Gyudon Recipe

By
Setsuko Yoshizuka
Setsuko Yoshizuka
Setsuko Yoshizuka is a freelance food writer and Japanese cookbook author.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 01/6/22
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 4 servings

One of the most popular rice bowl dishes in Japan is gyudon—simmered beef served on top of steamed rice. Gyudon (or beef bowl) is like a comfort food for the Japanese. It can be prepared quickly and it has nutritious ingredients like beef, onion, rice, and sometimes egg. This is a great meal when you have a full schedule until dinner time. If you are tired of ordering in a pizza, think about gyudon tonight.

In Japan, gyudon is sometimes served with a raw egg yolk or onsen tamago (poached egg) in the center of the meat and onion mixture. As raw eggs are not recommended in the U.S., you can try making onsen tamago by pouring beaten eggs into the pan right before serving so that they will be cooked.

Another comfort food is nikujaga—“meat and potatoes” or the Japanese version of beef stew.

Gyudon Recipe

The Spruce / Danielle Moore

"Aside from finding kombu for the dashi, this recipe was easy to shop for and make. Plating the beef over rice as soon as it goes from pink to cooked is key to a tender, juicy finished product. Don't overcook the beef, or it will get tough." —Jess Kapadia

Gyudon Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cup dashi soup

  • 5 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • 3 tablespoons mirin

  • 1 teaspoon sake

  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced

  • 1 pound beef loin, thinly sliced and cut into 2-inch pieces

  • 4 cups steamed Japanese rice

  • Benishoga, or pickled red ginger, for optional garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for Gyudon

    The Spruce / Danielle Moore

  2. Put dashi, soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and sake in a large pan and bring to a boil over medium heat.

    dashi, soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and sake in a large pan

    The Spruce / Danielle Moore

  3. Add onion slices and simmer for a few minutes or until softened.

    onions and dashi mixture in a pan

    The Spruce / Danielle Moore

  4. Add beef to pan and simmer for a few minutes until cooked.

    beef and onions cooking in the dashi mixture in a pan

    The Spruce / Danielle Moore

  5. Serve hot steamed rice into individual deep rice bowls. Put simmered beef on top of the rice. Top with some optional benishoga.

    Gyudon served over rice

    The Spruce / Danielle Moore

Tip

  • If you don't have an Asian food market nearby that sells thinly sliced beef, you can buy the beef loin whole, freeze it for 20 minutes to help with slicing, and then slice it thinly yourself. This method will take you about 5 minutes to slice. As such, you'll need to add a little more time when prepping.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
646 Calories
20g Fat
74g Carbs
38g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 646
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 26%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Cholesterol 99mg 33%
Sodium 1273mg 55%
Total Carbohydrate 74g 27%
Dietary Fiber 0g 2%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 38g
Vitamin C 1mg 6%
Calcium 31mg 2%
Iron 3mg 18%
Potassium 600mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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