Description
Gyudon is a classic Japanese beef rice bowl featuring thinly sliced tender beef and onions simmered in a savory-sweet dashi-based sauce. Served over steamed Japanese short-grain rice and garnished with pickled red ginger, this comforting dish is quick to prepare and packed with umami flavor, making it a beloved staple in Japanese home cooking.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1/2 onion (4 oz, 113 g), thinly sliced
- 1 green onion/scallion, sliced diagonally
- 1/2 lb thinly sliced beef (such as ribeye), cut into 3-inch pieces
Sauce Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dashi (Japanese soup stock)
- 2 Tbsp sake (or dry sherry, Chinese rice wine, or water for non-alcohol)
- 2 Tbsp mirin (or 2 Tbsp sake/water + 2 tsp sugar)
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sugar (adjust to taste)
For Serving
- 2 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice (about 1 2/3 cups or 250 g per serving)
- Pickled red ginger (beni shoga or kizami beni shoga), for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Thinly slice the onion and diagonally slice the green onion/scallion. Partially freeze the beef for 10 minutes until semi-frozen, then cut it into 3-inch wide pieces for easier cooking.
- Make the Sauce in Pan: In a large frying pan (off heat), combine dashi, sake, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir well until the sugar dissolves.
- Add Onion and Beef: Spread the onion slices evenly in the pan with the sauce, separating the layers. Place the beef slices on top, making sure to separate them so they cover the onions evenly.
- Simmer: Cover the pan with a lid and turn on medium heat. Once it starts simmering, reduce heat to low and cook for 3–4 minutes, keeping the pan covered.
- Skim and Add Green Onions: During simmering, open the lid to skim off scum and fat using a fine-mesh skimmer once or twice. Sprinkle sliced green onions over the beef and cook covered for one more minute. Optionally, you can add beaten eggs at this stage if desired.
- Serve: Scoop cooked Japanese short-grain rice into bowls. Drizzle some of the pan sauce over the rice, then add the beef and onion mixture on top. Optionally, add extra sauce and garnish with pickled red ginger before serving.
Notes
- Traditional Kansai-style gyudon skips dashi and starts by stir-frying onions in oil until tender, then adding beef and sugar before introducing the sake, mirin, and soy sauce.
- You can add beaten egg either while cooking or just before serving for a richer flavor and texture.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2–3 days or frozen for 3–4 weeks.
- Using semi-frozen beef makes slicing and separating thin slices easier and prevents them from clumping during cooking.
- This dish pairs perfectly with steamed short-grain Japanese rice for the authentic experience.
