Tamago Kake Gohan (Japanese Egg Rice)

One of the most simple Japanese recipes around, as well as one of the best comfort foods, is called tamago kake gohan. In English it simply means ‘egg on rice’ and is a dish that takes just a few minutes tops. This is often my daily breakfast when I stay with family in Japan since there is usually plenty of leftover rice from the day before.

There are plenty of different variations for this dish, from regional to family recipes, but the three necessary ingredients are rice, egg, and seasonings. After you have those three you can really get quite creative with your own tamago kake gohan.

This recipe was actually the first Japanese recipe taught to me by my aunt, and it is a great starter recipe for those who want to get into Japanese cuisine. The name of the game is simplicity, and a traditional tamago kake gohan could not be more simple.

Note: this recipe does call for raw egg (like many Japanese recipes such as Zaru Soba and Tsukune) but you can use a pasteurized egg if you prefer.

How To Cook Tamago Kake Gohan

boiling rice in a pot

For this recipe you can use already cooked, even day old rice. It can be cold, hot, recently microwaved, room temperature…whatever you want! That’s what makes this recipe so simple, it’s essentially leftovers!

Ingredients (per 1 serving)

  • 1 cup Rice – cooked. If you are making rice from scratch from this recipe then 1/2 cup uncooked rice per person works out well.
  • 1 Egg Yolk – You can use the whole egg if you like, but I never do. I always put the raw egg yolk on top of the rice when I make this recipe and then mix it in just before eating it.
  • 1 tsp Furikake – I use my homemade noritama furikake which is a version that has cured egg yolk and katsuobushi, but any store bought version will also work!
  • Soy Sauce – to taste
bowl of rice for tamago kake gohan

After making your cooked Japanese rice (or grabbing some day old rice) place about a cup’s worth in a bowl. Make a divot in the center where your egg yolk will go. If you don’t care about the yolk presentation, you can mix the egg with the rice in a separate bowl and then plate it.

a bowl of Japanese tamago kake gohan with egg yolk and furikake on a porcelain tray

Right before serving or eating, place the yolk on the rice and sprinkle with furikake or the seasoning blend of your choice. You can also add some chopped spring onion if you like, but this is entirely up to you!

How Do You Eat Tamago Kake Gohan?

The most common way of eating tamago kake gohan, or Japanese egg rice, is to use a couple chopsticks to stir the egg into the rice. This makes a creamy, almost custardy thick bowl of rice, perfect as a breakfast…or even a rainy day comfort food. Some people even add a little Japanese mayonnaise to it for an even richer and creamier bowl of rice.

a bowl of Japanese tamago kake gohan with egg yolk and furikake on a porcelain tray

Tamago Kake Gohan

One of the most simple Japanese recipes around, as well as one of the best comfort foods, is called tamago kake gohan. In English it simply means 'egg on rice' and is a dish that takes just a few minutes tops. This is often my daily breakfast when I stay with family in Japan since there is usually plenty of leftover rice from the day before.
Prep Time 2 minutes
Rice Making Time (if needed) 20 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Course Breakfast, Main Course, Main Dish
Cuisine Asian, Japanese
Servings 1 person
Calories 312 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Bowl
  • 1 Pot or Rice Cooker | optional

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup Rice cooked. If you are making rice from scratch from this recipe then 1/2 cup uncooked rice per person works out well.
  • 1 Egg Yolk You can use the whole egg if you like but I never do. I always put the raw egg yolk on top of the rice when I make this recipe and then mix it in just before eating it.
  • 1 tsp Furikake I use my homemade noritama furikake which is a version that has cured egg yolk and katsuobushi but any store bought version will also work!
  • Soy Sauce to taste

Instructions
 

  • If you need to cook the rice go ahead and do that first. There are so many ways to cook rice I'm not going to go into it, but I do suggest using a Japanese rice cooker if you have one.
  • Add the rice to a bowl and make a divot in the center to drop the egg yolk. Sprinkle with furikake and a drizzle of soy sauce to taste.
  • To eat this tamago kake gohan just use a couple of chopsticks to mix everything together and enjoy!
Keyword Egg Yolk, Furikake, Japanese Rice, Raw Egg, Rice

Tamago Kake Gohan

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