Healthy & Easy Japanese Meal Prep | Bento Box, Onigiri, and Side Dishes [ cooking vlog ]

dashi stock

🥗Healthier: vegetable broth

💰Cheaper: water + soy sauce

Vegetable broth maintains flavor while being lighter.

mirin

🥗Healthier: rice vinegar + sugar

💰Cheaper: white wine + sugar

Substitutes provide sweetness with lower cost.

chicken thighs

🥗Healthier: chicken breast

💰Cheaper: pork

Chicken breast is leaner, while pork is often less expensive.

soy sauce

🥗Healthier: low-sodium soy sauce

💰Cheaper: tamari

Low-sodium options reduce sodium intake.

Cook 10 cups of rice according to package instructions.

Cut 1 chicken thigh into bite-sized pieces.

Season chicken with black pepper, salt, 1 tbsp sake, and 2 tbsp potato starch, and massage the flavors in.

Boil chicken pieces for about 2 minutes or until cooked through.

Add 1/2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin, and 50ml water to the chicken and simmer until thickened.

Add 3 cloves of minced garlic and a generous amount of black pepper to the chicken mixture.

Serve the chicken mixture over the cooked rice.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens