Oyakodon is a Japanese dish that translates directly as “parent (oya) and child (ko) bowl (don)” and is a direct reference to the preparation of chicken and egg served over rice. This classic dish can be whipped up in about half an hour, which makes it perfect for an easy weeknight dinner.
Use Japanese short grain rice for a more authentic presentation, but long grain rice works just as well. If you can’t find dashi but have fish sauce on hand, add ½ tsp fish sauce to ½ cup water as a substitute, or else you can use diluted chicken broth.
This recipe serves 2.
Ingredients
8-10 oz chicken thighs, cut into thin 1 to 1½” pieces
½ white or yellow onion, thinly sliced root to tip
2 large eggs
½ cup dashi
1½ tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp dry sake
1½ tsp sugar
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 cups cooked rice
Vegetable oil
Furikake
Shichimi togarashi (optional)
Directions
In a measuring cup, mix together the dashi, soy sauce, sake, and sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar and set aside.
Set a skillet over medium-high heat and add about 1 tbsp of oil. Saute the chicken for 2 minutes to develop some color on the chicken, then add the onion to the pan. Cook anouther minute, then add the dashi-soy sauce mixture and bring the liquid up to a low simmer. Cook 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl with chopsticks or a fork. Stream the eggs around the chicken and onions directly into the simmering liquid, making sure it is spread evenly in the pan. Continue to simmer about 2 minutes until the eggs are lightly set but still somewhat runny. Turn off the heat and rest.
Divide the rice between two bowls. Scoop the chicken, onions, and eggs over the rice and spoon the remaining liquid on top.
Finish the bowls with chopped scallions and furikake, adding shichimi togarashi for heat if desired.
Cook’s note: If you’re having trouble finding dashi, a quick and simple replacement is to use fish sauce. For every 1 cup water, add 1 tsp fish sauce to create a mock dashi broth; so for this recipe, replace the ½ cup dashi with ½ cup water and ½ tsp fish sauce. Alternatively, use ¼ cup chicken broth, ¼ cup water, and a dash of soy sauce or worcestershire for a similar effect.
Buy the spices you need to make this recipe!
