Japanese Strigny Beef and Onion Rice Bowl

Gyudon (Japanese Beef & Rice Bowls)

Posted:2/25/2016 Updated:8/17/2020

Now that I'm living in the New York City area, I'm finding that one of the things I miss most about my two years in Beijing is: lunchtime.

Every weekday at noon on the dot, there would be a mass exodus from office buildings across the city, as coworkers headed out to grab a meal. Lucky for me, I worked in an area of the city where restaurants were abundant and extremely varied. I'd sit down to a bowl of hand-pulled noodles at a hideaway noodle bar on Monday, and head to a Yunnan Hot Pot restaurant on Tuesday.

Each week would be different––my coworkers and I would figure out our lunch plans in advance––sometimes even days before (which is perfectly normal behavior in Beijing, I'll have you know). There were even some awesome non-Asian options, like an Israeli place that had some of the best falafel I've ever tasted.

One of my absolute favorite lunch options, however, was a Japanese place that served the dish we're talking about today: Gyudon.

Gyudon is basically a dish of thinly sliced fatty beef, cooked in a slightly sweet mixture of mirin and soy sauce and served over rice. Sake is also sometimes added for extra flavor. At the place I went to in Beijing, the would serve it piping hot with a raw egg yolk on top.

That egg yolk?

Best. Thing. Ever.

It would warm up as you mixed it in with the hot beef and rice, imparting a richness to the dish that couldn't be beat––not even by the beckoning call of hand-pulled noodles or Yunnan hot pot. Needless to say, I frequented that particular spot at least once every couple weeks.

Now that I'm back in the States, where elaborate weekday lunches aren't quite as easy on my wallet as they were in Beijing, I've been seeking to recreate some of my old favorites, and this Gyudon recipe is definitely one of them!

Recipe Notes

Just a few quick things to note before we go on to the recipe:

• The thinly sliced beef here can be found at many Asian grocery stores, since people buy it to make hot pot at home. In fact, it's often actually labeled, "for Hot Pot." It's also a little similar to the thinly shaved beef used in something like a Philly cheesesteak.
• You'll also notice in this recipe that I decided to forgo the completely raw egg yolk, instead opting for a sunny-side up egg. This is the perfect way to get that runny yolk experience, even if you're squeamish about the whole raw egg thing.

Okay, let's get started!

Gyudon Recipe Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, and cook the sliced onions for about 10 minutes, stirring often.

Add the beef and sugar, and cook until the beef is slightly browned.

Add the mirin, soy sauce, and stock.

Bring to a simmer, and cook for about 10-15 minutes to reduce the stock into a thin sauce. Taste for seasoning, and add a little more soy sauce if needed.

Meanwhile, heat another couple tablespoons of oil in a cast iron or non-stick skillet. Cook the eggs sunny-side up. You can cook them in batches if needed. The yolks should still be runny!

When the beef is done simmering, divide the rice (short-grain or medium-grain white rice is best for this) among 4 bowls, and top with the beef and an egg for each bowl. Garnish with chopped scallion and toasted sesame seeds, if using.

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 30 minutes

Total: 40 minutes

• ▢ Neutral oil (such as vegetable or canola oil)
• ▢ 2 medium onions (very thinly sliced)
• ▢ 1 pound very thinly sliced beef (450g, fatty beef chuck or ribeye)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons mirin
• ▢ 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• ▢ 1 cup dashi stock (can also substitute beef or chicken stock)
• ▢ 4 eggs
• ▢ 4 cups cooked white rice (short grain or medium grain preferred)
• ▢ 1 scallion (chopped)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds (optional)

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, and cook the sliced onions for about 10 minutes, stirring often.

• Add the beef and sugar, and cook until the beef is slightly browned. Add the mirin, soy sauce, and stock. Bring to a simmer, and cook for about 10-15 minutes to reduce the stock into a thin sauce. Taste for seasoning, and add a little more soy sauce if needed.

• Meanwhile, heat another couple tablespoons of oil in a cast iron or non-stick skillet. Cook the eggs sunny-side up. You can cook them in batches if needed. The yolks should still be runny!

• When the beef is done simmering, divide the rice among 4 bowls, and top with the beef and an egg for each bowl. Garnish with chopped scallion and toasted sesame seeds, if using.

Calories: 598 kcal (30%) Carbohydrates: 57 g (19%) Protein: 36 g (72%) Fat: 25 g (38%) Saturated Fat: 12 g (60%) Cholesterol: 233 mg (78%) Sodium: 888 mg (37%) Potassium: 572 mg (16%) Fiber: 2 g (8%) Sugar: 7 g (8%) Vitamin A: 285 IU (6%) Vitamin C: 4.6 mg (6%) Calcium: 89 mg (9%) Iron: 3.6 mg (20%)

nutritional info disclaimer

TheWoksofLife.com is written and produced for informational purposes only. While we do our best to provide nutritional information as a general guideline to our readers, we are not certified nutritionists, and the values provided should be considered estimates. Factors such as brands purchased, natural variations in fresh ingredients, etc. will change the nutritional information in any recipe. Various online calculators also provide different results, depending on their sources. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, use your preferred nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities used.

About Sarah

Sarah is the older daughter/sister in The Woks of Life family. Creator of quick and easy recipes for harried home cooks and official Woks of Life photographer, she grew up on episodes of Ready Set Cook and Good Eats. She loves the outdoors (and of course, *cooking* outside), and her obsession with food continues to this day.

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