Description
Oyakodon is a classic Japanese chicken and egg rice bowl featuring tender chicken thighs simmered with onions in a savory dashi-based sauce, topped with softly cooked eggs and fresh mitsuba parsley. This comforting one-pot meal is quick to prepare and perfect for a satisfying lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- ½ onion (4 oz, 113 g; peeled)
- 10 oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs (1–2 thighs)
- 1 Tbsp sake (for marinating the chicken)
- 3-4 large eggs (50 g each, at room temperature)
Seasonings
- ½ cup dashi (Japanese soup stock)
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp mirin
- 2 tsp sugar
For Serving
- 2 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice (approximately 3⅓ cups, 500 g cooked rice)
- 4 sprigs mitsuba (Japanese parsley) or green onion/scallion
- Shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) – optional
- Japanese sansho pepper – optional
Instructions
- Prepare Seasonings: Combine ½ cup dashi, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp mirin, and 2 tsp sugar in a bowl and mix until sugar dissolves.
- Prep Ingredients: Slice ½ onion lengthwise into ¼ inch (6 mm) strips. Chop 4 sprigs mitsuba roughly. Trim fat from chicken thighs and cut into ¾–1 inch square pieces using sogigiri slicing technique. Marinate chicken with 1 Tbsp sake for 5 minutes.
- Prepare Eggs: Crack 3-4 large eggs into a bowl and gently cut the whites 5-6 times with chopsticks to create marble patterns without fully whisking.
- Cook Onions and Chicken: In a medium frying pan with stove off, place onions in a single layer and pour the seasoning mixture to cover. Heat over medium until simmering, then add chicken evenly. Lower heat to medium low and cook uncovered for 5 minutes, flipping chicken halfway, until chicken is cooked and onions softened.
- Add Eggs in Two Stages: Increase heat to medium. Drizzle two-thirds of the eggs in a circular pattern over chicken and onions, avoiding edges. When eggs are slightly set but still runny, add remaining eggs and sprinkle mitsuba on top. Cook on medium low until eggs reach desired doneness, typically softly set and still slightly runny.
- Serve: Portion cooked Japanese rice into bowls. Slide chicken and egg mixture atop rice and drizzle additional pan sauce as desired. Garnish with optional shichimi togarashi and sansho pepper if using.
Notes
- Use an oyakodon pan or small frying pan for individual servings for easier sliding onto rice bowls.
- For vegan/vegetarian versions, substitute chicken with plant-based meat alternatives and eggs with vegan egg substitutes like JUST Egg.
- Raw eggs are traditionally safe in Japan; cook eggs to your preference based on local egg safety.
- Adjust seasoning quantities if using a larger pan to ensure onions are properly covered by liquid.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days.
- Use freshly cooked, warm Japanese short-grain rice for best flavor and texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 537 kcal
- Sugar: 11 g
- Sodium: 1197 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 42 g
- Cholesterol: 414 mg
