Quick and easy oyakodon or Japanese chicken and egg rice bowl features juicy tender pieces of chicken, and caramelized onions simmering in an umami-rich broth mixed with a soft egg scramble and served over a warm bed of steamed rice.
This easy oyakodon recipe features tender and juicy bite-sized chicken pieces, caramelized onion, and softly cooked egg simmering in a sweet and savory broth. This simple and delicious donburi recipe comes together in one pan and is ready to eat in 15 minutes!
Chicken donburi is quick, healthy, incredibly flavorful, and comforting which makes it the ideal meal to make on the weekdays. This easy donburi recipe only uses a handful of ingredients and creates a perfect balance of flavors that is irresistibly comforting.
Oyakodon (親子丼), also known as Oyako Donburi (親子丼ぶり), is a popular Japanese comfort dish that consists of small chicken bites, beaten eggs, and sliced onions that are simmered together in a sweet and savory broth and served over a bowl of rice. Oyakodon translates to “parent and child rice bowl” which symbolizes both the chicken and the eggs. Donburi refers to a bowl or a Japanese dish where various ingredients are served over a bowl of rice.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
There are so many reasons why you will love this oyakodon recipe but here are the top 3 reasons.
Quick and Easy. This chicken donburi recipe only uses one pan and can be quickly made in 15 minutes!
Simple Ingredients. All you will need for this oyakodon donburi recipe are chicken, egg, and onion as well as pantry staple Asian condiments such as dashi, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and sake.
Comforting and satisfying. Tender juicy chicken thighs combined with softly scrambled eggs and caramelized onions simmered in an umami dashi broth over a bed of rice yields the most delicious meal in one bowl.
Kitchen Equipment
You will need the following kitchen equipment to make this chicken oyakodon recipe.
Mixing Bowls:mixing bowls will be necessary to marinate the chicken, mix the dashi broth, and mix the eggs.
Medium pan: You can cook this chicken donburi recipe in a medium 8-inch pan. Alternatively, you can use an oyakodon pan as well.
Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this easy oyakodon recipe. I’ve linked everything you can find online below.
Oyakodon
Boneless Skinless Chicken Thigh: boneless skinless chicken thighs are the best option for the most tender and juiciest result.
Sake: sake is a type of Japanese rice wine that adds a sweet, acidic, and umami flavor to the chicken.
Salt and White Pepper:salt and white pepper to gently season the chicken
Dashi:dashi broth is a Japanese soup stock made up of seaweed and bonito flakes that adds a savory and rich umami flavor.
Soy Sauce:soy sauce is the main umami salty ingredient that seasons the dashi broth.
Mirin:mirin or rice wine is a common ingredient in Japanese cooking that adds a sweet and tangy flavor.
Sugar:sugar adds a gentle sweetness to balance out the savory flavors.
Eggs: the egg yolks are cut and lightly mixed to show the contrast between the egg yolks and egg whites.
Yellow Onion: yellow onion is the main aromatic that adds a gentle sweetness.
Serve
White rice: Steamed short-grain white rice is what is typically served in this chicken donburi recipe.
Green onion: green onion slices add more aromatic flavors
Togarashi:togarashi is a type of Japanese spice blend that adds a hint of spice.
Substitutions and Additions
You can easily customize this oyakodon donburi recipe with the following substitutions and additions.
Substitutions
Chicken Stock: if you don’t have dashi broth, you can easily substitute it with chicken stock.
Vegetable stock: similarly vegetable stock can be a substitution for dashi.
Chicken breast or chicken tenders: if you’d like a leaner chicken oyakodon you can use chicken breast or chicken tenders instead.
Rice: instead of short-grain white rice, you can use any rice of choice like brown rice, etc.
Additions
Vegetables: if you’d like a more well-balanced donburi bowl with vegetables go ahead and add mushrooms or any vegetable of choice. I recommend cooking them in advance to soften them before combining them with the eggs and chicken.
How to Make Oyakodon
Here are the step-by-step instructions on how to make this easy oyakodon recipe.
Marinate the chicken. Combine the chicken, sake, salt, and pepper in a bowl and set aside to marinate for 10 minutes.
Make the dashi mixture. Add the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Mix until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
Gently mix the eggs. Crack the eggs into a bowl and gently lift the egg yolks with a pair of chopsticks a few times. You want the egg whites to not be completely mixed into the egg yolks to resemble a marbled pattern.
Cook the onion and dashi stock. In a medium frying pan over medium heat, add the onions and dashi mixture and simmer until fragrant about 1-2 minutes.
Add chicken. Then add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes flipping halfway until the chicken is no longer pink.
Add eggs. Then pour in the eggs and gently scramble the eggs with a rubber spatula until just set and the tops are a little runny.
Serve. Serve over a bowl of white rice, garnish with green onion, sesame seeds, and togarashi, and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Oyakodon
Use high-quality eggs! Fresh eggs with a rich golden orange-yellow yolk will yield the best flavor and texture.
Use scissors to cut the yolk. If you want the authentic chicken oyakodon look where the egg whites and egg yolks pop with contrast, use scissors to cut the egg yolks instead of mixing them.
Cook the onions until softened. Cook the onions until they are translucent, fragrant, and lightly softened before adding the chicken. This will caramelize them for the final result.
Remove from heat when eggs are slightly runny. Remove the eggs when they are set but slightly runny on top. The residual heat will continue to cook them when you serve them.
Storage Instructions
Chicken oyakodon is best served immediately, but you can save any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat: reheat in the microwave until warm or reheat on the stove in a pan over medium heat until warm.
Frequently Asked Q’s and A’s
What is the traditional sauce for oyakodon?
Oyakodon traditionally is made with dashi (Japanese stock), soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar.
What type of rice is best for oyakodon?
This donburi bowl is most commonly served with short-grain Japanese rice. The slightly sticky texture helps stick the chicken and eggs together.
How do I serve oyakodon?
This Japanese chicken and eggs rice bowl is served with a sprinkle of togarashi, sliced green onions, and toasted sesame seeds.
Can I make this recipe for oyakodon in advance?
This chicken donburi recipe is best enjoyed freshly made. The texture of the eggs may change when reheated. You can prepare the ingredients in advance and cook the dish when you are ready to serve.
15-Minute Oyakodon (Japanese Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl)
4.50 from 2 votes
Prep Time 10 minutesmins
Cook Time 5 minutesmins
Total Time 15 minutesmins
Quick and easy oyakodon or Japanese chicken and egg rice bowl features juicy tender pieces of chicken, and caramelized onions simmering in an umami-rich broth mixed with a soft egg scramble and served over a warm bed of steamed rice.
Marinate the chicken. Combine the chicken, sake, salt and white pepper in a bowl and set aside to marinate for 10 minutes.
Make the broth mixture. In a small mixing bowl, add the dashi, soy sauce, mirin and sugar. Mix until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
Gently mix the eggs. Crack the eggs into a bowl and gently lift the egg yolks with a pair of chopsticks a few times. You want the egg whites to not be completely mixed into the egg yolks to resemble a marbled pattern.
Cook the onion and dashi stock. In a medium frying pan over medium heat, add the onions and dashi mixture and simmer until fragrant about 1-2 minutes.
Add chicken. Then add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes flipping halfway until the chicken is no longer pink.
Add eggs. Then pour in the eggs and gently scramble the eggs with a rubber spatula until just set and the tops are a little runny.
Serve. Serve over a bowl of white rice, garnish with green onion, sesame seeds, togarashi and enjoy!
Notes
Use high-quality eggs! Fresh eggs with a rich golden orange-yellow yolk will yield the best flavor and texture.
Use scissors to cut the yolk. If you want the authentic chicken oyakodon look where the egg whites and egg yolks pop with contrast, use scissors to cut the egg yolks instead of mixing them.
Cook the onions until softened. Cook the onions until they are translucent, fragrant, and lightly softened before adding the chicken. This will caramelize them for the final result.
Remove from heat when eggs are slightly runny. Remove the eggs when they are set but slightly runny on top. The residual heat will continue to cook them when you serve them.
Storage Instructions: Chicken oyakodon is best served immediately, but you can save any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat: reheat in the microwave until warm or reheat on the stove in a pan over medium heat until warm.
Easy recipe to make only thing thats annoying is all the popup advertisings that block you reading the recipe