Recipes

Gyudon (Japanese Beef Rice Bowl)

A classic Japanese comfort food featuring thinly sliced beef and tender onions simmered in a savory-sweet sauce, served over steamed rice.

Servings: 2
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • ½ onion (6 oz, 170 g)
  • 1 green onion/scallion
  • ½ lb (225 g) thinly sliced beef (chuck or ribeye)
  • 2 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice
  • Pickled red ginger (beni shoga or kizami beni shoga) for garnish
  • Sauce:
    • ½ cup (120 ml) dashi (Japanese soup stock)
    • 2 tablespoons sake (or dry sherry, Chinese rice wine, or water)
    • 2 tablespoons mirin (or 2 tablespoons sake/water + 2 teaspoons sugar)
    • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon sugar (to taste)

Notes

  • Thinly sliced beef can be found at Japanese or Asian groceries. If unavailable, learn how to slice meat thinly at home.
  • For dashi, use standard Awase Dashi, a dashi packet, or dashi powder for best results.
  • Mirin can be substituted with 2 tablespoons sake/water + 2 teaspoons sugar.
  • Sake can be replaced with dry sherry, Chinese rice wine, or water for a non-alcohol version.

Instructions

  1. Thinly slice ½ onion and 1 green onion/scallion. Set aside.
  2. Remove ½ lb thinly sliced beef from the freezer and cut into 3-inch (7.6 cm) wide pieces.
  3. In a large frying pan, combine ½ cup dashi, 2 tablespoons sake, 2 tablespoons mirin, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar.
  4. Add the sliced onions to the pan, spreading them out and separating the layers.
  5. Place the beef slices over the onions, ensuring the meat covers the onions evenly.
  6. Cover the pan with a lid, turn the heat to medium, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for 3–4 minutes. Skim off any scum and fat from the broth with a fine-mesh skimmer during cooking.
  7. Sprinkle green onions on top and cook, covered, for another minute.
  8. Divide 2 servings of cooked Japanese short-grain rice into large donburi bowls. Spoon the beef and onion mixture over the rice, drizzling some of the pan sauce on top.
  9. Garnish with pickled red ginger and serve immediately.