I Am... Viral Salt Bread Recipe
Crispy, soft, pillowy, and bursting with butter, these Korean salt bread rolls are the best rolls you’ll ever make. Do you ever just want a small amount of bread and are too lazy to go to the bakery to get it? Do you want to try making bread for the first time? If so, salt bread is for you. I’m obsessed with salt bread. When I see it, I want it. Salt bread that’s just out of the oven is amazing and if you’ve ever wandered past a salt bread bakery and seen a line up of eager bread lovers, I hope you joined it. You’ll never forget your first salt bread. The crispy crust, the soft and tender insides, the little melted pool of butter waiting for you like a secret. I know it sounds like hyperbole, but it really is just that good.
The trend is real
Salt bread is one of those things where once you’ve had one roll, you immediately want another. Coming out of Korea, via Japan, salt bread, or sogeum-ppang, is a super popular bakery bread roll that showcases the simple flavors of butter and salt.What is salt bread?
The name is deceptively simple and descriptive. Salt bread is literally bread. With salt. Don’t discount its deliciousness though. The addictiveness of salt bread lies in the textural contrast: crunchy, crispy butter-fried bottoms with soft, light, pillowy tops. The centers tend to be hollow with a surprise pool of butter waiting for you. Essentially, salt bread is a crescent roll, if crescent rolls were actually good. The basic recipe for salt bread is a milk bread dough, cut into individual portions, rolled up around a frozen baton of butter. When the bread bakes, the butter melts and pools, creating a pool of butter for the bottom of bun.Where is salt bread from?
The consensus on the origin of salt bread is that it’s a Korean take on the underrated Japanese shio-pan: a salty, buttery bun. Most people now tend to think of salt bread as an “Asian” bread, one that you can find at Asian bakeries like 85°C or dedicated salt bread bakeries. Thanks to the internet, even a humble bun can be viral and that’s where we are now, with people lining up in timed intervals for freshly baked salt bread in Seoul.How to make salt bread
Now that you’re convinced, let’s make salt bread! If you’ve made bread before, you’ll find this relatively easy. You start out with a regular milk bread dough, then divide it and shape each piece into an extra-long tapered triangle. The essential step is adding a small rectangle of butter on the wide end of the dough and roll it up like a croissant. As the bread bakes, the butter melts slowly while the crust firms up, becoming thin and crisp.Salt bread ingredients
- flour - bread flour is your friend and if you’re going to endeavor to make salt bread, do yourself a favor and get the bread flour. The difference between all-purpose and bread flour lies in the protein percentage. Bread flour has higher protein which allows it to develop more gluten, leading to a better network of elasticity. More gluten equals more chew and rise, which is what we want in bread.
- water and milk - all bread needs liquid and here we’re going for a mix of water and milk. You can go with all water if you don’t have milk, but the milk adds a nice delicate milky fragrance. If you love shokupan or other Asian breads, it’s probably because it’s milk bread.
- egg - the egg in the dough makes this an enriched dough, giving the salt bread more flavor as well as helping it bake up golden brown.
- yeast - all bread needs yeast! No special yeast needed here, just go for instant. If you have active dry, that’s okay too, it just might take longer for your bread to rise. We’re using instant yeast because its smaller granules means we don’t need to activate it in liquid and can just add it directly to the flour mix.
- sugar - a bit of sugar adds sweetness and helps with browning.
- butter - it wouldn’t be salt bread without butter. We’re doing two additions of butter, once in the dough so it stays soft and rich, and once when we shape the salt bread so we get that hollow centre. You’ll need softened butter and a straight from the fridge butter block. For the encased butter in the salt bread, you need to cut the butter into little rectangular batons about 3 inches by 1/2 inch and freeze them.
- salt - duh! Regular fine sea salt in the dough and a sprinkle of flaky salt on top to finish.
Step by step salt bread
Most bread recipes have you mix together all the dry ingredients, then mix in the wet ones, but after a bunch of experimenting, I’ve found that adding all the liquid ingredients to the bottom of your bowl, then putting the dry ingredients on top makes for a more even mix, especially when you’re using a stand mixer. By layering the dry ingredients on the wet, you don’t have to scrape the bowl down as much and you don’t end up with any dry bits at the bottom of the bowl. It’s my all time favorite trick for bread making! Here is the step by step:1. Add
To the bowl of your stand mixer, add in this order: water, milk, egg, yeast, sugar, butter, flour, and salt.2. Knead
Mix on low for 5 minutes with the dough hook, then turn up to medium and knead for 15 minutes minimum. You want to knead until you reach the windowpane stage: take a bit of dough in your hand and stretch it out, if you can stretch it out thin without it breaking, you’re good to go.3. Proof
Gather all the dough into a ball and let it take a nap and puff up.4. Cut
While the dough is sleeping, take a block of cold butter and cut it into little rectangles about 3 inches in length by 1/2 inch in height and width. Place the rectangles on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and pop them into the freezer to firm up.5. Shape and proof again
When the dough has tripled, punch it down and divide it into 9 equal portions. Shape each portion into a 6 inch long teardrop/tadpole shape then cover and let rise for another 30 minutes. Once the 30 minutes is up, take a portion of dough and on a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll it out: you want a super long triangle that’s about 3 inches at the base and 1.5 feet in length. Take a rectangle of frozen butter and place it at the base. Tuck in the sides and then roll the butter up from the base to the tip. Place the shaped salt bread on a lined baking sheet, cover and shape the rest of the buns. Cover the salt breads and let them rise again until doubled, about 90 minutes.6. Bake
When the buns are puffy and tall, use a spray bottle to spray them with water then sprinkle on some salt. Bake until golden and delicious then remove from the oven. Once you take them out, use a pastry brush and some of the butter that’s pooled on the tray to brush the tops to make them nice and shiny. Cool slightly on a wire rack and enjoy!Other breads you can make if you loved this
That’s it!
Whew, I admit, this was a journey, what with three proofs and all, but it’s really worth it, I promise! Just take a day or afternoon to yourself, turn on some binge worthy show in the background and make some bread. It’s so wholesome and homey. I hope salt bread makes it to your table this holiday season. It truly is the BEST bread roll you can make and would be such an elite move as your bread course at any dinner. Happy baking! -xoxo stephSalt Bread
Crispy, soft, pillowy, and bursting with butter, these are the best rolls you’ll ever make!
- 80 g water (warm)
- 40 g milk (warm)
- 57 g egg (lightly whisked (1 egg is about 57g))
- 6 g instant yeast
- 24 g sugar
- 20 g butter (room temp)
- 270 g bread flour (see notes)
- 5 g salt
- 1/2 cup butter (to fill)
- flaky sea salt (as desired, to finish)
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in the following order: water, milk, egg, yeast, sugar, butter, flour, and salt. Mix on low speed with the dough hook for 5 minutes until the dough comes together in a shaggy mass, scraping down the bowl as needed.
Continue to knead on medium for 15 more minutes. Do the windowpane test: take a piece of dough about the size of a golf ball and stretch it out between your fingers and thumbs. If you can stretch it without the dough breaking, you’re good to go. The dough will be very soft and tacky - try to resist adding flour.
With floured hands, shape into a ball and transfer to a clean lightly floured bowl, cover and let proof until about tripled in size, about 1 hour.
While the dough is rising, cut the butter into batons, about 1.5 inches long and 1/2 inch tall and wide. Place the butter batons on parchment and place in the freezer until ready to use.
When the dough is ready, punch down the dough and divide evenly into 9 portions. Working with one portion at a time, shape each piece into a 6 inch log. Taper one side of the log by using the palm of your hand and slight pressure to make a tadpole shape. After shaping, cover the pieces with a clean kitchen cloth and let rest for 30 minutes.
Use a rolling pin to roll out each portion of dough into a long acute isosceles triangle, about 2 inches in width at the base and about 16 inches in length. Place the frozen butter on the wider end and roll it up, pinching the sides of the dough and encasing the butter entirely. Continue to roll up to the tip of the dough. Place the shaped salt breads on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, with the sharp point of the bun seam side down. Leave at least 3 inches between each bun. Cover and proof until doubled in size, about 90 minutes.
Heat the oven to 375°F, on convection mode. When ready, use a kitchen spray bottle to evenly spray the surfaces of the buns. Sprinkle on a generous amount of flaky sea salt and bake for 15 minutes, or until baked through and golden brown — the bread should come to an internal temp of 189°F if you have an instant read thermometer.
When the buns are ready, remove from the oven and immediately use the butter pooled on the tray to brush the tops of the rolls. Transfer to a wire rack to let cool slightly, then enjoy!
Notes: I make my own bread flour at home with all purpose flour and vital wheat gluten. Vital wheat gluten is the protein found in wheat and what changes the protein percentage of your flour. If you want to use all purpose flour and add vital wheat gluten to up the protein content for this specific recipe, you’ll need to add 2.67 grams of vital wheat gluten to the all purpose flour. No need to change the flour measurement.
I Am... Tini’s Mac and Cheese Recipe
Tini’s viral mac and cheese is an absolute dream and so rich and delicious. Three kinds of cheese and corkscrew pasta are a match made in heaven. If you’re a mac and cheese lover, this is the recipe you need to try. It's the creamiest, richest, most over the top mac and cheese you may ever make.
What is Tini’s mac and cheese?
Tini’s mac and cheese is a viral Tiktok with over 60 million views and counting. It’s viral in the way people wish their videos could go viral. Everybody and their aunt made her mac and cheese for Thanksgiving, so if you want to give it a try, I’ve detailed it for you below. It’s probably the best thing you can bring to Easter or a potluck or a cookout or a summer BBQ, for real, for real.How to make Tini’s mac and cheese
- Cook the pasta: in a large pot of salted water, cook the pasta over high heat according to the package directions then drain well.
- Make a roux: melt 3 tablespoons of butter in large non stick pan. When it’s melted, add half of the seasoning and stir it around to release the aromatics. Stir in 3 tbsp flour and stir and cook until everything starts bubbling and the raw flour cooks.
- Add the evaporated milk: slowly stream in one can of evaporated milk and whisk immediately. It should start to thicken slightly.
- Add the heavy cream: stir in the heavy cream, whisking it in completely. Whisk in the remaining seasoning and 1 tbsp of Dijon. Let the sauce thicken slightly, whisking occasionally.
- Add the cheese: Add in 1/2 of the cheese, by the handful, whisking in and letting each handful melt before adding more cheese.
- Stir in the pasta: Stir in your cooked pasta making sure all the sauce coats every single noodle.
- Layer the mac and cheese: in an oven safe casserole dish, layer the pasta. Add 1/2 of the mac and cheese to the pan, spreading it out evenly. Then add 1/2 of your remaining shredded cheese. Add the rest of the mac and cheese and finish the top with the last of the shredded cheese.
- Bake: Pop the casserole into a preheated 350°F oven and bake for 25-30 minute or until the top melts and it’s golden and bubbly.
- Broil: Finish it off by broiling for 2 minutes so the mac and cheese gets a nice little crust.
- Enjoy! Add some sliced chives if you want (Tini does!), then scoop and enjoy!
Tini’s viral mac and cheese ingredients
- pasta - Tini uses corkscrews aka cavatappi (pictured above) aka the best pasta for mac and cheese because the sauce goes into the center of the tube and when you bite into it, you’re biting into pockets of cheesy creaminess. You can find corkscrews at most grocery stores or online.
- cheese - there are three kinds of cheese in Tini’s mac and cheese: mozzarella, colby jack, and sharp cheddar. Buy blocks of cheese and grate them yourself. After your shred all your cheese, mix them up and divide them into 2 equal portions.
- butter - you need butter to make a roux or white sauce, go for unsalted.
- flour - flour is the other ingredient in roux. The regular all purpose flour in your pantry is perfect.
- evaporated milk - one can of evaporated milk makes everything super creamy.
- heavy cream - using heavy cream instead of milk makes this mac and cheese even creamier and richer.
- seasonings - salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika. The garlic powder adds garlickiness and the smoked paprika adds a hint of smokiness in the background. Mix up all the seasonings together in a small bowl so it’s easy to add to the pan.
- Dijon mustard - most people don’t know this but almost all mac and cheese recipes contain some kind of mustard. Tini opts for Dijon, which cuts through the richness of the cheese and adds balance to the entire dish.
Who is Tini?
Tini is a cook (she was also on Next Level Chef with Gordon Ramsey) with a popular Tiktok account with over 5.5 million followers.Mac and cheese tips and tricks
Shred your own cheese - Pre-shredded cheese usually has cellulose in it to make sure the shreds don’t clump and the cellulose makes your mac and cheese grainy. Layer - Just like lasagna, layering mac and cheese is a pro move. You get pockets of melty cheese and a crispy cheese top. Season - Don’t skip the garlic powder, smoked paprika, and mustard! They really add that extra bit of oomph and flavor that takes this mac and cheese over the top. Trust me, you don’t really taste any of the seasonings in particular, instead they just meld together into a really nice flavor note that makes you want to eat more and more.Make ahead mac and cheese
You can make this entire recipe ahead of time up until the point where you bake it. Cover it tightly and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking. To bake it, cover it with foil and bake it for 30 minutes, remove the foil and continue to bake until the mac and cheese is heats through. Finish by broiling.Do you need to use corkscrews?
I've made this many times now and corkscrews are good but so are traditional macs, mini penne, and rotini. Really any pasta shape you love will be just as good because this mac and cheese is so decadent it won't matter, the pasta is just the vehicle to transport the gooey cheesy deliciousness.Is this too rich/complicated/expensive?
Try this luscious homemade scratch Velveeta mac and cheese as an easy to make alternative that will hit all right notes too. Or for a more refined take, try this Pumpkin Sage Mac and Cheese from our noodle cookbook. Happy mac and cheesing friends! xoxo stephTini’s Mac and Cheese
If you’re a mac and cheese lover, this is the recipe you need
- 1 lb pasta (corkscrew/cavatappi preferred)
- 1 lb mozzarella cheese
- 1 lb colby jack cheese
- 1/2 lb cheddar cheese (sharp preferred)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour
- 12 oz evaporated milk (~1 can)
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tbsp mustard (Dijon preferred)
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Once at a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook it according to the package directions. When done, drain well.
While the water is coming to a boil and the pasta cooks, shred the cheese. Grate the cheese with the coarse side of a box grater. Once you finish grating, mix all the cheese together in a large bowl, then divide into two even portions and set aside.
Make the seasoning mix: in a small bowl, stir together the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Set it aside.
In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat. When melted, add 1/2 of the seasoning mix. Stir, bringing out the aromatics. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until everything bubbles slightly and looks incorporated.
Slowly stream in the evaporated milk while whisking to ensure there are no lumps. Next, add the heavy cream, whisking constantly. Whisk in the Dijon and remaining seasoning mix. Let the sauce come to a simmer and thicken, giving it an occasional whisk.
Add HALF of the cheese. Turn the heat to low (or remove it from the heat if needed) and slowly melt in 1/2 of the cheese, handful by handful, making sure the cheese melts before adding more.
Stir in the drained pasta, making sure to coat all the noodles in sauce.
Grab your casserole dish and add 1/2 of the mac and cheese to the bottom of the dish, spreading evenly. Layer on 1/2 of the remaining cheese then the remaining mac and cheese.
Finish by evenly layering on the last of the shredded cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the top melts and bubbles. Broil for 2 minutes to give it a crispy crust, the remove, let sit for a bit so you don’t burn yourself, scoop and enjoy!
Serves about 10 as a side or 5-6 as a main dish.
I Am... 5 Best Mac and Cheese Recipes for Easter
Mac and cheese is the BEST comfort food and if it’s not on your Easter table, what even is the point of making an Easter feast? My dream Easter brunch would be a mac and cheese buffet, with all the various macs just waiting to be scooped up into my mouth, no plates needed. Mac and cheese is one of those things that people feel very strongly about and everyone has their very own favorite recipe. Not me though — I’m not a purist. I am a mac and cheese, how shall we say, equal opportunity lover. I will happily eat a bowl of boxed mac as well as an absurdly expensive artisanal concoction. Cheesy noodles, come to me! Anyway, here are 5 off-beat mac and cheese recipes to inspire you for your Easter feast.
Tini's mac and cheese
Tini’s is an elevated version of the ultimate classic: rich and delicious, with a golden cheese crust giving way to luscious creamy corkscrews aka cavatappi. This is the recipe you make when you want to impress your guests and yourself.Tini’s Mac and Cheese
If you’re a mac and cheese lover, this is the recipe you need
- 1 lb pasta (corkscrew/cavatappi preferred)
- 1 lb mozzarella cheese
- 1 lb colby jack cheese
- 1/2 lb cheddar cheese (sharp preferred)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour
- 12 oz evaporated milk (~1 can)
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tbsp mustard (Dijon preferred)
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Once at a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook it according to the package directions. When done, drain well.
While the water is coming to a boil and the pasta cooks, shred the cheese. Grate the cheese with the coarse side of a box grater. Once you finish grating, mix all the cheese together in a large bowl, then divide into two even portions and set aside.
Make the seasoning mix: in a small bowl, stir together the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Set it aside.
In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat. When melted, add 1/2 of the seasoning mix. Stir, bringing out the aromatics. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until everything bubbles slightly and looks incorporated.
Slowly stream in the evaporated milk while whisking to ensure there are no lumps. Next, add the heavy cream, whisking constantly. Whisk in the Dijon and remaining seasoning mix. Let the sauce come to a simmer and thicken, giving it an occasional whisk.
Add HALF of the cheese. Turn the heat to low (or remove it from the heat if needed) and slowly melt in 1/2 of the cheese, handful by handful, making sure the cheese melts before adding more.
Stir in the drained pasta, making sure to coat all the noodles in sauce.
Grab your casserole dish and add 1/2 of the mac and cheese to the bottom of the dish, spreading evenly. Layer on 1/2 of the remaining cheese then the remaining mac and cheese.
Finish by evenly layering on the last of the shredded cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the top melts and bubbles. Broil for 2 minutes to give it a crispy crust, the remove, let sit for a bit so you don’t burn yourself, scoop and enjoy!
Serves about 10 as a side or 5-6 as a main dish.
Creamy mac and cheese
This is the mac of your childhood, but ten times better. Creamy, smooth, spoonable comfort food at its best. Serve up a glossy bowl of this cheesy goodness and settle into a cheese dream.Velveeta Mac and Cheese
If you’re looking for the creamy mac and cheese of your childhood, this is it.
- 8 oz macaroni (about 2 cups dry, or other small pasta of choice)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
- 1.5 cups milk (of choice)
- 1/2 lb Velveeta cheese (cubed)
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
Cook the macaroni in a large pat of salted water according to the package directions and drain well. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. When melted, stir in the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, and dry mustard, until smooth and incorporated.
Pour the milk into the pan in a thin stream while whisking, until smooth. Keep on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce bubbles and thickens, 3-5 minutes.
Add the cubed Velveeta and shredded cheddar and stir until melted and creamy.
Add in the drained macaroni, mixing until evenly coated, taste and season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!
To bake: Scoop the mac and cheese into a oven safe casserole dish, top with 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar and 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs or crushed ritz crackers and bake at 350°F until the cheese melts and is golden and crisp, 20-30 minutes.
Pumpkin-y mac and cheese
It’s spring, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the earthy, sweet taste of pumpkin. The flavors of pumpkin and sage are grown up enough for all the mac haters out there while sneaking in some pumpkin nutrients for the kids. The crispy sage is what takes this over the top, so make extra!Pumpkin Sage Mac and Cheese
This cozy mac and cheese is all about classic fall flavors.
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
- 20-25 leaves sage
- 2 cups milk (whole preferred)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 8 oz ziti (or macaroni noodle of choice)
- 2 1/4 cups cheddar (grated)
- 3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
- salt and freshly ground pepper
Melt the butter in a large sauté pan or pot over medium heat. Add the sage leaves, being careful not to crowd the pan, and fry until crisp, 5 to 15 seconds, depending on the size of the leaves. Remove the crisp leaves to a paper towel to drain. Set aside.
Whisk the flour into the melted butter and cook, whisking constantly, until the flour is a blond color and the mixture is smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of the milk in a thin stream, continuing to whisk until any lumps are gone and the sauce is smooth and quite thick, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the remaining 1 cup of milk along with 2½ cups of water, as well as the garlic, mustard, and onion powders. Add the uncooked ziti and stir until wisps of steam come up, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low. Let cook, gently bubbling, until the ziti is tender and the sauce starts to thicken, 9 to 10 minutes. (It will still be quite saucy at this point—adding the cheese will thicken it up.)
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese and pumpkin puree. Season to taste with salt and pepper and let stand for a couple of minutes; the sauce will thicken as it rests. Crumble the crispy sage leaves on top, and serve hot.
Top with freshly grated nutmeg and finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Spicy mac and cheese
A bit of spice is always nice and the smokiness of the green chile makes you want to eat it more and more as the heat builds up. It’s not overly spicy, just nicely warm and smoky, and all things delicious. The fire roasted Hatch chiles pairs perfectly with Monterey jack and tender noodles.Creamy Spicy Hatch Green Chile Mac and Cheese
Creamy, spicy, comforting mac and cheese.
- 8 ounces pasta of choice (about 2 cups small macaroni)
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 cups grated cheese of choice (I used a mix of Monterey Jack and cheddar)
- 1 cup diced fire roasted hatch chile peppers (or to taste)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
In another large sauté pan or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir for about three minutes, until completely smooth and incorporated.
Pour in 1 cup of the milk in a thin stream while whisking. It might start out lumpy, but keep whisking and it will smooth out into a thick paste. Add the rest of the milk and whisk until smooth. Keep on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
Cook the pasta according the package, then drain well.
Remove the sauce from the heat and add the salt and pepper, diced hatch chile, and cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Add the drained pasta and gently mix. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed and enjoy hot.
If you’re going to roast your own chile, you need about 3-4 depending on size. Rub them with a bit of oil, place on a sheet pan and broil on high until black and soft, flipping once. Place in a bag and seal (or put in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap) and let steam. Skin, stem, de-seed, and chop. You can also use canned chopped green chile.
Serves 4 as a side or 2 as a main. Estimated nutrition is for a side serving
Over the top
A long time ago, I came up with the genius idea of combining two of my great loves: mac and cheese and shepherd’s pie (aka cottage pie because ground beef instead of lamb). Cheesy and creamy noodles on top of savory seasoned ground beef with onions, carrots, and peas. It’s just the kind of weird esoteric food combination I love (and Mike hates). All good though, because I can eat this whole dish.Mac and Cheese Pie
I think you'll be addicted to this
Beef base
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1/2 small onion (diced)
- 1 small carrot (diced)
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
Mac and cheese
- 1 cup pasta (macaroni preferred, of course)
- 1 1/2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 1/4 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
In a skillet, heat up a bit of oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook until slightly softened. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add a bit more oil to the pan and cook the beef until deeply browned. Drain off excess fat, if needed. Stir in the onions, carrots, and frozen peas. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the beef mixture into a oven proof dish and set aside while making the macaroni and cheese.
Cook the pasta according to the package, drain and set aside.
Over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir constantly over medium heat for about three minutes, until smooth. Pour in half of the milk in a thin stream while whisking. When smooth, add the rest of the milk. Keep on medium heat and stir for about 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir in 1 cup of cheddar. Add the drained macaroni and stir to coat.
Top the beef and sprinkle on the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 15-20 minutes. Enjoy warm.
BONUS: Crispy Mac and Kimcheese
Kimchi and cheese are a match made in heaven, no cap. The acidity and spiciness of kimchi and the creamy richness of cheese play off each other in the best way. This is as glorious mess of flavors plus a crunchy cheese crust thanks to a hot stone bowl a la a Korean dolsot. Seriously good. This is the one I would make if I wanted to make someone fall in love with kimchi.Mac and Kimcheese Dolsot Bibim-mac Recipe
Mac and cheese with a kimchi twist in a hot stone bowl
- Stone Bowl
- 1 cup pasta (macaroni preferred, of course)
- 1 1/2 butter
- 2 flour
- 1 1/4 cup milk
- 1 cup shredded cheddar (plus extra to top)
- 1/2 cup kimchi (chopped)
- 1 sac mentaiko (optional, see notes)
- 1 tbsp gochugaru (optional)
Heat up a stone bowl, lightly oiled, over medium-low heat.
Cook the macaroni according to the package instructions, drain and set aside.
In a large sauté pan or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir constantly for about three minutes, until completely smooth and incorporated. Pour in half of the milk in a thin stream while whisking. It might start out lumpy, but keep whisking and it will smooth out into a thick paste. Add the rest of the milk and whisk until smooth. Keep on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and add the cheese and stir until melted. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the macaroni.
Sprinkle some cheese into the dolsot then add the macaroni and cheese. Top with more cheese, the chopped kimchi, and the mentaiko, if using. Mix it all up and push the macaroni against the sides of the bowl. The cheese will form a crispy frico/socarrat. The longer you wait, the crispier it will get. Enjoy, adding some gochugaru for an extra kick!
To scoop out the mentaiko: cut it open with a knife, then use a spoon to gently scoop out the insides. Discard the membrane.
This is a pretty sauce-heavy mac and cheese, which is needed because you’re heating it up in the dolsot. You can make this without the dolsot, just mix everything up and enjoy! Or you could try frying it up in a cast iron pan as well.
I Am... How to Make the Viral Tiktok Cucumber Salad
The viral Tiktok Cucumber Salad that seems like it’s pretty much everywhere thanks to the Tiktok cucumber guy. It's heating up around here and that means cold salads and food that doesn’t make you overheat. Cucumber salad fits perfectly into that category and it’s no surprise that it’s viral. He’s created a whole cucumber community. I hope cucumbers won’t start selling out at the grocery store.
Who is the TikTok cucumber guy?
Logan Moffitt–aka @logagm–is a seemingly normal dude from Canada who loves to eat cucumbers and kimchi. A lot of his videos are of him making kimchi or eating Korean food, especially cold Korean noodles. Even before he made this cucumber salad, I came across his Tiktoks. He does collabs with K-POP bands and other viral Tiktokers. He was pretty popular before the cucumber thing, but now he’s even more popular. His cucumber videos are in the millions. Not just the one video, every single cucumber video has millions, even up to 10s of millions of views. People really, really love his cucumber salads.What is the viral cucumber guy recipe?
I’m not certain, but the very first cucumber recipe I saw Logan make was a classic garlicky, soy-sesame cucumber salad. It’s savory, a tiny bit sweet, crunchy, and super refreshing. It’s where I first heard his what seems to be catchphrase: “Sometimes you just NEED to eat a whole cucumber.” I mean, he’s not wrong!How to make the Tiktok cucumber guy salad
- Slice - thinly slice your cucumber. Use a mandolin if you have one, it makes slicing cucumbers a breeze. Slice them right into a deli quart container.
- Add - add soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, fish sauce, sugar, MSG, grated garlic, sliced green onions, and toasted sesame seeds to the cucumber slices.
- Toss - put the lid on your container and shake until mixed.
- Enjoy - take off the lid and enjoy the cucumber salad right out of the deli container, using chopsticks for maximum enjoyment, just like Logan.
Ingredients for Tiktok cucumber salad
- cucumber - you need a cucumber and it’s got to be a whole seedless English cucumber, aka the cucumbers you see at the grocery store.
- soy sauce - soy sauce is going to add saltiness and umami. Use whatever brand you have at home, hopefully, it’s naturally brewed.
- toasted sesame oil - it’s got to be toasted sesame oil, not un-toasted. Toasted sesame oil is nutty, aromatic, and so delicious.
- fish sauce - fish sauce is going to add an extra boost of flavor. Fish sauce is truly the best and I love that there’s a viral recipe that has fish sauce it in.
- sugar - just a little bit of sugar is going to balance out the savoriness of all the umami-forward ingredients and make it so you just can’t stop eating cucumbers.
- MSG - a lil sprinkle of MSG is going to make this cucumber salad even more addictive. There is so much misinformation and literature on MSG out there. but all you need to know is: it’s naturally derived and exists in tomatoes and parmesan cheese and you eat it all the time. If you don’t have any MSG in your pantry, I recommend the Ajinomoto panda because it’s so cute.
- garlic - garlic and cucumbers just go together.
- green onions - green onions add a fresh, slightly sharp bite.
- toasted sesame seeds - toasted sesame seeds for crunch and nuttiness.
Equipment needed for Tiktok cucumber salad
The truth is, you don’t need any special equipment to make this cucumber salad, but if you want to do it like the kids, here’s what you’re going to get:- deli quart containers with lids - I love quart containers for storing leftovers and they truly are amazing for shaking up a whole cucumber salad. These deli containers are the most popular on Amazon and they have great reviews.
- mandolin - if you’re going to be eating a lot of sliced cucumber salads, do yourself a favor and get a mandolin. Just make sure you watch your fingertips as you’re slicing. We have trusty OXO Good Grips one but I’ve always wanted a classic Japanese Benriner. Benriners are beloved by those in the food industry because they’re no nonsense, sharp, and boast a minimalist aesthetic.
- microplane - a microplane will give you tiny little gratings of garlic, which is perfect for distribution in your salad. To be honest, we almost always use a garlic press, but this little ginger and garlic grater is SO CUTE,
I kind of want it.Update: Mike got it for me and I love it!
Cucumber salad variations
Cucumber guy has gone viral for the recipe in this post, but since he has a whole cucumber community, he has SO MANY other cucumber recipes. It’s cucumber of the day, every day. Every single recipe starts with a while cucumber, a mandolin, and a deli quart container. The cucumber possibilities are endless.Other cucumber salads
- Watermelon Salad with Feta, Cucumbers, and Herbs
- Sunomono Japanese Cucumber Salad
- Chinese Cucumber Avocado Salad
- Miso Smashed Cucumber and Green Bean Salad Recipe
TikTok Cucumber Guy Recipe
The viral cucumber salad from tiktok
- 1 cucumber (sliced)
- 1.5 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- sprinkle msg
- 1 clove garlic (grated)
- 2 green onions (sliced)
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Use a mandolin to directly slice the cucumber into a deli quart container. Alternatively, use a knife to thinly slice a cucumber and place it in a bowl.
Add the soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, fish sauce, sugar, MSG, garlic, green onions, and toasted sesame seeds to the container (or bowl).
Place the lid on the container and shake until the cucumber slices are coated evenly with all the ingredients. If your cucumbers are in a bowl, toss well.
Enjoy immediately, or place in the fridge and marinate for a couple of hours then enjoy. The cucumbers will be crunchier the faster you eat the salad, so if you want a fresh cucumber salad, enjoy immediately. If you want more of a quick pickled cucumber salad, let marinate for 1-2 hours before enjoying.
I Am... Boy Kibble, but Better
What is boy kibble and why is it everywhere? Boy kibble is all over the socials, though not mine because I’m not a boy. The algorithm genders you for real. Warning: this post is going to be pretty gendered too. That's just the nature of the topic. Mike recently asked me if I ever had boy kibble. I was like, “What the heck is boy kibble?” He told me that it was both trending right now and also was what he ate all through his university days. He went on to tell me that every man he knows has had boy kibble at some point in their lives. Google must have heard us, because after that conversation, I am seeing boy kibble everywhere. It’s viral on my algorithm now, so I had to make it. And of course, I had to bump it up a little with lao ga ma chili crisp and fried onions. Guys, doing it this way is actually so good.
What is boy kibble?
If you’re anything like me and have never heard of boy kibble, the internet says it's ground beef and rice, sometimes with a sauce, sometimes not, and sometimes with a ornamental bit of fat from, say, an avocado or eggs. It's a quick/fast meal-preppable high protein dish that checks a lot of boxes for boys, and maybe girls too. It's also a great dish to make if you ever felt the urge to cook for a boy in your life.How to make boy kibble
- Make some rice - cook your rice the way you like. We strictly cook rice on the stove in our household, but we also own this and it's amazing for low effort days.
- Fry up the ground beef - Add the ground beef to a non-stick skillet and season it generously with salt and pepper. There’s no need to add any extra fat. Break it up into pieces while cooking. When browned, stir in any spices or sauces you want to season with (see below) then remove from the stove.
- Serve - Scoop out some rice, top with beef, add garnishes (if any) and enjoy!
Boy kibble ingredients
- ground beef - this is the key for the protein, 1 pound of lean/regular ground beef. Don't get the extra lean stuff for this, the fat goes a long way to making this dish work.
- rice - Your fave rice. I think brown rice is the answer here, Mike disagrees. He's also the kind of person to buy only one kind of rice specifically from Hokkaido, so take that how you will. It’s basically a carb to go along with the ground beef.
- spices/seasonings - spice makes everything nice! Seasoning the ground beef is what’s going to make your boy kibble taste good. I had to ask Mike what the heck kind of seasonings boys like and he said “hot.” In his uni days, he used a packet from Nong Shim Shin Ramyun, which worked because he would make two packs of noodles at once and only need one packet, leaving many to spare.
- toppings - you can get a little creative here with various herbs, vegetables, cheese, nuts, etc. The purest boy kibbles don’t have toppings though, so don’t been too concerned with this.
How to season boy kibble
Plain ground beef gets boring fast. Man (or boy) cannot live on plain ground beef for long. Just like boy kibble is a low-effort high-reward kind of dish, here are some low-effort high-reward seasoning ideas to try:- chicken salt - Australians have invented a super umami forward spice mix made up of chicken bouillon powder, garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, paprika, and salt. It’s really good when mixed in with ground meats.
- Taiwanese spice mix - Mike is obsessed with Taiwanese popcorn chicken and the seasoning they use on it: equal parts five spice, white pepper, black pepper, garlic powder, and salt.
- Vietnamese spice mix - if you’ve ever had Vietnamese fried chicken, you’ve probably tasted the addictive dusting that they use to season it. It’s a mix of white pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and a lil bit of sugar. It’s pure magic.
- soy sauce - there’s a world of soy sauce out there, make sure you’re using one that’s naturally brewed.
- sriracha - squeeze it on to taste for spice
- sambal oelek - for even more of a punchier, fresher spice
- chili crisp - the ultimate in crispy, crunchy, flavor
- fried onions/shallots - the kind you buy from the grocery store
- green onions - they feel healthy
- the seasoning packet from instant noodles - especially if you used the noodles to make Tiktok ramen, homemade buldak, mayo ramen, or army stew, you'll have a lot of these packets leftover and they're perfect for seasoning your kibble
The obsession with high protein
I feel like everyone (granted, including me) is obsessed with high protein these days. It’s kind of like hydration: remember when we were kids and no one carried water around? I’m aging myself here, but we were lucky if we all got to line up to drink from a questionably hygienic water fountain. Now, everyone is super-hydrated and soon, everyone will be super protein-ed. Protein is great. It keeps you full, it builds muscle, repairs tissues, bones, skin, and hair. Plus, it’s highly satisfying.Is boy kibble healthy?
Boy kibble is a high protein meal. In its white rice and ground beef iteration, it’s not particularly balanced nutritionally as white rice is probably one of the lowest nutrient carbs out there. As a girl, I'd love to get more nutrients to go along with the protein, although the boy in my life says that guys don't really consider this much. The best way to make boy kibble healthier is to swap out the white rice for brown rice or another grain. I love the nuttiness of brown rice, so for me, that’s a no brainer. If you want boy kibble to be even more balanced, add in a leafy green for some extra vitamins, nutrients, and fiber.Why is boy kibble trending?
It’s cheap, easy to make, and has an interesting name. Personally, I see the appeal. It's low effort for a lot of reward. If you’re eating for fuel and you don’t have a lot of time to prep ingredients or just aren’t interested, boy kibble is a really good meal prep recipe to have in your back pocket.Why is it called boy kibble?
Much like “girl dinner,” boy kibble is something old that’s been rebranded for the viral hit. Ground beef rice bowls aren't anything new, but you have to admit the name kinda hits. Happy kibble-ing, xoxo stephBoy Kibble
More than just rice and ground beef, but also, maybe just rice and ground beef
- 2 cups cooked rice (from 1 cup uncooked)
- 1 lb ground beef (regular or lean)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (sweet soy sauce preferred)
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- 1 tbsp chili crisp (optional)
- 1 tbsp green onion (optional)
- 1 tbsp fried onions (optional)
Season the ground beef with salt and pepper, then lightly brown over medium high heat.
Add soy sauce and sriracha and continue to brown until cooked (or alternately use one of the other seasonings suggested in the post, or your fave seasoning).
Serve over rice.
Add garnishes if desired and enjoy hot!
I Am... Instant Pot Butter Chicken
Instant Pot butter chicken is savory and saucy and perfect with rice and naan for soaking up that delicious tomato-y buttery sauce. Butter chicken is one of those dishes that holds a special spot in my heart. It was one of Mike and I’s go-to dishes to make and eat when we first moved in together. I wasn’t much of a cook back then but we both had a love of Indian food and when we wanted to stay in and play house, we would buy jarred butter chicken sauce and heat up some chicken and naan and have a cute night in of “cooking” even though it was more like heating up. I’m much more adept at cooking now and Indian food is still one of those things we love to make and eat. Sometimes I’ll go all out and make a 24 hour dal and homemade naan but sometimes we’ll want something quick, easy, and flavorful without much fuss. For those days, it’s always Instant Pot butter chicken.
How to make Instant Pot butter chicken
- Add. To the insert of the Instant Pot, add a can of diced tomatoes along with the garlic, ginger, and spices. Stir everything together, then nestle in the chicken pieces, whole.
- Pressure cook. Pop the lid on and pressure cook on high for 10 minutes, then let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes. Use a pair of tongs to take the chicken out and set it aside on a plate.
- Blend. Use an immersion blender and blend the sauce until smooth. Or, carefully transfer to a blender and blend. When the sauce is smooth, let it cool slightly, 3-5 minutes.
- Stir. Stir in the butter, cream, then an extra bit of garam masala. The sauce should be lovely and thick, able to coat the back of a spoon.
- Simmer. Chop up the chicken into bite size pieces and add it back to the sauce in the Instant Pot. Set the pot to sauté on low and heat the chicken through and let the sauce bubble.
- Serve. Enjoy with freshly chopped cilantro!
Ingredients
- Diced tomatoes. Tomatoes are the base of butter chicken. Please use diced tomatoes and not tomato paste or sauce - diced tomatoes tend to have a lot more liquid in them which is key for the Instant Pot. You’ll want to add in the ENTIRE can of diced tomatoes, juice and all.
- Garlic. Fresh garlic adds so much flavor. Use a garlic press for extra ease.
- Ginger. Fresh ginger adds heat and a bit of warming spice.
- Spices. Turmeric, cayenne pepper, ground paprika, cumin. These are spices that you’ll probably have hanging out in the pantry. Make sure they’re fresh!
- Garam masala. This is a mix of spices that varies greatly from spice mix to spice mix but usually contains: fennel, bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cumin, coriander, and red chili powder. You can make your own, but you can also buy a mix at the store.
- Chicken. Chicken thighs are best because they cook up juicy and tender.
- Butter. It wouldn’t be butter chicken without butter. Go for unsalted so you can control the saltiness of your butter chicken.
- Heavy cream. Full fat whipping cream adds luxurious creaminess and mixes with the redness of the tomatoes to butter chicken its iconic golden color.
What if I don't have an instant pot anymore
It's 2026 and the instant pot craze is definitely over. If you still want to make this dish but don't have an instant pot, you can. All you need to do is simmer the chicken uncovered for 25-30 minutes rather than bringing it up to pressure, adding water as necessary to keep the liquid level consistent (about 1/2 cup for me). Follow the recipe as-is otherwise.What is butter chicken?
Butter chicken, known as murgh makhani, is a chicken curry made with tomatoes, spices, butter, and cream. It’s mild and creamy and so incredibly delicious. It’s a fairly new curry, developed by a restaurant group called Moti Mahal in India.Is this authentic butter chicken?
Yup, I would say so! This recipe is based off of Urvashi Pitre’s butter chicken and she has had a whole lifetime of making and eating it. Butter chicken is an Indian dish, very popular in North India and also widely eaten in South India.Urvashi Pitre’s Instant Pot butter chicken is perfection:
- it’s quick and easy, you basically put everything in the Instant Pot and turn it on
- it’s full of SO much flavor, creamy, just a touch of heat, and so delicious
- it’s authentic because Urvashi Pitre is essentially known as “the butter chicken lady”
Why does butter chicken taste so good?
Curry chicken is the ultimate comfort food and butter chicken is the most comforting curry because it’s warm and cozy, full of savory flavors that aren’t too spicy. The cream and tomatoes play off each other perfectly. The tomatoes add umami and acidity and the cream counters the acidity and adds a lovely texture and the added bonus of tempering the the heat of the spices.What is the difference between butter chicken and chicken tikka masala?
Butter chicken and chicken tikka masala are very similar with distinctly different flavors. Butter chicken is creamier and not as spicy. Chicken tikka masala is more tomato-y and doesn’t have as much dairy. They’re both delicious!Tips and tricks
- There no need to add extra water. Lots of water will cook out from the chicken so you don’t need to add extra water to the pot. If you do, your sauce will be thin.
- Let the sauce cool slightly before adding the butter and cream
- Finish with garam masala. Adding garam masala at the end makes all the difference. The garam masala added at the end adds a fresh burst of spice.
- If you’re getting a “burn warning” it’s probably because your diced tomatoes don’t have enough liquid. In this case, adding 1/4 cup chicken stock will help, but making sure you use a 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes, including all the liquid in the can, is best!
What to serve with butter chicken
Instant Pot Butter Chicken
Instant Pot butter chicken is savory and saucy and perfect with rice and naan.
- instant pot
- 14 oz diced tomatoes (1 can, undrained)
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tbsp ginger (minced)
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 lb chicken breast (boneless skinless, or thighs)
- 1/2 cup butter (cubed)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
Add the tomatoes, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cayenne, paprika, 1 teaspoon of garam masala, cumin, and salt in the Instant Pot. Stir throughly and nestle the chicken in.
Put the lid on and set the pressure to high for 10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then depressurize.
Carefully open the lid and remove the chicken. Use an immersion blender and blend the sauce until smooth. Alternately, carefully transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Let cool slightly for 3-5 minutes then stir in the butter, cream, the last teaspoon of garam masala. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Roughly chop the chicken then add back into the sauce. Set the Instant Pot to sauté on low, letting the chicken heat through. Top with the cilantro and enjoy with basmati and naan!
via The New Yorker
I Am... Easy Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken – air fried or baked
Taiwanese popcorn chicken nuggets are probably my favorite kind of fried chicken. They're a super crunchy, deeply savory, absolutely addictive snack, and probably one of the best things to ever come out of Taiwan. The other best thing being boba tea, of course. I have many, many fond memories of late nights at boba tea places, munching on fried chicken, Taiwanese scallion pancake beef rolls and drinking boba tea. There was even that one summer after college when my friends and I would hangout every night, playing mahjong into the wee hours of the morning. We were fueled by takeout bubble tea, beef rolls, Taiwanese popcorn chicken, and the pure joy of youth. We were all working in-between kind of jobs that we didn’t care about. All that mattered was our obsession with the clink of those green and white MJ tiles and snacks. The best snack of all being Taiwanese popcorn chicken of course!
What is Taiwanese popcorn chicken?
Taiwanese popcorn chicken is an addictive night market snack from Taiwan. Like all good street foods, it has made its way into the cultural fabric of Taiwan and is now served in restaurants in Taiwan and all over the world. Just as with other extra crunchy deep fried chickens (Korean fried chicken, chicken karaage), Taiwanese fried chicken is twice-deep fried: first in a low temperature oil to cook through, then in a high heat oil to add crunch. As it comes out of the fryer, it’s tossed in a salt and pepper seasoning and garnished with deep fried basil leaves. Oh, and of course I have to mention, these little nuggets also come supersized as GIANT Taiwanese crispy fried chicken cutlets. Those giant chicken steaks (sometimes bigger than your head!) are served either whole, in a bag, that you can hold onto and bite, or cut up into pieces that you can eat with skewers or chopsticks.Taiwanese fried chicken ingredients
- Chicken - the main ingredient. Chicken thighs are best for juiciness and flavor. Most Taiwanese fried chicken is made from boneless skinless thighs.
- Light Soy Sauce - We need just a bit of light soy sauce for umami and salt. There are a bunch of recipes on the internet that have you marinating in a bunch of regular soy sauce, but if you do your chicken will end up super dark after frying. We just want a hint of soy, not too much. Our favorite brands of light soy sauce are Amoy, Pearl River, and Lee Kum Kee. You can find them either online or at the Asian grocery store.
- Starch - Here I used a combination of cornstarch and potato starch for a coating that was light and crisp. The kind of starch you use for your coating is pretty important. More on coatings further down.
- Five Spice Powder - This is what gives Taiwanese fried chicken it’s distinctive flavor. Five spice is a Chinese spice mix made up of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, and fennel. You can find it at most grocery stores and online of course. All five spice powder mixes are different, so make sure you taste your fives spice and like it before using it.
- White Pepper - White pepper is the other distinct spice in Taiwanese fried chicken. It has a sharper, more floral note than regular pepper. Don’t skip out on it if you want the real deal.
- Thai Basil - Taiwanese chicken is almost always garnished with Thai basil that has been deep-fried. It adds a bit of earthy herb freshness to the whole dish. If you’re adverse to deep-frying herbs, you can just serve it fresh.
How to Make Taiwanese Fried Chicken
- Cut down your chicken: Start of with cutting the chicken into bite size pieces. Make sure you cut all your pieces the same size. You don’t want thin pieces because they tend to be drier, so try to make sure they are kind of chunky and thick.
- Marinate: From there you’ll want to marinate them in soy sauce, garlic, five spice, white pepper, and salt. It’s a pretty dry marinade so be sure to mix everything up evenly so that all the chicken pieces are coated. You want them to marinate for at least 30 minutes, ideally an hour. I like to leave them in a cool spot in the kitchen so the chicken can come up to room temp. This helps it cook more evenly and quickly instead of cooking it straight from the fridge. If you’re marinating overnight, just take the chicken out of the fridge a little bit before you’re going to cook.
- Coat the chicken: After the chicken has marinated, you want to coat it in the cornstarch/potato starch mix. You dont need to drain the marinade, since it’s pretty much a rub so just go ahead and toss the chicken in the starches, being sure to coat evenly.
- Fry: From there you can either deep-fry, air-fry, or oven-bake. The choice is yours!
- Toss: Toss the freshly fried chicken with the spice mix. This is a very important part to making your chicken authentic.
Air-frying/Oven Baking
If you’re air-frying or oven baking, you’ll need to spray the chicken with some oil. We like to use a simple oil mister bottle that we got on amazon so we can just use whatever oil we have on hand. Make sure there’s a good coating of oil on the tops of the chicken so it browns evenly, otherwise you might end up with chicken that’s not as golden.Deep-frying
For deep-frying, we’re going to do a double deep fry: once at a low temperature to cook the chicken through and then again at a higher temperature to get the chicken extra crispy and golden brown. Some tips:- Make sure you use a heavy bottomed deep pot to deep-fry.
- You want a lot of headspace so the oil doesn’t boil and bubble over.
- A kitchen thermometer is best, but if you don't have one, you can check the temperature by putting wooden chopsticks into the oil. There should be a bunch of little bubbles that come out the end. The ones that come with your take out orders are perfect.
- Gently add some pieces of chicken into the pot, being sure not to crowd, and fry until lightly golden. Drain on a wire rack and then turn up the heat and deep fry again until crisp and deeply golden.
Which Taiwanese popcorn chicken is the best: deep-frying vs air-frying vs oven-baking
Here we are! I went ahead and prepared Taiwanese fried chicken three different ways to figure out which method was best. I knew which chicken nugget was which but Mike did a double blind taste test and these are the results - they will shock you! Mike thought that all the chicken tasted kind of the same. He said that when hot, the differences were minimal. Once the chicken got cold - we're talking like hours later - this is what he came up with:- Deep-fried was the tastiest, probably because it had some extra flavor from deep-frying
- Air-fried was the crunchiest and crispiest
- Oven-baked was the juiciest
What is the best type of coating for Taiwanese popcorn chicken?
If you ever look closely at some Taiwanese fried chicken, you’ll notice that their coating looks different from fried chicken coated with flour. This is because they use a mix of cornstarch, potato starch, or sweet potato starch. The crust of Taiwanese fried chicken tends to be a bit powder-y with little balls of crunchiness. It’s not as golden as regular fried chicken because the starches used don’t brown up the same way. Starches tend to give a lighter, yet crisper coating because there’s no gluten in it. Look for coarse potato/sweet potato starch for extra crunchy chicken. Coarse starch has slightly bigger granules that make the chicken even crunchier. For the most authentic Taiwanese chicken you’re going to want to search for sweet potato starch. Other starches will work too, but sweet potato starch is the starch of choice. The best chefs often use a mix of starches (their ratios being trade secrets) for the perfect combination of crispy and crunchy.First off, what is starch?
Starch is a white, tasteless powder made up of two molecules: amylose and amylopectin. When heated, the molecules cross link with each other to form a rigid, brittle network that holds its shape. This translates to a crispy, crunchy feeling when we eat it. Bonus, starch is gluten-free!Sweet potato starch
This is the classic coating you’ll find on fried chicken in Taiwan. Sweet potato starch (红薯粉) is super popular in Chinese food for coating meats, making chewy mochi-like dessert balls, and of course, deep-frying. Sweet potato starch comes in regular and coarse ground. Coarse ground sweet potato starch is what you want for Taiwanese chicken. Its irregularly sized pieces give the coating a raggedy, craggy surface which ends up being crispier when deep fried. Sweet potato starch contains the highest percentage of amylose (30%) which makes it the crunchiest/crispiest of all the starches.Cornstarch
Cornstarch, made from corn kernels, is probably the most common starch for thickening sauces, baking, and coating things for frying. Its fairly high amylose (25-28%) makes it a really good choice for a deep fry coating. I always include it as the default choice for coating Asian fried chicken because it's probably in your pantry already.Potato starch
Potato starch, made from potatoes, has a fairly high amylose content (20-22%). It’s really easy to find at the grocery store so if you can’t get your hands on sweet potato starch a mix of cornstarch and potato starch will give you an acceptable facsimile. Note: potato starch is not the same as potato flour!Coatings to avoid
Stay away from flour, rice flour, tapioca starch, and rice starch if you want a crispy crunchy crust that will stay crunchy.What to eat with Taiwanese fried chicken
You can eat it on it’s own as a snack, serve it up with some fluffy white rice as a Taiwanese fried chicken bowl, enjoy it next to fried noodles or fried rice, or last but not least: serve with some green onion pancake beef rolls for an extra Taiwanese experience.Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken
How to Make The Best Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken Three Ways: Baked, Air Fried, and Deep Fried
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (cubed)
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 1/2 tbsp soy sauce (light)
- 1/2 tbsp chinese five spice powder
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp potato starch
- oil/cooking spray
- thai basil (if desired)
Salt and Pepper Mix
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp chinese five spice powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
In a bowl, marinate the chicken in the garlic, soy sauce, five spice, garlic powder, white pepper, and salt for 30 minutes. If you are air frying or baking, add a 1/2 tablespoon oil to the marinade.
Lightly pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Place the cornstarch and potato starch in a bowl and, working in batches, toss and coat several pieces of chicken, making sure they are well coated. Alternatively, put the cornstarch and potato starch in a bag or container, add the chicken, and shake to coat. The chicken should be well coated and look fairly dry.
Deep Fry
Prepare a wire cooling rack over a paper towel lined rimmed baking sheet. Heat up 2 - 2.5 inches of oil in a deep heavy bottomed pot until it reaches 325°F. It doesn’t need to be too deep, it depends on the size of your chicken. Use a pair of tongs to gently add a couple of pieces of chicken to the hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd. Fry in batches until lightly golden, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from the oil and let rest on your prepared wire rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken until all of it has been fried once.
Turn the heat up to 350°F and fry the chicken a second time around until deeply golden and crispy, another 1-2 minutes. Drain on the wire rack, sprinkle with the extra spice mix if desired, and enjoy immediately!
Air Fry
Lightly oil or use cooking spray on the air fryer basket. Place the coated pieces of chicken in the basket, with at least 1/4” of space in between pieces. Lightly spray the tops of the chicken with cooking spray. Cook at 400°F for 5 minutes, then flip and lightly spray with extra cooking spray. Cook for 5 more minutes at 400°F. If your pieces of chicken are large, you might need an extra minute or two. Let the chicken cool for 5 minutes, then air fry for an extra 5 minutes at 400°F to crisp it up.
Immediately remove from the air fryer basket and let rest on a wire rack. Sprinkle with the extra spice mix if desired and enjoy immediately!
To Bake
Heat the oven to 450°F. Oil or use cooking spray to fully coat a wire rack in a foil lined baking sheet. Place the coated pieces of chicken on the rack, with at least 1/4” of space in between pieces. Lightly spray the tops of the chicken with cooking spray.
Bake for 20 minutes, then flip, lightly coat with extra cooking spray and bake for an extra 5 minutes. The pieces of chicken should be golden brown, crispy, and cooked through. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the extra spice mix if desired and enjoy immediately!
You probably won’t use all the spice mix – dust and taste to see what level of extra salty peppery-ness you like.
I Am... Viral Pork Dumpling Lasagna Recipe
These viral dumpling lasagna guys are here to stay. I LOVE dumplings. To me, they are the perfect food: juicy meat and a tiny bit of vegetables all wrapped up in a noodle-y dumpling wrapper. Dumplings are an instant hunger fixer. Mike and I always, always have a bag of frozen dumplings in the freezer. One of my all time favorite dumpling types is xiao long bao (aka Shanghai soup dumplings). If you’re into Shanghai food or even remotely into dumplings, you’ve probably heard about them. Soup dumplings are notoriously finicky to make and most people just go out to dedicated XLB restaurants like Din Tai Fung or buy frozen ones to steam at home. Making soup dumplings from scratch is no joke: you need to make a rich gelatin stock, chop a bunch of aromatics, and make thin and pliable dumpling wrappers. All of that is before you even think about shaping the dumplings, which, is an art. I tried it…once. Let’s just leave it at that. Like most delicious things nowadays, there’s always a hack and although this recipe looks nothing like soup dumplings, I can honestly say it’s legit delicious.
What is dumpling lasagna?
Dumpling lasagna is exactly what it sounds like: an extra large dumpling, in lasagna form. Think: layers of thin noodle-y wonton wrappers layered with a savory gingery pork mix and tender cabbage. Instead of baking, this lasagna steams up into a tender, layered, spoonable dumpling. Douse your dumpling lasagna with chili crisp and a big splash of soy sauce and black vinegar and get ready for heaven.Who invented dumpling lasagna?
I first saw it on TikTok via april_eatz. She wanted an easy-to-make dumpling, so instead of folding up individual dumplings, she layered a pork dumpling mixture with cabbage and wonton wrappers. It took off and it looks like dumpling lasagna is here to stay.TikTok soup dumpling ingredients
- ground pork - ground pork is the perfect dumpling filling. It’s flavorful and has just the right amount of fat content. You don’t want a super lean meat for dumpling filling because the fat is what makes everything juicy and tender.
- wonton wrappers - super easy to find wonton wrappers are going to be our noodle layers. If you’ve never bought them before, just head to the area where they keep the tofu. They come in little square refrigerated packages. I LOVE wonton wrappers. They’re incredibly versatile: you can make wonton soup, spicy chili oil wonton, crisp salad topper strips and even classic mini lasagna cups.
- vegetables and aromatics - finely chopped (or sliced, if you prefer) cabbage adds a bit of heft and sweet juiciness and fresh ginger and thinly sliced green onions add a nice aromatic bite.
- seasoning - using a mix of soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, toasted sesame oil, salt, and white pepper are going to give this lasagna dumpling a super authentic, savory, deeply delicious flavor. If you don’t have Shaoxing wine, you can skip it, but if you’re a fan of Chinese food, Shaoxing wine is a great ingredient to keep in your pantry. It’s available online and in all Asian grocery stores. It’s hard to describe its flavor, but it’s nutty, sweet, earthy, and aromatic. When you get take out Chinese food and there’s a flavor that you can’t quite put your finger on, but love, it’s probably Shaoxing wine. You can read more about it here.
- chicken stock - a splash of chicken stock gives the dumpling lasagna some liquid so they can steam up extra juicy.
- toppings - chili crisp, soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, toasted sesame seeds, sliced green onions, basically anything and everything that you like in your dumpling dipping sauce.
How to make TikTok soup dumplings
- Prep - start off by prepping the dumpling filling mix: thinly slice or chop the cabbage, slice the green onions, and mince the ginger. Set up a steamer over medium high heat by adding 2 inches of water to a large, wide pot. Set a wire rack inside the pot and make sure you have a lid that fits over top.
- Mix - add everything to a large bowl and mix in the ground pork, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, toasted sesame oil, salt and a bit of pepper.
- Layer - grab 4 ramekins and alternate layers of wonton wrappers and the pork filling. before the last layer of wonton wrappers, add 3 tablespoons of chicken stock to each ramekin. Finish off with a layer of 2 wonton wrappers per ramekin.
- Steam - bring the water to a boil and then turn the heat down to medium-high. Steam the dumping lasagnas for 20 mins or until cooked through.
- Enjoy - carefully remove the ramekins from the steamer and let cool slightly. Enjoy the lasagna dumplings topped with chili crisp and desired toppings.
Big soup dumpling lasagna
Most of the dumpling lasagnas floating around out there are for individual sized dumplings in small ramekins or cocottes, but if you don’t have ramekins, you can make a giant dumpling lasagna. The only thing is, it’s a bit difficult to steam a large pan. If you can steam a large pan, I recommend it, but if you can’t, you can also bake your dumpling lasagna. For a big dumpling lasagna, layer all the ingredients in a casserole dish and top with 1 cup of chicken stock. Cover with foil and bake in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and check to see if the pork is cooked through. When cooked through, remove from the oven, top with dumpling sauce, chili crisp, and toasted sesame seeds. Scoop up and enjoy hot. Depending on the size of your casserole you may need to double up the ingredients.Dipping sauce
Although there isn't a way to dip a whole dumpling lasagna, the traditional way to eat XLB is with a little black vinegar and ginger. In these photos (and IRL) I topped our lasagna with a little black vinegar and some green onions. If you don't have black vinegar on hand, try it with 1 part balsamic/1 part rice vinegar, or even all rice vinegar. Try it with a little spoonful at first to see if you like it. That’s it! I hope you enjoy this, I love both lasagna and dumplings so I had fun making and eating these guys. We had a chill, rainy winter lunch over lasagna dumplings and they really warmed me up, inside and out. Mike liked them too! xoxo stephTiktok Soup Dumpling Lasagna Recipe
Dumpling lasagna is an easy to make version of classic xiao long bao, but lasagna.
- 1/2 lb ground pork
- 1 cup cabbage (finely chopped)
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
- 1 tbsp ginger (minced)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (optional)
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper (or black pepper)
- 1 package fresh wonton wrappers
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
Lay out 3 ramekins or small heat proof bowls about 3.5" wide and 2" deep.
In a large bowl, mix together the ground pork, cabbage, green onions, ginger, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine (if using), toasted sesame oil, salt, and white pepper. If you don’t have white pepper, you can sub in black pepper.
Into the ramekins, add a 1 tbsp layer of the pork dumpling mix, then top with a wonton wrapper. Continue alternating pork and wonton wrappers until you almost reach the top, about 8 layers. Just after the final layer of pork mixture, add about 2.5 tbsp chicken stock to each of the ramekins.
Finish with a layer of 2 wonton wrappers.
Steam for 20 minutes or until the pork is cooked through.
Remove from the steamer, let cool slightly, and enjoy with desired toppings.
I Am... Real Deal One Pot Hainanese Chicken Rice
If you’re looking for your next hands-off, delicious one pot dinner, this is it: Hainanese chicken rice. Have you ever had Hainanese chicken rice before? Are you as obsessed with it as I am? I’m guessing the answer is no because I have a lifelong, deep obsession with chicken rice. It’s my ultimate comfort food, my all-time-favorite go to meal, my version of Anton Ego’s mom’s ratatouille. You know, the scene in in the Pixar movie where Anton is taken back to his mom’s kitchen and she serves him ratatouille and all is right with the world. That's Hainanese chicken rice for me. Jump to the recipe using the button at the top of the page or read on for some extreme Hainanese chicken rice nerdage.
What is Hainanese chicken rice?
Hainanese chicken is deceptively simple but somehow complex. It originated in Hainan in Southern China, but its spiritual home is Singapore, where you’ll find renditions of the ever popular dish everywhere, from hawker stands to high end hotels. I would fight to the death to say that Hainanese chicken rice is the best rendition of chicken and rice out there. It’s so humble, so flavorful, and so pure. At its heart, Hainanese chicken rice is just that: chicken and rice. The chicken is poached in a simple yet flavorful broth scented with ginger, garlic, and scallions and is silky, firm, and tastes like the most perfect chicken you’ll ever have. The rice that comes with it should stand on its own: full of chicken flavor, slicked with fat, savory, and fragrant.What’s so special about the rice?
You’ve got to taste it to believe it, but I think the secret to why Hainanese chicken rice is so good is the rice. And the secret to the rice is chicken fat. Any good cook knows that when you cook rice in broth, the broth infuses the inside of the grain, giving it extra flavor. A lot of cultures do this, like how Mexican rice is cooked in tomatoes and onions. Chicken rice goes one step further by frying uncooked rice in chicken fat with garlic, shallots, and ginger before cooking in chicken broth, giving the rice another layer of toasty, aromatic deliciousness. The rice should be glossy, luscious and full of flavor.The best chicken rice is the one you like making
There are a lot of Hainanese chicken rice recipes that call for 24 hour (or more) cures and other very complicated steps. It doesn't need to be this way, especially if you just want good chicken rice and you're not competing with a dozen other chicken rice hawkers at a market. It's the rice that you need to pay careful attention to, and that's an easy thing that doesn't take much extra time. Personally, I love making chicken rice, I find it therapeutic somehow. But sometimes I just want to eat chicken and rice without cooking a whole chicken. This easy recipe is for those times: skin-on boneless chicken thighs and rice are cooked in one pot for ease and fewer dishes to wash. Win-win!The secret to great Hainanese chicken rice
This is a basic one pot Hainanese chicken rice with all the flavor and none of the fuss. The recipe starts with chicken fat. If you’re like me and love chicken rice and make it on the regular, you’ll want to keep a jar of rendered chicken fat in the fridge. Even if you’re not like me and don’t want to make chicken rice every day of the week, you’ll want to keep a jar of chicken fat in the fridge. Chicken fat is PURE FLAVOR. Chicken fat is what makes the rice part of chicken rice taste so good. But, if you don’t have any chicken fat, don’t worry, toasting your rice in any fat is going to give it a glossy, delicious flavor coat. The key is cooking the ginger, garlic, and shallots in fat so that the aromatics release their deliciousness into the rice.How to render chicken fat
Chicken fat is the key to a good Hainanese chicken rice. The chicken fat adds so much flavor to the rice, you won’t believe it.- Collect. Trim excess skin off the chicken thighs. Every time you have a recipe that calls for boneless skinless chicken thighs, just buy skin-on, bone-in chicken. Debone and save the bones for stock and save the skin for rendering. I like to freeze a sizable amount then make a big batch of chicken fat and crispy chicken skin.
- Chop. Use a sharp knife and chop the chicken skin into small 1/2 inch pieces. You can use a pair of scissors for this too.
- Slowly render. Put all of the chicken skins in a non-stick (or cast iron) skillet, pot, or pan. I like using a pot to keep everything from splattering but it’ll be faster in a pan or skillet. Cover and cook on medium low for 15 minutes. The fat will start to render out and collect.
- Crisp. After you have a pretty pool of glistening fat, uncover the skillet and turn the heat up to medium. Let the skin and fat cook, stirring and breaking up occasionally, until the chicken skins start to crisp and brown.
- Strain. After all the skins are brown, remove the pan from the heat and use a fine mesh strainer over a heat proof liquid measuring cup to strain out the crispy skin. The rendered chicken fat is pure flavor. If desired, return the skin to the pan and crisp up further. The crispy chicken skins are the BEST. They’ll continue to crisp up as they cool, so don’t cook them too long. Store the strained fat in a jar in the fridge for several weeks and use to make chicken rice!
Chicken thigh vs chicken breast
But what about the chicken? Do you need a whole chicken? Should you use dark meat or light if you're just going with individual pieces? Again, this is personal preference, but I think the whole chicken isn't necessary. The only question is, do you go with thigh or breast? When you’re in Singapore, you have to pay extra for dark meat (thighs and drumsticks) because the meat is silkier and more tender. I definitely prefer thighs to chicken breasts when making chicken rice but sometimes I like the texture of breasts too.What kind of chicken for chicken rice?
Chicken thighs are clearly superior but they don’t tend to sell skin-on boneless chicken thighs. What I do is buy bone in skin on thighs and trim the bones out myself.How to debone chicken thighs
There’s only one bone to remove from a chicken thigh, making it super simple.- Place the chicken thigh, skin side down on a cutting board.
- Find the bone that runs along the length of the thigh. Use a sharp boning knife or paring knife along the side of the bone to reveal it.
- Use the knife to scrape along both sides of the bone, being careful not to cut all the way through.
- Angle the tip of knife underneath the bone and run the knife alongside the bone to cut the end of the thigh away. Repeat on the other side.
Chicken and Rice
All cultures have some sort of chicken and rice. The Japanese have oyakodon, Latin Americans have arroz con pollo, and Southeast Asians (and Hainanese people) have Hainanese chicken rice. Like most chicken and rice dishes, it’s simple at heart: poached chicken and seasoned rice served with a variety of sauces. Like lots of immigrant adapted foods, there are actually a bunch of different types of Hainanese chicken rices: Singaporean, Malaysian, Vietnamese, and Thai. Growing up, it was a staple in our house. Chicken rice is the food that can bring me back to my childhood and transport me to some of my favorite memories as an adult. I’m not embarrassed to say that chicken rice is my everything.How do you eat Hainanese chicken rice?
Everyone eats it differently! Some people like to pour all three sauces on top and mix it all up, some people only use certain sauces, really, it’s up to you. Authentically, like with curry rice, it’s usually served on a plate with a spoon and fork – NOT a bowl and chopsticks – to scoop everything up.What to serve with Hainanese chicken rice
Traditionally it’s served with the poaching broth the chicken was cooked in, as well as chili sauce, scallion-ginger sauce (I kept it simple here with a scallion only sauce), and dark soy sauce. If you’re in Singapore, they’ll probably give you a couple pieces of cucumber, and a sprig of cilantro on top.Homemade Hainanese scallion oil
Sometimes I keep it simple with a pure scallion oil, but if you have the time to chop up some more aromatics, a ginger garlic scallion oil is an unforgettable umami bomb you’ll want to put on EVERYTHING. Ingredients- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup scallions
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger
- 1/4 cup neutral oil
- In a food processor - or by hand, you wizard you - chop up 4 cloves garlic, 2-3 scallions (about 1/2 cup), and 1 tbsp fresh ginger. Place everything in a deep heat proof bowl.
- In the smallest pot you have, heat up 1/4 cup neutral oil (grapeseed, sunflower, safflower, canola) over medium heat until it reaches 275°F. You can also test the heat by placing an uncoated wooden chopstick in the oil. If you see tiny air bubbles escaping from the chopstick in the oil, it should be hot enough.
- Carefully remove the pot from the stove and pour over the scallion mix. It will sizzle and bubble. Stir so everything is coated and season with salt to taste.
Hainanese chili garlic sauce
Ingredients- 2 fresno peppers (or other red pepper)
- 1 Thai chili pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1" ginger
- 2-3 tbsp chicken stock
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- In a food processor, chop 2 fresno peppers, 1 Thai chili, 2 cloves garlic, and a 1 inch piece of ginger until it comes together in a paste. Stir in 2-3 tablespoons of chicken stock, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Add salt to taste.
Hainanese ginger sauce
This is different from the scallion oil and I make it when I want a pure ginger taste. It’s not too spicy because cooking the ginger mellows it out. It’s a perfect “clean” tasting sauce for those Hainanese chicken rice purists out there. Ingredients- 1/4 cup fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup neutral oil
- 2 tsp rendered chicken fat
- salt, to taste
- In the smallest pot you have, heat up 1/4 cup neutral oil (grapeseed, sunflower, safflower, canola) over medium heat until it reaches 275°F. You can also test the heat by placing an uncoated wooden chopstick in the oil. If you see tiny air bubbles escaping from the chopstick in the oil, it should be hot enough.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the ginger. It will sizzle and bubble. The ginger should be soft and tender. Stir in the rendered chicken fat and season to taste with salt.
Pro-tips
Here are some of my tips for making chicken rice. I do it so much that it’s pretty much second nature to me!Use a food processor
I like doing prep work but a food processor makes everything easier and more enjoyable. There are a lot of aromatics in Hainanese chicken rice and it’s the aromatics that make everything taste amazing so you don’t want to skip out. A food processor will cut your prep time in half. This is the mini one we use on the regular.Save your chicken fat!
I have a little freezer bag of frozen chicken fat/skin in the freezer. This is probably not that strange to people who know how amazing chicken fat is. I add to it whenever I’m trimming chicken or if I need skinless chicken in a recipe. Skin on chicken is so much cheaper that skin-off so I just de-skin at home and happily add to my stash. When the bag is full, I render the fat, stash it in the fridge in clean jar and scoop it out to use whenever I have a chicken rice craving. The crispy chicken skins get eaten pretty much right away. Having a stash of chicken fat in the fridge means you’re never too far away from chicken rice.Use homemade chicken stock
This is my cheat version of Hainanese chicken rice, which is why it calls for store-bought chicken stock. But the truth is, like my endless supply of chicken fat, I also have an endless supply of Hainanese chicken stock in my freezer. To make homemade Hainanese chicken stock, use trimmed chicken bones:- Place as many trimmed chicken bones as you have in a deep pot and cover with water until it is covers the bones by 2 inches.
- Add 1 inch ginger, sliced; 1 shallot, halved, 2 cloves garlic, crushed; and 1 whole green onion.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat and when there are lots of tiny little bubbles, cover and turn down the heat.
- Simmer for 1 hour. When the hour is done, strain the stock. Use homemade Hainanese chicken stock as directed in the recipe.
Make it in the rice cooker
If you’re not a fan of cooking rice on the stove you can still make this one pot chicken and rice:- Fry up the rice in chicken fat, along with the ginger, garlic and shallot until glossy.
- Add the fried rice to your rice cooker and add in the chicken stock, chicken, and green onion.
- Set the rice cooker and cook until the rice is finished cooking.
- Let the rice and chicken keep warm (on the keep warm setting) for 10 minutes before opening, fluffing, and enjoying.
Perfectly cooked chicken
I prefer to use boneless chicken for this quick and easy version because boneless thighs finish at the same time as the rice, making this quick and easy. If you want to use bone in chicken, make sure the chicken is tempered (not straight from the fridge) when you’re adding it to the pan. Cook the chicken and rice for 5 more minutes and let it steam with the lid on for an extra 5 minutes as well. The rice will be on the more tender side.Super silky Hainanese chicken skin
Something people really love about Hainanese chicken is the super silky smooth chicken skin. It’s delicate, tender, and delicious. In Singapore, if the chicken is gelatinous and silky, it’s considered perfect. The secret to super silky chicken skin is a combination of salt scrubbing and temperature control. Because we’re making a one pot Hainanese chicken I’m going to talk mostly about salt scrubbing, but I will lightly touch on the importance of an ice bath too.Salt scrub
The first thing you should do, if you’re looking for super smooth skin is to give your chicken a nice salt rub. Sprinkle on a generous amount of coarse salt and exfoliate the heck out of the chicken skin, making sure that the salt gets into every nook and cranny of the skin. After exfoliating, rinse the excess salt off the skin (so the chicken doesn’t end up too salty) and the chicken skin should look tighter, cleaner, and generally very pretty. This works super well on whole chickens but it also works on cut pieces of chicken to. Do it, it will definitely make a difference.Temperature Control
As for the other key aspect of silky skin, it’s temperature control. This recipe is for a super simple Hainanese one pot chicken and rice but when you’re making it traditionally (as I do quite a lot as well) you using a whole chicken and poach it gently. After scrubbing and exfoliating with salt, the chicken is gently submerged in a pot of just simmering water and aromatics (scallions, ginger, garlic, shallots) until it cooks through. Immediately afterwards, the chicken is put into an ice cold water bath. The hot then cold shocks the chicken skin, pulling it tighter against it’s body. The skin will be silky and perfect! When chicken rice is done well, you almost don’t need the chicken! Mike pretty much just eats giant bowls of the rice with no chicken at all, that's how good it is. I hope you give this recipe a try, it’s the perfect comfort food for chilly fall days. Chicken rice forever and always, xoxo stephOne Pot Hainanese Chicken and Rice Recipe
Super simple and satisfying Hainanese chicken and rice: juicy steamed chicken and ginger garlic rice cooked in the same pot. It’s what you want for dinner, right now!
Chicken Rice
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 4 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp rendered chicken fat or neutral oil
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1/2 small shallot (finely diced)
- 1 cup white jasmine rice
- 1 cup chicken stock (low sodium)
- 2 green onions (whole)
Green Onion Oil
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
- 1/4 cup neutral oil
- salt (to taste)
To Serve
- chili sauce
- sliced cucumbers
Rub the chicken skin with the salt and set aside.
In a pan or pot with a lid, heat up the chicken fat or oil. Add the ginger, garlic, and shallot. Cook, stirring, until fragrant. Stir in the rice and fry gently until glossy.
Add chicken stock, then place the chicken, skin side up, in the pan. Add the green onions on top. Bring to boil over medium high heat and when it starts to simmer, cover and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 17 minutes, turn off the heat, and let rest for 10 minutes.
While the rice is cooking, make the green onion oil: place the green onions in a deep heat proof bowl and set aside.
In a small pot, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium heat until it reaches 275°F. Remove the pot from the stove and very carefully pour over the green onions – they will sizzle and bubble up. Stir in salt to taste.
When the 10 minute rest is up, remove and discard the green onions. Remove the chicken and slice. Fluff up the rice and serve with thinly sliced cucumbers and green onion oil. Enjoy immediately!
Estimated nutrition facts don't include the green onion oil.
I Am... Bucket List Experience: Tokyo at Peak Sakura Season
Being in Japan, specifically Tokyo, during sakura or cherry blossom season has always been on my bucket list. Still, it took Mike and I nine years of going to Japan before we actually got to see sakura. Not because we kept missing the season, or because we didn’t want to. To be honest, I’m not sure why it too us so long to get here. I think it was partially because I was scared of the stories about how cherry blossom season was the busiest season in Japan and partially because, well, we have Japan down pat. We know what we like and we know which season we like it in. Even so, 2019 was the year we broke our rut. That year we finally made it to Japan to see the sakura! We almost didn’t because I told Mike that it wasn’t really a top priority of mine, but he insisted, saying that if we were going to go around the season, why not try to plan it for the peak.
When is sakura season in Tokyo?
Cherry blossom season varies from year to year, depending on the weather, but it’s usually somewhere near the beginning of April. There are websites and calendars dedicated to telling you when the trees are blooming and when they will be at full bloom. Full bloom is what you want: a gorgeous, generous canopy of fluffy white pink blossoms that are incredibly delicate and fleeting. This is 2026's prediction map: Their fleeting quality is what makes sakura so popular in Japan. In a culture that celebrates things in season and nature in general, they would of course, celebrate a natural phenomenon a both as a herald of spring and as an excuse to get drunk and eat delicious food.Best places to view Sakura in Tokyo
Somehow Mike and I (okay, it was really all Mike) managed to book our flight into Tokyo right at the start of the peak season. Our plan was: check out the blossoms in Tokyo for just one day before heading on a mini train trip to see some other lesser known parts of Japan. We landed in the afternoon after a very long flight (I managed to watch 4 movies!), quickly dropped off our luggage at the hotel and headed out to one of the top cherry blossom spots in Tokyo: Nakameguro.Nakameguro
Nakameguro, even without sakura, is a very fun neighborhood. There are a ton of cute little eateries, hipster cafes, and shops all around the station. And, of course, there’s the Meguro river, which is lined with a dense population of sakura trees. The trees, next to the river, along with pink lanterns, is probably something you’ve seen on Instagram. It gets super busy, both day and night, with everyone politely (sometimes not so politely in tourist cases) jostling for the best photos. We loved the Nakame sakura (what locals call Nakameguro for short) so much that Mike dubbed it Naka Bae. Since we arrived in the afternoon, before most people got off work, it wasn’t absurdly busy. As the afternoon went on, it did get increasingly busier, but it was nothing like what I was scared it would be. If you don’t like crowds, this probably won’t be the place for you, but it wasn’t as busy as the time we went to see the winter illuminations – now that was intense. The best part of Nakame, after the blossoms, which were absolutely delightful, was the street food. There were a bunch of vendors set up on both sides of the river, selling sakura themed food and drinks. Think: strawberry everything, pink champagne, and all your classic Japanese festival foods. I had a grilled mochi covered in a thick, sweet, garlicky sauce. It was crisp and chewy at the same time and seriously so good. We also had some classic Japanese festival street food: yakisoba. I wanted to eat all the things, especially the long fries and the tornado sausage, but we wanted to visit another sakura site so we didn’t eat as much as we could have. But seriously, I love street food and there was SO MUCH! Some of the more popular things I saw people having were: strawberry drinks, strawberries on a stick, boba drinks, takoyaki, grilled mochi, and miso dango.Chidorigafuchi Park
After Nakame, we headed to Chidorigafuchi park, which is right near the Emperor’s palace. Sadly there was no street food there. We got there right at sunset, when they started to light up all the sakura. It was very, very pretty, but it was also so BUSY. Busier than Nakame, and that was already bustling by the time we left. It seemed like there were more out of town tourists at Chidorigafuchi and more local young peeps at Nakameguro. I liked the way the sakura looked at night, but it wasn’t really what I think of when I think of cherry blossoms, so after a quick stroll and ten thousand pictures, we called it and decided to come again to visit in the morning.Hanami
The next day there still wasn’t any street food, but it was a lot less busier. The canopy of cherry blossoms at Chiodorifuchi is gorgeous. As you walk along the moat, you can see people out on boats, and the color of the moat next to the pink of the blossoms is perfection. I’m so happy we came back during the day. We walked around most of the of moat and got to see all the people who were already staking out their claims for hanami viewing parties.What is hanami?
Hanami is when groups of people picnic under the sakura trees. You get a bunch of friends, food, and alcohol and hang out, drinking and eating and enjoying the cherry blossoms. There were huge blue tarps laid out, with just one lonely guy or girl just hanging in the middle. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to hanami because we were leaving Tokyo. But hopefully we’ll get a chance to in one of the other places we’re visiting. If we do, I’m pretty sure it’s going to be awesome.Tokyo sakura season tips and tricks
If you get a chance to be in Tokyo for sakura, here are our top 5 tips on how to hanami:- Bring a tarp. You’ll see giant blue tarps with one lonely person hanging out in the middle of them. They’re just waiting for their friends. Usually, one person will come early in the morning to secure a good spot and friends or office mates will trade off during the day to ensure that they have the best space to hanami. You can grab a cheap tarp at any 100 yen shop.
- Grab some drinks. Alcohol is a big part of hanami, so if you’re going to do it right, you need to get your drank on! Visit a combini – 7-11 or Lawson’s is always a good choice – and grab some drinks. It’s perfectly acceptable and what everyone means when they say they are going to “see” sakura.
- FOOD! You’ll need some snacks with your alcohol. Depending on where you hanami, they’re may or may not be food stalls. If there are, of course buy the food at the foods stalls. Otherwise, I’ve been seeing a lot of Uber Eats hanami ads where people literally uber their food to their tarps. Of course, convenience store food or food from a food hall works too!
- Don’t be disheartened if you can’t sit down. It’s seriously competitive and well, you can just as easily enjoy food and drink while standing around near the food stalls. It’s just as pretty and the food will taste the same sitting or standing.
- Bring some napkins/wet wipes. Most vendors don’t have them. Sometimes they do, but if you’re a messy eater, like me, just bring your own, you won’t regret it!
I Am... Top 10 Ramen in Tokyo to Try Before You Die Spring 2026
If you’re going to Tokyo, I’m sure ramen is on your radar. A steaming bowl of noodles in savory, umami rich broth, topped with tender chashu, and a golden yolked egg is pretty much a must eat. There are literally thousands of ramen shops in Tokyo, and if you’re anything like me, it leads to choice paralysis. Mike and I have been going to Tokyo to eat ramen since forever. From back in the early 2000s when a bowl of basic ramen was only 500 yen to the more modern era of ultra-refined Michelin-starred 2000 yen bowls. I think we’ve been to over 300 ramen shops in Tokyo, no joke. We love noodles (see: our cookbook) so, we love love ramen. If you’re looking to go on a search for the best ramen in Tokyo, you’ve come to the right place. Click here to jump to the first entry if you want to skip our ramen bonafides.
My long love affair with Tokyo ramen
In the early 2000s ramen wasn’t part of the cultural zeitgeist like it is now. One of the very first pop culture moments of ramen was at David Chang’s Momofuku Bar way back in the mid 2000s. Mike and I had our first bowls there. The next day we went to the newly opened Ippudo NY (peep that early 2000s phone camera quality) and that sealed the deal. We were obsessed. The early 00's were a heady time for ramen lovers. We went to every single instance of ramen that could be found on this side of the Pacific ocean, we did extensive research, we scoured the internet for recipes, we made our own noodles, 12 hour ramen broths and caramelized bone tare. We thought we had it down, but then we went to Tokyo. Our very first bowl blew us away and we were hooked. A few years later, when we were firmly established in Tokyo and had been to anything remotely well known in the English speaking world, we bought our first ever TRY Magazine (Tokyo Ramen of the Year). We faithfully tried (haha) to go to every single winner. TRY comes out with a new magazine every year and Tabelog also has its awards for ramen, so it was a losing battle, but we tried and still try to hit up the new top ramen shops every year.My top 10 Tokyo ramen shops
All that's to say that we love ramen a lot. Even now, I can faithfully recall my favorite bowls and wax poetic about the broth, the toppings, and the noodles. We were in Tokyo recently and still went on hours long treks for ramen. Out of the hundreds of bowls that we've bad, these are the top 10 in Tokyo that stuck with me. These are just mine, not Mike's, whose ramen palate tends more towards the extra: extra niboshi, extra fatty, extra everything. The ones on this list are more accessible, cleaner tasting, and more refined, for lack of a better term. Not all of these are on trendy lists these days (some are) but all are amazing and many have stood the test of time. Not all of these photos are of the current shop. In a lot of cases, we had photos of the original honten before they blew up. I kinda prefer those photos (and places?) so you can see the original charm before they sold out to the corporate machine. Be warned if you are using these photos to find the shop, though. In no particular order, here we go:1. Ginza Hachigo
There are only 6 seats at this ramen restaurant and truly, it’s like no other you’ll ever go to, partially because, yes, it has a Michelin star. Currently, they use a ticketed system where you line up (as early as possible, I’m talking about before 8 am) and they give you a timed ticket which lets you know when you come back to line up at the appropriate time. When we went, there wasn’t a ticketing system and we tried three times before we actually got to eat there. The worst is when you wait forever and then they come out to tell you they’ve ran out. Thankfully that doesn’t happen anymore. And now, you can make reservations! This is an absolutely unheard of thing in Japan for a ramen restaurant. They’re only blocking off a certain time frame for reservations, so if you don’t want to make them, you can still get the lining up experience.How to make reservations at Ginza Hachigou
Reservations can be made through TableCheck. The reservations are on a rolling system, meaning they open for the following week every Saturday at 9am. Reservations costs 500 yen and the fee doesn’t go towards your meal, it’s just to secure the seat. The maximum party size is 6 and there are only 5 lunch seating times: 12:30, 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, and 2:30. You get 30 minutes to enjoy your noodles, then it’s time to leave.- The broth: A clear, consommé made from duck, free range chicken, scallops, dried tomatoes, dried matsutake, kombu, prosciutto, and French sea salt.
- The noodles: Thin, bouncy, and springy, made with durum wheat. A snappy yet chewy texture that contrasts with the overall bowl. Good flavor with a slight hint of nutty oat.
- The toppings: Kujo negi (heirloom Kyoto green onions), bamboo shoots, thick cut chashu, and freshly cracked black pepper. A slick of chiyu (chicken oil) keeps everything glossy and helps the flavors of the broth cling to the noodles. Add a ajitama (ramen egg) for a bit extra; the yolks are luxurious.
- The style: Chuka soba aka Chinese style ramen. Ramen in Japan is inspired by lamian from China and chuka soba, literally translates to Chinese noodles–implying wheat noodles instead of buckwheat noodles. Chuka soba broths tend to be clear (unlike miso or tonkotsu) and seasoned with either shio (salt) or tare (a seasoning sauce consisting of different kinds of soy sauce and other aromatics).
- The vibe: Elegant and gorgeous. A wooden counter, an open kitchen, and beautiful recessed lighting.
2. Motenashi Kuroki
Motenashi Kuroki was one of the first ramen places we ever went to way way back in the day and it's one we always come back to. Every new years when we are in town (which is most years) we get their special new years bowl. One year it was a super creative ramen take on Hainanese chicken rice. It's a bowl I still dream of today.Motenashi Kuroki has moved
Now newly moved to a new space in Asakusa, Motenashi Kuroki is a beloved favorite with both ramen heads and all the ramen award committees. They’re super creative but most known for their bowl of shio ramen, which has won multiple awards.- The broth: The shio (salt broth) contains two types of chicken, duck, pork, niboshi, and kombu. It’s clear and golden, full of flavor, yet clean and light. Five types of salt and combined to create a balance of umami.
- The noodles: There’s a choice between thin, straight noodles or hand-scrunched thick curly noodles. Both have a nice bouncy chewy texture, so go for what kind you prefer.
- The toppings: The tokusei (signature, which really means extra toppings or with everything) has a soft boiled egg, shredded crisp green onions, menma, chicken meatballs, and chicken chashu, and a dried tomato. That being said, the toppings can change based on season!
- The style: Both shio and shoyu aka salt and soy sauce ramen. Their classic bowl and the one they’ve perfected is shio, or salt. The tokusei shio ramen is the one that’s the top left button on the ramen machine (iykyk and if you don’t, the top left button is the bowl that ramen shops are most proud of/known for) and what you should order if it’s your first time.
- The vibe: Their new space is gorgeous, modern, and new. There’s a fancy window display of ramen bowls, a spacious wooden counter with high backed stools, and a spotless, stainless steel and tile kitchen.
3. Konjiki Hototogisu
Hototogisu is a beloved ramen shop (yes, it has a Michelin star) with a delicious bowl that has a signature truffle sauce finish. Due to the popularity, you have to do the ticket system. Tickets for lunch are handed out at 9:30 am and dinner tickets are handed out at 5:30 pm. People line up well beforehand. It's now much fancier than in the photo above.- The broth: A dashi, clam, fish, and chicken broth that’s seasoned with either shio or shoyu. Delicate and full of flavor, with a burst of gentle sweet clam umami at the front. The shoyu tare, which makes the broth a deep golden, is a blend of four different soy sauces. The shio tare has both Mongolian rock salt and Okinawa sea salt.
- The noodles: Straight, medium-thin, chewy, and pleasantly snappy noodles made with a blend of flours including Hokkaido wheat.
- The toppings: Roast pork shoulder chashu, menma, green onions, and their signature black truffle sauce, porcini oil and porcini flakes.
- The style: Shoyu and shio. The shoyu is the most well known bowl. They also do tsukemen (dipping noodles).
- The vibe: Ramen counter with seven seats and a couple of small tables. Lots of warm wood and lighting.
4. Jun Teuchi Men to Mirai
This is the kind of place where you look at a photo of their bowl and ask yourself, is this even ramen? “Mirai” means future and if the future of noodles are these super thick, hand-made mochi mochi monsters, then I’m all for it. It’s one of those shops that’s beloved by locals, but not really highlighted all that often. If you’re in Shimokitazawa doing Shimokitazawa things (iykyk), grab a bowl here and you won’t be disappointed.- The broth: Chicken, specifically chicken wings, bonito, dried niboshi, kombu, and clams come together into a light, clean soup with lots of flavor. There’s a hint of yuzu too.
- The noodles: Super thick ramen noodles. Thicker than you’ve ever seen because they’re handmade. They’re handmade in-house, as the name of the shop implies (teuchi means handmade). Since they’re handmade, the hydration is adjusted daily due to the weather and humidity. Thick, chewy, and doughy the noodles are reminiscent of udon, but with a completely different flavor - more wheaty.
- The toppings: Shrimp wonton, pork belly chasu, thinly sliced negi, cilantro, and thick cut menma.
- The style: Shio and Shoyu, their main focus being shio with a seafood forward broth.
- The vibe: Old school ramen room with a corner counter facing the open kitchen.
5. Kagari
Kagari has long been a local favorite, and now that it has received international acclaim, it’s one of the most well known ramen shops in Tokyo. They specialize in toripaitan, which is a riff off of the standard pork tonkotsu.- The broth: Creamy, thick, and the palest yellow, thanks to all the Japanese chickens they use to make their toripaitan, aka chicken ramen. Chicken is cooked until all the flavor, collagen, and fat is released, then is hard boiled to emulsify everything together into a creamy, rich broth. The tare is shio with a mix of salts.
- The noodles: Thin, straight, firm and chewy noodles that pair well with the creaminess of the chicken broth.
- The toppings: Cuts of tender, sous vide chicken breast that’s juicy and melt in your mouth. There’s also a vegetable garnish that changes with the seasons, but is always a complimentary texture and flavor to the noodles and soup.
- The style: Toripaitan soba aka chicken ramen with a shio focus. They also do a niboshi shoyu soba.
- The vibe:
- It might be tucked away in a hidden Ginza alley, but Kagari is just as elegant as its neighborhood. A u-shaped counter faces the open kitchen with wood accents. Small, intimate, and cozy.
Sometimes great ramen gets poor reviews
I can see that there are a bunch of negative reviews on the Ginza branch, probably because a lot of tourists go there and aren’t used to the ramen queuing culture and expect everything to be just as it is where they live. There’s another branch in Roppongi Hills (in a very nice mall in Roppongi) that is almost an exact recreation of the u-shaped counter in Ginza. Since it’s indoors, the wait is much more bearable and not exposed to the elements. There’s also a location in Otemachi Grand Cube (shown above) but it’s a little more difficult to find if you’re not used to the massive Japanese underground malls. Kagari Ginza Honten Main Branch 6 Chome-4-12 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo Hours: 11am-9:30pm6. Yamaguchi
Yes, another chicken ramen, but this time, it’s a 100% chicken stock made with 3 different chicken breeds. Most ramen broths have pork bones for the fat content, but Yamaguchi’s shoyu tori soba is chicken only. The chicken wonton here are an excellent addition to a delicious, unique bowl.- The broth: A 100% chicken based broth that’s subtle and light, while still packing a huge hit of umami. The broth is seasoned with a shoyu tare that’s made with a blend of soy sauces.
- The noodles: Chewy, medium-thin, straight noodles.
- The toppings: For the special, you get super tender slices of salt brined chicken breast, braised pork shoulder chashu, supple chicken wonton, menma, and a jammy egg.
- The style: Tori soba and tsuke soba aka chicken shoyu ramen and dipping ramen. Their main bowl is the tori soba. The Tsuke soba can be either regular or spicy.
- The vibe: Modern ramen counter facing a spotless stainless steel open kitchen.
7. Mensho Gotokuji
The Mensho ramen group is amazing. They have multiple shops with different concepts, but their shining star is Mensho Gotokuji. The exterior is understated and the interior is what you would expect at a high-end sushi bar. The Mensho Gotokuji branch is farm-to-bol and everything is made in house. Many ramen shops outsource their noodle making, focusing on the broth, but here, they focus on EVERYTHING.- The broth: Both shio and shoyu. I’ll talk about the shio, which is their signature. It’s made solely with snapper and scallop, which is pretty rare for a ramen broth. Most are supplemented with pork or chicken bones. It’s supremely clean, clear, and flavorful. The broth is gentle, delicate and tastes like the sea.
- The noodles: Thin, straight, flat noodles with flecks of whole wheat made in house. They also have a wheat grinder so they can blend their own flour blends.
- The toppings: The shio bowl comes with slices of rare chicken, wonton, menma, green onions, a cured scallop, and a sprinkle of dried fish roe.
- The style: Shoyu, shio, and tsukemen with seasonal bowls that change.
- The vibe: Truly beautiful with a view into the kitchen, which is behind glass. You can take a peek at their noodle making and the walls are covered with design-y illustrations and words about their ramen philosophy. There’s a u-shaped counter, modern bar stools, hanging lights, and custom bowls.
8. Yakumo
Wantanmen is one of my favorite types of ramen and when they offer it as a topping, it’s always a must add. Yakumo specializes in wantanmen and their wonton are some of the best! We loved Yakumo so much we followed them when they closed their original shop and reopened in a new space a few blocks away. That photo above is from opening day of their new shop.- The broth: A light, full flavored clear broth made with pork, chicken, dried shrimp, mackerel, and kombu. They season their bowls two ways, with two types of shoyu, which they whimsically refer to as “white” or “black.” The white has a white soy sauce tare and the black has a black soy sauce tare. White is more delicate, mellow, and rich without that classic soy sauce flavor while black has a more standard seasoning profile.
- The noodles: Slippery, thin, straight wheat noodles that pair well with the broth and toppings.
- The toppings: The wonton here are amazing: juicy, tender, and wrapped in a slippery thin wrapper. They have a longer tail than most wonton you see in Japan and the longer wrappers are part of what makes these wontons so charming. You can choose from pork, shrimp, or both pork and shrimp. Their bowls also feature chashu, more in the vein of Chinese char siu, menma, green onions, and a sheet of roasted seaweed.
- The style: Shoyu ramen, specifically, wantanmen aka wonton ramen
- The vibe: Modern, long u-shaped counter in a design forward room with an open kitchen at the far end of the u.
9. Toripota Ramen THANK
THANK makes chicken ramen right. Yes, chicken ramen aka toripaitan. Toripaitan is a creamy, thick, chicken broth that is incredibly flavorful. At THANK they go a step further and use a potage as their broth. It’s extra thick thanks to vegetables adding starch to the broth. Think of the best, creamiest (but made without cream or dairy) chicken soup you’ve ever had and this will blow it out of the water. The crispy grilled tare brushed deboned wings are chef’s kiss and complement the bowl perfectly.- The broth: A new free-style ramen with a potage (thick soup) toripaitan made with chicken, potatoes, onions, carrots, leeks, daikon, cabbage, garlic, and ginger. You can choose between 3 different broth thicknesses, from thin to thick: sarari, torori, poteri.
- The noodles: Thin, straight, and bouncy, chewy noodles made with roasted wheat from Hokkaido.
- The toppings: Daisen tori wings, wings from a specialty premium chicken from Tottori prefecture, are deboned and grilled to smoky, crispy, fatty, perfection. The special (comes with all the toppings) includes menma/bamboo shoots, green onions, and a jammy egg.
- The style: Toripaitan, a creamy chicken based ramen. It’s a newer style based on tonkotsu but made with chicken. Toripaitan is typically seasoned with shio (salt) but can also be seasoned with tare or miso.
- The vibe: Casual, with both counter seats and tables.
10. Ramen Jazzy Beats
Nakameguro is the home of the third shop from the Ramen Break Beats group (yes, the chef, Takuro Yanase did DJ in his youth). The bowls are works of art: ramen elevated. Jazzy Beats is a new wave of ramen, one where customers don’t shy away from a bowl costing upwards of ¥2000 for the premiums. High-end ingredients, innovative cooking methods, and a young chef make for a must visit for ramen heads.- The broth: Creamy, frothy, and chicken flavor with a side of umami from sardines. The broth is made with a specialty heirloom chicken breed from Kumamoto and several kinds of dried niboshi. You can get it in either shio or shoyu.
- The noodles: There are two types of noodles, made by long-time artisanal noodle producer Mikawaya Seimen. They’re straight, and medium-thick, with a nice chew. But, really, you’re not here for the noodles, you’re here for the broth and toppings.
- The toppings: The toppings really shine, with two plump and juicy wonton with long thin tails, a lightly marinated egg with a molten fire-y red yolk, green onion, diced red onions, chopped rock nori, and sous-vide, then smoked chashu, both shoulder and loin.
- The style: The milky tori-nibo is the signature at Jazzy Beats, they also do a clear shio and shoyu bowls.
- The vibe: Under the tracks in Nakameguro, with a grey and black interior, L-shaped counter seating facing the open kitchen in the middle.
Bonus: Ramen Afro Beats
Ramen Afro Beats is DJ Takuro’s 2nd ramen shop. Afro Beats is home to a super creamy tori paitan, aka chicken ramen. Afro Beats won the 2023 TRY (Tokyo Ramen of the Year) New Shop Award and it’s easy to see why. You don’t think of foam or paprika when you think of ramen, but considering this bowl, maybe we all should.- The broth: All three branches of the Beats Ramen group use three breeds of chicken (Amakusa Daio, Shingen, and Oyama) to create a full-bodied, umami-filled broth. The broth at Afro Beats is a creamy, frothy tori-paitan, rich yet light at the same time with a delightful paprika foam that clings to the noodles as you pull them through.
- The noodles: Medium, straight noodles sourced from Mikawaya Seimen, a longtime Tokyo producer of custom artisanal ramen noodles. The soup clings well while you’re pulling the noodles up through the soup and paprika foam.
- The toppings: Green onions, diced red onions, thin slices of sous-vide and smoked pork chashu shoulder and loin, ajitama egg with the most vibrant red-orange yolks, and a seasonal foam, typically paprika.
- The style: All paitan, all the time. Chicken and only chicken ramen here. The signature bowl is called “tokujo.”
- The vibe: Low, hip-hop beats play in the background with spotlights over a long grey counter. Not the most eye catching room, but we’re not here for the vibes, were here for the ramen.
Special Mention: Tokyo Ramen Street
If you’re on a time crunch — most people are when visiting because there are just so many things to eat and do — visit Tokyo Ramen Street. Conveniently located in Tokyo Station, right near the Yaesu Underground Central Exit, Tokyo Ramen Street is the home to 8 of Tokyo’s best known ramen shops. Currently the shops are:- Ramen Gyoku (niboshi broth)
- Soranoiro (new style Tokyo ramen, one of our faves when it was the original shop/honten and we tried to go to every single new concept they opened until he sold the store)
- Rokurinsha (tsukemen, dipping ramen, the lineups here are still pretty cray so feel free to check out the easily accessed SKYTREE location to skip the lines)
- Hirugao (shio aka salt broth)
- Oreshiki-Jun (tonkotsu aka a rich, thick pork broth)
- Hanamichian (miso)
- Kakushinka (iekei romane aka toknotsu shoyu)
- Ikaruga (tonkotsu seafood aka pork and seafood broth)
- Tsugaruniboshi Hirakoya (Aomori specialty shop with sardine broth)
I Am... Real Deal Lamb Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
I love shepherd's pie with a passion. To me, there's nothing more comforting than the combination of meat and vegetables topped off with smooth rich mashed potatoes. Shepherd's pie will always be one of my favorite foods, one that makes me feel all-is-right-with-the-world-kinda-fuzzy. Serve me a shepherd's pie and I am one happy person. Which is what Mike did, in the thick of winter, on a particularly heavy snow day. He told me to cozy out, and watch the snow fall, wrapped up in a blanket, while he made me dinner. Then he one-upped himself and told me that he was going to make me not one, but two(!) shepherd's pies so I could do a little compare and contrast.
The best shepherd's pie
It was pretty exciting, I have to admit. Mike picked out two British recipes: Jamie Oliver's and Gordon Ramsay's. Going into it, we both thought that Ramsay's recipe was going to be the clear winner, but it turned out that we were both blown away by Oliver's. It was so good I had to make it again and again and again. I've since put it up against other pies and this one really is the best.Lamb is the real shepherd's pie
Purists will say that shepherd’s pie is made with lamb and cottage pie is made with beef. In America, most people refer to cottage pie as shepherd’s pie. I love cottage pies because that’s what I grew up with, but honestly, lamb shepherd's pie is so much better. Plus, it makes sense that shepherd’s pies are made with lamb because shepherds herd sheep and cottage pies are called cottage because…?Potatoes seal the deal
As a potato-lover, I love how the potatoes surround the lamb filling, which is incredibly savory due to the fact that it's bone-in roasted lamb instead of the typical mince. I did modify the potato recipe a little bit, pushing the boiled potatoes through a sieve for extra smoothness and stirring in some sour cream for a bit of tang, which went well with the richness of the lamb filling. This recipe is a little bit of a time investment, but it's mostly hands off and I think it's perfect as an Easter dish: just a touch more fancy than your regular shepherd's pie, but just as comforting.How to make lamb shepherd’s pie
One of the reasons why shepherd’s pie is so popular is probably because it’s so easy to make. It’s a great weeknight meal, it’s perfect for meal prep, and you can make it ahead and freeze it as well.- Roast the lamb. Generously rub the lamb chop(s) with a bit of oil and season generously, then roast for 2 hours. Take the meat off the bone and roughly chop, being sure to save the bones, fat, and accumulated juices from roasting.
- Make the lamb stew. Use the fat from the roasting to fry up the veg, then add flour, roasting juices, and water. Bring to a boil and simmer until it turns into a loose, lamb stew.
- Make the mash. Make your mash any way you like it. An extra rich version is in the recipe, but you can even make a quick instant pot mash and it'll work too.
- Build the pie. Spread a thin layer of potato on the bottom and sides. Spoon in the lamb filling and then cover with the remaining mashed potatoes.
- Bake and enjoy! Bake for 1 hour, until the top is crisp and golden. Enjoy!
How to serve
It's almost spring! Serve this with fresh spring peas and fresh picked corn from last summer that you totally had the foresight to freeze. Okay bye! I'm gonna go sneak a bit of leftover pie right now ;) xoxo -stephReal deal lamb shepherd's pie
Shepherd’s pies are made with lamb because shepherds herd sheep
- 1.5 lb lamb (shoulder chop (bone in, see notes))
- 1 medium red onion (diced)
- 1 medium carrot (diced)
- 2 stalks celery (diced)
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary (leaves only, minced)
- 1 tbsp flour
- 3 large potatoes (Yukon gold preferred, peeled and cut into 1-2 inch chunks)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 2 tbsp shredded cheddar
- 1-2 tbsp butter (to top, optional)
Heat the oven to 325°F.
Generously rub the lamb chop with a bit of oil and season generously, on all sides. Place into a snug-fitting high sided oven safe dish and add a bit of water to the bottom. Roast for 2 hours, or until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.
Remove the lamb from the oven and let cool slightly. Take the lamb off the bone and roughly chop, being sure to save the bones, fat, and accumulated juices from roasting. Adjust the oven heat to 400°F.
There should be about 2 tablespoons of fat in the roasting tray. Place into a high sided pan and heat over medium. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and rosemary. Cook, stirring, until lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes.
Sprinkle on the flour and stir well. Add the lamb, bones, and tray juices to the pan, as well as 1.5 cups of water. Bring to a boil and turn the heat down to a gentle simmer, reducing until you get a loose, lamb stew. Season with salt and pepper.
While the lamb is cooking down, prepare your potatoes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Add the potatoes and cook until very tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain, then mash, then mix in the butter, milk, sour cream, and cheddar. Taste, adjust with extra milk and butter if needed, and season.
In a pie dish, spread a thin layer of potato on the bottom and sides. Spoon in the lamb filling and then cover with the remaining mashed potatoes. Top with dabs of butter, if desired.
Bake for 1 hour, until the top is crisp and golden. Enjoy!
Adapted from Jamie Oliver's version
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