These chicken nugget sushi rice bowls really shouldn’t work as well as they do. But WOW they do!
Crispy chicken nuggets, sticky sushi rice, creamy avocado, salty soy sauce, little slices of Japanese-style omelette, wasabi mayo, sushi ginger…it’s incredible and when you try it you’ll be as obsessed with it as I am.
This is exactly the kind of dinner I love making in the middle of the week because it feels fun and a bit different without actually being difficult. The nuggets make it very low effort, but the rest of the bowl still feels fresh and properly put together rather than just beige freezer food.
Perfect if you have a bag of chicken nuggets hanging around in the freezer!
Why these bowls work so well
I think the reason these work is because there’s loads of contrast going on.
You’ve got the crispy nuggets against the sticky rice, creamy avocado against sharp wasabi mayo, salty soy sauce, sweet little bits of omelette, punchy sushi ginger, every mouthful tastes slightly different.
And although it sounds a bit random initially, chicken nuggets actually make perfect sense here. Think crispy chicken in a katsu-style rice bowl and suddenly it feels far less strange.
They also make this recipe feel genuinely achievable on a busy evening because while the nuggets cook, you can get everything else sorted.
The ingredients that make this bowl so good
- Sushi rice – Definitely worth using proper sushi rice here because you want that slightly sticky texture. It holds all the toppings and sauces together beautifully and makes the whole thing feel much more like an actual sushi bowl rather than rice with bits on top.
- Chicken nuggets – The hero ingredient. Children absolutely LOVE this dinner partly because of the nuggets, obviously, but honestly the crispy coating works brilliantly with the soft rice and creamy avocado. Don’t have nuggets? Use leftover roast chicken, chicken strips, chicken breast – whatever you like!
- Wasabi mayo – One of the easiest sauces imaginable but it makes SUCH a difference. The mayo softens the heat from the wasabi so you get warmth and sharpness without your head exploding.
- Japanese-style omelette – The soy sauce, mirin and tiny bit of sugar give the eggs that savoury-sweet flavour you get in Japanese omelettes, and adds to the contrast of the rest of the dish.
- Edamame beans and avocado – Freshness, colour and texture. The avocado especially works so well with the salty soy sauce and crispy nuggets.
- Sushi ginger and nori – These are the ingredients that really pull everything together and make it feel sushi-inspired. You only need a little, but it makes all the difference.
How to make Chicken Nugget Sushi Rice Bowls
1. Cook the sushi rice & nuggets
Put the sushi rice into a saucepan with 330ml cold water. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes.
Turn the heat off and leave it to stand for another 10 minutes without removing the lid.
Cook the chicken nuggets according to packet instructions until crisp and golden.
2. Make the wasabi mayo
Mix together the mayo and wasabi in a small bowl.
Taste it before serving because some wasabis are MUCH stronger than others.
Meanwhile, defrost the edamame beans in the microwave
3. Make the omelette
Beat together the eggs, soy sauce, mirin and sugar.
Cook in a lightly oiled frying pan until just set. You can do this in two batches if you want thinner omelette layers.
Slide onto a chopping board, roll up and slice into spirals.
4. Assemble the bowls
Spoon the rice into bowls and top with:
- chicken nuggets
- sliced omelette
- edamame beans
- avocado
- wasabi mayo
- sushi ginger
- crumbled nori
Finish with soy sauce and eat immediately.
Ideally while the nuggets are still really crisp.
A few easy swaps
You can absolutely adapt these bowls depending on what you’ve got.
- Cucumber works really well added in.
- Kewpie mayo is excellent if you happen to have it.
- You could swap the nuggets for breaded chicken fillets or even leftover chicken.
- And if you don’t like wasabi, plain mayo still works brilliantly.
Chicken Nugget Sushi Rice Bowls
Equipment
- Medium saucepan
- Frying pan
- Small mixing bowl
- Knife
- Chopping board
Ingredients
- 250 g sushi rice
- 12 chicken nuggets
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tsp wasabi
- 150 g frozen edamame beans
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp mirin
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 avocado peeled and roughly chopped
- Sushi ginger to serve
- Soy sauce to serve
- Sushi nori to serve
Instructions
Cook the sushi rice
- Add the sushi rice and 330ml cold water to a saucepan.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and leave to stand with the lid on for another 10 minutes.
Cook the chicken nuggets
- Cook the chicken nuggets according to packet instructions until crisp and golden.
Make the wasabi mayo
- Mix together the mayonnaise and wasabi in a small bowl.
Prepare the edamame beans
- Defrost the edamame beans according to packet instructions.
Make the Japanese-style omelette
- Beat together the eggs, soy sauce, mirin and sugar.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan and pour in the egg mixture. Cook until set, doing this in two batches if you’d like thinner omelette layers.
- Slide the omelette onto a chopping board, roll up and slice into spirals.
Assemble the bowls
- Spoon the sushi rice into bowls.
- Top with the chicken nuggets, sliced omelette, edamame beans and avocado.
- Add spoonfuls of wasabi mayo, then finish with sushi ginger, crumbled nori and soy sauce to taste.
Notes
- Proper sushi rice gives the best sticky texture for these bowls.
- Taste the wasabi mayo before serving as different wasabi pastes vary in strength.
- Kewpie mayonnaise works brilliantly here if you have it.
- Cucumber or shredded carrot make great additional toppings.
- These bowls are best served immediately while the chicken nuggets are still crisp.
Love rice bowls? Why not try: