My husband and I love Japanese food, so when I found out how easy it was to make the Japanese Beef Bowl, also known as Gyudon, I had to share this recipe! It tastes like the Yoshinoya beef bowl I grew up eating, but much healthier since you are cooking it at home and know exactly what you are putting in it.
Whenever I go grocery shopping, I always make sure to grab some sort of frozen sliced beef to store in the freezer and have on hand for quick meals. When I am all out of ideas and we don’t feel like ordering takeout, I will whip out this dish. Just add a side of your favorite steamed vegetables to this dish and your entire family will love it.
Not only is it quick and easy to cook (only takes about 15-20 minutes), but it also feeds my entire family for at least two meals. That’s a double win in my books!
Japanese Beef Bowl Recipe (Gyudon)
How to make Japanese Beef Bowls (Gyudon):
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup of dashi stock
- 1-2 sweet onions (You can use less if you are cooking for kids, but I love the taste of caramelized onions and my kids don’t mind it, since they get so sweet after being cooked!)
- 2 tablespoons of sake
- 3 tablespoons of mirin
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 5 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 1.5 lb-2 lb thinly sliced rib eye beef (I usually buy a pack of sliced rib eye that is pre sliced at the asian grocery store)
- Pickled red ginger for garnish and to add some acidity
- Toasted sesame seeds for garnish
- 1 green onion/scallion for garnish
- Japanese Togarashi (chili) for some spice/garnish
STEPS:
- Cut onions in half and then thinly slice them
- Boil dashi packet with 1 cup of water
- Add dashi stock, sake, mirin, sugar, and soy sauce into a large saucepan. Cover with lid and bring to a boil
- Add onions and cover with lid
- Taste sauce and add soy sauce if the sauce is too sweet from your onion. Or add more sugar if it needs a bit more sweetness.
- Mix occasionally, but keep lid on so the sauce doesn’t evaporate
- Continue to cook on medium heat with lid on until onions are fully cooked and translucent
- Add in beef and mix well
- Cover with lid until beef is fully cooked
- Scoop out excess beef fat if needed from the top of the sauce
- Once beef is fully cooked, it is ready to enjoy!
- Serve a generous amount with sauce over a bowl of cooked white rice (we always use short grain Japanese jasmine rice, since it is our personal favorite with this dish)
- Garnish with sliced green onions, toasted sesame seeds, togarashi, and pickled red ginger
The caramelized onions, saucy beef mixed with rice is such a delicious combination! Don’t forget that cooking is all about experimenting, so adjust the measurements of the sauce to best match your own flavor profile.
I personally like mine on the sweeter side, so I let my onions really cook in the sauce. If you like yours on the saltier side, use less onions and add a bit more soy sauce. Either way, it’s a delicious dish for meat lovers and I hope you enjoy this dish as much as my family does.
