Nabeyaki Udon with Chicken, Shiitake, and Poached Egg

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Classic Japanese comfort: savory soy–dashi broth, bouncy udon, and a silky poached egg.
• Contrasting textures in every bite: crisp tempura shrimp, tender chicken, earthy shiitake, and fresh spinach.
• Restaurant-style presentation at home using easy techniques and clear timing.
• Flexible: make dashi from scratch or use instant for speed without sacrificing flavor.

Grocery List

• Produce: Fresh shiitake, baby spinach, scallions
• Dairy: Eggs
• Pantry: Frozen sanuki udon, kamaboko fish cake, chicken thigh, large shrimp, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, kosher salt, instant dashi granules (or kombu and katsuobushi), all-purpose flour, rice flour, baking powder, neutral oil

Full Ingredients

Soy–Dashi Broth

• Water, 4 cups (960 ml)
• Instant dashi granules, 2 tsp (6 g)
  or make scratch dashi with: kombu, 1 piece (4 in/10 cm; ~10 g) and katsuobushi (bonito flakes), 1/2 cup loosely packed (15 g)
• Soy sauce, 3 tbsp (45 ml)
• Mirin, 2 tbsp (30 ml)
• Granulated sugar, 1 tsp (4 g)
• Kosher salt, 1/2 tsp, or to taste

Noodles and Toppings

• Frozen sanuki udon bricks, 2 (200 g each)
• Boneless, skinless chicken thigh, 6 oz (170 g), cut bite-size
• Fresh shiitake mushrooms, 4 oz (115 g), stems removed, sliced 1/4 in (6 mm)
• Kamaboko (pink-and-white fish cake), 8 slices (about 80 g), 1/4 in (6 mm) thick
• Baby spinach, 4 oz (115 g)
• Large eggs, 2
• Scallions, 2, thinly sliced

Tempura Shrimp

• Large shrimp, 4 (U15–20), peeled and deveined, tails on
• All-purpose flour, 1/2 cup (65 g), plus 2 tbsp (15 g) for dusting
• Rice flour, 1/4 cup (30 g)
• Baking powder, 1/2 tsp (2 g)
• Ice-cold sparkling water, 1/2 cup (120 ml), plus 1–2 tbsp as needed
• Neutral oil for frying, about 2 cups (480 ml)
• Fine salt, a pinch

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Make the soy–dashi broth

In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups (960 ml) water to a simmer. For instant dashi, whisk in 2 tsp (6 g) dashi granules until dissolved. For scratch dashi, add a 4-inch (10 cm) piece of kombu and slowly heat to about 180°F (82°C); remove kombu just before it boils. Add 1/2 cup (15 g) katsuobushi, remove from heat, steep 5 minutes, then strain. Return the hot dashi to the pan.

Season with 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin, 1 tsp sugar, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Keep the broth at a bare simmer over low heat while you prep the rest.

Step 2: Prep toppings and par-cook the udon

Slice the shiitake, cut the chicken into bite-size pieces, slice the kamaboko, rinse the spinach, and thinly slice the scallions. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the frozen udon bricks and cook 2 minutes, just until the strands separate and are barely tender. Drain and rinse under hot water to remove excess starch. Set aside.

Step 3: Fry crisp tempura shrimp

Heat 2 cups (480 ml) neutral oil in a small saucepan to 350°F (175°C). Pat shrimp dry and make 3 shallow slits on the belly side to help them stay straight. Dust lightly with flour (from the extra 2 tbsp).

In a chilled bowl, whisk 1/2 cup (65 g) all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup (30 g) rice flour, and 1/2 tsp baking powder. Add 1/2 cup (120 ml) ice-cold sparkling water and stir briefly; a few lumps are fine. Dip shrimp by the tails into the batter and fry 60–90 seconds until pale golden and crisp. Drain on a rack, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and keep warm in a 250°F (120°C) oven while you assemble the udon.

Step 4: Soft-poach the eggs

Bring 3 inches (7–8 cm) of water to a bare simmer (about 190°F/88°C). Crack each egg into a small cup. Swirl the water to make a gentle vortex and slide in an egg. Poach 3.5–4 minutes for set whites and a jammy yolk. Lift out with a slotted spoon and briefly rest in lukewarm water to hold until serving.

Step 5: Build the nabe and cook chicken and mushrooms

Divide the cooked udon between two individual clay pots (donabe, 16–18 oz / 500–550 ml each) or small saucepans. Ladle about 2 cups hot broth into each. Add half the chicken and shiitake to each pot. Cover and bring to a lively simmer over medium heat, 4–5 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked through and the noodles are piping hot.

Step 6: Finish with greens, kamaboko, tempura, and egg

Add half the spinach and kamaboko to each pot; simmer uncovered 30–60 seconds until the spinach wilts and the broth is bubbling. Slide a poached egg onto each pot and perch a crisp tempura shrimp on top so it stays above the broth. Garnish with scallions and serve immediately while the clay pot is bubbling (place on a trivet—donabe stays very hot).

Pro Tips

• Keep tempura batter very cold. Use sparkling water and mix briefly; overmixing makes dense batter.
• Warm clay pots gradually over medium heat. Avoid high heat on an empty donabe to prevent cracking.
• Frozen sanuki udon has the best chew. Cook just until strands separate—overcooking makes them mushy.
• Season broth to taste. Different soy sauces vary in saltiness; adjust salt or soy as needed.
• Poach eggs ahead. Hold them in room-temp water and rewarm for 20–30 seconds in the hot broth right before serving.

Variations

• Vegetarian Nabeyaki: Make kombu–shiitake dashi, skip chicken and shrimp, and top with tofu or vegetable tempura (kabocha, sweet potato, or shiso).
• Seafood-Forward: Replace chicken with sliced salmon or cod and add a few mussels or clams; simmer until just cooked.
• Curry Twist: Stir 1–2 tsp Japanese curry roux into the broth for a cozy curry nabeyaki.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Broth can be made 4 days ahead (refrigerated) or 3 months ahead (frozen). Slice shiitake, chicken, and kamaboko up to 1 day in advance. Poached eggs can be held in water in the fridge up to 24 hours and rewarmed briefly. Fry tempura shrimp just before serving for best crunch. Cooked udon softens quickly—if prepping ahead, keep noodles, broth, and toppings separate and assemble to order.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approx. 760 calories; 46 g protein; 72 g carbohydrates; 22 g fat; 2–2.4 g sodium. Values are estimates and will vary with ingredient brands and exact portions.