Rice Cooker Oyakodon is an easy and comforting Japanese chicken and egg rice bowl made effortlessly in one pot. Tender chicken and soft eggs simmer in a savory-sweet dashi-based sauce, infusing the rice with rich, umami flavor. Perfect for busy weeknights, this simple recipe delivers authentic Japanese taste with minimal cleanup!
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Oyakodon is a classic and flavorful dish, featuring tender chicken and soft eggs simmered in a savory-sweet umami-rich broth over fluffy white rice. If you’re looking for a more traditional version, check out my Authentic Oyakodon recipe. It’s a staple in our household, and we make it at least once a week. While it’s quick and easy to make for just one person, preparing multiple servings can take more hands-on time. That’s where this one-pot rice cooker chicken and eggs comes in – the perfect solution for busy nights!
Why You’ll Love This Rice Cooker Oyakodon Recipe
- Hands-Off Cooking: Effortlessly prepare oyakodon in a rice cooker with minimal active time.
- One-Pot Meal: All ingredients cook together, creating a flavorful and comforting dish.
- Perfect for Busy Days: Enjoy a delicious, authentic Japanese meal without the fuss of stovetop cooking.
- Customizable: Adjust the ingredients to your taste, like switching chicken thigh for breast or tofu!
- Simple Cleanup: An easy meal with minimal cleanup, perfect for a busy lifestyle or for those in university dorm rooms.
Ingredients for Oyakodon
Here is everything you’ll need to make oyakodon in the rice cooker:
- Japanese short grain rice
- Onion
- Chicken thigh: We typically prefer to use chicken thigh because its more flavourful and fatty but you can use chicken breast. For a vegetarian option, substitute for plant based meat alternatives or tofu.
- Hondashi (dashi granules): If you don’t have hondashi, I recommend using mentsuyu as most contain some dashi flavour. You can use some msg in a pinch for umami.
- Eggs
- Mentsuyu: Depending on the brand of mentsuyu, you may want to add a bit of sugar for a sweeter taste. We use this for convenience but you can also use a mix of 3 tbsp Japanese soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin, and 1 tbsp sake.
How to Make Rice Cooker Oyakodon
There are two ways you can make oyakodon in the rice cooker:
Method 1: Parchment Paper Separation
I personally prefer this method over the takikomi gohan style because I find the flavours get sort of lost because it’s being distributed throughout the rice. While you can fix that by adding more seasoning it also adds a lot more sodium to the dish which I know many (including my family) try to be cautious about.
- Wash rice: Here is my How to Wash Rice the Japanese Way if you wish you read more. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then add it to the rice cooker with water.
- Slice the onions thinly, root to tip.
- Cut the chicken into bite size pieces. Season with a little bit of salt and then coat in potato starch.
- Scrunch a piece of parchment paper and place it into the rice cooker bowl. Add the thinly slice onions, chicken, hon dashi and mentsuyu. Gently toss using your hands. Cook on “white rice” mode.
- Once the rice is cooked, pour the beaten eggs over the chicken and close the lid for 5 minutes. Gently lift the parchment to serve the chicken and egg mixture over the rice.
Method 2: One-Pot Takikomi Gohan Style
- Follow steps 1-3.
- Add the sliced onions and chicken into a bowl and toss in the hondashi and mentsuyu. I recommend marinating the chicken for 1 hour if time allows to let the chicken absorb more flavour.
- Add it to the rice cooker and cook on white rice mode.
- Once the cycle is complete, add the beaten eggs, close the lid, and let the residual heat cook them for 5 minutes. Serve warm.
VIDEO: Watch How to Make It
Lisa’s Recipe Tips
- Add less water to the rice: Use slightly less water than usual if you prefer rice with each grain plump and distinct. This way, the excess liquid from the broth and chicken is absorbed by the rice without making it overly soggy or mushy (unless you prefer it that way!).
- Coat the chicken in potato starch: Coating the chicken with potato starch helps keep it tender and prevents it from drying out during cooking.
- Add eggs at the end: Wait until the rice cooker has finished its cycle to add the eggs. This ensures they’re perfectly soft and not overcooked. I suggest cooking the eggs slightly more than you would in a pan, as they tend to settle at the bottom when scooping if they’re too underdone.
How to Store Leftovers
Let the rice cooker oyakodon cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container and refrigerating for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or on the stovetop, adding a splash of water or broth to refresh the flavors.
Recipe FAQ
Absolutely! Swap the chicken with firm tofu or mushrooms and use a plant-based dashi or mentsuyu substitute.
Yes, for a stove top version please see my authentic oyakodon recipe.
More Easy Rice Cooker Recipes to Try
- Rice Cooker Nikujaga
- Rice Cooker Beef Pepper Rice
- Rice Cooker Ketchup Rice (Omurice)
- Rice Cooker Teriyaki Chicken Rice
- Rice Cooker Japanese Sweet Potatoes
Enjoy!! If you make this Rice Cooker Oyakodon recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rating and if you decide to share it on socials, tag me on instagram @Okonomikitchen. I’d love to hear from you!
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Rice Cooker Oyakodon
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 servings
- Diet: Low Fat
Description
Rice Cooker Oyakodon is an easy and comforting Japanese chicken and egg rice bowl made effortlessly in one pot. Tender chicken and soft eggs simmer in a savory-sweet dashi-based sauce, infusing the rice with rich, umami flavor. Perfect for busy weeknights, this simple recipe delivers authentic Japanese taste with minimal cleanup!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (300 g) Japanese Short Grain Rice
- 1 small (120 g) onion
- 3–4 (300 g) chicken thighs
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 tsp potato starch
- 1 tbsp (8 g) hondashi
- 5 tbsp (80 ml) mentsuyu*
- or 3 tbsp Japanese soy sauce + 2 tbsp mirin + 1 tbsp sake + 1 tbsp sugar
- 3 eggs
Instructions
Preparation
- Wash the rice. See my How to Wash Rice the Japanese Way post for details.
- Slice the chicken into bite-sized pieces, season with salt, toss in potato starch, and set aside.
- Slice the onions thinly, from root to tip.
Method 1 (Traditional Oyakodon Style)
- Add the rice to the rice cooker and fill with water just shy of the 2-cup line. Add a sheet of parchment paper, ensuring it lines the rice cooker walls.
- Add the sliced onions and chicken, then pour in the hondashi and mentsuyu. Gently toss with your hands. Close the lid and cook on the white rice setting.
- Whisk 3 eggs gently. Once the cooking cycle ends, open the rice cooker and pour the eggs over the mixture. Close the lid and let the residual heat cook the eggs for 5-8 minutes.
- Serve in a bowl and top with nori, scallions, and togarashi. Enjoy!
Method 2 (Takikomi Gohan Style)
- Add the rice to the rice cooker and fill with water just shy of the 2-cup line.
- In a bowl, add the sliced onions and chicken.Add the hondashi and mentsuyu (or soy sauce, mirin, and sake mixture) and marinate for 1 hour if time allows.
- Scatter the sliced onions and chicken on top. Close the rice cooker and cook on the white rice setting.
- Whisk 3 eggs gently. Once the cooking cycle ends, let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Open the rice cooker and pour the eggs over the mixture. Close the lid and let the residual heat cook the eggs for 4-6 minutes.
- Serve in a bowl and top with nori, scallions, and togarashi.
Notes
- *Depending on the type of mentsuyu, you may want to add 2-3 tsp of sugar for some sweetness.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Main dish
- Method: Rice Cooker
- Cuisine: Japanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 665
- Sugar: 7.4 g
- Sodium: 1555 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 91 g
- Fiber: 5.7 g
- Protein: 43 g
- Cholesterol: 314 mg
Can I use brown rice? When do I coat chicken with potato starch? Before cutting up or after?
Hi Jen, Yes you can use brown rice but adjust the amount of liquid. Please read the preparation section 🙂
This was so easy and tasty. The hardest part for me was learning how to use my new rice cooker and figure out the right setting. 🙂 It was soooo good I made it two days in a row.
I LOVED this meal. Its good for when you don’t want to hang around the stove but still want oyakodon
I made this last night and it came out great!
My rice cooker is on the smaller side (3 cups) so it was very full. I let the egg steam for 8 minutes and they were still very runny. I carefully transferred the parchment paper with the chicken, eggs, and onion to a plate and microwaved for a minute and it was perfectly set. Next time I’ll scale down a little.