Oyakodon (親子丼) Japanese Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl
Oyakodon is Japanese comfort food in a bowl, with simple ingredients and balanced seasonings that create something greater than the sum of their parts. And it’s oil-free and protein-loaded. That’s a win-win.
What is Oyakodon?
Oyakodon is a Japanese rice bowl with chicken, eggs, and onions cooked with dashi and other seasonings. Like a loose onion and chicken omelet, but not quite like a western omelet.
In Japan, eggs are often cooked with a higher proportion of liquid than many people are used to. Usually, dashi plays the role of this liquid, contributing a delicate silky texture and accenting the umami flavor in the eggs.
The name oyokadon is short for oyako donburi. Time for a quick Japanese lesson! 丼 (donburi) is a rice bowl, and the word oyako is made up of two kanji, 親 (oya), meaning parent, and 子 (ko) meaning child.
So the name of this dish is literally parent and child rice bowl. Once you get past that fun thought this is a very comforting and satisfying meal! When I asked a Japanese friend what his favorite comfort food was, this was his answer.
The eggs in oyakodon are usually lightly cooked, and still somewhat raw when served. This is delicious and makes the dish very creamy, however, if you prefer your eggs to be more set, add 30 seconds to a minute to the cooking times in this recipe.
Oyako Nabe
People in Japan often use purpose-built pans called oyako nabe that are sized to make one serving. However, this is not necessary. This recipe makes two servings, so I recommend cooking it all in a 12-inch pan or cooking 1 serving at a time in a 10-inch pan.
Ingredients for Oyakodon
Chicken – Thighs work best since this recipe uses no extra fat.
Sweet Onion – Sweet onions provide a pleasant oniony aroma without being too harsh.
Eggs – Large eggs, cage-free are best.
Dashi – This stock is used all the time in Japanese cooking. Read more about it here.
Soy Sauce – Japanese soy sauce brings saltiness and umami to this recipe.
Sugar – Sugar balances out the salty savory flavors in this recipe.
Cooked Rice – Oyakodon cooks very quickly, so either use leftover rice or start cooking the omelet when the rice has about 5 minutes left.
Scallion Greens – Mitsuba, a Japanese herb is traditionally used to top oyakodon, but it is hard to find outside of Japan.
Nori – Dark green nori contrasts an otherwise light-colored dish, and adds a sea-briny taste, reinforcing Japanese flavors.
Oyakodon (親子丼) Japanese Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl Recipe
Time:
10 minutes
Yield:
2 servings
Cuisine:
Japanese
Ingredients
- 200 grams of chicken thighs (1-2), cut into 1-inch chunks
- 3 large eggs
- 60 grams (¼ c.) of dashi
- 10 grams (2 tsp.) of soy sauce
- 10 grams (2 tsp.) of sake
- 5 grams (1 tsp.) of sugar
- ¼ of a sweet onion (50 grams), sliced
- Scallion greens sliced on a diagonal, for garnish
- Nori, cut into thin strips, for garnish
- Shichimi Togarashi, for finishing
- 2 servings of cooked rice
Directions
- Oyakodon cooks very quickly so have all the ingredients prepared; eggs very lightly beaten, chicken in 1-inch cubes, onions sliced, and seasonings ready.
2. Add the dashi, soy sauce, and sugar to an 8-inch MEASURE pan over medium-high heat.
3. Swirl to dissolve the sugar, and add the chicken once the liquid comes to a boil.
4. Cook the chicken for 1 minute and 30 seconds, then add the onion and cook for another 1 minute and 30 seconds. Adding the onions at a later stage will preserve a bit of texture while ensuring the chicken is cooked all the way through.
5. Drop about ¾ of the egg mixture over the chicken and onions and cook for 1 minute. Keep the omelet simmering and don’t cover it; the goal is to evaporate some of the excess liquid while still keeping the dish quite loose.
6. Add the rest of the eggs, cook for 30 seconds, and remove the pan from the heat.
7. Serve immediately over white rice in a wide bowl, and top with thin scallion greens and nori strips.
