Tokachi Style Butadon Pork Rice Bowl (十勝風豚丼)

Butadon is a comforting dish that originates from Tokachi, a region in the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. Made with succulent pork belly fried in a caramel soy sauce glaze and served on top of Japanese steamed white rice, not only is it delicious, but it’s also quick and easy to make!

Tokachi butadon pork rice bowl served with miso soup and takuan pickles title image

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What is Butadon?

Butadon (豚丼) is a simple yet delicious pork rice bowl dish. Pork butt or pork belly is cut into thin slices and then fried in a homemade caramel soy sauce, a little similar to teriyaki. Because this sauce has a high sugar content, the pork becomes caramelized and the texture is just amazing. The taste is complex and has a slight bitterness (in a good way).

Butadon is always made using Japanese short-grain white rice and I highly recommend using Japanese rice for donburi dishes. The sticky texture allows you to pick it up easily with chopsticks! If you’re unsure how to cook Japanese-style rice, I have a post about it here (no rice cooker required!).

Finally, butadon is usually topped with green peas, edamame or “shiraganegi” (the white part of a long Japanese onion cut into strings). You can also serve it with pickles and miso soup for a complete Japanese set meal!

Butadon pork rice bowl served with takuan pickles and miso soup side view

History and Origin of Butadon

Butadon originates from a region in Hokkaido called “Tokachi” (十勝). It’s well known for it’s high quality pork and locally grown rice, served together it creates the most comforting rice bowl dish.

Pig farming started in the early 1900’s in the Tokachi region and the pork was simply steeped in sugar and soy sauce and then cooked on a grill, creating a charred effect. Although grilling is preferred, my recipe only requires a frying pan and I can promise you, it’s still delicious.

Butadon is now a regional dish that Tokachi is extremely proud of, if you ever get a chance to go there you should definitely try it out!

Butadon pork rice bowl served with takuan pickles and miso soup top down view

Ingredients for Tokachi Butadon

Butadon only needs a few ingredients, it’s a simple and accessible dish no matter where you are in the world! Even harder to find Japanese ingredients like sake or mirin can be substituted. Read below for more information on each ingredient!

You will need:

Pork – fatty cuts work best, I recommend pork belly, butt or shoulder. I usually buy a block and cut it into thick slices myself (it doesn’t need to be thinly sliced).
Japanese short-grain white rice – either cooked in a rice cooker or steamed on the stove.
Spring onion – also known as green onion, Welsh onion, long onion or “naganegi” in Japanese. The white part is cut into thin strips to make “shiraganegi”, which means “white hair” and refers to how thinly it’s cut. It’s an iconic topping for butadon.
Green peas – another classic topping adds extra bite and color to the dish. You could also use edamame instead.

Closeup of "shiraganegi" white strings of Japanese long onion garnish for butadon

Sauce

The sauce also only requires a handful of ingredients! The Japanese ingredients should be easy to find in Asian supermarkets.

White sugar and water – needed to make the caramel from scratch. Unfortunately, you can’t decrease the sugar in this recipe! Caster or granulated works best.
Soy sauce – for saltiness and umami, another vital ingredient to make the sauce.
Sake – helps soften both the taste and texture of the pork. Can be omitted (replace with water) or substituted with Chinese rice wine, dry white wine or dry sherry.
Mirin – adds extra sweetness, umami and authentic Japanese flavor. If you can’t use mirin, replace it with water or a little extra sake and sugar.
Honey – another element of sweetness that also adds extra flavor and depth to the sauce.

Sake and mirin are types of alcohol made from rice and are commonly used in Japanese cooking. I can assure you that the alcohol will be burned away during the cooking process, however, if you really don’t want to or can’t use them you can just substitute for water to keep the consistency the same.

How to make Tokachi Buta Don (step by step)

Here are my step-by-step instructions on how to make Tokachi Buta Don at home like a pro! Scroll down for the ingredient quantities and printable recipe!

STEP

Prepare shiraganegi (spring onion)

Shiraganegi is made by cutting the white part of a green onion into thin strips. I usually make a single cut lengthways from top to bottom, peel off the layers and flatten them before cutting (see video for how to). Soak them in a bowl of cold water until serving time.

soaking thinly sliced spring onion in water to make shiraganegi

Tip

If you place the shiraganegi in a sieve and submerge it in a bowl of water, it will be easier to drain and dry them later!

STEP

Cut the pork

The pork for butadon doesn’t need to be thinly sliced, but it shouldn’t be too thick either. I recommend buying your meat in a block and cutting it into slices about 4-5mm thick.

Tips for cutting

It’s easier to cut uniformly when the pork block is properly chilled. Store it at the back of the fridge until you plan to cut it or freeze it until it’s firm (not frozen). Also, be sure to use a sharp knife!

STEP

Make the caramel

Add sugar and about 1/3 of the water to a saucepan. Mix until the sugar has dissolved and place it on the stove. Heat on medium and wait for it to turn golden. Do not mix once the heat is on as this can cause it to crystalize.

Tips for even caramel

If the caramel starts to change color unevenly, move the pan so that the heat is directed at a different point. You can also swirl the pan around to distribute the heat better.

Once golden, add the other 2/3 of water and swirl it around. Stand back while you do this and be careful of splashing and sizzling. (I often wear oven gloves to protect my hands/arms just in case.)

Lower the heat and add the soy sauce, sake, mirin and honey. Swirl the pan around to evenly distribute the ingredients.

caramel in a pan mixed with Japanese condiments

Continue to heat until slightly thickened to a syrup-like consistency. Be careful not to let it get too thick. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside for later.

STEP

Fry the pork

Heat a large frying pan on medium-high and once hot, add a drizzle of oil. Place the pork flat in the pan, and try to keep it to one layer.

Pork belly slices cooking in a frying pan

Fry until thoroughly golden on one side and then flip.

STEP

Add caramel sauce

Immediately after flipping the pork, pour the caramel sauce around the pan.

Cooked pork belly in frying pan with caramel soy sauce

Move the pork around the pan and flip occasionally until the sauce has thickened and evenly coated both sides.

Pork belly coated with thickened caramel sauce

Remove the pan from the heat and move on to assembling the dish.

STEP

Assemble

Divide the rice between serving bowls and arrange the pork on top. Sprinkle with green peas and place the drained shiraganegi in the middle.

tokachi butadon in a bowl sprinkled with green peas

Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

Here is a summary of all my tips and tricks to achieve the perfect Tokachi Butadon every time!

For perfect Tokachi Butadon:

Soak the spring onion (shiraganegi) to soften the flavour and bitterness.
Cut the pork block while it’s properly chilled, it will be easier to cut uniform pieces!
Use a silver or white pan to make the caramel, it will be easier to see when it changes color. (Don’t use non-stick, the high temperature of the caramel can destroy non-stick coatings!)
Use hot water when making caramel to reduce the amount of splashing.
Wear protective clothing (oven mitts, apron, long sleeves etc) when making caramel.
Don’t mix the caramel once it’s on the heat. Instead, rotate the pan to move the heat source or swirl it around.
Once the soy sauce and other ingredients are added, thicken to a thin syrup-like consistency. Don’t let it get too thick, otherwise you won’t be able to pour it over the pork later.
Fry the pork on a medium-high heat to help achieve the golden color.
Add the caramel sauce immediately after flipping the pork to prevent overcooking.

More Donburi Recipes

If you enjoyed this butadon dish, check out some of my other rice bowl recipes!

Yakinikudon (Beef fried in a yakiniku BBQ style sauce and served on rice)
Katsudon (Crispy pork cutlet and steamed egg served on rice)
Gyudon (Thinly sliced beef and onions simmered in a dashi sauce, served on rice)
Garlic Teriyaki Chicken don (Flavourful chicken thigh coated in a garlic infused teriyaki sauce and served on rice)
Oyakodon (Delicious pan fried chicken and steamed egg served on rice)

I hope you enjoyed this recipe! If you tried it out, please let me know what you thought by leaving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also valuable to me and other readers if you mention any changes you made to the recipe. Thank you so much!