With just a few adjustments, I’ve come up with a flavor-packed Paleo, Whole30, and Keto version of chawanmushi (茶碗蒸し) that you can steam on the stove, bake in a water bath, or pop into a sous vide cooker.

A bowl of paleo chawanmushi topped with green onions and cilantro.

Poke a spoon through the delicate, quivering surface of these savory Japanese steamed egg custards, and you’ll find a treasure trove of ingredients inside: diced seafood, poultry, and veggies.

Time to make paleo chawanmushi!

Serves 5

Hands-On Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 4 large eggs
  • ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 2 cups organic chicken broth, bone broth, or homemade dashi
  • 5 teaspoons coconut aminos, divided
  • 1½ teaspoon Paleo-friendly fish sauce, divided
  • 4 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into ½-inch cubes
  • 2 ounces shrimp, cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 2 medium shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • Freshly-ground pepper
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup minced cilantro

Cooking Equipment:

Here’s what you do:

You’ll need a bunch of 8-ounce cups or ramekins for this recipe. Try to get pretty ones. No one wants to eat chawanmushi out of a “30 and Dirty” coffee mug. (Incidentally, my dad still has one of those mugs. My sister and I bought it for him as a Father’s Day gift when we were little, despite the fact that he was neither 30 nor dirty.)

8 ounce cups sitting on a counter.

We have a set of Japanese tea cups with lids, which are perfect for this recipe. After all, “chawan” literally means “tea cups” in Japanese (and “mushi” means steaming.)

Put a steamer insert into a large stockpot and add water until it’s just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring the water to a boil on the stove, and then turn down the heat to medium. The water should be at a constant simmer.

A closeup of a steamer insert in a stockpot.

Crack the eggs in a medium bowl, and add the salt. Whisk until well-mixed.

Four cracked and raw eggs in a bowl with salt.

In a separate measuring cup, combine the chicken broth,1 tablespoon of coconut aminos, and 1 teaspoon of fish sauce. Pour the broth into the beaten eggs and mix well.

Combining the whisked eggs and bone broth for paleo chawanmushi.

Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a large measuring cup to filter out the eggy goo and froth.

Straining the egg and bone broth mixture for paleo chawanmushi through a fine mesh sieve.

Combine chicken, shrimp, and mushrooms in a small bowl and add 2 teaspoons of coconut aminos, ½ teaspoon of fish sauce, and some freshly-ground black pepper. (Not a fan of these particular ingredients? No worries. Feel free to use whatever savory meats and veggies you want.)

Chicken, shrimp, and mushrooms in a bowl for paleo chawanmushi.

Mix everything together and set the bowl aside.

Grab the 8-ounce cups or ramekins and put a heaping tablespoon of the meaty filling in each one.

Spooning the chicken, shrimp, and mushrooms mixture into the 8 ounce cups for paleo chawanmushi.

Pour the egg mixture into each cup. Stop when you’re a half-inch from the top.

Pouring the egg mixture for paleo chawanmushi into the cups with the chicken, shrimp, and mushrooms.

Cover each ramekin with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

Covering the ramekins with plastic wrap.

Place the cups on the steamer insert in the pot*, making sure to keep the liquid level.

Someone placing the cups into the steamer insert.

Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

The custards will be quivery and delicate to the touch. They should be set, but when you pierce the top, the chawanmushi’s texture should be almost soup-like. Don’t let these babies get cold – serve ‘em immediately, topped with sliced scallions and minced cilantro.

Paleo chawanmushi in a cup with a small wooden spoon on top.


*Looking for a different way to cook these custards? Check out these two alternative techniques:

  • Mod #1: If you can’t fit the cups in a steamer, cobble together a bain marie: Put the foil-covered cups or ramekins in a towel-lined baking dish filled halfway up with boiling water, and stick it in a 425°F oven for 30 minutes.
  • Mod #2: If you’re feeling particularly fancy, try steaming the cups in a sous vide cooker set at 195°F for 60 to 90 minutes.

Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).


 PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD

Paleo Chawanmushi (Savory Egg Custard)

5 from 1 vote
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Servings 5 people
Inside these savory Japanese steamed egg custards, you’ll find a treasure trove of ingredients: diced seafood, poultry, and veggies. With just a few adjustments, I’ve come up with a flavor-packed Paleo version of chawanmushi that you can steam on the stove, bake in a water bath, or pop into a sous vide cooker.

Ingredients 
 

  • 4 large eggs
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 cups organic chicken broth bone broth, or homemade dashi
  • 5 teaspoons coconut aminos divided
  • teaspoons Red Boat fish sauce divided
  • 4 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into ½ inch cubes
  • 2 ounces shrimp cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 2 medium shiitake mushrooms thinly sliced
  • Freshly-ground pepper
  • 2 scallions thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup minced cilantro
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Instructions 

  • You’ll need a bunch of 8-ounce cups or ramekins for this recipe. Try to get pretty ones. We have a set of Japanese tea cups with lids, which are perfect for this recipe. After all, “chawan” literally means “tea cups” in Japanese (and “mushi” means steaming.)
  • Put a steamer insert into a large stockpot and add water until it’s just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring the water to a boil on the stove, and then turn down the heat to medium. The water should be at a constant simmer.
  • Crack the eggs in a medium bowl, and add the salt. Whisk until well-mixed.
  • In a separate measuring cup, combine the chicken broth, 1 tablespoon of coconut aminos, and 1 teaspoon of fish sauce. Pour the broth into the beaten eggs and mix well.
  • Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a large measuring cup to filter out the eggy goo and froth.
  • Combine chicken, shrimp, and mushrooms in a small bowl and add 2 teaspoons of coconut aminos, ½ teaspoon of fish sauce, and some freshly-ground black pepper.
  • Mix everything together and set the bowl aside.
  • Grab the 8-ounce cups or ramekins and put a heaping tablespoon of the meaty filling in each one.
  • Pour the egg mixture into each cup. Stop when you’re a half-inch from the top.
  • Cover each ramekin with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
  • Place the cups on the steamer insert in the pot*, making sure to keep the liquid level.
  • Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • The custards will be quivery and delicate to the touch. They should be set, but when you pierce the top, the chawanmushi’s texture should be almost soup-like. Don’t let these babies get cold – serve ‘em immediately, topped with sliced scallions and minced cilantro.

Notes

*Looking for a different way to cook these custards? Check out these two alternative techniques:
  • Mod #1: If you can’t fit the cups in a steamer, cobble together a bain marie: Put the foil-covered cups or ramekins in a towel-lined baking dish filled halfway up with boiling water, and stick it in a 425°F oven for 30 minutes.
  • Mod #2: If you’re feeling particularly fancy, try steaming the cups in a sous vide cooker set at 195°F for 60 to 90 minutes.
 
Not a fan of these particular ingredients? No worries. Feel free to use whatever savory meats and veggies you want.

Nutrition

Calories: 100kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 5g | Fiber: 1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

About Michelle Tam

Hello! My name is Michelle Tam, and I love to eat. I think about food all the time. It borders on obsession. I’ve always loved the sights and smells of the kitchen. My mother was (and is) an excellent cook, and as a kid, I was her little shadow as she prepared supper each night. From her, I gained a deep, abiding love for magically transforming pantry items into mouth-watering family meals.

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