Japanese Soboro Don (Eggs, Turkey, and Rice)

This sweet and savory Japanese dish is super easy to make and so delicious! It's comprised of eggs, turkey, and rice, with a few swaps to make it healthier.

If you ask me, Japanese food is the ultimate comfort food (although I may be a bit biased as a half-Japanese🤣).

In my opinion, most Japanese restaurants in America are way too expensive and don't deliver quite the same flavor as you would find in Japan.

Its so much easier, cheaper, and tastier to make your own Japanese food at home!

This recipe for soboro is one of my favorites of all time! It's made from eggs, turkey, and rice with the perfect ratio of sweet and savory.

What is Soboro Don?

Soboro Don (そぼろどん) is a traditional Japanese dish made from ground turkey (or chicken), eggs, rice, and some type of green. It's always made with 3 colors and the perfect balance of sweet and savory.

There are, of course, the iconic Japanese ingredients like soy sauce, mirin, sake, and ginger. And in case you're wondering, they're relatively easy to find in most grocery stores (or if you live near an Asian store!)

Typically, the meat and eggs are ground into really small pieces, but it tastes great either way.😉

Ingredients in Soboro Don

The ingredients list is relatively short, and super easy to incorporate! And as always, I try to incorporate as many substitutions as possible.😊

Lean Ground Turkey: this is where the protein is! While I usually like to use super lean meat, I would say to go for 90-95% fat free on this one for more flavor.

The fat content isn't super important, though, so if all you have is 99% fat free, go for it! You can substitute the ground turkey in this recipe for ground chicken. The taste will be slightly different, but still delicious.

Eggs: my favorite part of this dish! They're sweet and light and pair perfectly with the turkey.

Brown rice: probably the most un-traditional thing about this recipe. Japanese love their white rice, but as a health food blogger I just felt the need to add some more fiber!🤣

Call me crazy, but I actually like the taste of brown rice better because it has more texture. Brown rice is a lot better for you than white, but if you want to go traditional, or you don't have brown rice, white will work just fine.

Low sodium soy sauce: I always use low sodium in my recipes because otherwise it turns out way too salty (and low sodium is healthier!). If you only have regular soy sauce, it's ok to use, just reduce the amount a bit.

Mirin: mirin is a rice wine used a lot in Japanese cooking. It's slightly sweet and works really well next to soy sauce. There is a small amount of alcohol, but it all evaporates, so it's 100% safe if you're under age (and it's also a really small amount).

Sake: sake is another type of rice wine with a lightly sweet, lightly savory flavor. It has a slightly higher alcohol content than mirin, but likewise is an extremely small amount and all the alcohol evaporates. You can replace it with more mirin.

Sugar: this is where the flavor is!! Sugar makes this thing so addictive and delicious. I use unrefined cane sugar, but honestly any granulated sugar works.

Ginger: not too much, but enough to add that hint of flavor that ties the whole dish together. You can use fresh or frozen grated ginger, or ginger paste.

Greens: to top-I use arugula, but you can also use green onions or other greens!

I really hope you like this recipe! If you decide to make it, be sure to post a picture and tag me @nutritiousdelights on Instagram--I'd love to see it!❤️