Beef gyudon bowls are full of satisfying and tasty comfort! A dish full of flavorful beef and onions on hot steamed rice is sure to hit the spot any day of the week!
So you might be asking, what are gyudon beef bowls??
Aside from being one of our favorite weeknight meals, gyudon is simply tender beef and onions, braised in a flavorful liquid and served over hot steamed rice.
It is totally tasty Japanese comfort food in a bowl…who could say no to that?
Gyudon beef bowls are a very simple Japanese dish that might be considered more of a “local” or home-cooked typed meal. It’s a no-frills dish that is simple in its ingredients and cooking method, yet it is also big on flavor and comfort.
And it’s actually considered a fast food in Japan…fast and tasty comfort food for cheap!
As I said, it is one of our favorite simple weeknight meals, and while you can enjoy it purely with the beef and onions on rice, you can also dress it up with some sliced pickled ginger and sichimi togarashi (Japanese chili pepper seasoning). Another version of this dish which uses pork instead of beef is Japanese Butadon Pork Bowls. Both are equally delicious!
I always make 1.5 times the recipe I’ve written below, just so I can have enough for leftovers for the boys’ school lunches the next day…it reheats super well and is just as good as when it’s first made!
Have you heard of Yoshinoya? Matsuya? Sukiya? These are all restaurants that are famous for their gyudon beef bowls.
The first time I ever experienced Yoshinoya beef bowls was when I lived in California and I’d have to say that it was the best Asian fast food in the US that I’d ever had. Crazy, right?
And when we visited Tokyo a few years ago, they had several gyudon beef bowl restaurants all over…small shops whose clientele were more Japanese locals than tourists. We could eat for about $3USD/person!
For the majority of us, flying to Japan on a whim whenever we’re in the mood for beef bowls isn’t really feasible…wouldn’t we all love to be able to do that?? But with a few simple ingredients, you can bring a local taste of that amazing country from your own kitchen, wherever you are. It’s definitely a dish you need to put into your weekly rotation!
~ Lisa.
Japanese Gyudon Beef Bowls
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. (908g) hot pot beef slices
- 1 small onion
Braising liquid:
- 4 cups water
- 2 tbs dashi broth granules
- 2/3 cup tamari (soy sauce if you are not gluten-free)
- 1/2 cup mirin
- 2 tbs honey
Instructions
- In a medium to large sized pot over medium heat, add all braising liquid ingredients.
- Chop onion into chunks. Set aside.
- Cut hot pot beef slices in half.
- Add beef slices to the pot, stirring occasionally.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to simmer and cover the pot with a lid, leaving a narrow gap for steam to escape. Simmer for 45 minutes.
- Remove pot lid and add onions. Increase heat slightly to bring mixture back up to a gentle boil and cook for 5 minutes.
- Using tongs or a straining spoon, serve beef and onions over hot rice. Spoon some of the braising liquid over the beef.
- Garnish with pickled ginger and Sichimi Togarashi (Japanese chili pepper seasoning), if desired.
If you make this dish, share your photo on Facebook or Instagram and tag me @dayinthekitchen!
You might also like:
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- Do-It-Yourself Salmon Poke Bowls
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- Japanese Butadon Pork Bowls
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- Poached Salmon Tobiko Rice Bowl
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