Japanese recipe

Oyakodon (chicken and egg bowl)

Name: Oyakodon (chicken and egg bowl)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Japanese cuisine
Ingredients: 300 g boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2.5 cm pieces; 150 g onion, thinly sliced; 200 g large eggs, beaten; 180 ml dashi stock; 30 ml light soy sauce; 30 ml mirin; 15 ml sake; 8 g granulated sugar; 360 g cooked Japanese short-grain rice; 15 g mitsuba trefoil, roughly chopped

Chicken and onion simmer in dashi, then soft-set egg is layered over hot rice for a comforting donburi.

Japan

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 35 min
Servings: 2

Soft egg and chicken oyakodon topping a bowl of white rice with mitsuba — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by OcdpSource page · Original file · CC0 1.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

300 g
boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2.5 cm pieces
150 g
onion, thinly sliced
200 g
large eggs, beaten
180 ml
dashi stock
30 ml
light soy sauce
30 ml
mirin
15 ml
sake
8 g
granulated sugar
360 g
cooked Japanese short-grain rice
15 g
mitsuba trefoil, roughly chopped

Method

01
Cook and hold the rice
Cook the short-grain rice first and keep 360 g covered and hot while preparing the one-pan topping.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Cut the chicken and onion
Cut the chicken across the grain into flat 2.5 cm pieces and slice the onion into 6 mm strips; keep the mitsuba aside.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Beat the eggs
Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat just until the whites and yolks are blended; do not whip in excess air.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Simmer the onion
In a small skillet, bring dashi, soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar to a simmer. Add the onion and cook 4–5 minutes until tender.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Cook the chicken
Add the chicken in one layer, cover, and simmer over medium-low heat for 6–8 minutes, turning once, until no pink remains and the thickest piece reaches 74°C.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
06
Set the first egg layer
Pour in half the beaten egg around the chicken. Cook uncovered on low heat for 45–60 seconds until softly set at the edges.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
07
Finish the egg safely
Add the remaining egg and mitsuba, cover, and cook 30–60 seconds more. The centre should stay tender but the egg mixture must reach 74°C.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
08
Slide over the rice
Rest the pan off heat for 30 seconds, then slide the chicken-and-egg topping over the hot rice and serve immediately.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

A small skillet gives the topping enough depth to stay juicy while it slides onto one bowl.
Add the eggs in two stages for tender curds rather than one firm omelette.

Common mistakes

Cutting chicken into thick cubes can leave the centre undercooked when the egg has already set; use flat 2.5 cm pieces.
Do not serve runny egg below 74°C; use a thermometer at the thickest egg-and-chicken area.

Substitutions

Use 180 ml unsalted vegetable stock instead of dashi for a fish-free bowl; keep the soy and mirin amounts unchanged.
Chicken breast can replace thigh; slice it flatter and begin checking the centre after 5 minutes so it does not dry out.

Storage

Cool the topping within 2 hours and refrigerate it separately from rice in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat until steaming hot and the chicken and egg reach 74°C.

Cultural context

Oyakodon is a Japanese donburi whose name combines parent and child, referring to chicken and egg served together; the name is descriptive rather than a claim about one fixed regional recipe.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Oyakodon 002 — Photograph by Ocdp; CC0 1.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to Japanese recipes

Oyakodon (chicken and egg bowl)

Ingredients

Method

Cook and hold the rice

Cut the chicken and onion

Beat the eggs

Simmer the onion

Cook the chicken

Set the first egg layer

Finish the egg safely

Slide over the rice

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

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