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Oyakodon (Japanese Chicken & Egg Rice Bowl)

This easy oyakodon recipe features juicy marinated chicken, silky eggs, and savory dashi sauce. A comforting 30-minute Japanese chicken bowl.
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Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:15 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients

Main

  • 2 chicken thighs deboned and cut into bite-size pieces
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil for cooking
  • ½ yellow onion sliced

Marinade (10 minutes)

  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp rice wine
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tsp cornstarch

Sauce

  • ½ cup dashi
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp mirin
  • ½ tsp sugar

Garnish & Serve

  • ⅓ green onion chopped
  • Toasted sesame seeds
  • Serve with warm rice.

Instructions

  • Marinate the Chicken: Cut chicken into bite size pieces. In a bowl, mix the chicken with soy sauce, rice wine, black pepper, and cornstarch. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
  • Pan-Fry the Chicken: Heat 1 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Pan-fry the chicken for about 5 minutes total, turning halfway, until both sides are golden. Remove and set aside.
  • Build the broth: In the same pan, sauté the onions for about 2 minutes until slightly softened. Pour in the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer.
  • Simmer the Chicken: Add the chicken back in and cook for 2–3 minutes so the flavors blend together.
  • Add the Eggs: Lightly beat the eggs until just combined — you should still see streaks of yolk and white. This creates a beautiful contrast of yellow and white once cooked.
  • Drizzle the eggs evenly over the chicken and onions. Simmer for about 1 minute. You can cover the pan to help the egg whites set. (See note below)
  • Garnish & Serve: Spoon everything over warm rice.

Notes

Ingredient substitutes:
1. Rice wine: helps tenderize the chicken and removes any raw smell. I used Chinese rice wine because I didn’t have sake at home, and it worked beautifully. If you prefer, you can omit the alcohol entirely and the dish will still be delicious.
2. Mirin adds gentle sweetness and depth to the sauce, but if you don’t have it, here are easy alternatives:
  • Sugar + Water: Mix 1 tablespoon water with ½ to 1 teaspoon sugar.
  • Sugar + Rice Vinegar: Mix 1 tablespoon rice vinegar + ½ teaspoon sugar for light sweetness and mild acidity.
  • Sake (or clear rice wine) + Sugar: 1 tablespoon sake + ½ teaspoon sugar.
 
Note 1: Traditionally, oyakodon is served with the eggs still slightly runny, but you can cook it longer to your liking. If you’re unsure about timing, turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let it sit for another 2–3 minutes to finish setting gently.