Gyudon (Japanese Beef Rice Bowl)
User Reviews
4.7
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Prep Time
5 mins
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Total Time
20 mins
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Servings
2
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Calories
657 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Japanese
Gyudon (Japanese Beef Rice Bowl)
Description
Gyudon (Japanese Beef Rice Bowl) is made by cooking thin slices of beef with onions in a broth combining dashi stock, sake, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar. The dashi supplies an earthy umami base, while sake and mirin add sweetness and depth. Soy sauce provides saltiness, all balanced with sugar for a slight sweetness. Thin onion slices cook in this broth to softness, infusing the flavor through the dish.
The beef, typically chuck or ribeye, is sliced into manageable pieces to cook quickly without toughness. It’s added to the simmering broth and quickly cooked until no pink remains. The green onions add mild sharpness, while pickled red ginger (beni shoga) offers a tangy contrast on the side. Serving the hot beef and onion mixture over freshly steamed Japanese short-grain rice completes the dish.
This bowl meal works well for lunch or dinner, providing a satisfying balance of flavors with simple preparation. The broth ingredients are straightforward and many are pantry staples in Japanese cooking.
The recipe notes suggest a variant known as Kansai Sukiyaki-Style Gyudon which skips dashi and includes stir-frying the onions, then adding sugar directly to the beef before adding sake, mirin, and soy sauce for a slightly different flavor profile. A beaten egg can be drizzled over the cooked beef mixture and gently cooked for a creamy texture.
Ingredients
- ½ onion (4 oz, 113 g)
- 1 green onion or scallion
- ½ lb beef chuck you can also slice your own meat, thinly sliced, or ribeye as alternative
For the Sauce
- ½ cup dashi use standard Awase Dashi, dashi packet or powder, or Vegan Dashi, Japanese soup stock
- 2 Tbsp sake (substitute with dry sherry or Chinese rice wine, or use water for a non-alcohol version)
- 2 Tbsp mirin (or use 2 Tbsp sake/water + 2 tsp sugar)
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sugar (to taste)
For Serving
- 2 ervings Japanese short-grain rice typically 1⅔ cups (250 g) per donburi serving, cooked
- pickled red ginger to garnish, aka beni shoga or kizami beni shoga
Instructions
Before You Start...
- For the steamed rice, please note that 1½ cups (2 rice cooker cups, 300 g) of uncooked Japanese short-grain rice yield 4⅓ cups (660 g) of cooked rice, enough for 2 donburi servings (3⅓ cups, 500 g). See how to cook short-grain rice with a rice cooker, pot over the stove, Instant Pot, or donabe.
- Gather all the ingredients. I usually put the thinly sliced beef in the freezer for 10 minutes because it‘s a lot easier to cut semi-frozen meat.
To Prepare the Ingredients
- First, thinly slice ½ onion.
- Next, cut 1 green onion/scallion diagonally into thin slices. Set aside.
- Then, remove ½ lb thinly sliced beef (chuck or ribeye) from the freezer. Cut the semi-frozen meat into pieces 3 inches (7.6 cm) wide.
- In a large frying pan (do not turn on the heat yet), add ½ cup dashi (Japanese soup stock), 2 Tbsp sake, 2 Tbsp mirin, 3 Tbsp soy sauce, and 1 Tbsp sugar. Stir to combine and dissolve the sugar.
- Next, add the onion slices and spread them in the broth throughout the pan, separating the onion layers.
- Then, distribute the meat on top of the onions. Separate the thin slices of beef so the meat covers the onions.
To Cook
- Cover the pan with a lid. Now, turn on the heat to medium and start cooking. Once simmering, turn down the heat to simmer and cook, covered, for 3–4 minutes.
- While simmering, open the lid and skim off the scum and fat from the broth with a fine-mesh skimmer one to two times.
- Sprinkle the green onions on top and cook covered for another minute. Optional: If you would like to add beaten eggs, you can do it now (refer to my Tanindon recipe for detailed instructions).
To Serve
- Divide 2 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice into large donburi bowls. Then, drizzle some of the pan sauce on top of the rice.
- Put the beef and onion mixture on top of the rice. If you’d like, drizzle additional remaining sauce on top. Top the gyudon with pickled red ginger (beni shoga or kizami beni shoga). Enjoy!
To Store
- You can keep any leftover beef and egg mixture in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days and in the freezer for up to 3–4 weeks.
Notes
- The recipe is adapted from an earlier Kansai Sukiyaki-Style Gyudon version which omits dashi and staggers adding ingredients for a different flavor.
- For the Sukiyaki-style, stir-fry onions until tender, add beef and sugar, then pour in sake, mirin, and soy sauce, cooking until beef is done.
- Optionally, pour beaten egg over the beef mixture and cook until just set for a creamy topping.
- Serve gyudon over steaming Japanese short-grain rice and garnish with green onions and pickled red ginger for contrast.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 2Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 657 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 657kcal | 33% |
| Carbohydrates | 85g | 28% |
| Protein | 31g | 62% |
| Fat | 17g | 26% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Cholesterol | 69mg | 23% |
| Sodium | 65mg | 3% |
| Potassium | 468mg | 10% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 10g | 20% |
| Vitamin A | 23IU | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 4mg | 4% |
| Calcium | 25mg | 3% |
| Iron | 6mg | 33% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
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