Classic Gyudon (Beef Bowl) Recipe
Ingredients
400 g Warm rice
2 bowls
200 g Beef slices
1/2 piece Onion
Cut into wedges
to taste Pickled red ginger
for garnish
1 tbsp Sake
2 tbsp Mirin
2 tsp Sugar
2 tbsp Soy sauce
200 ml Water
1/2 tsp Grated ginger
Instructions
- 1
Cut the onion into wedges.
- 2
Add the onion, sake, mirin, sugar, soy sauce, water, and grated ginger to a pot. Heat over medium heat and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, cover and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- 3
Add the beef, breaking it apart as you go. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, skimming off any foam.
- 4
Serve the warm rice in a bowl, top with the beef mixture, and garnish with pickled red ginger.
Tomoka's Note
This recipe comes from a licensed dietitian. It uses simple, easy-to-find ingredients, and the seasoning turns out spot on every time. You can also swap sake for dry white wine, and it still tastes delicious. The only real challenge outside Japan is finding thinly sliced beef. You can sometimes find it at Japanese grocery stores in Australia, but I don’t have any nearby — so I slice my own at home. Here’s how: Choose good-quality beef — wagyu, scotch fillet, or another tender cut works best. Take a large steak and partially freeze it for 1–2 hours, until it’s firm enough to slice cleanly. Using a sharp knife, slice against the grain into thin, even pieces (about 2–3 mm thick). This will give you beautifully sliced beef, perfect for gyudon! I love topping my gyudon with beni shoga (pickled red ginger) and a sprinkle of shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice chili) for a little extra kick. It’s perfect if you like a bit of heat. You can usually find both at Japanese grocery stores — definitely give them a try!