Gyudon is a delicious and quick meal of thinly sliced beef that’s simmered in a slightly sweet and savory sauce served over steamed white rice. There are so many different styles and variations, but the basics of it remains the same.

This recipe is mostly traditional, but has just a few tweaks that I’ve added to make it more to my liking. I hope you enjoy it too!

Gyudon

Ingredients

• ½ of a cup beef broth
  • Original recipe calls for dashi, or a stock made with dried kelp and dried fish flakes, but I rarely have it on hand so I use beef broth instead.
• ½ of a cup soy sauce
• ½ of a cup mirin
  • This is a sweet rice wine used in cooking, usually found in the Asian aisle of grocery stores.
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • Typically not added, but I like the slight pepper taste to counter the sweetness.
• Half a yellow onion, sliced
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • This is not traditionally in gyudon, but I like to add these for flavor and to bulk up the dish with a bit for veggies.
• ½ to ¾ of a pound very thinly sliced beef
• Garnishes, such as sesame seeds, sliced green onions, a poached/fried egg, pickled ginger, kimchi, etc.

Steps

1. In a wide pan with tall sides, combine broth, soy sauce, mirin, black pepper, onions, and mushrooms.
2. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Add the beef to the broth and vegetables and gently stir to mix.
4. Continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes, or until beef is cooked through.
5. Turn off the heat and let sit for another 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Serve over a bowl of hot, white rice and add desired toppings.