Japanese-Style Chicken & Sweet Potato Donburi

A hearty Japanese rice bowl featuring tender chicken, sweet potatoes, and onions, simmered in a savory-sweet sauce with a touch of spice. Perfectly balanced for a comforting, delicious meal.

Cuisine: Japanese

Cooking time: 36 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

500 grams Chicken breast or thigh, boneless skinless
2 cups (uncooked) Japanese short-grain rice (or substitute with medium-grain white rice)
2 medium (about 400g total) Sweet potato
1 large Yellow onion
6 tablespoons Soy sauce (use low sodium if preferred)
2 tablespoons Mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine, or substitute with 1 tablespoon sugar + 2 tablespoons water)
2 tablespoons Sake (optional, can substitute with water or chicken broth)
1 tablespoon Honey (or sugar)
1 teaspoon Fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon (adjust to taste) Shichimi togarashi (Japanese 7-spice blend, or substitute with a mix of chili flakes and black pepper)
1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
2 stalks Green onion, sliced (for garnish, optional)

Instructions

1. Wash the rice thoroughly under cold water until the water runs clear. Cook rice in a rice cooker or pot according to package instructions.
2. While rice cooks, peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 2 cm cubes. Slice the onion thinly. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 2 minutes until starting to soften, then add garlic and ginger. Cook for 1 more minute.
4. Add chicken pieces to the pan and cook until lightly browned on all sides (about 4 minutes).
5. Add sweet potato cubes to the pan. Pour in soy sauce, mirin, sake (or broth/water), and honey. Stir to coat all ingredients. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sweet potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through.
6. Sprinkle shichimi togarashi (or chili flakes and black pepper) over the mixture, stir, and simmer uncovered for another 2 minutes to thicken the sauce slightly.
7. Serve the chicken and sweet potato mixture over bowls of steamed rice. Garnish with sliced green onions if desired.

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