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Finished gyudon bowl: simmered thin beef and translucent onions over steamed white rice, topped with pickled red ginger and sliced scallions

Gyudon: Japanese Beef Rice Bowls

Japan's beloved beef rice bowl: paper-thin beef and soft onions simmered in a sweet-savory dashi, soy, and mirin broth, spooned over hot rice. One pan, 25 minutes.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 bowls
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the simmering broth
  • 1 cup dashi homemade, or 1 cup water + 1 teaspoon hondashi granules
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons mirin
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon sake
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
For the bowl
  • 1 pound thinly sliced beef chuck or ribeye, sliced paper thin
  • 1 large yellow onion sliced into thin half-moons
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten, optional
  • 4 cups hot steamed short-grain rice
  • beni shoga (pickled red ginger) for serving
  • sliced scallions for serving
  • shichimi togarashi for serving

Method
 

  1. Mix the broth. Combine the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, sake, and grated ginger in a large skillet or shallow pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
  2. Soften the onion. Add the sliced onion, lower the heat to a steady simmer, and cook 4 minutes, until the onion starts to turn translucent and sweet.
  3. Add the beef. Lay the beef slices into the simmering broth in a single-ish layer — overlapping is fine. Stir gently to separate them. Simmer 90 seconds to 2 minutes, just until no pink remains.
  4. Add the egg if you like. Pour the beaten egg in a thin stream over the beef, cover, and let it sit off the heat for 1 minute, until the egg is just set but still soft.
  5. Serve. Divide the hot rice among 4 deep bowls. Spoon the beef and onion over the rice with a slotted spoon, then ladle over 2–3 tablespoons of broth per bowl — enough to flavor the rice without drowning it. Top with beni shoga, scallions, and a shake of shichimi.

Notes

Note 1: The broth ratio is 1 cup dashi : 3 tablespoons soy sauce : 2 tablespoons mirin : 2 tablespoons sugar : 1 tablespoon sake. Measure it rather than eyeballing it, because soy sauce brands vary enough in saltiness that eyeballing drifts.
Note 2: Half-freeze the beef for 1–2 hours before slicing. Firm meat slices paper thin, and thin slices are what keep gyudon tender instead of chewy.
Note 3: The beef needs only 90 seconds to 2 minutes in the simmering broth. Every minute past that tightens it up — the beef is a simmered garnish, not a stew.
Note 4: No dashi on hand? A cup of water plus 1 teaspoon hondashi granules works fine. The bold soy-mirin broth carries it.
Note 5: Reheat leftovers gently on the stove without boiling, or the beef toughens. Leftovers keep 3 days refrigerated in their broth, stored separately from the rice.