Description
Gyudon, a classic Japanese beef rice bowl, features thinly sliced beef simmered with onions in a savory and slightly sweet dashi-based sauce. Served over steamed Japanese short-grain rice and garnished with pickled red ginger and sliced scallions, this quick and comforting dish is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1/2 onion (4 oz, 113 g), thinly sliced
- 1 green onion/scallion, thinly sliced diagonally
- 1/2 lb thinly sliced beef (such as ribeye), cut into 3-inch wide pieces
Sauce
- 1/2 cup dashi (Japanese soup stock; 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)
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), garnish
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Thinly slice ½ onion and cut 1 green onion/scallion diagonally into thin slices. Partially freeze the beef for 10 minutes, then cut into 3-inch wide pieces for easier handling.
- Make Sauce & Assemble: In a large frying pan (cold), combine ½ cup dashi, 2 Tbsp sake, 2 Tbsp mirin, 3 Tbsp soy sauce, and 1 Tbsp sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar
- Add Onions: Spread the sliced onions evenly in the pan, separating the layers so they cook uniformly.
- Layer Beef: Arrange the thinly sliced beef over the onions, separating pieces to cover the surface evenly.
- Cook: Cover pan with a lid, turn heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Skim Broth: During cooking, lift the lid occasionally to skim off any scum and excess fat from the broth with a fine-mesh skimmer.
- Add Green Onions: Sprinkle the sliced green onions over the beef and cook covered for another minute. (Optional: add beaten eggs now for variation)
- Serve: Divide cooked rice into bowls, drizzle some pan sauce over the rice, then top with the beef and onion mixture. Add additional sauce and garnish with pickled red ginger.
- Store Leftovers: Refrigerate any leftover beef and sauce mixture in an airtight container for 2–3 days or freeze for up to 3–4 weeks.
Notes
- This recipe uses simmering as the primary cooking technique, which gently infuses the beef and onions with the flavorful sauce.
- An alternate Kansai-style gyudon involves stir-frying the onions and beef with oil instead of simmering, and optionally cooking eggs separately as a topping.
- Partially freezing the beef makes it easier to slice thinly and uniformly, improving texture and cooking consistency.
- Adjust sugar in the sauce according to your sweetness preference; mirin already contains some sugar.
- Use pickled red ginger generously as a bright and tangy contrast to the savory beef.
- Japanese short-grain rice is ideal for authenticity but medium-grain rice can be substituted if unavailable.
