Simmered Daikon with Chicken Soboro is a comforting Japanese home-style dish that’s especially loved during the colder months. Daikon is a long, white Japanese radish (about a foot in length!) that used to be found mainly in Asian grocery stores, but these days it’s easy to spot at regular grocery store. When simmered, daikon turns tender and juicy, soaking up the savory flavors of the broth. This dish is a classic winter favorite in Japan and is commonly cooked with chicken, pork, or fish. Soboro refers to finely crumbled meat, usually ground chicken or pork, gently cooked and seasoned until fluffy and flavorful. Despite its cozy, slow-cooked feel, this recipe is very simple, using easy-to-find ingredients you can get locally.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- Daikon radish: 750–800 g about 1.65–1.75 lb / roughly ⅔ of a medium daikon)
- Ground chicken: ½ lb
- Sake: 2 Tbsp
- Mirin: 1 Tbsp
- Sugar: 2½ Tbsp
- Powder Dashi: 1 teaspoon
- Soy sauce: 3 Tbsp
- Water: 2½ cups
- Ginger: ½ inch, sliced (optional)
- Sesame Oil: 1 Tbsp
For Thickening (Cornstarch Slurry)
- Cornstarch: 1 Tbsp
- Water: 3 Tbsp
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Prep the vegetables.
Peel the daikon and cut it into 1-inch quarter-round pieces. Peel the ginger and slice it thinly, about 1 mm thick.
2. Cook the ginger and chicken.
Heat a pot over medium-low heat and add a small drizzle of sesame oil. Add the sliced ginger and sauté until fragrant. Increase the heat to medium, add the ground chicken, and cook while breaking it up well with a spatula until no longer pink.
3. Add daikon and water.
Pour in the water, then add the cut daikon. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
4. Season and simmer.
Once boiling, add the sake, mirin, sugar, soy sauce, and dashi. Reduce heat to medium, place an otoshibuta (drop lid* please see FAQ below) on top, and simmer for 20–25 minutes.
Otoshibuta is a lid that sits directly on the ingredients, helping the daikon cook evenly and absorb flavor.
5. Thicken the sauce and finish
In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water well. Before the starch settles, slowly drizzle the mixture into the pot while gently stirring with a spatula. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens evenly without breaking the daikon, then simmer for another 1–2 minutes until the sauce is lightly thickened. Turn off the heat and serve warm.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t rush the simmer: Daikon needs time to soften and absorb flavor—low, steady simmering makes all the difference.
- Tastes better later: This dish gets even more flavorful after resting. It’s great made ahead and gently reheated.
FAQ
No problem! You can make it with parchment paper, foil or kitchen paper cut into a round shape with a small cross in the center for steam escape. My recommendation is kitchen paper as it fits gently over the ingredients, helps distribute the sauce evenly, and prevents the top layer from drying out. It also absorbs foam and impurities on surface, so you can skip the skimming
Freezing isn’t recommended. Daikon becomes watery and mushy once thawed.
Simmered Daikon with Chicken Soboro
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- ⅔ Daikon radish / about 700-800 g or 1.65-1.75 lb
- ½ lb Ground chicken
- 2 tablespoon Sake
- 1 tablespoon Mirin
- 2 ½ tablespoon Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Powder Dashi (optional)
- 3 tablespoon Soy sauce
- 2 ½ cups Water
- ½ inch Ginger / sliced (optional)
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
For Thickening
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 3 Tbsp Water
Instructions
- Prep the vegetables.Peel the daikon and cut it into 1-inch quarter-rounds pieces. Peel the ginger and slice it thinly, about 1 mm thick.
- Cook the ginger and chicken.Heat a pot over medium-low heat and add a small drizzle of sesame oil. Add the sliced ginger and sauté until fragrant. Increase the heat to medium, add the ground chicken, and cook while breaking it up well with a spatula until no longer pink.
- Add daikon and water.Pour in the water, then add the cut daikon. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
- Season and simmer.Once boiling, add the sake, mirin, sugar, soy sauce, and dashi. Reduce heat to medium, place an otoshibuta (drop lid* please see FAQ below) on top, and simmer for 20–25 minutes.Otoshibuta is a lid that sits directly on the ingredients, helping the daikon cook evenly and absorb flavor.
- Thicken the sauce and finishIn a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water well. Before the starch settles, slowly drizzle the mixture into the pot while gently stirring with a spatula. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens evenly without breaking the daikon, then simmer for another 1–2 minutes until the sauce is lightly thickened. Turn off the heat and serve warm.
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