Gyudon (Japanese Beef Rice Bowl) is a simple meal that bursts with umami flavor. This is a no mirin or sake version. Super easy and quick to prepare, it only takes 20 minutes!
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There’s nothing better than a comforting simple meal after a busy day. And this Japanese beef rice bowl, known as Gyudon, fits the bill perfectly.
Though it’s super quick to prepare, that doesn’t take away the bursts of flavor that you’ll get with every bite. Even without the mirin or sake!
It’s one of the “donburi”, or Japanese rice bowl, dishes that’s an easy fix and perfect for a weeknight meal. Some other “donburi” dishes that you might like are Karaage Don and Chicken Katsudon (Chicken Cutlet Rice Bowl).
Beef Gyudon
The thinly sliced beef is cooked in a sauce that’s subtly sweet and full of umami taste, and mixed together with caramelized onions. Then it’s served on top of a bed of rice.
I always love to top it off with an egg, though it’s not really necessary. There are a few different ways that I’ve seen people cook the egg, be it scrambled, fried or poached. But my favorite way to eat this is onsen style, with the yolk turning runny once I break it with my spoon.
Ingredients
- Onion sliced
- Beef
- Water
- Dashi granules
- Light soy sauce
- Apple cider vinegar
- Honey
- Sugar
- Green onions (garnish)
(For full ingredient measurements, please proceed to the recipe card below.)
Instructions
- In a bowl, make the sauce by mixing water, dashi granules, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, honey and sugar.
- Pour the sauce into a pan and bring to boil over medium heat.
- Once it starts boiling, add the onions and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes or until the onion the onion is cooked.
- Add the beef and stir. Continue cooking until the beef is cooked.
- Pour the beef, onion and sauce onto a bowl of rice. Add an onsen egg and garnish with green onions. Enjoy!
Notes for Gyudon (Japanese Beef Rice Bowl)
- Optional ingredients: If you don’t have dashi stock/granules, you can skip it.
- Mirin substitute: Apple cider vinegar + honey is used to mimic the taste of mirin. The strong apple cider vinegar taste will be less distinct the longer you cook. If you’re sensitive to the taste, I suggest starting with 1/2 tbsp first. Otherwise, let it continue to cook until the apple cider vinegar is not overwhelming to your taste bud.
Here are a few more Japanese recipes for you:
- Karaage Don
- Easy 15-Minutes Chicken Teriyaki (No Mirin and Sake)
- Salmon Mentai Aburi Don
- Chicken Udon Stir Fry
- Japanese Creamy Curry Udon
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Gyudon (Japanese Beef Rice Bowl)
Ingredients
- 1 onion sliced
- 3/4 lb thinly sliced beef
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 tsp dashi granules see notes
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar see notes
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- green onions garnish
Instructions
- In a bowl, make the sauce by mixing water, dashi granules, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, honey and sugar.
- Pour the sauce into a pan and bring to boil over medium heat.
- Once it starts boiling, add the onions and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes or until the onion the onion is cooked.
- Add the beef and stir. Continue cooking until the beef is cooked.
- Pour the beef, onion and sauce onto a bowl of rice. Add an onsen egg and garnish with green onions. Enjoy!
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