How to Make Tamago Kake Gohan, the Easiest Breakfast
Tamago Kake Gohan (TKG) is the Japanese way to make an easy and nutritious breakfast in approximately 137 seconds!
This dish had to have been invented by either a starving college student at 2:00 A.M., or maybe a busy mother on a school morning.
Either way, the day I decided to forgo the conventional wisdom of my upbringing, was the day my eyes were opened to a whole new world!
What is Tamago Kake Gohan?
Tamago Kake Gohan is a Japanese breakfast made of two simple (yet vital to my survival) ingredients: raw eggs and rice.
Often referred to as TKG in Japan and Japanese media, it’s a very popular dish.
The word “tamago” (卵) means “egg,” and kake (かけ) comes from the verb “kakeru,”, “to put on.” Gohan (ご飯) is the Japanese word for cooked rice, so the name means “egg put on rice.”
In Japan, eggs are very popular, both raw and cooked. According to the World Population Review, Japan consumes the most eggs per capita.
As an American who grew up eating cooked eggs for most of my life, I was a little surprised the first time I saw a bowl of steamed rice topped with a shiny egg. But after trying it once, I’ve never looked back.
Since then I’ve enjoyed this breakfast many mornings when I don’t feel like cooking anything.
In this post, I offer a slightly amped-up version with flaked salmon, dashi shoyu, and scallion greens. But simplicity is the name of the game, and you know 7/10 times I’m just using leftover rice, a raw egg, and maybe some soy sauce and furikake.
Breakfast Shift
Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and a nutritious breakfast is the perfect thing to kickstart my day.
I’ve seen the power of starting the day right, and TKG is one of the easiest ways you can switch up your breakfast routine.
Although tamago kake gohan is a bit lacking in fiber, eggs are a nutritious protein, healthy fat, and vitamin source. Rice provides complex carbs for energy throughout the day. If you include salmon, you also get the extra protein and Omega-3 fatty acids.
I’m not a nutrition professional, and TKG isn’t perfect, but it’s a big step up from several popular breakfast items like cereal, fruit juices, pancakes, croissants, and donuts.
The ease and ability to make a nutritious breakfast in 2 minutes is really what makes TKG stand out.
Raw Egg Disclaimer
I know what you’re thinking “Isn’t eating raw eggs unsafe?” In a way yes, and in a way no.
Raw eggs themselves are harmless, and eating them won’t make you sick (per the Cleveland Clinic). Several common foods use raw eggs such as:
- Mayo
- Some Salad Dressings
- Eggnog
- The cake batter you licked off of the spatula
The danger is that raw eggs have a small chance of containing Salmonella (which will make you sick). In America, that chance is about 1 in 20,000.
I am not a certified health professional, and according to the FDA, we should all cook our eggs until the yolks and whites are firm, and not eat runny scrambled eggs.
I will continue to eat runny scrambled, sunny-side up, and raw eggs. However, consuming raw eggs will increase your risk of salmonella.
This is why restaurant menus often continue this warning, and I will too:
Consuming raw or under cooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of food borne illness, especially if you have certain medical conditions.
Ingredients for Tamago Kake Gohan
Rice – Any rice works for this dish, and it can be freshly cooked or reheated. In Japan, short-grain white rice is the most common.
Eggs – Using the freshest eggs as possible has been shown to reduce the risk of foodborne illness, and always store your eggs in the refrigerator.
Furikake – Furikake is a Japanese seasoning that comes in many flavors, but the basic ingredients are sesame seeds, seaweed, salt, and bonito flakes.
Dashi Shoyu – Dashi shoyu is made of soy sauce infused with kombu and katsuobushi, giving it an extra depth of smokiness and umami. Regular soy sauce is fine too, and is the common choice for this dish.
Scallion Greens – Scallion adds both color contrast and a gentle onion flavor.
Smoked Salmon – This ingredient is optional, but I’ve found it to be a delicious addition to TKG. I like to buy a smoked salmon filet and flake it, but sliced smoked salmon works too.
More Easy Japanese Recipes
Tamago Kake Gohan (TKG) Raw Egg Over Rice Recipe
Time:
2 minutes
Yield:
1 serving
Cuisine:
Japanese
Ingredients
- 1 (170g) cup of cooked rice
- 1 large egg
- 2 oz of smoked salmon filet, flaked (optional)
Toppings
- Scallion greens, sliced on a diagonal
- Furikake
- Dashi Shoyu
Directions
- Add 1 serving fresh or reheated rice to a bowl.
2. Crack 1 egg onto the rice
3. Top with flaked salmon, scallions, a sprinkle of furikake, and a few drops of dashi shoyu.
4. Use chopsticks or a fork to mix and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 385kcal (19%) Protein: 21.8g Carbohydrates: 54g (20%) Total Fat: 7.9g (10%) Saturated Fat: 2.2g (11%) Cholesterol: 200mg (67%) Sodium: 635mg (28%) Dietary Fiber: 0g (0%) Sugar: 0.4g (1%) Vitamin D 18mcg (88%) Calcium 35mg (3%), Iron: 4mg (23%) Potassium: 225mg (5%)
The (%) tells how much a nutrient contributes to a daily diet, based on a 2,000 calorie per day diet.
Nutrition Disclaimer
I am not a certified health professional, and while I do my best to provide accurate nutrition information, these values should be considered estimates. Specific brands, natural variation in produce and meat, as well as the nutrition calculator used can cause small deviations in the nutrition of any recipe.
