Oyakodon

An easy Japanese donburi recipe and another classic example of comfort food

Oyakodon

Oyakodon literally means “parent-and-child rice bowl”. Chicken and onions are cooked slowly in a soy based sauce. Eggs are added at the end so the sauce is extra soft and velvety. Top the chicken and eggs on a bed of white rice and you have authentic Oyakodon. Whilst not the authentic way to make Oyakodon, we do this recipe all in a rice cooker.

AuthorHungry PandaDifficultyIntermediate

Yields4 Servings
Prep Time40 minsCook Time1 hrTotal Time1 hr 40 mins

THE CHICKEN MARINDADE
 300 g chicken thigh
 ½ tbsp instant dashi powder
 ¼ tsp salt
 1 tbsp soy sauce
 ½ tbsp dark soy sauce (for colour) – add regular if you don’t have this!
 1 tbsp mirin
 1 tsp sugar
 ½ small white onion sliced
 ½ tbsp oil
 1 cup short grain rice
TO FINISH (after rice is cooked)
 2 eggs with a pinch of salt – eggs beaten to 70-80%
 1-2 spring onions – sliced
 handful nori seaweed, sliced thinly
 pinches togarshi Japanese 7 spice (optional to add a little spiciness and sesame seeds)

HOW TO MAKE
1

Cut the chicken into 1 inch pieces and mix into the marinade ingredients.

2

Select the SHORT GRAIN rice function on your rice cooker, add water to just below the SHORT GRAIN water 1 cup level line in your inner bowl

3

Add the chicken in the marinade to the rice and water. Press START.

4

As soon as the rice is finished cooking, beat the eggs and quickly add the liquid mixture to the rice
(open and close the lid quickly to prevent heat escaping). The steam during the cooker’s KEEP WARM will cook the eggs.

5

Garnish with sliced spring onions and seaweed. Add togarshi for spice and serve in a donburi.

Ingredients

THE CHICKEN MARINDADE
 300 g chicken thigh
 ½ tbsp instant dashi powder
 ¼ tsp salt
 1 tbsp soy sauce
 ½ tbsp dark soy sauce (for colour) – add regular if you don’t have this!
 1 tbsp mirin
 1 tsp sugar
 ½ small white onion sliced
 ½ tbsp oil
 1 cup short grain rice
TO FINISH (after rice is cooked)
 2 eggs with a pinch of salt – eggs beaten to 70-80%
 1-2 spring onions – sliced
 handful nori seaweed, sliced thinly
 pinches togarshi Japanese 7 spice (optional to add a little spiciness and sesame seeds)

Directions

HOW TO MAKE
1

Cut the chicken into 1 inch pieces and mix into the marinade ingredients.

2

Select the SHORT GRAIN rice function on your rice cooker, add water to just below the SHORT GRAIN water 1 cup level line in your inner bowl

3

Add the chicken in the marinade to the rice and water. Press START.

4

As soon as the rice is finished cooking, beat the eggs and quickly add the liquid mixture to the rice
(open and close the lid quickly to prevent heat escaping). The steam during the cooker’s KEEP WARM will cook the eggs.

5

Garnish with sliced spring onions and seaweed. Add togarshi for spice and serve in a donburi.

Notes

Oyakodon

Make sure the eggs are at room temperature before adding to the rice. You can use chicken breast instead of thigh but it may result in a drier meat. Dark soy sauce is used instead of light soy as it’s less salty and better visually.