Gyudon, or gyumeshi, is a Japanese-style beef rice bowl featuring thinly sliced beef that is cooked in soy sauce, mirin, and onion. If you have ever had Yoshinoya, then you have had some version of Gyudon. Unfortunately, Yoshinoya in the United States is really subpar quality. I had Yoshinoya in Japan and it was surprisingly delicious. So don’t write off gyumeshi yet. This beef rice bowl recipe is easy, delicious, and super quick to make.
Should I Get a Rice Cooker?
The answer to this is a resounding yes! If you eat Asian food on a regular basis, then a rice cooker is a must-have tool. The most time-consuming part of this recipe is just the wait for the rice to cook in the rice cooker and the rice cooker does all the work for you. Making rice in a pot is tricky and I have never been successful at it. So, definitely no shame in buying a rice cooker!
How to Make the Perfect White Rice for Beef Rice Bowl
Always wash your rice. There may be impurities or dirt mixed in with your rice, so please always wash it thoroughly in water 2-3 times before cooking.
For white jasmine rice, if you are cooking it in a rice cooker, you want the ratio of rice:water to be 1:1. Equal parts rice to water. That is for a nice firm texture. If you like your rice a little more fluffy or soft, then add in an extra tablespoon or 2 of water, but no more. Adding too much water will make your rice overly mushy and unpleasant to eat. Then it’s just a matter of using your rice cooker and following settings for white rice. Do not peek before it is ready. Doing so will release the steam and potentially ruin the cooking of your rice.
Japanese seasonings
Most Japanese dishes are very clean in flavor and feature a few simple ingredients. This beef rice bowl follows this principle. The seasonings you need to make many Japanese dishes are:
- soy sauce
- onion
- mirin or rice wine
- sugar
- dashi (broth made from dried fish and seaweed)
- furikake (rice seasoning with toasted seaweed, sesame seeds, etc..)
For some reason, Japanese cooking does not include much garlic. Instead, onion seems to be the go-to for aromatic vegetables. Japanese cooking involves lots of Welsh onion, but if you cannot find this ingredient, I often substitute sweet onion or spring onion for it.
For other Asian dishes, check out my recipes for Thai Green Papaya Salad and Vietnamese Vermicelli Salad.
Beef Rice Bowl-Gyudon
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp rice wine
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp instant dashi powder
- 1 lb beef ribeye thinly sliced
Instructions
Rice
- Wash rice thoroughly. Add equal parts rice and water to a rice cooker. Follow instructions on rice cooker for white rice.
Beef
- White rice is cooking, heat a pan on high heat. When then pan is about to smoke, add in oil. When oil becomes shimmery, turn heat to medium and saute onions for 5 minutes until translucent.
- Add in soy sauce, sugar, water, rice wine, and dashi powder to onions. Cook sauce on medium high for 5-10 minutes until reduced.
- Then add ribeye to the onion sauce mixture. Cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes until meat is just cooked through.
- Serve on top of steamed white rice. Optional: top with furikake and green onion.
