5.0 from 6 votes
Ginger Chicken Bento
This colorful Ginger Chicken bento box comes together from just twelve simple ingredients that cost about $1.80 per box. With tender chicken coated in a fragrant ginger glaze, Tamagoyaki, and a fresh medley of vegetables and fruit, this bento lunch is a frugal yet flavorful meal that you can take on the go.
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings: 2 bento
Calories: 514 kcal
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
Japanese
Ingredients
For ginger chicken
- 285 grams boneless skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sake
- 1 tablespoon evaporated cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
For packing bento
- ½ batch tamagoyaki
- 220 grams cooked rice
- 16 grams frill lettuce
- 60 grams broccoli (blanched)
- 2 strawberries
- 24 grams carrots (sliced, blanched, and cut into flowers)
Instructions
- To make the sauce for the ginger chicken, combine the soy sauce, sake, sugar and grated ginger in a small bowl and stir together until the sugar has dissolved.
- Heat a frying pan over medium heat along with a splash of oil, and add the chicken in a single layer. Fry until it's browned on one side (about 2-3 minutes)
- Flip the chicken over and continue cooking until for another minute.
- Use a paper towel to soak up any excess oil in the pan.
- Add the sauce and caramelize it around the chicken until there's almost no liquid left. Let the chicken cool before packing it into a bento.
- To assemble the bento, add your rice to your bento box first. This provides a base to arrange all your other ingredients.
- Arrange the chicken next to the rice.
- Add some frill lettuce to separate the chicken from the vegetables, and if you have a deeper bento box, you may want to pad the bottom of the box with some lettuce too.
- Add the slices of tamagoyaki using the broccoli to fill the spaces around them.
- Fill the remaining space with the strawberry and slice it in half if necessary.
- Decorate the bento with the flower-shaped carrots.
Cup of Yum
Nutrition Information
Calories
514kcal
(26%)
Carbohydrates
42g
(14%)
Protein
28g
(56%)
Fat
24g
(37%)
Saturated Fat
6g
(30%)
Cholesterol
139mg
(46%)
Sodium
633mg
(26%)
Potassium
501mg
(14%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
8g
(16%)
Vitamin A
2345IU
(47%)
Vitamin C
34.6mg
(38%)
Calcium
37mg
(4%)
Iron
1.6mg
(9%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 2bento
Amount Per Serving
Calories 514
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 514kcal | 26% |
| Carbohydrates | 42g | 14% |
| Protein | 28g | 56% |
| Fat | 24g | 37% |
| Saturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Cholesterol | 139mg | 46% |
| Sodium | 633mg | 26% |
| Potassium | 501mg | 11% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 8g | 16% |
| Vitamin A | 2345IU | 47% |
| Vitamin C | 34.6mg | 38% |
| Calcium | 37mg | 4% |
| Iron | 1.6mg | 9% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.