Hello! Today we’re introducing another classic donburi rice bowl dish!
Oyakodon (親子丼) is a humble, cheap and quick dish that is popular in homes and restaurants alike!
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What is Oyakodon?
Oyakodon literally means “Parent and child rice bowl”. This usually refers to “Chicken and Egg Bowl”.
But because of the name, other types of rice bowls are also called Oyakodon such as salmon and salmon roe (those orange fish eggs).
Funnily enough, if you use pork instead of chicken for Oyakodon, the name is changed to “Tanindon” (他人丼) which means “other people rice bowl”.
A Brief History of Oyakodon
It is said that Oyakodon came around in the Meiji period (1868-1912) or maybe even earlier! It is the second oldest donburi recipe, with Gyuudon as the first.
The origin of Oyakodon can’t really be confirmed, but apparently it was created in either Tokyo or Osaka.
Where ever it was invented, this dish is a very quick and humble recipe, good for a quick lunch or a hearty dinner!
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Oyakodon mean?
Oyakodon (親子丼) literally means “Parent and child rice bowl”. This usually refers to “Chicken and Egg Bowl”.
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Check out our video for How to Make Quick & Easy Oyakodon

Classic Japanese Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl Oyakodon (親子丼)
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 Servings 1x
Description
How to make delicious Japanese Chicken and Egg rice bowl, Oyakodon!
Ingredients
- 200g Chicken thigh (see note)
- 2 Eggs
- 150g of White rice
- 200ml Cold water
- 1 Onion
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp Spring onions and/or nori
- 2 tbsp Soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Mirin
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Sake (See note)
- 1 tsp Tsuyu (Either pre-bought or you can make your own with our recipe here)
Instructions
- Cook the rice with 200ml of cold water, either in a rice cooker or using your preferred method. (See note)
- First, slice the onion and cut 200g of chicken into bite size pieces.
- Break 2 eggs into a bowl and whisk.
- Heat your frying pan on medium high and add the vegetable oil. Fry the chicken in the pan until browned.
- Add the onion to the frying pan with 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp sake and 1 tsp of tsuyu. Cook until the sauces are reduced to half.
- Add half of the whisked egg. When the egg is cooked through and holding its shape, add the other half of the egg.
- Fry for about 20 seconds and turn off the heat, the 2nd half of the egg should be soft.
- Dish up the rice into two bowls and divide the contents of the frying pan into the two bowls.
- Sprinkle with spring onions or nori.
Notes
You don’t have to use chicken thigh, this dish is good with any part!
If you can’t find Sake then you can substitute with dry sherry or white wine
The alcohol will be cooked away but if you really don’t want to use it, you can just add water instead.
If you don’t have a rice cooker, you can use this method to cook Japanese style rice. Using a rice cooker is the easiest way. If you don’t have one, wash 150g short grain rice 3 times and soak in 200ml of cold water in your cooking pot for 30 mins. With the lid on, heat the pot of rice on medium until the water comes to the boil. When you can hear the water boiling, without removing the lid, reduce the heat to medium low for 5 mins. Continue cooking on the lowest heat for 5 mins. After the 5 mins are up, turn off the heat and leave for 10 mins. By leaving the lid on, the rice continues to cook in the steam
- Category: Donburi
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Japanese
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