Chawanmushi (Japanese Savory Steamed Egg Custard)

Name: Chawanmushi (Japanese Savory Steamed Egg Custard)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 2 chicken tenders ((skip for vegetarian)); 8 slices kamaboko (fish cake) ((thin slices; skip for vegetarian)); 1.8 oz shimeji (brown beech) mushrooms ((roughly ½ package)); 4 sprigs mitsuba (Japanese parsley) ((or 1 green onion/scallion)); 8 ginkgo nuts ((pre-cooked; optional)); 1 Tbsp sake ((for marinating the chicken)); 3 large eggs (50 g w/o shell); 1¾ cups dashi (Japanese soup stock); 1 tsp mirin; 1 tsp soy sauce ((use light-colored usukuchi soy sauce, preferably)); ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt

Instructions

Prep:20minCook:30min

Chawanmushi is a silky Japanese savory steamed egg custard with chicken, fish cake, and mushrooms in a delicate lidded cup. It feels special yet comes together at home faster than you’d expect. I'll walk you through how to steam them with no special equipment for perfect results every time.

Updated at: Sun, 22 Mar 2026 02:44:14 GMT