A delicious donburi with minced chicken and scrambled eggs, convenient and nourishing for quick lunch breaks!
If you wanted something comforting and easy to prepare, you’ve come to the right place. Soboro Don is THE perfect donburi for bentos. Fluffy rice, tender chicken with sweet and savory flavors… You won’t even feel like you’re eating on the go.
What is Soboro Don?
How can we talk about Soboro Don without mentioning Donburi? I think you haven’t missed that little “don” particle that accompanies these few recipes, such as Tokashi Butadon, Gyudon, Oyakodon, Kastudon…!
It’s the same principle here with Soboro Don (そぼろ丼ぶり). “Soboro” is a Japanese term for any minced protein.
In this case, it’s minced chicken, seasoned and crumbled into small pieces. Scrambled eggs are also added, all served in a bowl over steamed rice. That’s the whole concept of Donburi!
In Japan, Soboro Don is a dish often associated with bento meals. It’s also called “Soboro Bento” in some restaurants due to its great popularity in the famous Japanese lunch boxes.
As a result, it can be served hot or cold, which is why it’s so popular for quick lunches. Versatile indeed, the Soboro Don!
Where does Soboro Don come from?
Soboro Don is said to have originated in Japan during the Edo period (1603-1868). The exact origins are not known, but many believe this dish was served in Buddhist temples.
Soboro Don was then a practical and nutritious meal for the monks who resided there. However, it was right after 1868, during the country’s industrialization in the Meiji era (1868-1912), that this dish became popular and made a real name for itself in Japanese cuisine.
An inexpensive, nutritious, and appealing meal, it was the winning combo!
The main ingredients of Soboro Don
Chicken: this is what I’ll use in this recipe, but some replace chicken with beef, pork, or fish. There are always several versions that can be adapted according to your preference.
In any case, be sure to season the meat well beforehand and use a fatty cut (ideally 30% fat content)
Sake: a rice alcohol with sweet and floral notes to balance the sweet and savory flavors, it never hurts. It goes very well with chicken, just taste Teriyaki chicken to believe it!
Mirin: this is precisely the sweet umami flavor of Soboro Don. It’s quite similar to sake, but less alcoholic and sweeter. For sauces and glazes, it’s the best of the best.
Light soy sauce: here’s the right amount of salt this dish needs. Light soy sauce is the element we need to give the meat its balance in flavors without bringing the sweet side that dark soy sauce has, which we can do without.
Green onions: these have several roles to play in this recipe and what roles! On one hand, they will be used for the infused water, on the other, they will serve as a garnish. Green onions have the power to bring freshness where it was lacking, even in infusion. It’s an effect almost equivalent to young onion oil with noodles, but much more subtle.
The eggs: the omelette should be thin, soft, and very uniform, just like the minced meat. And yes, eggs are once again a powerful ally in Japanese cuisine!
The rice: it goes without saying for a dish of Japanese origin to use japonica rice. With its short grains and soft texture, it’s the ideal type of rice for Donburi, but also for recipes like my latest one, Mame Gohan.
Tips for a successful Soboro Don
Browning the meat is very, very important. Really. You need to be patient at this step and resist the urge to mix immediately
The green onion infused water: We deliberately add salt to it, in order to create a higher salt concentration in the water than inside the green onions. This way, we extract maximum flavor. Note that we won’t use all of it, you can keep it to make wonton, for example
Soboro Don – Minced Meat Rice Bowl
Matériel
Ingredients
Minced Chicken
- 250 g of chicken minced, use chicken thigh
- 1 tablespoon of sake
- 3 tablespoon of mirin
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 3 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon of ginger grated
- 1 clove garlic grated
- 1.5 tablespoon of green onion infused water We won’t use all the infused water
Green onion infused water
- 1 green onion very finely chopped
- 5 tablespoons water hot
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
Scrambled Eggs
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 1 pinch salt
Plating
- 2 portions of japonica rice cooked
- 3 stems of green onions thinly sliced
- Beni shoga
Procédé
Green onion infused water
- In a small bowl, dissolve the salt in the water5 tablespoons water, 0.5 teaspoon salt
- Add the green onion1 green onion
- Let it rest for 15 minutes in the fridge
Minced chicken
- Mix all ingredients well in a bowl250 g of chicken, 1 tablespoon of sake, 3 tablespoon of mirin, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 3 tablespoon light soy sauce, 2 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon of ginger, 1 clove garlic, 1.5 tablespoon of green onion infused water
- Let it rest covered for 15 minutes in the fridge
- In a wok over medium-high heat, add a bit of oil and let it heat up
- Add the meat and spread it with a spatula. Let it brown on one side for 2-3 minutes
- Mix while breaking up the minced meat pieces a bit. Let it brown again
- Repeat until the meat is cooked, then set aside
Eggs
- In a cold saucepan, mix the egg ingredients3 eggs, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 pinch salt
- Place the saucepan over medium-low heat
- Cook the egg mixture, stirring often to detach the cooked eggs from the bottom or sides of the pan and to maintain the bright yellow color of the eggs
- Stir to break up large pieces into smaller ones
- Cook the eggs until they are no longer liquid and are soft and fluffy. Set aside
Plating
- Place the rice in individual bowls2 portions of japonica rice
- Arrange the minced chicken on half of the rice and the scrambled eggs on the other half
- Place the green onions in a line in the middle3 stems of green onions
- Garnish with pickled red ginger, if desiredBeni shoga
