Featured Comment:
“This was so tasty! I’m so happy that I came across this recipe. I used thinner beef slices and it was still excellent. Thank you!”
– A
What is Yakiniku Don?
Yakiniku (焼き肉) is a popular style of grilled meat inspired by Korean BBQ. In Japanese, the term “yaki” (焼き) means “to grill” and “niku” (肉) means meat. Despite the simple name, there’s more to Yakiniku than simply throwing meat on a barbecue.
Yakiniku usually consists of sliced, bitesize pieces of meat (most commonly beef but also pork or even chicken), offal (known as horumon), and vegetables cooked on a gridiron over a charcoal, gas, or electric grill.
It might seem to defeat the purpose of eating at a restaurant, but Yakiniku restaurants usually bring out raw ingredients that you cook by yourself using a grill in the center of the table. It’s fun, and you can enjoy the food at your own pace.
Once the ingredients are cooked, they are dipped in a delicious sauce and enjoyed with some side dishes and a beer!
When it comes to Yakiniku Don, it’s simple.
Yakiniku donburi is a simple dish where grilled meats coated in a yakiniku-style BBQ sauce are served on top of a bowl of rice (donburi).
You can make donburi with pretty much anything, and it’s considered a kind of fast food to Japanese people. The rice is usually topped with something delicious and quick to make. It usually doesn’t contain too many different ingredients to maintain simplicity.
I have a ton of donburi recipes. If interested, check out my top donburi recipes for more ideas!
How I Developed This Recipe
I wanted to keep this Yakiniku Donburi recipe simple and quick enough for home preparation. While grilling over charcoal is the best way to get that delicious flavor, I know that using a frying pan is more practical for a quick home-cooked meal.
I kept the grilling process simple, but I didn’t skimp on the yakiniku sauce. The trick was to create a sauce that was simple to make and tasted just like the real thing.
This recipe is super quick to make, so it’s perfect for a fast but tasty lunch. Give it a try!
After reviewing the recipe again in 2024, I adjusted the ingredients to improve the sauce making it slightly sweeter and more tangy. If you’re a fan of the old recipe, you can still access it through my YouTube video here.
Ingredients & Substitution Ideas
- Beef (preferred cuts): Go for relatively thin cuts (what we call yakiniku-style) of short loin, outside skirt, or short ribs. To get the best results, use cuts that are slightly fatty for a softer and juicer result. You could also try using diced steak. While beef is the norm, pork or chicken can be delicious substitutes. Just remember: if you’re using pork, chicken, or any non-beef option, make sure to fry it longer to ensure it’s cooked all the way through.
- Cooked Japanese Short-Grain Rice: New to cooking Japanese rice? For step-by-step instructions and recommendations, check out my “How to Cook Japanese Rice Recipe.”
- Finely Chopped Green Onion: They add a pop of color and a mild, oniony bite that perfectly complements the rich flavors of the meat.
- Pasteurized Egg Yolk: This gives the dish a luxurious, silky texture. If you prefer alternatives, you can try a soft-boiled egg or onsen tamago (Japanese hot spring egg).
- Sauce Ingredients: It’s a blend of soy sauce, mirin, ketchup, honey, garlic paste, ginger paste, sesame oil, white sesame seeds, chili powder, black pepper, lemon juice and apple juice. Feel free to adjust the ratios to suit your taste preferences.
Because donburi is usually considered to be a quick and easy fast-food type of dish, they’re often lacking vegetables. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t add them and make it more nutritious and interesting! Here are a few ideas:
- Onion
- Bell peppers
- Mushrooms (sliced)
- Asparagus
- Sweetcorn
To keep the recipe quick, I recommend using vegetables that cook quickly or can still be eaten a bit raw. The vegetables should be fried and softened in the pan before adding the meat.
Jump to Full Recipe Measurements
Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Quick Yakiniku Donburi at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
The first step is to mix the sauce in a small bowl. You can also start preheating your pan on medium so it’s hot by the time the sauce is finished.
Simply mix soy sauce, mirin, ketchup, honey, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, sesame seeds, chili powder, black pepper, lemon juice and apple juice in a bowl. To make this step quick and convenient, I usually use store-bought ginger paste and garlic paste for this recipe, but if you don’t mind adding a few minutes to the preparation time, you can grate fresh ones for a stronger flavor.
If you preheat the pan while making the sauce, it should be nice and hot already. Add a small drizzle of oil and add your thin slices of beef.
If you’re incorporating vegetables into the dish, fry them first until softened and add the beef once they’re cooked to your liking. Cooking times depend on the vegetable. Cut them thin so they cook fast, and see the variations section for ideas on what vegetables make good additions to this dish!
You don’t need to cook the beef all the way through; just sear and flip it so it’s lightly browned on both sides.
Pour the sauce into the pan and stir-fry the meat for about 1 minute 30 seconds. You can turn up the heat too high to thicken the sauce a bit.
Remove it from the heat and dish up two bowls of rice.
Place the meat on top of the rice and drizzle with the leftover sauce in the pan.
Garnish with chopped spring onion and a raw or soft boiled egg. (Optional)
Enjoy!
Jump to Full Recipe MeasurementsI hope you enjoy this Yakiniku Don recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!
More Quick Lunch Recipes
- Sukiya Gyudon (Japanese Beef Bowl)
- Niku Yasai Itame (Japanese Vegetable Stir Fry with Pork)
- Easy and Delicious Ponzu Chicken
- Okinawa Taco Rice And Cheese (Cafe Style)
- Tamago Sando (Japanese-Style Egg Sandwich)
Want more inspiration? Explore my Japanese Lunch Recipe Roundup Post for a carefully selected collection of tasty recipe ideas to spark your next meal!
Yakiniku Don (Japanese BBQ Style Beef Bowl)
Ingredients
Sauce
Yakiniku Don
- 300 g thinly sliced beef or meat of your choice
- 2 portions cooked Japanese short-grain rice
- 2 tsp finely chopped green onions to garnish
- 2 soft-boiled eggs or egg yolk, pasteurized, optional
Instructions
- Measure out all of the sauce ingredients (2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin, ½ tbsp ketchup, 1 tsp honey, 1 tsp garlic paste, 1 tsp ginger paste, ½ tbsp toasted sesame oil, ½ tbsp white sesame seeds, ½ tsp chili powder, ¼ tsp ground black pepper, ¼ tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp apple juice) into a small bowl and mix thoroughly.
- Heat a frying pan on high. Once hot, add a small drizzle of oil and 300 g thinly sliced beef. Sear on both sides (don't cook all the way through).
- Once seared, add the sauce and stir fry the meat for 1 minute 30 seconds. Mix continuously to prevent burning.
- Remove the pan from the heat and prepare 2 portions cooked Japanese short-grain rice. Arrange the meat on top of the rice and drizzle the sauce in the pan over the top.
- Sprinkle each bowl with chopped spring onion and place an egg yolk or boiled egg on top (optional).
- Enjoy!
This was so tasty! I’m so happy that I came across this recipe. I used thinner beef slices and it was still excellent. Thank you!
Thank you! I’m happy that you liked the recipe!