How to Pack a Simple and Delicious Japanese Bento Box Lunch

If you’re looking to bring some joy and wholesome flavor to your midday meal, there’s nothing quite like a Japanese bento box.

A bento is more than just a packed lunch; it’s a balanced, visually appealing, and incredibly satisfying meal.

The philosophy is all about packing a variety of small, delicious dishes with different flavors, colors, and textures.

Today, we’re going to create a simple, classic, and delicious bento box that is perfect for beginners.

We’ll focus on a few easy-to-make, quintessential components: savory Ginger-Soy Chicken, perfectly cooked Rice, a sweet and savory Tamagoyaki (Rolled Omelet), and a couple of simple, fresh vegetable sides.

This is your blueprint for a lunch that is both fun to make and a true pleasure to eat.

Forget the boring sandwich. Let’s learn the art of packing a beautiful and nourishing lunch.

Essential Tools

• Bento Box (or any compartmentalized lunch container)
• Small Skillet or Tamagoyaki Pan
• Rice Cooker or a Small Pot
• Silicone Muffin Liners (optional, for separation)
• Sharp Knife and Cutting Board

Quick Recipe Snapshot

Here’s a quick look at the timeline for assembling this fresh and satisfying lunch.

Ingredients

A great bento is a collection of simple, flavorful components. You can make all of these or pick and choose.

For the Ginger-Soy Chicken (Main):

• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thigh: 1 large, cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Soy Sauce: 2 tbsp.
• Mirin (Sweet Rice Seasoning): 1 tbsp.
• Sake (or Water): 1 tbsp.
• Sugar: 1 tsp.
• Grated Ginger: 1 tsp.

For the Tamagoyaki (Rolled Omelet):

• Large Eggs: 2.
• Soy Sauce: 1 tsp.
• Mirin: 1 tsp.
• Sugar: 1 tsp.

For the Rice and Sides:

• Japanese Short-Grain Rice: 1 cup, cooked.
• Broccoli Florets: ½ cup.
• Cherry Tomatoes: 4-5.
• Optional Garnish: Furikake seasoning or toasted sesame seeds for the rice.

The Flavor Architects A Look at the Ingredients

• Japanese Rice: This is the heart of the bento. Short-grain rice is essential for its sticky, slightly chewy texture that is easy to eat with chopsticks.
• Soy Sauce, Mirin, and Sake: This is the foundational trio of many Japanese sauces (called tare). The soy sauce provides salty umami, the mirin adds a sweet and tangy flavor, and the sake contributes a subtle depth and helps to tenderize the chicken.
• The Egg: In the tamagoyaki, the egg is transformed into something special. The small additions of soy sauce, mirin, and sugar give the simple egg a wonderful sweet and savory flavor that is uniquely Japanese.
• Colorful Vegetables: The inclusion of bright green broccoli and vibrant red cherry tomatoes is about more than just nutrition; it’s a key part of the bento philosophy, which values a colorful and visually appealing presentation.

Cooking Instructions

The key to an efficient bento is multitasking. You can cook the rice, chicken, and egg simultaneously to bring this lunch together quickly.

Step 1: Cook the Rice and Prepare the Chicken

First, get your rice cooking according to the package directions or in your rice cooker. This is the component that takes the longest.

While the rice is cooking, prepare your chicken. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, and grated ginger to create the marinade. Add the bite-sized chicken pieces to the bowl and toss to coat.

Let the chicken marinate for at least 10 minutes while you prepare the other components.

Step 2: Make the Tamagoyaki (Rolled Omelet)

In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the soy sauce, mirin, and sugar until they are uniform in color. Heat a small non-stick skillet or a traditional rectangular tamagoyaki pan over medium-low heat and lightly oil it.

Pour a very thin layer of the egg mixture into the pan. Once the egg is just set, use chopsticks or a spatula to carefully roll it up from one end to the other into a log. Push the rolled egg to one side of the pan.

Pour another thin layer of egg into the empty part of the pan, lifting the log to let the new egg mixture run underneath.

Once the new layer is set, roll the original log back over it. Repeat this process until you have used all the egg mixture, creating a multi-layered omelet. Remove it from the pan and slice it into ½-inch thick pieces.

Step 3: Cook the Chicken and Blanch the Broccoli

While the rice is finishing, you can cook the chicken. Heat a little oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer, reserving the extra marinade.

Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until browned and cooked through. In the last minute of cooking, pour the reserved marinade into the pan and let it bubble and thicken into a glossy glaze that coats the chicken.

At the same time, you can blanch your broccoli by dropping it into boiling water for just 1-2 minutes until it is bright green and crisp-tender, then immediately transfer it to cold water to stop the cooking.

Step 4: Assemble Your Bento Box Lunch

Now for the fun part: assembling your bento. Start by packing one section of your bento box tightly with the cooked rice.

Sprinkle the top with furikake or sesame seeds. In another compartment, arrange your main dish, the ginger-soy chicken. Place the slices of your tamagoyaki neatly in another section.

You can use silicone muffin liners to create smaller compartments. Finally, fill in any gaps with your fresh sides, like the blanched broccoli florets and the cherry tomatoes.

The main part is to pack everything snugly so it doesn’t move around during transport. Let everything cool to room temperature before closing the lid.

Recipe Variations

A bento box is meant to be personal. Feel free to swap the components!

• Different Proteins: Instead of chicken, you can use the same ginger-soy glaze on thin slices of beef (for beef bulgogi) or a salmon fillet. Small meatballs are also a classic bento item.
• Vegetarian Bento: For a vegetarian version, you can use the ginger-soy glaze on pan-fried firm tofu or edamame. You can also include a small portion of a seaweed salad or some pickled vegetables.
• Onigiri (Rice Balls): Instead of plain rice, you can take your seasoned sushi rice and form it into fun triangle or ball shapes for onigiri. You can even put a small piece of salted salmon or a pickled plum inside.

Serving Suggestions

A bento box is a complete and self-contained meal.

• Eat at Room Temperature: Traditionally, bento boxes are prepared in the morning and eaten at room temperature for lunch without reheating. The flavors are designed to be delicious even when cool.
• With Chopsticks: Part of the fun of a bento is eating it with chopsticks.
• Miso Soup: While not packed in the box, a warm thermos of miso soup is a perfect accompaniment to your bento lunch.

Storage & Reheating Tips

Bento boxes are the original meal prep.

• Storage: A prepared bento box should be kept refrigerated and is best eaten the same day it is made for optimal freshness and food safety.
• Reheating: While traditionally eaten at room temperature, if you wish to reheat your bento, remove any fresh vegetables or cold items first. Microwave the rice and chicken for 1-2 minutes until just warmed through.

Common Mistakes & Fixes

FAQs

Do I need a special rectangular pan for the tamagoyaki?

No, you don’t.

While a traditional makiyakinabe makes it easier to get a perfect rectangular shape, you can absolutely make a delicious rolled omelet in a small, round, non-stick skillet. Your final omelet will just be a log with rounded ends, which you can trim off.

Can I prepare my bento the night before?

Yes, you can prepare most of the components the night before (cook the chicken, make the omelet, chop the veggies) and store them in the fridge.

For the best result, cook your rice fresh in the morning and assemble the box just before you leave. This keeps the rice at its best texture.

What is the difference between mirin and rice vinegar?

They are very different! Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice wine used for cooking that adds sweetness and a glossy sheen. 

Rice vinegar is a vinegar made from fermented rice; it is acidic and tangy, not sweet. They cannot be used interchangeably.

Enjoy Your Beautiful and Delicious Lunch!

You are now ready to create a Japanese bento box lunch that will be the envy of the office or classroom.

It’s a wonderfully mindful and rewarding way to prepare a meal, and it proves that lunch doesn’t have to be boring.

I hope you enjoy the process of creating your own personal, perfect bento!