Kinoko Gohan (きのこご飯) is a type of Takikomi Gohan, a Japanese mixed rice dish in which ingredients such as vegetables and meat are cooked together with rice. In the case of Kinoko Gohan, the primary ingredients—aside from rice and seasonings—are mushrooms (kinoko), making it a vegan-friendly dish. The umami-rich flavor and aroma from the mushrooms are absorbed into the rice as it cooks, resulting in a wonderfully savory and aromatic dish.
Traditionally, Kinoko Gohan is enjoyed in the fall when mushrooms are in season. However, with a variety of fresh mushrooms available year-round, you can enjoy this delicious rice dish anytime.
Kinoko Gohan Ingredients
- Rice: Short-grain Japanese white rice is used for this dish. You can substitute with short-grain brown rice, but you have to adjust the water and cooking time. Please follow the Genmai (Brown Rice) Recipe if you would like to use brown rice.
- Mushrooms: We used Shiitake and Shimeji in this recipe, but you can also use different kinds of mushrooms. Enoki will work too, and also Maitake and Eringi if you can find them at Japanese or Asian markets.
- Seasonings: Soy sauce, sake, mirin, and a touch of salt are used to season the rice. You can substitute water with dashi broth if you prefer a richer flavor, but we like to keep it simple and use water to let the natural umami of the mushrooms shine.
- Protein additions (variation): If you would like to add some proteins, you can add some chicken thighs and/or aburaage (fried tofu) that are cut into small bite-sized pieces.
Cooking Method
We use a rice cooker to make Kinoko Gohan, which makes the process incredibly easy. The measuring cup that comes with most rice cookers is 180 ml per cup, and we fill the water up to the line for 2 cups in the rice cooker bowl. Of course, you can make this dish without a rice cooker as well! Simply follow our steamed rice recipe, adding the seasonings to the measuring cup before filling it with water.
Short Video
More Takikomi Gohan (mixed rice) Recipes
- Mame Gohan (green pea rice)
- Satsumaimo Gohan
- Takikomi Gohan
- Kaki Gohan
- Tomorokoshi Gohan (Corn Rice)
Kinoko Gohan Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Separate Shimeji mushrooms into pieces. Slice Shiitake thinly.
- Wash rice and put in the rice cooker’s removable bowl. Add salt, Soy Sauce, Sake and Mirin and stir. Add enough water to reach the line for 2 cups of rice, and then add mushrooms. Cook like white rice (according to the rice cooker instructions).
- After the rice is done, mix in green onions.
Video
This recipe was originally published in October 2015. The post was updated on June 11, 2025 with more useful content, new photos and a short video.
1 Comment
What type of rice are you using? Is it just sushi rice? If not could I use that? Or would I be better off using the white rice that I can get from say Uncle Ben’s or something like that here in America?