Yakiniku Donburi: Japanese Beef and Vegetable Rice Bowl

By
Judy Ung
Judy Ung
Food writer, recipe developer, and blogger who has published hundreds of Japanese home-cooking recipes.
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Updated on 11/26/21
Yakiniku Donburi: Japanese Beef and Vegetable Rice Bowl

The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

Prep: 8 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Total: 13 mins
Servings: 2 servings
Yield: 2 bowls

Yakiniku donburi, or yakiniku don, is a simple Japanese dish of grilled beef and vegetables served over a bed of rice in a bowl. Donburi literally translates to bowl, but it also refers to the staple Japanese dish of protein, seafood, and vegetables served over rice in a bowl. The term "donburi" is often used interchangeably with "don."

In Japanese, "yakiniku" typically refers to meat that is grilled over an open flame; however, it can also refer to the Korean method of cooking meats on a griddle or pan.

Ingredients

For the Yakiniku Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoons mirin

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar

  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil

  • 1 clove garlic

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground roasted white sesame seeds

  • 1/2 teaspoon roasted white sesame seeds​

For the Yakiniku Rice Bowl:

  • Assorted vegetables of your choice

  • Olive oil

  • 1/4 yellow onion, sliced thinly

  • 3/4 pound thinly cut beef, such as Japanese shabu-shabu cut beef or sukiyaki-cut beef

  • 3 to 4 cups cooked brown rice, or white rice

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Yakiniku Donburi: Japanese Beef and Vegetable Rice Bowl ingredients

    The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

  2. In a small pan, add soy sauce, mirin, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ground sesame seeds, and roasted sesame seeds and heat over medium-low heat until cooked through, about 2 minutes.

    In a small pan, add soy sauce, mirin, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ground sesame seeds, and roasted sesame seeds

    The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

  3. Using a strainer, strain yakiniku sauce to remove garlic clove and set the sauce aside.

    strain the yakiniku sauce

    The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

  4. If you are using vegetables such as bell peppers, mushrooms, scallions, or summer squash, slice into strips or circles. Broccoli florets can be kept as is or made smaller; green beans should be trimmed and baby bok choy left whole.

    vegetables in a bowl, carrots, peppers, broccoli, and bok choy

    The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

  5. In a large skillet, heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high. Add the sliced onion and vegetables and saute until tender. Remove vegetables from pan and set aside on a plate.

    vegetables in a pan

    The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

  6. Add more olive oil to skillet to coat evenly. Add beef and cook until it reaches desired doneness.

    beef cooking in a pan

    The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

  7. Return cooked vegetables to pan and then pour some yakiniku sauce over beef and vegetables to coat evenly.

    beef and vegetables in a pan, sauce on the side

    The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

  8. Into 2 deep bowls, spoon the hot cooked rice. Top with beef and vegetable mixture. Serve extra yakiniku sauce on the side, as needed.

    Yakiniku Donburi: Japanese Beef and Vegetable Rice Bowl

    The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

Tips

  • If you cannot find Japanese Shabu-shabu cut beef or sukiyaki-cut beef, you can use thinly sliced flank or sirloin beef. To make the task of slicing easy, place the meat in the freezer to firm up; then use a sharp knife to create nice, thin, even slices.
  • Feel free to use any combination of vegetables that you like. A variety of colors and textures is always pleasing to the eye and the palate. Choose yellow, orange, or red bell peppers, shiitake mushrooms, fresh green beans, broccoli, and/or baby bok choy.
  • If you prefer, you can just season the beef with yakiniku sauce and then place the sauteed vegetables to the side. It is also nice to garnish the bowl with other fresh vegetables like sliced cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, or carrots, or finely shredded green or red cabbage.
  • Roasted white sesame seeds are known as iri goma in Japanese and are sold in jars or shaker bottles. To grind up the seeds, place in a mini food processor or spice grinder and blend until the consistency of course salt.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
2025 Calories
51g Fat
303g Carbs
77g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 2025
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 51g 66%
Saturated Fat 15g 76%
Cholesterol 148mg 49%
Sodium 1865mg 81%
Total Carbohydrate 303g 110%
Dietary Fiber 8g 30%
Total Sugars 25g
Protein 77g
Vitamin C 3mg 13%
Calcium 290mg 22%
Iron 18mg 102%
Potassium 1121mg 24%
*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.)