Megan Zhang is a journalist who writes about culture, food, and travel.
updated Jun 18, 2023
Be the first to leave a review!
This hot, savory breakfast of rice, egg, soy sauce, mirin, and hondashi is super simple to make, yet offers a really comforting and nutritious start to the day.
Jump to Recipe
Jump to Recipe
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
One of the most wonderfully uncomplicated and satisfying breakfasts in my rotation is tamago kake gohan (卵かけご飯), a Japanese food that translates to “egg over rice” (and is sometimes abbreviated as TKG). To make it, you simply crack a raw egg into a bowl of steaming hot rice, add a few seasonings, then use chopsticks to whip the egg vigorously into the rice. You know it’s ready when the mixture becomes pale yellow, creamy, and slightly frothy.
In addition to soy sauce and kosher salt, you can up the umami factor by adding Hondashi (instant dashi granules), mirin, and MSG powder before whipping, all of which give the dish a mellow savory flavor. Then, as a final step, I garnish with toppings such as furikake, bonito flakes, sliced scallions, and pickled ginger. If you’ve got them, other toppings like natto (fermented soybeans) and salmon roe would also be excellent. Serve tamago kake gohan while it’s nice and warm.
This meal is so customizable that there’s a lot of variation in how people prepare it in Japan. Some crack the egg directly into the rice, while others prefer to beat the egg separately before pouring it over the rice. Some enjoy more toppings, while others keep it simple. The good news is, there’s no one right way to serve it!
Tamago Kake Gohan Recipe (Egg Over Rice)
This hot, savory breakfast of rice, egg, soy sauce, mirin, and hondashi is super simple to make, yet offers a really comforting and nutritious start to the day.
Prep time 5 minutes
Serves 1
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1 cup
hot, cooked white rice
- 1
raw pasteurized large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon
soy sauce or tamari
- 1/2 teaspoon
mirin
Pinch kosher salt
Pinch hondashi (instant dashi)
Pinch Aji-no-moto MSG powder (optional)
- 1
raw pasteurized large egg yolk (optional)
Topping options:
Furikake
Bonito flakes
Sliced scallions
Pickled ginger
Instructions
Scoop 1 cup piping-hot cooked white rice into a serving bowl. Use chopsticks or a fork to make a shallow well in the center. Crack 1 raw egg into the well. Season with 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari, 1/2 teaspoon mirin, a pinch of kosher salt, a pinch of hondashi, and a pinch of MSG powder if desired. (Alternatively, whisk the egg and seasonings in a separate bowl and mix well before pouring over the rice.)
Whip vigorously with chopsticks or a fork to incorporate the egg into the rice, until the mixture becomes pale yellow, creamy, and slightly frothy. Taste and add more seasonings as desired. Top with 1 raw egg yolk if desired. Sprinkle with furikake, bonito flakes, scallions, and pickled ginger if desired. Serve immediately.
