Authentic Unadon Recipe Japan, Asia
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Introduction & history
Unadon (鰻丼) is a traditional Japanese dish consisting of grilled unagi (freshwater eel) served over a bed of steamed white rice in a bowl, often drizzled with a sweet and savory unagi sauce (tare). The name "unadon" comes from the combination of "unagi" (eel) and "don" (short for "donburi," which means rice bowl). The eel is typically grilled until the surface is slightly charred, creating a tender, flavorful bite with a hint of smokiness. The rich, caramelized unagi sauce, made from mirin, sugar, sake, and soy sauce, adds a sweet, savory, and umami-packed glaze to the eel. Unadon is often enjoyed as a comforting, high-quality meal and is a popular dish in Japanese restaurants. Unadon is distinct from unaju, which is a similar dish but served in a lacquered box (ju) instead of a rice bowl. While both dishes feature eel and rice, unaju is often considered more formal or upscale. Unadon is often eaten during the summer, especially on Doyo no Ushi no Hi (the Midsummer Day of the Ox)... Read more
Cooking tips
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eel fillets
Japanese home cooks don't buy fresh eels, but pre-grilled ones. They can be found in Asian stores where they come sealed in vacuum. -
serving
Unadon is served in a donburi bowl — heaps of steamed white rice and topped with unagi sauce and then topped with eel fillets.
Unadon
PREP 5min
COOK 10min
READY IN 15min
The following recipe shows how to prepare unadon the traditional way. The preparation is short because pre-grilled eel fillets are used. There are several options on how to prepare the dish, based on desire and what equipment one has — in a broiler, in the oven, or in the pan on the stove. The recipe is courtesy of Namiko Hirasawa Chen from the Just One Cookbook website, a one-stop shop for every home cook who wants to create authentic and modern Japanese meals.
Ingredients
2 unagi (freshwater eel) fillets (one fillet is roughly 5.6 oz or 160g; defrosted)
cooking spray (or neutral-flavored oil, for broiling)
UNAGI SAUCE
¼ cup (60 ml) mirin (or substitute 3 parts sake or water + 1 part sugar)
1½ tbsp sake (or substitute Chinese rice wine or water)
2½ tbsp sugar
¼ cup (60 ml) soy sauce (use GF soy sauce for gluten free)
FOR SERVING
Japanese sansho pepper (optional)
steamed white rice
Preparation
In a small saucepan, add the mirin, sake, and sugar, stir, cook over medium heat, and stir to combine. Add the soy sauce and cook until boiling.
Lower the heat until simmering. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the sauce is 1/3 of the original volume. Take off heat. If the sauce ends up too thick, dilute it with some water. If the sauce is not thick enough, cook it some more.
Cut the unagi fillets into two or three pieces, depending on the size of the donburi bowl. They should fit it nicely, without having to fold them.
If you wish to broil the eel, set your broiler to 550ºF/288ºC and heat it for 5 minutes. Place an oven rack about 8 inches (20 cm) away from the top heating element. Line a baking tray with tin foil, then lightly coat it with oil to prevent sticking. Arrange the unagi fillets on the baking tray skin-side down. Broil for 5-7 minutes until bubbly on top, then brush with the unagi sauce and broil for another 30-60 seconds.
If you wish to prepare it in the oven, follow these instructions. Set the oven to 425°F/218ºC and position the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Line a baking tray with grease paper and arrange the unagi fillets on it. Bake for 10-12 minutes, then brush the top of the fillets with unagi sauce and bake for another 30-60 seconds.
If you wish to prepare the fillets in the pan, first, cut out two 16 x 16 inch (40 x 40 cm) pieces of aluminum foil. Lightly grease one side of the foil. Place two fillets in the center of each piece of foil. Fold the foil to enclose the fillets, shaping it into a pouch. Arrange the pouches in the pan and cook over low heat for 5-8 minutes.
Fill a donburi bowl with steamed rice. Brush the top of the rice with the unagi sauce. Top with the the unagi fillets and brush the fillets with unagi sauce. If desired, sprinkle with ground Japanese sansho pepper.
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