Microwave Oyakodon (Japanese Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl)

My husband often cuts out recipes from the weekend Wall Street Journal and he leaves them on the kitchen counter for the only person in the house that enjoys cooking (that’s me!). A few years ago, he unintentionally gifted me a cut-out recipe that flooded me with sweet memories of my childhood: chicken and eggs stewed in a brothy sauce served over rice. Known as oyakodon in Japan, it’s soulful comfort food that reminds me of my mother—but I had never cooked it for myself. Now I make it quite often for our three children.

Oyakodon is quick and easy to make at home and is traditionally cooked on the stovetop. But making it in the microwave cuts the cook time in half to under 10 minutes—this is significant for a busy working mom that is often up against the clock to get dinner on the table.

What Is Oyakodon? 

Oyakodon means “mother and child bowl” in Japanese, a sweet nod to the chicken and eggs in the recipe. It’s a popular rice bowl served at restaurants and at home. 

It starts with a sweet-and-savory broth made with soy sauce, dashi, sake, and sugar. (For this recipe, I use chicken stock and mirin, instead of dashi and sake, since they are pantry staples I always have on hand.) Sliced chicken and onions are simmered in the broth and lightly beaten eggs are added at the end. Once the eggs are set, the oyakodon is scooped over warm rice. It’s a simple yet hearty dinner. 

Use Chicken Thighs, Not Chicken Breasts

You’ve come to a recipe written by a person that is squarely in team chicken thighs. In fact, unless I’m buying a whole chicken, I don’t ever cook chicken breasts. They are easy to overcook and when cooked in the microwave, they’ll get dry and stringy. I would recommend sticking to chicken thighs—they’ll stay juicy even if you microwave them for too long.  

Weeknight Chicken Recipes 

Creamy Chicken Florentine

Lemon Pepper Chicken

Cheesy Bruschetta Chicken

Chicken Piccata

No Mirin? Use This Instead

Mirin, a sweetened rice wine, is a Japanese pantry staple that’s hard to find in the U.S. in its purest form—likely not at your neighborhood grocery store. I recommend Takara, but I don’t always have it. 

Instead, I use aji-mirin (it translates to “tastes like mirin” in Japanese) made by Kikkoman. It’s a near-perfect alternative I can find at my local Kroger, Target, and Whole Foods. It’s relatively inexpensive and does the job of adding umami, sweetness, and a little tang. For the best price, look for it at your local grocery store instead of Amazon.

Prep For a Busy Week

Sometimes I travel for work and my husband (who’s not the best cook, but he is masterful at laundry, dishes, and vacuuming) is tasked with feeding our three children. If I have my wits about me, I prep this recipe by marinating the chicken and vegetables in the sweet-salty sauce right in the baking dish. I cover the dish with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge where it can stay for a couple of days. Then all he has to do is microwave it and add the eggs. I’d call this a major microwave dinner upgrade.