Gyudon (beef and onion rice bowl)
牛丼 · Thin beef and onion simmered in sweet soy dashi over rice
Gyudon fuels Japan's commuters: at 24-hour counters near every big station from Tokyo to Osaka, a bowl of rice topped with soft onions and wafer-thin beef in sweet soy broth arrives in under a minute. At home it takes about 20. Sake and mirin go into the broth and simmer away, so very little alcohol is left; swap them for water and a little sugar if you prefer. The usual mistake is boiling the beef hard and long, which makes thin slices tough and grey; simmer the onion first, then add the beef only until it changes colour. Chef's tip: pile on pink pickled ginger (beni shoga) and a raw or soft-poached egg yolk for the full counter experience; use a soft-poached egg for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- 9 oz thinly sliced beef (shabu-shabu cut, sirloin or rib)cut into 6 cm pieces
- 1 onionsliced 5 mm thick
For the broth
To serve
- 2 tbsp pickled red ginger (beni shoga) (optional)
- 2 egg (optional)soft-poached
- 1 spring onion (optional)sliced
- 1 pinch shichimi togarashi (optional)
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Method
0/4 doneStep 2: Add 1 onion and simmer over a medium heat until soft and translucent.
5 minStep 3: Add 9 oz thinly sliced beef (shabu-shabu cut, sirloin or rib), separating the slices, and simmer for 2–3 minutes, skimming off the foam, until no pink remains.
3 minStep 4: Divide 14 oz hot cooked Japanese short-grain rice between bowls and spoon over the beef, onion and plenty of broth. Top with 2 tbsp pickled red ginger (beni shoga), 2 egg, 1 spring onion and 1 pinch shichimi togarashi.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 640 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 90 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gyudon (beef and onion rice bowl) take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of hot cooked japanese short-grain rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
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