73 have already made this dish!
The preparation:
-
First, wash the chicken meat and then cut it into bite-sized pieces. But be careful when washing: Fill a large bowl with some water and wash the chicken in it. If you wash it directly under running water, potential bacteria will splatter all over your kitchen.
-
Next, slice the onions into half-moon rings.
-
Now crack the eggs into a small bowl and whisk them thoroughly.
-
Then you can already start the actual cooking process. To do this, mix mirin, sugar, soy sauce, sake, water, dashi and the onions and pour the mixture into a pan.
-
Let the mixture simmer for 3-5 minutes over medium heat.
-
Now add the chicken meat and let it cook for another 5 minutes. You may want to turn the heat down a bit more.
-
Then slowly and evenly pour the whisked eggs over the mixture, turning the heat down a bit more. Let the eggs set until they are as firm as you like.
-
Now it's time to arrange: Place the cooked rice in a bowl, pour the chicken-egg mixture over it and garnish with spring onions. Enjoy!
Table of contents:
Summary
Oyakodon, a beloved classic of Japanese cuisine, is a comforting chicken and egg bowl that combines simple yet flavorful ingredients, including chicken, eggs, and onions, simmered in a mixture of dashi and soy sauce, all served over rice. The name "Oyakodon" translates to "parent-and-child rice bowl," aptly reflecting its ingredients, where the chicken represents the parents and the egg symbolizes the child. This dish is ideal for quick meals, taking only 20-30 minutes to prepare, making it perfect for busy days or for students seeking affordable options. With a focus on health, Oyakodon is low in fat and requires no butter or oil, using widely available ingredients like chicken, eggs, and rice, alongside common Asian condiments such as soy sauce and mirin. Whether enjoyed at home or ordered from a restaurant, Oyakodon brings warmth and satisfaction to any table.Oyakodon is a true "comfort food", which is a classic in Japanese cuisine, both in restaurants and made at home. The basic ingredients of chicken, egg and onions are cooked in a mixture of dashi and soy sauce and then served with rice. By the way, Oyakodon means "parent-and-child" rice pot in translation. The chicken is the parent and the egg is the child, a sweet name!
Because it is so quick and easy to prepare, children learn to cook the dish at school. And since the ingredients are quite inexpensive, it is also a popular meal among students.
Why you should cook Oyakodon
Comfort Food
Do you know those cold days when you just don't feel like spending hours in the kitchen cooking? Oyakodon is perfect for those days. It warms you up, tastes incredibly delicious and is super quick to prepare in a pot. It doesn't get any better!
Quick and easy to prepare
Because the recipe is so simple and doesn't require much preparation, you can cook it in just 20-30 minutes with a little practice! Of course, you would also need to cook rice :)
Healthy and not greasy
If you value healthy eating or count your calories, Oyakodon is just right! The dish is low in fat and you don't need any butter or oil for frying.
No fancy ingredients
You don't have to buy fancy ingredients online, you probably already have most of them at home. Chicken, egg, onions and rice can be found in any supermarket. If you've already experimented with East Asian cuisine, then you should already have soy sauce, mirin and sake at home. Otherwise, you can find these ingredients, as well as dashi, at the next small Asian supermarket or even at the German supermarket. Instead of fresh dashi, you can also use the instant variant, it tastes just as good!
Comments
Hello you two, So, what can I say about this meal? Quick, tasty, inexpensive—a perfect meal when you come home exhausted. There's hardly any effort involved, it practically cooks itself. Including prep, it only took me half an hour and it's wonderfully filling. Best, Marcel
Hallo Marcel, Yes, that's right. I really like this dish too! Best regards, Ryusei from RyuKoch
Hello. I cooked your Oyakodon today and we really, really enjoyed it! Thank you so much for the delicious recipe. Best regards, Anja
Hi Anja, woohoo, that sounds awesome! Did you also take a photo? We could use it perfectly for our newsletter :) (You can find the subscription over the text block "Preparation") If you’d like to send us the photo, please feel free to send it to: [email protected] Best regards, Ryusei
First of all, I have to say that I think your blog is great and I’m very grateful to have found it! I’ve also joined your Facebook group right away. I'm a huge fan of Japan – everything about this country fascinates me and gives me a feeling of happiness. I have been looking forever for an authentic site where I can learn everything about Japanese food so I can change my diet. After all, Japanese nutrition is proven to be the healthiest. Now, to my question: Are donburis also served with side dishes or is this dish enjoyed on its own, without soup or pickles, etc.?
Hi Laura, Thank you so much <3 Ryusei definitely only writes authentically Japanese recipes :) Usually there are always small side dishes like pickled cucumbers and so on. Of course, it’s not a must, but in the end that’s up to you. For example, I always need 1-3 side dishes like kimchi, so I can always change up the flavor :) For soups, just make sure not to prepare too much, haha :) Best wishes, Matthias
Super recipe, just cooked it for the family and it was very well received! 25 minutes total prep time, simple to make and really filling—what more could you want? It's real comfort food for the cold days. Fantastic food blog, big compliments from my side! I studied in Japan for half a year some years ago, and I really miss the authentic dishes. Even though trips to Japan are impossible at the moment, you can still get close through the food^^ Best regards, Tom
Hallo Tom, I'm glad that the recipe was such a hit with your family, and thank you very much for the great praise and the good rating! Sometimes you just need comfort food, especially when you're feeling a bit of wanderlust :D Best regards, Ryusei
Very tasty :-)
Hi Orbital, thanks sooo much, enjoy your meal :) Best regards
Not the first dish I've cooked from here, BUT definitely one of the best :) Easy to make, quick, and the taste is just amazing. Anyone looking for a quick lunch or "snack" should definitely give it a try. It's really filling, even though you actually don't want to stop eating. Thank you for your great recipes :) Best, Roland
Hello Roland, we’re so glad that you enjoy and like the dishes so much! Oyakodon is, of course, also very delicious ;-) Best regards Ryusei Hosono
Comment has not yet been verified.
I’m not sure: 1 tbsp Dashi...does that mean 1 tbsp of the finished broth or 1 tbsp of the powder? Depending on which it is, the results couldn’t be more different.
Hello Aerilon, 1 tablespoon of the powder. With ready-made dashi, you need to check how much water you used. The salt levels in different dashis can also vary—some have no salt at all, while others have a lot. So you have to be a bit careful and adjust to taste. Best regards, Ryusei
Hallo you two, Yesterday I tried out your recipe. I have to say, when it comes to Japanese cuisine, I am a complete beginner and don’t know much about it. Somehow the recipe turned out alright, but somehow (at least in my eyes) not really. The sauce was much too dark for me. I bought dark soy sauce. Since you’re absolutely overwhelmed by choices on the shelves, I just picked that one since the recipe only said soy sauce. Also, for me, the ratio of sauce to egg wasn’t quite right. It didn’t look like the picture on your blog, but more like a dark brown soup with bits of egg in it ): I don’t know what I did wrong during preparation, whether I used the wrong quantity or chose the wrong ingredient. Since your recipe is described as “1 serving,” I just doubled everything because I made it for 2 people. Maybe that was the mistake? I had issues with the dashi. You always read that you can substitute vegetable broth, but you can hardly ever find clear instructions on how much to use. And whether you’re supposed to use it as plain powder or dissolve it in a certain amount of water. I know it’s not ideal if you want to cook an authentic recipe without buying everything original, but I don’t cook exotic dishes very often. I just don’t want a bunch of half-used sauces and spices sitting around and then ending up going bad and having to throw them away, that would be a real shame. Can you tell me how long soy sauce and mirin keep after being opened? After making the dish I was unfortunately a bit disappointed, but maybe I’d like to try another recipe. At least now I have some ingredients at home. Sorry for this long text! Thank you in advance for your help. Best regards, Dani
Hello Dani, You need to use a Japanese soy sauce for this recipe, as soy sauces from other countries are very different in both taste and consistency. In general, both mirin and soy sauce are very long-lasting, provided you are using the Japanese versions as well. Other countries sometimes add fish sauce, so the situation can be different. Ideally, you should use them within half a year and store them in a cool, dark place. However, they do not need to be refrigerated. Dashi is a matter of personal taste. If you are using powder, you should definitely mix it with water. We explain this in step 4. Best regards, Ryusei
Comment has not yet been verified.