Bento Box

Name: Karaage Bento Box Recipe with Japanese Fried Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 1 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 1 cup Shimeji Gohan ((note 1)); 60g/2.1oz Chikuzenni ((note 2)); 40g/1.4oz Spinach Ohitashi Salad; 4-5 pieces Karaage Chicken ((note 3)); A handful of shredded lettuce; 1 quarter of a mandarin ((note 4)); A sprig of parsley; Soy sauce in a tiny bottle/jar/container ((note 5)); A bento box of your choice ((I used a plastic take away box with partitions, see the photo in post))

Karaage Bento is a Japanese-style lunch box built around crispy karaage (fried chicken) served cold with seasoned rice, pickled vegetables, and fresh sides—a complete meal designed for room-temperature eating and portable packing.

🌍Japanese 🏷️Bento 🏷️Bento box 🏷️Karaage 🏷️Karaage bento

Total

10 min

Servings

1

Difficulty

Easy

Est. Cost

$19–$31

Recipe Source

View original recipe

From Japan Recipetineats

Ingredients

1 cup Shimeji Gohan ((note 1))
60g/2.1oz Chikuzenni ((note 2))
40g/1.4oz Spinach Ohitashi Salad
4-5 pieces Karaage Chicken ((note 3))
A handful of shredded lettuce
1 quarter of a mandarin ((note 4))
A sprig of parsley
Soy sauce in a tiny bottle/jar/container ((note 5))
A bento box of your choice ((I used a plastic take away box with partitions, see the photo in post))

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Instructions

1
While the rice is still hot or warm, place it in the 2nd largest compartment.
2
Put Chikuzennni in the second smallest compartment. Try to place ingredients in the way that you can see all the ingredients at one glance.
3
Put Spinach Ohitashi in the smallest compartment and place the tiny plastic bottle of soy sauce on the side if you are using.
4
Put shredded lettuce in the largest compartment, then Karaage pieces to fill the compartment.
5
Place the mandarin at the corner of the shredded lettuce and a sprig of parsley on the chicken.

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Tips & Notes

Pro tips

Pack rice while still slightly warm so it retains moisture and flavour when eaten at room temperature.
Arrange denser items (rice, karaage) first, then fill gaps with softer sides to prevent crushing during transport.
Keep lettuce and fresh garnish (parsley, mandarin) separate or on top to stay crisp and prevent moisture transfer to other components.
Include soy sauce in a leak-proof container and add just before eating to keep karaage crispy.

Substitutions

Shimeji Gohan → plain white rice or furikake rice seasoning
Spinach Ohitashi Salad → pickled vegetables or cucumber sunomono
Karaage Chicken → teriyaki tofu or grilled salmon
Mandarin → fresh grapes or apple slices

Storage & make-ahead

Pack the bento box no more than 2 hours before eating; consume at room temperature the same day. Refrigerate leftovers up to 1 day and do not reheat karaage, as it becomes tough.

Equipment

Bento box with partitions (or non-partitioned box) · Small leak-proof soy sauce container

Common Questions

Can you make karaage bento ahead of time?

Yes—bento is designed for make-ahead cooking. Prepare the karaage, rice, and side dishes in advance, then assemble and pack just before eating to keep components fresh.