Experience one of the most well-liked and simple-to-make Japanese delicacies in the convenience of your own home. Oyakodon is a popular Japanese dish consisting of chicken and egg cooked in a sweet and savory sauce, served over a bed of steamed rice. The name “Oyakodon” literally translates to “parent-and-child” rice bowl, as it contains both chicken (the parent) and egg (the child). This dish is not only delicious and satisfying, but it also has a heartwarming backstory reflecting family’s importance in Japanese culture. We advise serving this immediately after you finish making it because it will undoubtedly become a family favorite.
Origins of Oyakodon
The origins of Oyakodon can be traced back to the late 1800s during the Meiji Era in Japan when Western-style food began to influence Japanese cuisine. One of the most significant influences was introducing the concept of a “donburi” or rice bowl, a dish made of rice topped with various ingredients, similar to the Western-style bowl of rice and meat topped with a mixture of chicken and eggs.
This dish was considered a novelty and became popular in Tokyo’s Ginza district in the early 1900s. At that time, the Japanese were also experimenting with ways to incorporate Western-style dishes with their traditional ingredients. One such dish was “tenshin donburi,” a rice bowl
The Oyakodon dish as we know it today, however, did not come into existence until much later, in the 1930s. It’s claimed to have been made by a chef named Tamahide Matsuno, who owned a popular restaurant in Tokyo’s Nihonbashi district. He wanted to create a dish that would be affordable, quick to make, and easy to eat for his customers.
He combined chicken, onions, and beaten eggs in a sweet and savory broth and served it over a bowl of hot rice. The dish was an instant hit and soon became a staple in Japanese cuisine. The dish’s popularity grew even more during the post-World War II period when food shortages were widespread, and affordable dishes like Oyakodon became a necessity.
Today, Oyakodon is a beloved dish in Japan and is enjoyed in homes and restaurants across the country. It is easy to make and can be customized with various Japanese grocery items, making it a versatile and satisfying meal.
5 Reasons Why to Attempt This Recipe
Thirty minutes of quick and simple cooking.
This recipe requires little preparation time and work. Oyakodon is a fantastic dish that youngsters at your house might quickly learn to prepare. It is a supper of survival that will keep them going when they leave for college.
Pantry-friendly, simple-to-find ingredients.
Most cuisines include chicken, eggs, and onions as standard ingredients. If you frequently prepare Japanese or Asian cuisine, you probably have soy sauce, mirin, and sake on hand to make dashi.
A hearty home-cooked comfort food dish.
On a bed of fluffy rice, there is tender chicken and a soft cooked egg. The delectable dashi sauce absorbs each bite of sweet-salty-savory rice. Here it is—a hearty, tasty comfort food supper in one bowl.
A meal in a bowl and a pan.
An ideal solution for quick weeknight meals is a one-pan and one-bowl meal. Fewer dishes mean less cleanup!
No oil.
Onions and chicken are simmered in a broth. No oil is used for frying anything.
Recipe for Oyakodon
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of steamed rice
- Sake- A tbsp of sake drizzled over chicken will assist in masking its gamey flavor.
- 2 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless- I prefer chicken thighs to chicken breasts since the latter is less tasty, soft, and gentle (unlike dry, overcooked breasts).
- Mitsuba- this is a type of wild parsley native to Japan. It tastes slightly bitter and has a celery-like flavor. The herb is utilized as a garnish in numerous donburi meals because of its flavor, which is both refreshing and distinctive. Green onions cut into thin, diagonal slices might be used in its place.
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup of sliced onion
- 1 cup of dashi (Japanese soup stock)
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons of mirin (sweet rice wine)
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- Chopped green onions for garnish
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare the sauce by mixing the dashi, sake, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Set aside.
Step 2
Turn the heat to medium-high and preheat a small (6 or 7-inch) slope-sided nonstick pan (or a well-seasoned carbon steel skillet). Cook each chicken piece’s skin side for 3 to 4 minutes or until it is crisp (meat will still be mostly raw). Transfer with the skin-side down to a cutting board. Cut into 1 to 1.5-inch pieces.
Step 3
Cook the egg and chicken in two batches. Beat two eggs in a small bowl until the whites and yolks are broken but still distinguishable. After removing any extra grease, put the skillet back over medium-high heat. Half the chopped onions and half the sauce (about 1/3 cup) should be added. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes or until the onions start to soften. Add half of the cut-up chicken and cook, occasionally stirring, for an additional 1 to 3 minutes, preferably until the chicken becomes white all the way through.
Step 4
Pour roughly half of the beaten eggs into the pan and leave them alone to cook for 30 seconds. Add half of the mitsuba or onion and the remaining beaten eggs. Cook for an additional 20 seconds after lowering the heat. Remove the pan from heat and cover it with a lid or foil. Uncover pan after a minute; eggs should be jiggly but not raw; if they still need to cook, briefly re-heat the covered pan.
Step 5
Gently transfer the egg, chicken, and sauce to a bowl of cooked rice while attempting to prevent the dish from tossing. Using the remaining ingredients, repeat Steps 3 through 5. If preferred, serve with shichimi togarashi.
Try it Out Today!
Oyakodon is a simple yet delicious Japanese dish perfect for a quick and satisfying meal. Its heartwarming backstory and popularity in Japanese cuisine make it a must-try for anyone interested in exploring new dishes. With just a few ingredients and a little bit of preparation, you can enjoy this flavorful and comforting meal in the comfort of your own home.
