Gyudon is a beloved type of fast food in Japan. There are three major store chains that are known for their delicious Gyudon: Yoshinoya, Matsuya, and Sukiya. It contains thinly sliced beef and sliced onion served on top of plain steamed rice. Some people prefer to add egg or cheese as an extra topping!
This meal is so tasty and it is so quick to make!
What is Gyudon?
Gyudon is a meal that has sliced meat on top of rice. Gyu means cow or beef and Don is a short word for Donburi which means a large rice bowl. When Japanese people want to have a quick and filling meal, Gyudon is one of the first options that we consider. Gyudon is served in a lot of different varieties. Some people love to add egg, cheese, Kimchi, Natto… There are so many ways that you can try eating Gyudon!
Yoshinoya, Sukiya and Matsuya Gyudon
As I mentioned there are three major fast food chains Matsuya, Yoshinoya, and Sukiya that offer the most delicious Gyudon in Japan. You’ll see these restaurants’ signs all over if you visit Japan. Buying Gyudon is also great for your wallet! It costs ￥250-350（about 3-4 US dollars) depending on the restaurant. Don’t you think it is so nice?
Ingredients for the best Gyudon
Gyudon is made of simple ingredients. I love quick and easy food in general 🙂
- thinly sliced beef
- onion
- cooked rice
And sauce ingredients are:
- water
- soy sauce
- sake
- mirin
- sugar
- dashi powder
- minced ginger
Additional toppings (optional) are:
- Eggs
- Cheese
- Tomato
- Kimchi
Personally, I really like to add cheese! Japanese Gyudon restaurants such as Yoshinoya, Matsuya, and Sukiya have the menu option ‘Cheese Gyudon’ as well.
Where can I get thinly sliced beef for Gyudon?
You can get thinly sliced beef at Asian grocery stores. But if there are no Asian grocery stores around you, you can probably find at your local grocery store.
If you can’t find it at either of them, there are two ways you can get some.
- Ask a butcher to slice the meat thinly
- Make it by yourself
I usually go to a Japanese grocery store to buy thinly sliced beef. But you can make it by yourself at home!
How to Make Thinly Sliced Beef
- Put the meat in a Ziploc
- Remove the air and close tight
- Put in the freezer for 2 hours
- Remove from freezer and keep at room temperature for 20 minutes
- Take out from the Ziploc and slice thinly.
3 Tips to Make Delicious Gyudon
Here are some tips for making the best Gyudon!
- Make sure to add ginger! By adding ginger, you can improve the flavor and give it a fresher fragrance. So make sure you use ginger for Gyudon!
- Onion should be cooked well, until it is soft and clear. When onion is cooked well, it gives a natural sweetness to Gyudon! So cook them until they are tender. Don’t add the meat before the onion is well cooked.
- Keep the meat at room temperature for 30 minutes prior to cooking. Keep the meat at room temperature for 30 minutes before you cook. It makes the meat so soft and delicate in the dish!
Q. Can I make Gyudon without Sake?
Sake’s purpose is to make meat softer and remove the meat smell. If you don’t have sake, you can skip adding it, but I recommend it if you wanna eat the best Gyudon!
Similar Recipes to Gyudon on Oishi Book
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Gyudon
Ingredients
Preparation
- 150 g uncooked Japanese rice This is an article about rice
- 200 ml water
Gyudon Ingredients
- 200 g thinly cut beef
- 1/2 large onion about 115-135g
- 300 ml water
- 4 Tablespoon soy sauce HERE to buy
- 3 Tablespoon sake HERE to buy
- 2 Tablespoon mirin HERE to buy
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon dashi powder HERE to buy
- 1 teaspoon ginger I usually use minced ginger
Topping (optional)
- large egg(s)
- cheese
- kimchi
Instructions
Preparation
- 【rice】Use a mesh strainer to remove the water and move the washed rice to your rice cooker.
- 【rice】Add water and let's cook the rice!
- Take the thinly sliced beef out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
Let's cook!
- Gather all the ingredients
- Cut the onion into thin slices
- Boil the water, and once it's boiling, add onion and dashi powder.
- Add sake, sugar, soy sauce and mirin. Boil uncovered for 2 minutes.
- Add the beef next and sauté. Cover and cook for 10 minutes on low heat.
- Meanwhile, grate the ginger.
- After 10 minutes, open the lid and use a fine-mesh skimmer to get rid of any fat and foam. After that add ginger and sauté. It's done!
Let's eat!
- If you think you need more flavor, add soy sauce or sugar. Serve over a bowl of rice with any desired toppings such as cheese, kimchi, or egg.
I miss Gyudon! This recipe reminded me of Japan so much
I am in the US and this recipe always reminds me of japan too! Thank you for the comment!