Name: Freezer Oyakodon Rice Balls
Cuisine: 和食
Ingredients: Cooked rice (from 3 rice cooker cups of raw rice, approx. 1000g); Chicken thigh: 200g (approx. 1/2 piece); Onion: 1/2 (100g); Eggs: 3; Potato starch: 1 tbsp; Salt: a pinch; Vegetable oil: 2 tsp; Water: 3 tbsp; Soy sauce: 2 tbsp; Mirin: 1 tbsp; Sugar: 1 tbsp

About "Freezer Oyakodon Rice Balls"

This freezer-friendly meal prep recipe uses empty tofu containers as molds to pack Oyakodon (chicken and egg) fillings into rice balls. Finely chopped chicken thigh is coated in potato starch and simmered with onions and eggs in a thickened sauce. By flash-chilling the mixture on a tray before shaping, the rice balls maintain a fluffy egg texture and won't fall apart when frozen. They can be frozen for up to 3 weeks and easily reheated in the microwave.

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Tips for Making "Freezer Oyakodon Rice Balls"

Prep
- Cutting the chicken into 1cm cubes and coating it with salt and potato starch keeps the meat tender and naturally thickens the sauce.
Heat Control
- Sauté the chicken and onions over medium heat, and stir continuously after adding seasonings to bring out the natural thickness from the starch.
Heat Control
- Gently stir after adding the eggs, stop cooking when they are soft-scrambled, and flash-chill on a baking sheet to keep them fluffy.
Shaping
- Line a tofu container with plastic wrap, press the rice firmly into the corners, add the filling, and wrap to easily shape perfect square rice balls.
Storage & Reheat
- Freeze in a zip-top bag for up to 3 weeks. To eat, microwave still wrapped at 600W for 2 to 2.5 minutes until heated through.

Ingredients for "Freezer Oyakodon Rice Balls"

11 items

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Cookedrice (from 3 rice cooker cups of raw rice, approx. 1000g)
Chickenthigh: 200g (approx. 1/2 piece)
Onion:1/2 (100g)
Eggs:3
Potatostarch: 1 tbsp
Salt:a pinch
Vegetableoil: 2 tsp
Water:3 tbsp
Soysauce: 2 tbsp
Mirin:1 tbsp
Sugar:1 tbsp

How to Make "Freezer Oyakodon Rice Balls"

1
Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk gently without letting them foam.
2
Peel and thinly slice the onion.
3
Remove excess fat and sinew from the chicken thigh using kitchen shears, then cut into 1cm cubes.
4
Sprinkle a pinch of salt and 1 tbsp of potato starch over the chopped chicken, tossing to coat evenly.
5
Heat 2 tsp of vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
6
Add the starch-coated chicken to the pan and sauté until the surface changes color and it is cooked through.
7
Add the sliced onion and sauté until softened.
8
Add 3 tbsp water, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin, and 1 tbsp sugar to the pan, stirring well as it heats to thicken the sauce.
9
Once the sauce has thickened, pour the beaten eggs evenly over the mixture.
10
Gently stir with a spatula and cook until the eggs are soft-scrambled and slightly set.
11
Transfer the mixture to a baking sheet, spread it out thinly, and place it in the freezer to cool quickly.
12
Line the inside of an empty tofu container (150g size) with a large piece of plastic wrap.
13
Place about 100g of cooled cooked rice into the container, using a rice paddle to press it firmly into the corners.
14
Once the rice is flat, top it with 1/10 of the cooled Oyakodon filling.
15
Fold the overhanging plastic wrap inward to wrap the rice ball tightly, then remove it from the tofu container.
16
Repeat the process to make 10 rice balls in total.
17
Place the wrapped rice balls into a freezer bag and freeze (keeps for about 3 weeks).
18
To serve, place on a microwave-safe plate and microwave (still wrapped) at 600W for 2 to 2.5 minutes until heated through.

Food Science

Why This Dish Tastes So Good

The combination of inosinate in chicken and glutamate in soy sauce and onions creates a synergistic umami effect. Additionally, coating the chicken in potato starch before sautéing locks in moisture and flavor to keep it juicy, while also thickening the sauce to help the filling and rice bind together, serving as an effective method of moisture control.

Umami SynergyMoisture Control

Detailed Commentary on "Freezer Oyakodon Rice Balls"

* Content organized by topics from the video.

Oyakodon Rice Balls in Tofu Containers

“Hello everyone! I'm Katchan.” We start with the familiar greeting! Today, we are bringing you another recipe from our highly popular rice ball series using tofu containers. While we've turned various bento side dishes into rice balls before, today we have the innovative idea of turning a rice bowl dish into a rice ball! We'll be making Freezer Oyakodon Rice Balls that are perfect for meal prep. The best part about making them into rice balls is that you can easily reheat them in the microwave for a quick meal on busy mornings or when you need a snack. Using a tofu container allows anyone to easily shape them beautifully. Let's start cooking with excitement to see how they turn out!

Prepping Ingredients and Coating Chicken

Let's start with the prep. This recipe makes a generous batch of 10 servings. The main ingredients are cooked rice (from 3 rice cooker cups of raw rice), 1/2 onion (100g), 3 eggs, and 1/2 chicken thigh (200g). First, crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk them gently without creating foam. Next, peel and thinly slice the onion. For the main star, the chicken thigh, use kitchen shears to carefully remove excess fat and sinew, then cut it into small 1cm cubes so it fits easily inside the rice balls. Put the chopped chicken back into its tray, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and 1 tbsp of potato starch, and toss to coat thoroughly. This potato starch is a crucial step to keep the meat tender later on.

Sautéing and Seasoning the Ingredients

Once the prep is done, we'll cook the ingredients in a frying pan. Heat 2 tsp of vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the starch-coated chicken and sauté. When the surface of the chicken changes color and is cooked through, add the sliced onion and sauté together. Once the onion softens and releases its sweetness, add the seasonings: 3 tbsp water, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin, and 1 tbsp sugar. As you heat and stir everything together, the potato starch on the chicken will dissolve, naturally thickening the sauce. This thickness is what prevents the filling from falling apart when shaped into rice balls.

Adding the Egg and Flash-Chilling

Once the sauce has thickened nicely, it's time to add the beaten eggs. Pour them evenly all over the pan. Gently stir with a spatula to combine, cooking until the eggs are soft-scrambled and slightly set. Once cooked, transfer the mixture to a baking sheet. Spread it out thinly to prevent the residual heat from overcooking and hardening the eggs, then place it directly into the freezer to cool down quickly. This extra step of flash-chilling keeps the eggs fluffy while bringing the filling to the perfect temperature for shaping.

Shaping Rice Balls with Tofu Containers

Once the filling and rice have cooled down, it's finally time to shape the rice balls. This is where we use an empty 150g firm tofu container, commonly sold in 3-packs at supermarkets. First, line the inside of the container with a large piece of plastic wrap. Add about 100g of the cooled cooked rice (which is 1/10 of the total cooked rice). Use a rice paddle to press the rice firmly into the corners of the container to shape it. Once the rice is flat, top it with 1/10 of the cooled Oyakodon filling. Finally, fold the overhanging plastic wrap inward to wrap it tightly, and lift it out of the container. You'll have a beautifully shaped square rice ball! Repeat this process to make 10 rice balls.

Freezing and Taste Test

Store the finished rice balls in the freezer inside a zip-top bag while still wrapped in plastic. They will keep for about 3 weeks. When you're ready to eat, place a rice ball on a microwave-safe plate and microwave it (still wrapped) at 600W for 2 to 2.5 minutes until heated through. For the taste test, we toasted with 'Iyemon Yuzu Tea'! The delicious flavor of Oyakodon is packed perfectly into this rice ball. Thanks to cutting the chicken finely and coating it in potato starch, it doesn't get tough even after freezing and reheating—it stays incredibly juicy and tender. Also, because the sauce is thickened to bind with the egg, the filling doesn't spill out when you hold it, making it very easy to eat. This is highly recommended for meal prep during summer break or holidays when you spend more time at home!

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