Chawanmushi (Japanese Savory Steamed Egg Custard) (Video) 茶碗蒸し

6 days ago 2

A decorative bowl with a lid holds Chawanmushi, a Japanese savory steamed egg custard, garnished with cilantro and mushrooms. The bowl rests on a bamboo tray beside a red spoon on a wooden table.

Recipe Highlights

Chawanmushi is one of my son’s favorite appetizers at Japanese restaurants, and honestly, the homemade version is just as good. It’s surprisingly easy to pull off—perfect for dinner parties and quiet family meals alike.

My basic version starts with dashi-seasoned egg custard nestled with chicken, mushrooms, and vegetables, but you can customize it with seasonal ingredients or make it vegetarian.

Here’s why I keep coming back to this recipe:

Silky-smooth custard with delicate, umami-rich flavor
Only 20 minutes of steaming—no special equipment needed
Easy to make vegetarian with a few simple swaps

If you love this chawanmushi recipe, try my Instant Pot Chawanmushi, Chawanmushi with Shrimp, and Matsutake Chawanmushi, next!

Table of Contents

A colorful cup of Chawanmushi (Japanese Savory Steamed Egg Custard), garnished with mushrooms, herbs, and fish cake, sits on a wooden tray with a red spoon beside it. The lid is slightly open.

What is Chawanmushi?

Chawanmushi (茶碗蒸し) literally translates to ‘teacup steamed egg custard.’

The dish traces its roots to shippoku (卓袱) banquet cuisine in Nagasaki—a unique blend of Japanese, Chinese, and European-influenced cooking that emerged during the Edo period (1603–1868).

Today, chawanmushi appears everywhere from kaiseki ryori restaurants to home kitchens.

Ingredients for Chawanmushi

chicken tenders – or use chicken breast/thighs
kamaboko fish cake
shimeji mushrooms
mitsuba (Japanese parsley) or green onion
ginkgo nuts – optional

For the Custard

large eggs
dashi (Japanese soup stock)
seasonings – soy sauce, mirin, sake, and salt

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

Jump to Recipe

How to Make Chawanmushi (Japanese Steamed Egg Custard)

Prep the ingredients. Cut the chicken and marinate with sake for 10 minutes. Slice the kamaboko and mushrooms. Knot the mitsuba stems or slice the green onions.
Make the custard. Combine eggs, dashi, mirin, soy sauce, and salt in a bowl. Whisk until blended. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve.
Assemble the cups. Layer fillings equally. Pour the egg mixture into the cups until 80% full. Remove any air bubbles.
Steam. Set the cups in a large pot with hot water reaching halfway up the sides. Cover each cup with its lid or foil. Rest the pot lid slightly ajar. Steam on the lowest heat for 20 minutes.
Serve. Eat while hot with a small spoon.

Thinly sliced pink and white kamaboko fish cake on a wooden cutting board.

Whisking eggs for Chawanmushi in a glass bowl, preparing a traditional Japanese savory egg custard dish.

Namiko Hirasawa Chen

Nami’s Recipe Tips

These simple tips will help you make Chawanmushi perfectly every time.

Use a 1:2.5 egg-to-dashi ratio – I use this instead of the standard 1:3 for a richer custard.

Make your own dashi stock – Dashi defines chawanmushi’s flavor, so I highly recommend using good quality stock. Use a handy dashi packet or follow my How to Make Dashi guide to make it from scratch.

Use usukuchi soy sauce – This light-colored soy sauce keeps the custard pale and delicate.
Bring ingredients to room temperature first – Cold fillings can cause uneven cooking and affect the custard’s set.

A special Japanese chawanmushi cup containing savory steamed custard filled with kamaboko fish cake, chicken, and mushroom.

Strain the egg mixture – For a velvety texture, I pass the beaten custard mixture through a fine-mesh sieve.

Use a hot water bath – I recommend this stovetop method because it’s easy for beginners and only requires a large pot.

A Japanese ceramic bowl with a decorative lid holds Chawanmushi (Japanese Savory Steamed Egg Custard), garnished with mushrooms, green herbs, and pink fish cake. A red spoon rests on the wooden tray beside the bowl.

Variations

Looking to change things up? Here are a few ways to make this dish your own.

Use seasonal ingredients. Shrimp, fish, and other vegetables are common variations based on what’s fresh and in season.
Try a different fish cake. Instead of kamaboko, try tube-shaped chikuwa or pink-swirled narutomaki.
Make it vegetarian. Use more vegetables and mushrooms instead of chicken and fish cake, and switch to Vegan Dashi.
Use a steamer basket or oven. For a steamer, wrap the lid with a kitchen towel to prevent condensation from dripping into the custard. For an oven, place covered cups in a roasting pan with 1 inch of boiling water at 350°F (180°C).
Swap the mushrooms. Try enoki, maitake, or shiitake mushrooms.
Try different veggies. Snow peas, carrots, spinach, and other leafy greens are colorful options. Blanch firmer vegetables like carrots before adding to the chawanmushi.

A decorative Japanese cup holds chawanmushi, a luscious Japanese savory steamed egg custard garnished with mushrooms, greens, and pink fish cake, served on a wooden tray with a red spoon.

Two cups of chawanmushi (Japanese Savory Steamed Egg Custard) with colorful toppings like mushrooms, greens, and pink slices, served on decorative plates with lids and a spoon on a wooden tray.

What to Serve with Chawanmushi

Chawanmushi makes a wonderful Japanese appetizer. Here are my favorite pairings:

As a starter – A comforting addition to weeknight staples like Miso Salmon.
With sushi – Pair with Sushi Rolls or before a Temaki Sushi party.

White plates containing Broiled Miso Salmon served over ginger rice.

A light green plate containing two types of Temaki Sushi (Hand Roll Sushi) - salmon and tuna roll and salmon and ikura roll.

Storage and Reheating Tips

To store: Keep leftovers in their cups and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

To reheat: Steam for 2–3 minutes or until warmed through. Avoid the microwave–it will break the custard’s silky texture.

FAQs

What cups can I use for chawanmushi?

Traditional chawanmushi cups work best. You can buy my favorites on JOC Goods! You can also use heat-resistant ramekins, small bowls, or mugs. Avoid very thick cups since the heat won’t penetrate them as well.

Can I make chawanmushi without a steamer?

No special equipment is needed for my chawan mushi recipe. Use a regular pot on the stove, bake in a hot water bath in the oven, or make it in an Instant Pot.

Why did my chawanmushi come out bubbly or spongy?

This texture means the custard cooked too fast or at too high a temperature. To avoid this, steam gently, aiming for 176–194°F (80–90°C), and leave the pot lid slightly ajar. Straining your egg mixture also helps.

Can I make chawanmushi ahead of time?

Chawanmushi is best served hot. But you can prepare everything ahead of time and steam just before serving.

I’d love to hear how yours turned out! 💛 Please leave a star rating and comment below to share your experience. Your feedback not only supports Just One Cookbook but also helps other home cooks discover recipes they can trust.

Chawanmushi (Japanese Savory Steamed Egg Custard)

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 30 minutes

Total: 50 minutes

Gather all the ingredients.

To Mix the Custard

Crack and weigh 3 large eggs (50 g w/o shell) in a measuring cup or bowl on a kitchen scale. Multiply the egg weight by 2.5 to determine the amount of dashi needed, then add it directly to the eggs.
Nami's Tip: For example, 150 g eggs x 2.5 = 375 ml dashi (egg-to-dashi ratio of 1:2.5). To measure the dashi, tare the scale and pour the stock directly into the eggs. I like to weigh and mix everything in a glass measuring cup for easy pouring later.
Add 1 tsp mirin, 1 tsp soy sauce, and ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt to the egg mixture.
Nami's Tip: These measurements are based on an egg weight of 150 g—adjust the seasoning to match your egg weight. If available, use usukuchi soy sauce to keep the custard a light color.
Whisk until the egg whites and yolks are fully combined.
Strain the egg mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into another bowl.
Nami's Tip: Straining removes any unmixed egg whites or lumps for a silky, smooth custard.

To Prepare the Ingredients

Cut 2 chicken tenders into ½-inch (1.3 cm) pieces. Place in a bowl, add 1 Tbsp sake, and marinate for 10 minutes.
Cut 8 slices kamaboko (fish cake) thinly. Trim the roots from 1.8 oz shimeji (brown beech) mushrooms and separate them into small clusters.
Loosely knot each stem of the 4 sprigs mitsuba (Japanese parsley). Alternatively, thinly slice the green onion if using instead.

To Prepare the Hot Water Bath

Place the chawanmushi cups in a large pot and add enough water to reach halfway up the sides. Remove the cups, cover the pot, and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat.

To Assemble the Cups

Layer the chicken on the bottom of each cup, then add the shimeji mushrooms and ginkgo nuts (if using).
Arrange kamaboko and mitsuba (or green onion) on top. Pour the egg mixture until each cup is 80% full, leaving the top ingredients partly visible. Skim any air bubbles from the surface with a spoon or skewer.
Nami's Tip: Air bubbles create a rough texture on the finished custard.

To Steam the Chawanmushi

Bring the pot of water back to a boil, then reduce to the lowest heat. Keep the water between 176–194ºF (80–90ºC) throughout steaming.
Carefully lower the cups into the water, cover with their lids, and set the pot lid slightly ajar. Steam for 20 minutes, or 15 minutes if you omitted the chicken.
Nami's Tip: Monitor closely—cup sizes and thickness affect cook time. Do not let the water boil, or the custard will turn rough and pitted instead of silky smooth.
Test doneness by inserting a skewer into the center: clear liquid means it's ready. Tilt to confirm the custard is set throughout, then carefully lift the cups from the water.
Nami's Tip: I removed the lids first and lifted out the cups with a hot plate gripper.

To Serve

Place the lids back on. Serve the chawanmushi hot or warm with a small spoon.

To Store

Refrigerate leftovers in their cups for up to 2 days. To reheat, steam for 2 minutes until warmed through.

Calories: 96kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 157mg, Sodium: 397mg, Potassium: 195mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 211IU, Vitamin C: 0.4mg, Calcium: 24mg, Iron: 1mg

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @justonecookbook on Instagram so we can see your delicious creation!

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on September 7, 2011, updated on October 2, 2022, with new images and a revised recipe, and republished on April 25, 2026, with updated content.

Read Entire Article