Oyakodon (Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl)
Oyakodon is a classic comfort food of Japanese home cooking. Tender pieces of chicken, onion, and eggs are simmered in an umami-rich, dashi-based sauce and then poured over a bowl of fluffy steamed rice. Simple, delicious, and utterly comforting, this is the kind of one-bowl meal you can cook in less than 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- ½ onion ((4 oz, 113 g; peeled))
- 10 oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 Tbsp sake ((for marinating the chicken; substitute with Chinese rice wine or dry sherry, or omit))
- 3-4 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell)
- ½ cup dashi (Japanese soup stock)
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp mirin
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice ((typically 1⅔ cups (250 g) per donburi serving))
- 4 sprigs mitsuba (Japanese parsley) ((or green onion/scallion))
- shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) ((optional))
- Japanese sansho pepper ((optional))
Directions
- 1
For the steamed rice, please note that 1½ cups (300 g, 2 rice cooker cups) of uncooked Japanese short-grain rice yield 4⅓ cups (660 g) of cooked rice, enough for 2 donburi servings (3⅓ cups, 500 g). See how to cook short-grain rice with a rice cooker, pot over the stove, Instant Pot, or donabe.
- 2
Combine ½ cup dashi (Japanese soup stock), 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp mirin, and 2 tsp sugar in a bowl or a liquid measuring cup and mix all together until the sugar is dissolved.
- 3
Slice ½ onion lengthwise, about ¼ inch (6 mm) wide.
- 4
With the stove off, add the sliced onions to a medium frying pan (I use a well-seasoned 11” carbon steel pan) in a single layer. Then, add the seasonings mixture. It should just cover the onions. If not, your frying pan is too big and you need to either increase the seasoning or use a smaller pan.
- 5
Cook the chicken and egg in two batches, one serving at a time. Make sure to divide the ingredients in half. With the stove off, add half of the sliced onions to the pan in a single layer. Add half of the seasonings mixture (it should just cover the onions).
- 6
Serve the Oyakodon with optional shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) for a spicy kick and Japanese sansho pepper for a peppery fragrance on the side.
- 7
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days.