Authentic Oyakodon Recipe
Tokyo, Japan
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We strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though
Introduction & history
Belonging to a group of donburi dishes — which are made up of cooked or steamed rice that is topped with a range of cooked or fresh ingredients — oyakodon, also known as oyako-donburi, consists of a mixture of chicken meat, eggs, and onions served atop a bowl of rice. The preparation starts with combining the ubiquitous fish stock dashi with soy sauce, sugar, rice wine mirin, and rice liquor sake in a pan, and bringing them to a boil. Then, small pieces of the chicken thigh are added and cooked through. Adding finely sliced onion is mandatory, but the oyakodon may be enriched with other ingredients such as shiitake mushrooms, edamame, green beans, and leek. Then, a whisked egg is poured over the top and left to cook for 1 to 3 minutes. Finally, the mixture is gently slid over a bowl of freshly cooked or steamed rice, garnished with some chopped green onion or nori algae, and served. Since the dish is filling,... Read more
Cooking tips
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chicken
Typically, oyakodon is made with chicken thighs which contain more fat, hence, more flavor than the chicken breast, which is also commonly used. Cut the meat into bite-sized cubes or into thin slices and do not season with salt, since soy sauce will do the job. Another technique is to leave the skin on the chicken thigh and place the whole chicken thigh to a cold pan, skin down. By heating it slowly,... Read more -
eggs
Make sure not to over-whisk the eggs before adding them into the oyakodon; a dozen strokes with chopsticks will be enough. Pour the eggs over the chicken in a thin stream, distributing them evenly. If you prefer your eggs to be runny, cook them for one minute. Three minutes will be enough for medium-firm eggs. Cook the eggs without stirring. An extra egg yolk can be added at the very end to make the ... Read more -
dashi
This Japanese fish stock is a key ingredient for many Japanese specialties, such as miso soup and various noodle dishes. It is prepared by adding kombu (dried seaweed), or katsuobushi (bonito flakes, made from fermented skipjack tuna), or niboshi (dried sardines) to boiling water and simmering shortly. And although dashi is easy to prepare at home, the Japanese will often use store-bought dashi to ... Read more -
mirin and sake
Sweet Japanese rice wine mirin, and another type of rice wine, sake, are often added to the dashi to make a flavorful broth. The common seasonings include soy sauce and sugar. -
onion
There are two ways to incorporate the onion into the oyakodon. One way to go to about it is to place thin slices of onion into the mixture of dashi, mirin, soy sauce and, optionally, sake, cook it shortly, and then add the chicken. Alternatively, the onion can be added after the chicken has been cooked through, which will result in a slightly crunchier texture. -
other ingredients
The oyakodon can be enhanced by edamame (soybeans in a pod), green beans, leek, and shiitake mushrooms. Usually, these ingredients are added before the egg and should be cooked shortly, so they preserve some of their crispiness. -
rice
Although some Japanese rice dish recipes suggest using leftover rice, avoid it when making oyakodon — use freshly-cooked or steamed short-grain rice. -
garnishing
The most common garnishing for oyakodon is thinly sliced green onion. Very often, it is substituted with mitsuba — a Japanese herb similar to parsley. The oyakodon can also be garnished with nori algae cut into fine strips. -
equipment
Individual oyakodon portions can be prepared in a special pan called oyako-nabe. Oyako-nabe has a small surface similar to the surface of an individual rice bowl, so when you slide the oyakodon on the rice, it fits perfectly. Also, these pans have vertical handles which make transferring oyakodon easier.
Recipe variations
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Simple Oyakodon
Ready in 20minThe following recipe gives simple directions on how to make a classic Japanese oyakodon, plus a few extra tips. For example, choosing chicken thighs will provide more flavor to the dish, although the breast will work just fine. To upgrade the dish one can add shiitake mushrooms, green beans or edamame, or use shredded nori algae for garnishing.
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Basic Oyakodon with Homemade Dashi
Ready in 20minHomemade dashi — fish stock used for numerous Japanese dishes — is the key ingredient for this oyakodon recipe, adapted from japanesecooking101.com. Luckily, both the dashi and the oyakodon are simple to make. The amounts in this recipe are adjusted to serve one person, but can easily be multiplied, in which case the oyakodon can be prepared in a single, large pan.
Simple Oyakodon
PREP 5min
COOK 15min
READY IN 20min
The following recipe gives simple directions on how to make a classic Japanese oyakodon, plus a few extra tips. For example, choosing chicken thighs will provide more flavor to the dish, although the breast will work just fine. To upgrade the dish one can add shiitake mushrooms, green beans or edamame, or use shredded nori algae for garnishing.
Ingredients
Simple Oyakodon
200 g chicken thighs/breasts
1 onion
150 ml dashi stock
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin
1 pinch sugar
2 eggs
500 g cooked rice
1 spring onion
Preparation
Simple Oyakodon
Cut the chicken into small, bite-sized pieces.
Pour the dashi stock in a large frying pan. Warm it up, then add mirin, soy sauce, and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, start cooking the rice.
Add chicken to the soup and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. While the chicken is cooking, slice the onion finely. When the chicken is cooked through, add the onion.
In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, then pour them into the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes, so the eggs remain runny.
Pour the chicken and eggs over a bowl of cooked white rice. Sprinkle with finely chopped green onion and serve.
Other Variations
-
Basic Oyakodon with Homemade Dashi
Ready in 20minHomemade dashi — fish stock used for numerous Japanese dishes — is the key ingredient for this oyakodon recipe, adapted from japanesecooking101.com. Luckily, both the dashi and the oyakodon are simple to make. The amounts in this recipe are adjusted to serve one person, but can easily be multiplied, in which case the oyakodon can be prepared in a single, large pan.
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