One Pot Oyakodon (Made in Rice Cooker)

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Have you ever tried making oyakodon in one pot? If not, you have to try making this popular Japanese dish, Oyakodon in a rice cooker! All you have to do is add all the ingredients (rice, chicken and onions) in the rice cooker (or stovetop pot) and wait for the magic to happen! The combination of tender chicken, sweet onions, and the richness of the beaten eggs creates a delicious and satisfying meal.

INSPIRED BY FAMOUS JAPANESE DISH – Oyakodon

What is Oyakodon?

In Japanese, Oyakodon literally means “parent-and-child rice bowl.” Chicken and onions are cooked slowly in a soy based sauce on a small pan. Eggs are added at the end so the sauce is extra soft and velvety. Top the chicken and eggs on a bed of white rice and you have authentic Oyakodon.

Don’t be mistaken my recipe is not the ‘authentic’ way of making Oyakodon. However, the dish is super easy to make and tastes just as comforting as the original version.

What do I need to make Oyakodon?

EQUIPMENT:

• Zojirushi rice cooker – this is the rice cooker I use and it works great! I bought it at Costco 8 years ago and it’s still reliable to this day. The rice always comes out delicious! I recommend checking Costco if they have this brand or you can buy it on Amazon.

*note: use the standard measuring cups, not the rice cups*

chicken marinade

• .6 to .75 pound chicken thigh
• ½ tablespoon instant dashi powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• ½ tablespoon dark soy sauce (for color) – add regular if you don’t have this!
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ small white onion
• ½ tablespoon oil
• ¼ cup water – add this to rice
• 1 cup short grain rice – soak with 2 cups of water prior to cooking
• marinated chicken

garnish

• 2 eggs with a pinch of salt – eggs beaten to 70-80%
• 1-2 green onion – sliced
• seaweed, sliced thinly
• togarshi (japanese 7 spice) – OPTIONAL – adds a little spiciness and sesame seeds

HOW TO MAKE OYAKODON:

Soak the rice.

Wash and cut chicken in one inch pieces.

Slice onions and prepare chicken marinade by mixing ½ tablespoon instant dashi powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ½ tablespoon dark soy sauce (for color), 1 tablespoon mirin, 1 teaspoon sugar, ½ small white onion, and ½ tablespoon oil.

Wash rice and strain as much water as you can. Add ½ cup water to the rice and add the chicken and onions (along with the rice) in the rice cooker. Press ‘cook’ and wait for the rice to cook.

Beat eggs and add them quickly to the rice when it’s done cooking. This should be quickly done by opening the lid and closing the lid in a very short amount of time (10 seconds max!). The steam will gently cook the eggs.

Expert Tips

I taste tested this recipe a few times to ensure we can have the flavor of Oyakodon without having mushy rice. Follow these tips for extra delicious chicken and rice bowl!

• Soak your rice in water while you prepare your ingredients. This will help ensure that the center of the grains are cooked and give you great tender rice texture.
• Strain all the water after washing your rice. This helps ensure that your water and sauce measurements are correct to make the best rice!
• After putting the rice in the rice cooker, start beating your eggs to 70-80% mixed. This ensures that there’s some of the egg white for the visual and softness.
• Leave your beaten eggs out after mixing so they can get to room temperature. This will help cook the eggs faster when you throw them in the rice cooker.
• Open the rice cooker quickly to ensure that not too much steam escapes. The steam will cook the egg mixture and result in softer & succulent eggs.
• Every rice cooker is different so the cooking times may vary. I recommend to use the ‘white rice’ setting or the normal function to make this. In rare cases, if you find that the rice or chicken is not cooked through, press the button again ◡̈

Substitutions

Keep in mind substitutions will alter the flavor and texture of this dish. Here are substitutions of ingredients that won’t alter the dish too much.

• If you can’t have alcohol (in this case it is mirin) – substitute mirin with water to ensure the recipe has correct proportions
• You can substitute chicken thigh with chicken breast. However, the chicken breast may get overcooked and be on the drier side compared to chicken thighs
• Dark soy sauce is used for making the sauce darker and helps with the visuals of the dish. It also is less salty than regular soy sauce. If you don’t have dark soy sauce, you can substitute with regular soy sauce.

ALTERNATIVE COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

I understand that not everyone has a rice cooker, so some of us might use pots on the stovetop to cook the oyakodon. If that is you, get your medium sized pot ready. Add the rice, chicken, and onions according to the recipe directions. Once your pot is filled with rice and all the ingredients…follow the instructions below and you can make your one pot beef and rice!

1. Heat pot to medium high and cook for 5-7 minutes covered with a lid. The water will start boiling. Make sure to watch over the fire because the water might boil over ◡̈
2. After 5-7 minutes, turn heat to low and cook for 10 more minutes covered. Do not open the lid during the entire cooking process.
3. Then turn off the heat and do not open the covered pot. Leave for 15-20 minutes covered. After the 15-20 minutes is up, open the lid quickly (be careful to not let out too much steam) and add beaten eggs on top. Cover the pot quickly and wait for 2-3 minutes for extra soft egg sauce. If you want the eggs on the well-done side, leave it covered for longer and mix it together with the rice. Garnish with sliced green onions. Hope you enjoy!

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Other one pot recipes you will love:

• pepper lunch – beef and corn rice made in a rice cooker
• hainanese chicken rice – hainan chicken cooked in an aromatic (shallots, garlic) rice with ginger scallion sauce
• chicken and chinese sausage – tender chicken marinated with spicy bake mix is cooked with chinese sausage for the most delicious flavor!
• mushroom rice – mushrooms and bamboo cooked with rice for the ultimate one pot meal

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