Tamago Kake Gohan

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

Tamago Kake Gohan

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!

Tamago kake gohan ingredients

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.

Cracking an egg over brown 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 recipe

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.

Avocado & Egg Brown Rice Bowl

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!

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Tamago Kake Gohan

Tamago Kake Gohan

rate this recipe:
5 from 7 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Serves 2
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.

 

9 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Christine
    03.14.2020

    5 stars
    Loved this recipe! So quick and easy. Great recipe to add leftovers to as well. Thanks for this one; it was fun too!

  2. doug
    09.04.2019

    thoughts on doing this with cauliflower rice?

  3. Cherie
    06.21.2019

    5 stars
    This is delicious!! Thank you! How does it turn out making it again with leftover rice?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.22.2019

      I Cherie, I think it could work, just be sure to reheat the rice so that it’s piping hot so that it cooks the egg as you stir.

  4. Emilye
    05.10.2019

    Thanks for bringing back childhood memories! My father used to make this for us when we were kids. I had pretty much forgotten about it until I saw your post. Time to revisit this dish again. Thank you ~

  5. Batgirl from batgirl.com
    04.26.2019

    Thanks for this, I really appreciate Jeanine and Jack.

  6. Alyssa
    04.26.2019

    How long does it keep ?

  7. Monica
    04.24.2019

    5 stars
    Looks delicious, you make me hungry, love all photos you posted, I’ll try it this weekead. Five stars for you Jeanine!

  8. Shivika
    04.24.2019

    Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe! I am definitely going to try this at home.

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.