Description
Gyudon, or Japanese Beef Rice Bowl, is a flavorful and comforting dish featuring thinly sliced beef simmered with onions in a savory-sweet dashi-based sauce. Served over steaming Japanese short-grain rice and garnished with pickled red ginger, this quick and easy recipe captures the essence of traditional Japanese home cooking in just 20 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef and Vegetables
- ½ onion (4 oz, 113 g), thinly sliced
- 1 green onion/scallion, diagonally sliced
- ½ lb thinly sliced beef (such as ribeye), cut into 3-inch wide pieces
Sauce
- ½ cup dashi (Japanese soup stock; use Awase Dashi, dashi packet or powder, or Vegan Dashi)
- 2 Tbsp sake (or dry sherry, Chinese rice wine, or water for non-alcohol version)
- 2 Tbsp mirin (or 2 Tbsp sake/water + 2 tsp sugar)
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sugar (adjust to taste)
To Serve
- 2 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice (approximately 1⅔ cups or 250 g per serving)
- Pickled red ginger (beni shoga or kizami beni shoga) for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Thinly slice half an onion and diagonally slice the green onion. Slightly freeze the beef to firm it up for easier slicing, then cut into 3-inch wide pieces.
- Make Sauce Base: In a large frying pan (off heat), combine ½ cup dashi, 2 Tbsp sake, 2 Tbsp mirin, 3 Tbsp soy sauce, and 1 Tbsp sugar. Stir well until the sugar dissolves.
- Add Vegetables and Beef: Spread the sliced onions evenly in the sauce to separate the layers. Then distribute the sliced beef evenly on top, separating the slices so the meat covers the onions.
- Simmer: Cover the pan and turn the heat to medium. Once it starts simmering, reduce heat to low and cook covered for 3–4 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and beef to cook through. Occasionally skim off any scum or fat from the surface using a fine-mesh skimmer.
- Add Green Onions and Finish Cooking: Sprinkle the sliced green onions over the simmering beef and onions. Cover and cook for another minute. Optionally, add beaten eggs at this step for a richer texture.
- Serve: Place two servings of cooked Japanese short-grain rice into donburi bowls. Drizzle some of the pan sauce over the rice, then top with the beef and onion mixture. Optionally drizzle more sauce on top and garnish with pickled red ginger. Enjoy!
- Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2–3 days or freeze for up to 3–4 weeks.
Notes
- Freeze the beef slightly before slicing to make it easier to cut thinly and evenly.
- Adjust the amount of sugar in the sauce according to your preferred sweetness.
- Use dashi powder or packets if you don’t have homemade dashi for convenience.
- You can substitute sake with dry sherry, Chinese rice wine, or water if avoiding alcohol.
- For a richer taste, add beaten eggs just before finishing the cooking process.
- Serve immediately for best texture, as the beef can toughen if overcooked.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated or frozen, but best consumed within a few days for freshness.
