Gyudon (Japanese Beef Bowl)

To me, gyudon (Japanese beef bowl) embodies all the characteristics of comfort food. A fresh cut of meat cooked in a hot umami broth, served on top of a warm bed of rice, and topped with a perfectly cooked egg. It really doesn’t get any better than that.

The first time I ever had gyudon was half a year ago and I only got it because I was sick and it was the only appealing option. Little did I know, this dish would become and obsession of mine and it lasted 7 days. In addition to the amazing flavors in this dish, it is also extremely easy to make.

Important ingredients for the perfect Gyudon

Sliced Beef: One of the most important parts of Gyudon is the thinly sliced beef. I usually buy mine from the Asian grocery store already pre-sliced. I highly recommend buying sliced ribeye, because it has the best flavor and marbling. Alternatively, if you have a steak laying around, you can pop it in the freezer for 30 minutes and thinly slice with a knife.

Dashi Broth: Dashi broth is a rich umami broth that can be homemade or bought from the store in the form of powder. I take the lazy way out and buy a product called hondashi which is dashi powder I dissolve into hot water.

Garnishes: A few of my favorite garnishes for gyudon are an egg, pickled ginger, and green onions. In the video, I made an onsen egg, but feel free to cook your egg however you would like. The pickled ginger gives a tangy and refreshing flavor that balances the dish out perfectly.

Gyudon (Japanese Beef Bowl)

Gyudon is a Japanese sliced beef bowl that will be ready in 20 minutes or less.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Japanese

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lbs sliced beef (ribeye recommended)
  • yellow onion (sliced)
  • tbsp ginger (sliced)
  • 1 cup water
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup mirin
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • ¾ tsp dashi powder

Instructions
 

  • Prepare onions and ginger by slicing thinly and setting aside.
  • Heat up a wok or pan over medium-high heat with oil then cook onions and ginger for 3 minutes.
  • Add water, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and dashi powder and allow it to come up to a boil.
  • Once the stock is boiling, add your sliced beef and continue to boil until beef is cooked through.
  • Serve on rice, topped with an egg, green onions, and pickled ginger.
Keyword beef, beef bowl, beefbowl, gyudon, japanese

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