Chef-tested recipe
Tender chicken and softly set egg simmered in sweet-savoury dashi over steamed rice
Oyakodon is a classic Japanese donburi in which chicken, onion, and egg are simmered in a sweet-savoury dashi sauce and spooned over hot rice. Its name means parent-and-child bowl, referring to the chicken and egg. The ideal topping remains moist: tender thigh meat, translucent onion, and softly set ribbons of egg that carry the dashi, soy, mirin, and sake into the rice.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 6 servings
- Prep Time
- 25 mins
- Cook Time
- 35 mins
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Cuisine
- Japanese
- Course
- Rice bowls
- Cooking Method
- Dashi preparation, rice steaming, and shallow-pan simmering
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Best Served With
- Best served with miso soup, Japanese pickles, cucumber sunomono, spinach gomaae, or a simple shredded cabbage salad.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
- Rice cooker or heavy saucepan with lidpaid link
- Wide shallow sauté pan with lidpaid link
- Medium saucepanpaid link
- Fine-mesh strainerpaid link
- Large mixing bowlpaid link
- Chef’s knifepaid link
- Cutting boardpaid link
- Digital kitchen scalepaid link
Ingredients
For the steamed rice
- Japanese short-grain white ricepaid link: 600 g
- Cold water: 720 ml
For the awase dashi
- Cold water: 800 ml
- Dried kombupaid link: 20 g
- Katsuobushi bonito flakespaid link: 40 g
For the chicken and egg topping
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3 cm pieces: 900 g
- Yellow onions, thinly sliced: 450 g
- Large eggs: 600 g
- Prepared awase dashi: 600 ml
- Japanese soy saucepaid link: 120 ml
- Mirin: 150 ml
- Sake: 100 ml
- Granulated sugarpaid link: 30 g
- Mitsuba or spring onions, cut into 3 cm lengths: 60 g
- Shichimi togarashi: 5 g
Preparation Overview
Rinse and soak the rice before cooking. Prepare the dashi while the rice rests. Slice the onions thinly, cut the chicken evenly, and beat the eggs only lightly so streaks of white and yolk remain.
Method
Rinse the rice until the water is nearly clear, drain for 10 minutes, then cook with 720 ml cold water in a rice cooker or covered saucepan.
For the dashi, soak the kombu in 800 ml cold water for 20 minutes, then heat slowly until just before boiling.
Remove the kombu, bring the water briefly to a boil, turn off the heat, add the katsuobushi, and steep for 2 minutes.
Strain without pressing and measure 600 ml dashi.
In a wide shallow pan, combine the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar and bring to a gentle simmer.
Add the onions and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until beginning to soften.
Add the chicken in a single layer and simmer for 7 to 9 minutes, turning once, until it reaches at least 74°C.
Beat the eggs very lightly, then pour about two-thirds evenly over the chicken and onion.
Cover and cook over low heat for 45 to 60 seconds, then add the remaining egg and mitsuba.
Cover again for 30 to 60 seconds until the egg is softly set but still moist; cook fully for vulnerable diners.
Divide the hot rice among six donburi bowls, spoon the chicken-and-egg topping and sauce over each, and offer shichimi togarashi at the table.
Beginner Technique Notes
Do not boil kombu because prolonged hard boiling can make dashi slimy and harsh.
Beat the eggs only a few times; distinct white and yolk create the characteristic soft texture.
Use a shallow pan so the chicken cooks evenly and the egg spreads across the surface.
Prepare the topping only when the rice is ready because oyakodon is best served immediately.
Tips and Variations
Prepare the dashi one day ahead and refrigerate it in a covered container.
Cook the topping in two batches if the pan is too small to hold the chicken in one layer.
For fully set eggs, extend the covered cooking time while keeping the heat low.
Spring onion can replace mitsuba when the Japanese herb is unavailable.
Serving Ideas
- Use deep donburi bowls and spoon enough simmering sauce over each portion for the rice to absorb without becoming flooded.
Storage
Cool rice quickly and refrigerate separately from the topping for up to 2 days. For leftovers, cook the egg fully and reheat chicken and egg to at least 74°C. Freshly cooked oyakodon has the best texture; freezing is not recommended.
Nutritional Value
Allergen Notes
Contains egg, fish from katsuobushi, and soy. Conventional soy sauce contains wheat. Mirin and sake should be checked for additives and cross-contact where required.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does oyakodon mean?
The name translates to parent-and-child rice bowl, referring to chicken and egg served together.
Why is the egg added in two stages?
The first addition sets around the chicken, while the second remains softer and gives the topping its characteristic moist texture.
Can I use chicken breast?
Yes, but thigh meat is more forgiving and stays tender during simmering.
Can I make vegetarian dashi?
Kombu-and-shiitake dashi can replace awase dashi, although the flavour will differ from the classic bonito-based version.
