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 have egg or cheese as an extra topping!
This meal is so tasty and it is so quick to make!
What is Gyudon? ( meaning )
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 those restaurants’ signs all over if you visit Japan. Buying Gyudon is also kind 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
- Seasonings(Soy sauce, Mirin, Sake, Sugar, Dashi powder, Ginger)
Additional toppings (optional)
- Eggs
- Cheese
- Tomato
- Kimchi
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.
- 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!
First you have to freeze the meat for about 1.5-2 hours in a Ziploc bag, then you can slice it with a sharp knife smoothly if the meat is completely frozen.
3 Tips to Make Delicious Gyudon
Here are the 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
-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!
Ideas for Gyudon topping
Here are the some ideas for Gyudon topping!
- Kimuchi Gyudon
- Gyudon with egg
- Cheese Gyudon
Personally, I really like to add cheese! Japanese Gyudon restaurants such as Yoshinoya, Matsuya, and Sukiya have the menu ‘Cheese Gyudon’ as well.
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 to add, but I recommend you to add it if you wanna eat the best Gyudon!
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Gyudon
Ingredients
Preparation
- 350 g cooked rice here is how to cook rice.
Gyudon Ingredients
- 220 g thinly cut beef
- ½ large onion It's about 100-120g
- 300 ml water
- 4 Tablespoon soy sauce HERE to buy soy sauce
- 3 Tablespoon sake HERE to buy sake
- 2 Tablespoon mirin HERE to buy mirin
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon dashi powder HERE to buy dashi powder.
- 1 teaspoon ginger I usually use minced ginger
Topping (optional)
- eggs on top of the meal
- cheese on top of the meal
- kimchi on top of the meal
Instructions
- 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 5-7 minutes on medium heat until the onion looks soft. Most of the water should have boiled off by this point.
- Add the beef next and sauté. Cover and cook for 10 minutes on medium-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. Stew for 5 minute.
- 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!