Oyakodon: Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl

By
Setsuko Yoshizuka
Setsuko Yoshizuka
Setsuko Yoshizuka is a freelance food writer and Japanese cookbook author.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 06/17/21
Oyakodon recipe

​The Spruce

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
549 Calories
12g Fat
79g Carbs
28g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 549
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 4g 18%
Cholesterol 252mg 84%
Sodium 1849mg 80%
Total Carbohydrate 79g 29%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 17g
Protein 28g
Vitamin C 1mg 7%
Calcium 53mg 4%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 562mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Oyako literally means parents and children in Japanese and is a reference to two of the dish's main ingredients: chicken and egg. Oyako is a donburi, also called a don, which means rice bowl. The chicken and eggs are simmered in a flavorful broth and then the mixture is spooned over bowls of steamed Japanese rice.

This is a traditional Japanese dish that has been around quite some time--it was first cooked at Tamahide, a Tokyo restaurant, in 1891. Now it is a popular menu item at Japanese diners. 

Dashi soup stock is a key ingredient in many Japanese soups including miso soup as well as many noodle dishes. It is made when water is boiled with edible kelp (kombu) and shavings of preserved, fermented skipjack tuna (katsoubushi). It is then strained to create the broth. Mirin, an essential Japanese condiment, is a rice wine similar to sake but with a lower alcohol content and higher sugar content.

Ingredients

  • 1 2/3 cups dashi soup stock

  • 7 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 1/4 cup mirin

  • 3 tablespoons sugar

  • 3/4 pound boneless chicken thighs, or chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

  • 1 onion, thinly sliced

  • 4 large eggs

  • 4 cups Japanese rice, steamed

  • Nori (dried seaweed), cut into strips, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for Oyakodon
    ​The Spruce

  2. Pour dashi soup stock into a large skillet and place over medium heat.

    Pour soup stock in pan
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  3. Add soy sauce, mirin, and sugar to the soup.

    Add soy sauce
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  4. Add chicken and simmer on low heat for a few minutes.

    Add chicken
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  5. Add onion slices and simmer for a few more minutes.

    Add onion slices
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  6. Lightly beat eggs in a bowl.

    Lightly beat eggs
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  7. Bring the soup to a boil, and pour the eggs over chicken and onion.

    Bring soup to boil
    ​The Spruce 

  8. Turn the heat down to low and cover with a lid. After about one minute, turn off the heat.

    Turn the heat down
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  9. Spoon steamed rice into individual deep bowls and serve simmered chicken and egg on top of the rice.

    Spoon steamed rice into bowls
    ​The Spruce

  10. Sprinkle strips of dried nori on top if you would like.

    Sprinkle dried nori on top
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  11. Enjoy!

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