Oyakodon is one of my favourite donburi, or Japanese rice bowl dish, where tender chicken, eggs, and onions are simmered in a broth and served over a bowl of rice. Dashi (高湯), a Japanese soup stock made with combining kombu (kelp seaweed) and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), is commonly used as the broth in classic oyakodon recipes. But since I couldn’t find it in nearby supermarkets, I used bonito sauce (鰹魚汁) instead to create an umami-rich broth with similar flavour. Don’t worry if you can’t find dashi or bonito sauce, chicken soup stock works equally well!
With just a few simple steps, you’ll be able to have a fulfilling, comforting meal that is full of robust flavours! Follow my recipe to make a healthy, delicious, one-pot meal.
Table of contents
What makes this oyakodon recipe so good
- Easy, one-pot recipe: This recipe is easy to follow and requires only one pot to make the dish. Simply marinate the chicken thigh fillets with the seasoning sauce, then simmer all ingredients together in the broth, your meal will be ready to serve!
- Quick and healthy: Taking only 15 minutes, oyakodon is a healthy dish that is made without any oil. With chicken and eggs, it is also packed with protein.
- Flavourful and soul-satisfying: With a combination of runny eggs and tender chicken in a sweet, savoury, and umami-rich sauce, oyakodon is an ultimate comfort food to make at home.
What is oyakodon?
Oyakodon, Japanese chicken and egg rich bowl, is literally translated as “parent-and-child donburi” in Japanese. “Oya” means parent; “ko” means child; and “don” is short for donburi, which means rice bowl. Hence, chicken and eggs are used to represent the parent-and-child combination.
Ingredients for oyakodon
- Chicken thigh fillet: This recipe uses 1 piece of boneless chicken thigh fillet (about 150g) for one serving.
- Onion: This enhances the flavour and gives the dish a rich and fragrant aroma.
- Eggs: It is recommended to use 2 eggs per serving.
- Broth: Instead of dashi, I used concentrated bonito sauce and diluted it with water to make the soup.
- Rice: You’ll need about ¾ to 1 cup of rice to serve with the chicken and egg dish.
- Spring onions: These add freshness and depth to the dish for a more robust flavour.
For the marinade
- Sugar: This adds sweetness to the dish and tenderises the chicken.
- Mirin: A staple ingredient used in Japanese cooking. It helps remove the poultry smell from the chicken and adds a touch of sweetness to the dish.
- Soy sauce: This adds richness to the dish and enhances the savoury flavour.
- Sake: This adds an umami and sweet, mellow flavour to the chicken. It also eliminates odours and tenderises the chicken!
How to make oyakodon
- Marinate the chicken thigh fillets with sugar, mirin, sake, and soy sauce for 5 minutes.
- In a frying pan, add in bonito broth and sliced onions. Cook until the onions become translucent over medium-high heat (about 2-3 minutes).
- Add in marinated chicken thigh fillets, lower the heat, and simmer for 5-6 minutes.
- Pour over beaten eggs, add in chopped spring onions, and simmer for another minute. Cook for 2-3 more minutes if you prefer fully cooked eggs.
- Serve the dish over a rice bowl.
Success tips for making oyakodon
Cook without a lid.
Cooking this dish with a lid on will cook the chicken faster, and will tend to overcook them while having excess liquid. I’d recommend cooking without covering a lid to allow excess moisture from the onions, chicken, and seasoning sauce to evaporate while simmering, allowing the chicken to absorb more flavours.
Turn off the heat soon after adding in beaten eggs.
The eggs in oyakodon are runny and half-cooked to achieve a smooth, melt-in-your-mouth soft texture. Be sure to turn off the heat in 30 seconds to 1 minute after adding in beaten eggs, as the residual heat will continue cooking the eggs. But if you prefer fully cooked eggs, you can cook the eggs for 2-3 minutes.
What to do if I don’t have mirin and sake?
You can substitute mirin with dry sherry or a sweet marsala wine. Dry white wine or rice vinegar will also work, but you’ll need to mix with some additional sugar to neutralise the sourness.
Sake is basically Japanese rice wine, so you can substitute it with any rice wine. Shaoxing cooking wine or white wine would work as well.
What pairs well with this dish
- Miso soup
- Pickles
- Refreshing okra side dish
Bursting with rich flavours, this oyakodon brings together a comforting medley of runny eggs, moist chicken, and a sweet, savoury sauce. If you’re looking for a quick, cosy meal, this recipe is sure to please!
Related recipes
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Oyakodon (Japanese Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl) 親子丼
Ingredients
- 150 g boneless chicken thigh fillets cut into bite-sized
- 1/2 small onion sliced
- 2 tsp sake
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 2 eggs beaten
- Bonito broth (60ml water + 1 tbsp concentrated bonito sauce)
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken thigh fillets with sugar, mirin, sake, and soy sauce for 5 minutes.
- In a frying pan, add in bonito broth and sliced onions. Cook until onions become translucent over medium-high heat (about 2-3 minutes).
- Add in marinated chicken, lower the heat, and simmer for 5-6 minutes.
- Pour over beaten eggs, add in chopped spring onions, and simmer for another minute.
- Serve over a bowl of rice.