This Japanese rice bowl is the perfect healthy breakfast or dinner! Piping hot brown rice cooks an egg, making a creamy, risotto-like texture.

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Jack and I ate tamago kake gohan (or tamago gohan, for short) over and over again during our trips to Japan. Its name translates to “egg rice,” and that’s basically what it is – a raw egg mixed into piping hot rice. Don’t be scared – the hot rice cooks the egg as you stir it in. The result is Japanese comfort food at its best – the most creamy, delicious bowl of rice you’ve ever had. It’s almost like risotto, but without so much stirring!

It’s traditional to top tamago kake gohan with furikake and Japanese pickles… but of course I topped mine with a bunch of veggie toppings that you can easily find without a trip to a specialty market.

Oh, and even though tamago gohan is a traditional Japanese breakfast, Jack and I enjoy it just as much for dinner. Let’s make it!

How to Make Tamago Kake Gohan

1. First, cook the rice. Short grain white or brown rice will work for this recipe, as long as it’s freshly cooked and hot off the stove (or out of the rice cooker).

2. When the rice is ready, portion it into bowls, and crack an egg over each bowl of rice.

3. Use chopsticks to vigorously stir the egg into the rice until the egg is fully incorporated and the mixture turns pale yellow. The rice will be creamy and almost risotto-like.

4. Stir in a splash of tamari, for seasoning.

Tamago Kake Gohan Toppings

You can top your rice bowl however you like! I recommend starting with scallions, sesame seeds, and nori or furikake. Then, I follow this basic formula:

A vegetable: This category isn’t traditional, but I love adding extra veggies to my bowl, especially if I’m eating it for dinner. Roasted broccoli or a few micro greens are great here.
A pickle: Pickled ginger is the easiest Japanese pickle to find at the store, so it’s what I use most often.
Something rich: I add sliced avocado to my bowl and an extra egg yolk to Jack’s.
A splash of something tangy: I like to add a splash of rice vinegar (or ume vinegar), but that’s optional!

And that’s it! Serve with extra tamari or soy sauce on the side.

More Favorite Asian-Inspired Recipes

If you love trying this tamago kake gohan, try one of these delicious Asian-inspired recipes next:

Then, find more of my favorite rice bowl recipes here!

Tamago Kake Gohan

rate this recipe:

5 from 8 votes

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 50

Serves 2

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This Japanese-inspired rice bowl is the perfect healthy breakfast or dinner! Piping hot brown rice cooks an egg, making a creamy, risotto-like texture.

Ingredients

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
2 to 3 cups very hot cooked brown rice
2 eggs
splashes of tamari
1 scallions, finely chopped
sesame seeds, for sprinkling

optional toppings:

extra egg yolks
thinly sliced nori
Japanese pickles or pickled ginger
micro greens
splash of rice vinegar or umeboshi vinegar
avocado slices
roasted broccoli

Instructions

Scoop the cooked brown rice among two bowls. While the rice is piping hot, add 1 egg per bowl along with splashes of tamari, and stir vigorously so that the egg gently cooks as it coats the rice, making the rice a creamy consistency.
Top each bowl with scallions, sesame seeds, and desired additional toppings. Serve with tamari on the side, for seasoning.