Chicken soboro donburi is a popular Japanese dish featuring a generous portion of savory chicken soboro over a bed of rice. The chicken soboro, made by stir-frying ground chicken with soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar, pairs perfectly with rice, making it a favorite among people of all ages.

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked rice
• 5 ounces ground chicken
• 2 eggs
• 3.5 ounces snow peas
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons mirin
• 2 tablespoons sake
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• Vegetable oil, as needed
• Pinch of salt
• Shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice chili pepper), as needed

Instructions

1. Make Chicken Soboro:
   Combine ground chicken, soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, and cornstarch in a bowl and mix well.Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken mixture and cook until browned, breaking it up with a spatula.Add a splash of water and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
2. Make Egg Soboro:
   In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and a pinch of salt.Heat vegetable oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Pour in the egg mixture and cook until set, stirring with chopsticks or a spatula.
3. Blanch Snow Peas:
   Trim the snow peas and blanch them in boiling salted water for just a minute until they turn bright green. Drain and set aside.
4. Assemble:
   Divide the cooked rice evenly among two bowls.Top each bowl with chicken soboro, egg soboro, and blanched snow peas, arranging them in a colorful pattern.Sprinkle with shichimi togarashi and serve immediately.

Tips

• For a less fatty chicken soboro, remove the skin from the ground chicken before cooking.
• Adjust the amount of sugar and soy sauce in the sauce to your liking.
• Cook the egg soboro to your desired level of doneness.
• For extra color, add thinly sliced carrots or bell peppers to the chicken soboro.
• Garnish with chopped nori (seaweed) for an extra touch.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Ground chicken: Substitute ground beef or ground pork if desired.
• Soy sauce: If unavailable, use a combination of salt, pepper, and oyster sauce.
• Mirin: Substitute a mixture of sugar and water if mirin is not available.
• Sake: If unavailable, use water.
• Cornstarch: Substitute cornstarch with arrowroot powder if needed.
• Vegetable oil: Substitute canola oil or olive oil if preferred.
• Shichimi togarashi: Substitute chili powder or a blend of cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ginger powder, and sesame seeds.
• Snow peas: Substitute asparagus or broccoli florets if snow peas are not available.

Variations

• Feel free to customize your tricolor donburi by adding other toppings of your choice, such as cooked shrimp, tofu cubes, or pickled vegetables.
• For a richer flavor, top each bowl with a runny egg yolk before serving.
• This dish is also perfect for packing up as a bento or onigiri (rice balls).

Health and beauty benefits

Chicken soboro donburi has excellent effects on beauty and health. Chicken meat is rich in high-quality protein, supporting the health of the skin and hair, as well as aiding in muscle formation and repair. Additionally, the B vitamins and minerals found in chicken meat promote metabolism and help efficiently utilize energy. The sweet sauce reduces stress and induces relaxation. However, depending on the ingredients and cooking methods, you may need to be mindful of calorie and sodium content, so incorporating it into a balanced diet is important.