Go Back
–+ servings
A bowl of soboro don (ground chicken bowl) with scrambled eggs and green peas arranged in neat sections, served on a wooden tray with a wooden spoon and a bowl of miso soup on the side.

Soboro Don (Ground Chicken Bowl)

by Namiko Hirasawa Chen
Craving a quick and comforting meal? Try Soboro Don, sweet-savory ground chicken and fluffy scrambled eggs over a bowl of rice. It’s a simple bento lunch classic that’s just as delicious over hot rice for a weeknight dinner. The best part? It’s ready in only 30 minutes.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients

  • ½ lb ground chicken (see Notes below for substitutes)
  • 1 inch ginger (you'll need 1 tsp grated ginger with juice)
  • 1 Tbsp sake (see Notes)
  • 1 Tbsp mirin (see Notes)
  • 1–1½ Tbsp sugar (use less if you prefer it less sweet)
  • 2½ Tbsp soy sauce

For the Scrambled Eggs

For Serving

  • 2 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice (3⅓ cups or 500 g)
  • 2 Tbsp green peas (cooked)
  • pickled red ginger (optional)
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Before You Start: Have 2 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice ready before you start cooking the eggs and chicken. You can cook short-grain rice with a rice cooker, pot over the stove, Instant Pot, or donabe.
    Now, gather all the ingredients. Prepare 3 pairs of long cooking chopsticks and 2 saucepans (see Notes at the end for why we use saucepans).
    A top-down view of ingredients for soboro don (ground chicken bowl) on a wooden surface: ground meat, three brown eggs, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, salt, frozen peas, ginger root, and water in glass bowls.

To Cook the Soboro Chicken

  • Grate 1 inch ginger (I use a ceramic grater) until you have 1 tsp grated ginger with juice.
    Two close-up views of hands grating fresh ginger on a small white ceramic grater, with finely grated ginger accumulating on the surface atop a wooden countertop.
  • DO NOT turn on the heat yet. Combine 1 tsp grated ginger, ½ lb ground chicken, 1 Tbsp sake, 1 Tbsp mirin, 1–1½ Tbsp sugar, and 2½ Tbsp soy sauce in a cold medium saucepan (I use a traditional yukihira pot). Mix the chicken and the seasonings with 3 pairs of long cooking chopsticks, breaking up the ground meat into smaller bits.
    A side-by-side image shows a person preparing soboro don (ground chicken bowl): on the left, water and a clear liquid are added to ground meat; on the right, sugar and a dark sauce are mixed in.
  • Now, TURN ON the heat to medium-low and stir constantly with the chopsticks so the ground chicken crumbles. Stir and cook until it is no longer pink.
    Two images side by side show a metal pot on a stove with a wooden spatula stirring soboro don (ground chicken bowl) mixture. The left image displays a saucier, wetter mix; the right shows a drier, more cooked version.
  • The chicken will release its juices as it cooks. Continue cooking until most of the liquid evaporates. Turn off the heat and set aside.
    Two side-by-side images show ground meat being stirred in a pot with wooden chopsticks on a stovetop—ideal for making soboro don (ground chicken bowl). The cooked meat is evenly browned and crumbly.

To Scramble the Eggs

  • DO NOT turn on the heat yet. Combine 3 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell), 1 Tbsp sugar, and ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt in another cold medium saucepan. Use 3 clean pairs of long cooking chopsticks to beat the eggs well until the sugar is completely dissolved.
    A person adds sugar and salt to cracked eggs in a metal bowl, then uses chopsticks to whisk the mixture for soboro don (ground chicken bowl).
  • Now, TURN ON the heat to medium-low. Cook the egg mixture, stirring constantly with the chopsticks, to loosen and lift the cooked egg from the bottom and sides of the saucepan.
    Side-by-side images of a saucepan on a stove, showing the bright orange mixture for soboro don being stirred with chopsticks. The left side appears smoother, while the right side looks thicker and more textured.
  • As you stir, break up any large curds into small, fine crumbles. Continue cooking until the eggs are soft, fluffy, and no longer runny. Do not overcook. Once done, remove from the heat and set aside.
    Side-by-side images show scrambled eggs being stirred in a saucepan with chopsticks, perfect for topping soboro don (ground chicken bowl). The eggs appear soft and creamy in the left image and more set and cooked on the right.

To Assemble

  • Add 2 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice in individual donburi bowls. Spoon the ground chicken over half of the rice and the scrambled eggs on the other half. I line up 2 Tbsp green peas down the middle. Garnish with pickled red ginger on top, if you'd like.
    To see how to pack this in your lunchbox, see my Soboro Bento recipe.
    Three side-by-side images show a soboro don (ground chicken bowl) being assembled with rice, scrambled eggs, and ground meat, then topped with green peas and red pickled ginger. The bowl sits on a wooden surface with other dishes nearby.

To Store

  • Keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days or in the freezer for a month.

Notes

Ingredients Notes
  • Ground chicken: Use any ground meat—beef, pork, or turkey. You can also finely chop chicken thigh (or breast + thigh) or pulse it in a food processor until minced.
  • Soy sauce: Swap with tamari or gluten-free soy sauce if needed.
  • Mirin: No mirin? For each 1 Tbsp, use 1 Tbsp sake (or water) + 1 tsp sugar. Not identical, but very close.
  • Sake: Substitute dry sherry, Chinese rice wine, or water.
  • Sugar: The eggs are meant to be slightly sweet. It balances the savory chicken and gives that classic sweet-savory donburi contrast. Prefer less sweet? Reduce or skip—it’s still delicious.
  • Cooked Japanese short-grain rice: One bowl uses about 1⅔ cups (250 g) cooked rice. For two servings, you’ll need 3⅓ cups (500 g). Cooking 2 rice cooker cups (1½ cups / 300 g uncooked) will give you enough.
  • Saucepan: A saucepan (traditionally a yukihira nabe) makes it easy to stir and scrape into fine crumbles. Some sticking is normal—scraping helps create the light, fluffy soboro texture.

Nutrition

Calories: 575kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 28g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 284mg, Sodium: 861mg, Potassium: 731mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 16g, Vitamin A: 409IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 41mg, Iron: 3mg
QR Code linking back to recipe