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Instant Pot Chawanmushi
5 from 2 votes

Instant Pot Chawanmushi

How to make Instant Pot Chawanmushi 茶碗蒸し. Silky smooth Melt-in-the-Mouth savory egg custard with flavoring ingredients. Easy Japanese steamed egg is a simple yet delicious delight.

Total Time
25 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 50 kcal
Course: Side Dish, Breakfast, Appetizer, Snacks
Cuisine: Asian, Japanese

Ingredients

  • 2 (~120ml in volume) egg extra large
  • ¼ teaspoon (2g) salt fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon (5ml) soy sauce regular
  • 1 teaspoon (5ml) mirin
  • 1 teaspoon (5ml) sake optional
  • 2 drops sesame oil roasted
  • 1 cup (250ml) dashi stock homemade or instant (1.5g dashi powder with 250ml water
Fillings (Choose some of the ingredients)
  • 1 to 2 Shrimp chopped, peeled
  • chicken shoulder thinly sliced, or pork shoulder
  • carrot thinly sliced
  • vegetables pat dry, boiled
  • edamame
  • imitation crab meat
  • shiitake mushroom thinly sliced, or other types
  • shimeji mushroom
  • mushroom
  • kamaboko thinly sliced, aka Japanese fish cake, narutomaki

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Prepare Egg Mixture: In a 2-cup glass measuring cup, beat 2 extra large eggs until the egg yolks and egg whites fully blend. Continue to mix the egg mixture as you add ¼ tsp (2g) fine sea salt, 1 tsp (5ml) regular soy sauce, 1 tsp (5ml) mirin, 1 tsp (5ml) sake, 2 drops roasted sesame oil, and 1 cup (250ml) dashi stock to the well-beaten egg mixture. Make sure to mix it really well.
  2. Add Fillings & Filter Egg Mixture: Place chopped filling ingredients in the ramekins. If using raw meat or seafood, place them at the bottom of the ramekins. Gently pour dashi egg mixture into ramekins through a mesh strainer until 80% full. Try to avoid forming air bubbles.Tap ramekins against the counter 10 times to remove any air bubbles. Cover ramekins with lids, aluminum foil, or food wraps.
  3. Pressure Cook Chawanmushi: Add 1 cup (250ml) cold water in Instant Pot. Place trivet in Instant Pot, then place ramekins on trivet. It will be a tight fit. Close lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing position. Pressure Cook chawanmushi at Low Pressure for 1 minute, then Natural Release for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, release the remaining pressure (if any) by turning the Venting Knob to Venting position. Carefully open the lid.
  4. Check Doneness & Serve: Use a food thermometer to make sure the meat or seafood (if using) is above 160°F. Serve Chawanmushi hot, warm, or cold. Enjoy~

Notes

  • Cooking Time: If you use a much larger bowl or ramekin, adjust cooking time appropriately depending on the capacity and thickness of the bowl.
  • Eggs: If you use other sizes of eggs, adjust accordingly to the volume.
  • Dashi: Feel free to use more dashi powder when using strong-flavored fillings or more fillings.
  • Soy Sauce: Different brands or bottles of soy sauce can vary in their sodium levels, tartness, aroma, texture, and taste. Taste and adjust the amount accordingly.
  • Mirin: Best to use Hon Mirin instead of Aji-Mirin for better flavors. But both will work.
  • Sake: We usually use Gekkeikan sake. You can substitute it with Shaoxing wine, dry sherry wine, or omit it.
  • Fillings: 
  • Rate Amy + Jacky's Recipe: If you've tried our recipe, rate the recipe in the Comments section. Thank you!
  • Homemade Dashi: Make sure to let it cool down before pouring it into the egg mixture.
  • No Fillings: You can omit fillings if you want to solely enjoy the melt-in-the-mouth texture and delicate flavors.
  • Vegetables: Boil or steam the vegetables to soften them before adding them to the chawanmushi.
  • Pat Dry Fillings: Pat dry the vegetables or other ingredients to remove excess liquid. This prevents throwing off the egg-to-liquid ratios or diluting the flavors.
  • Filling Types: The fillings will influence the flavor of chawanmushi. If you're adding ingredients like shiitake mushrooms, it'll add a strong flavor. Be careful when adding ingredients with high water content, because they may release moisture that will impact the egg-to-dashi ratio.
  • Filling Amount: Limit the amount of fillings you're adding to each ramekin to achieve a balanced fillings-to-custard ratio. If you add too many fillings, you won't be able to enjoy the melt-in-the-mouth texture of the egg custard. Adjust the amount according to your preferences.
  • Filling Size: Best to cut the fillings into smaller pieces if you want to enjoy more of the silky smooth texture.

Nutrition Information

Calories 50kcal (3%) Carbohydrates 1g (0%) Protein 4g (8%) Fat 3g (5%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g (6%) Monounsaturated Fat 1g (5%) Trans Fat 0.01g (1%) Cholesterol 82mg (27%) Sodium 464mg (19%) Potassium 86mg (2%) Fiber 0.01g (0%) Sugar 0.5g (1%) Vitamin A 121IU (2%) Calcium 31mg (3%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 50

% Daily Value*

Calories 50kcal 3%
Carbohydrates 1g 0%
Protein 4g 8%
Fat 3g 5%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 1g 5%
Trans Fat 0.01g 1%
Cholesterol 82mg 27%
Sodium 464mg 19%
Potassium 86mg 2%
Fiber 0.01g 0%
Sugar 0.5g 1%
Vitamin A 121IU 2%
Calcium 31mg 3%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.