft, savory-sweet egg and melting onion soaking down into the rice, with scallion scattered on top for a little sharpness. It is the sort of thing eaten for a fast lunch or a light supper, the Japanese equivalent of a good bowl of eggs when you want something warm and undemanding. The whole dish leans on high-quality dashi and careful heat control, since the difference between a lovely tamago donburi and a rubbery one is a matter of pulling the pan off the heat while the egg is still glossy and loose.

Tamago Donburi: frequently asked questions

How many calories are in Tamago Donburi?

A serving has about 463 calories — 20.1g protein, 66.5g carbs, 10.3g fat, 1.9g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.

Is Tamago Donburi gluten-free?

As written, no — it contains Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu). You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.

Do I need every ingredient to make Tamago Donburi?

The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out scallions — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.

How many servings does Tamago Donburi make?

This recipe makes 2 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.