What is Bento? A Beginner’s Guide to Delicious Bento Recipes

Nutritious, colorful, and exciting to open—bento is something you can truly enjoy. Let’s get started!

While the classic bento ratio is said to be 2:1:1 for rice, main dish, and side dishes, you can adjust it to suit your own preference. Some bentos, such as Chicken and Egg Soboro Rice Bento, don’t have a clear boundary between the main and side dishes. In these cases, the focus is more on overall balance in appearance and flavor. Feel free to explore bento-making while keeping color and nutrition in mind.

Fill about half of the bento box with freshly cooked rice and press it down firmly. If you plan to use vegetables as dividers, pat dry them thoroughly after washing and add them at this stage.

Tips:
* Instead of loosely placing the rice, pack it in firmly for a neat finish.
* Wet the tips of your chopsticks with a little water as you pack. This prevents the rice from sticking and makes it easier to handle.

Pack the main dish into half of the remaining space.

Tips:
* It’s easier to arrange and looks nicer if you include several small pieces rather than one large piece.
* You can layer the main dish—adding height creates a more visually appealing bento.

Fill the remaining space with 2–3 side dishes.

Tips:
* Adding the side dishes last makes it easier to adjust the layout and fill any small gaps.
* Pack them tightly so the items don’t move around inside the bento box.

Creating a divider between the rice and side dishes helps the bento look organized and makes packing easier. You can also use edible ingredients as dividers. If you use leafy vegetables, be sure to wash them well and pat dry any excess moisture.

Examples of dividers:
Edible items: frilly lettuce, baby greens
Non-edible items: parchment paper

Plain white rice can sometimes look a bit simple on its own. Adding toppings brings more color and flavor, making the bento even more enjoyable.

Examples of toppings:
Furikake, sesame seeds, pickled Japanese apricots (umeboshi), pickles, dried tomatoes, etc.

To keep the bento contents from moving around during transport, it’s important to pack the bento tightly without gaps. If you notice any open spaces after adding the side dishes, fill them with small ingredients.

Useful filling items:
Cherry tomatoes, blanched broccoli or cauliflower, etc.
*  For cherry tomatoes, remove the stem and put them in whole without cutting. The stem top and cut surfaces can encourage bacterial growth.
* For boiled vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower, be sure to pat them dry thoroughly before adding them to the bento.

Side dishes play an important role in adding color and nutritional balance that the main dish and rice cannot provide. They also make the bento look more vibrant when you include a variety of colorful items. Side dishes don’t just enhance the appearance—they add flavor variation and interesting textures, making the bento more enjoyable to eat.

When choosing side dishes, try to think about color variety. Combining ingredients in red, yellow, green, and other colors creates a bento that is both visually appealing and nutritionally balanced. In this section, we introduce recommended side dish recipes by color. Let color be your guide as you pick and enjoy creating your side dishes!

Choose the size of your bento box based on how much you typically eat. Use the guide below as a reference:

* When you consider the overall balance of your bento, including the amount of side dishes, everything should fit perfectly.

As long as the lid closes securely, any material can be used for a bento box. If you don’t have a bento box, a food storage container works as a substitute. In Japan, bento boxes come in many different materials. Try picking one up if you get the chance.

A small fry pan about 20 cm (8 in.) in diameter, is perfect for making bento side dishes. It’s easy to handle small amounts of ingredients, and because it heats quickly, you can cook everything in a short time.

Instead of cooking each dish one by one, finishing multiple tasks at the same time can greatly reduce your cooking time. For example, you can cook vegetables for the side dishes while also cooking meat or fish for the main dish—planning the steps this way makes a big difference.

Kikkoman’s bento recipes include detailed instructions on how to cook efficiently. Feel free to use them as a reference!

It can be surprisingly difficult to prepare just the right amount of food for a bento. In many Japanese households, it’s common to cook a little extra at dinnertime and use the leftovers for the bento. Reheating the leftovers in the microwave and packing them is a classic time-saving technique. For food safety, always reheat leftovers thoroughly, let them cool, and then pack them into the bento box.

Wash your bento box thoroughly and make sure it is completely dry before using it. Be sure to wash your hands well before cooking. During cooking, wash your hands frequently, especially after handling raw meat, fish, or eggs.

As bentos are often carried around at room temperature, bacteria can grow easily. For this reason, it’s important to cook all dishes thoroughly all the way to the center. If you are using dishes made the day before, always reheat them before packing. Even items that can normally be eaten without heating, such as ham, are safer when warmed through.

If you pack food while it’s still hot, steam will collect on the lid and cause moisture to build up. Since moisture can lead to bacterial growth, make sure to let side dishes cool completely before packing. You could also use a fan to cool down. Rice, on the other hand, can be placed into the bento box while still warm, but be sure to let it cool before closing the lid.

For raw vegetables, try to prevent moisture from seeping out. For example, lightly salting them or turning them into pickles helps keep them safe to eat.

Small vegetables like cherry tomatoes are more hygienic when you remove the stem and place them in whole, without cutting.
* The stem area and cut surfaces can easily harbor bacteria, so handle them with care.

Moisture can cause food to spoil, so it’s important to reduce it as much as possible. For dishes with liquid or sauce, blot the excess with a paper towel or drain it well. For vegetables used as dividers, make sure to pat dry them thoroughly after washing.

A deco bento is a bento that’s decorated in a cute and fun way. In Japan, people often make deco bentos for special occasions such as sports days, school trips, or birthdays.

We also recommend the page below, where Kikona, Kikkoman's official brand mascot, introduces seasonal deco bento ideas. These recipes focus not only on appearance but also on color  balance and nutrition, so please give them a try!

Having lived in England and the U.S., Yuko Ihara is well-versed in a wide range of culinary genres. As a culinary researcher, she creates dishes for magazines and books, develops corporate menus, and also engages in product development and food consulting. She introduces easy-to-follow tips on how to make delicious food at home, emphasizing the importance of seasonality and healthful eating. When travelling, she loves to search for delicious vegetables and ingredients.

Instagram: @iharayukoo