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If you’ve ever wanted a dinner that comes together in under 20 minutes, tastes like something you’d order at a Japanese restaurant, and leaves you completely and utterly satisfied, this beef and egg rice bowl is exactly what you need. It’s the kind of meal that looks impressive, tastes incredible, and requires almost no effort whatsoever. One pan, a handful of ingredients, and dinner is on the table before you’ve even had a chance to think about ordering takeaway.

This dish is inspired by gyudon, one of Japan’s most beloved comfort foods. Thinly sliced beef and onion simmered in a sweet and savoury sauce, topped with silky softly set egg, all piled over a bowl of fluffy steamed rice. It’s deeply satisfying in the way that only simple, well-seasoned food can be. The sauce is a beautiful combination of light and dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, and a touch of sugar that gives the beef this gorgeous glossy coating with just the right balance of sweet, salty and savoury. The egg gets poured over at the end and cooked gently with the lid on until it’s just set but still silky and soft in places. That combination of tender beef, silky egg, and glossy sauce over rice is just absolutely unbeatable.

This is also a fantastic high protein meal. Between the beef and the eggs, you’re looking at a seriously impressive protein count in one bowl, which makes it perfect for anyone trying to eat well on a busy weeknight without spending hours in the kitchen.

Ingredients

Main ingredients:

3 eggs
10 sliced beef rolls
1/4 onion, thinly sliced
Steamed white rice

For the sauce:

1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp cooking oil

To garnish:

White sesame seeds
Spring onion, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Mix the sauce

Before you turn on the stove, make your sauce first so it’s ready to go the moment you need it. In a small bowl or mug, combine 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce, 1/2 tsp sugar, salt and black pepper to taste, and 1/2 cup water. Stir well until the sugar is fully dissolved and everything is combined. Set aside next to the stove.

❤️ Tip: Taste the sauce before cooking. It should taste savoury, slightly sweet and well balanced. If it needs more saltiness add a touch more light soy sauce. If it needs more depth add a tiny bit more oyster sauce. Getting the sauce right at this stage means the finished dish will taste exactly the way you want it to.

2. Whisk the eggs

Crack all 3 eggs into a bowl and whisk until the yolks and whites are fully combined with no streaks remaining. Set the bowl aside next to the stove so it’s ready to pour in at exactly the right moment. You don’t want to be whisking eggs while the beef is sitting in the pan waiting.

❤️ Tip: Don’t overwhisk the eggs. You just want them combined and uniform. Overwhisked eggs can become a little foamy and don’t set as smoothly and silkily as gently whisked ones.

3. Cook the onion and beef

Heat 1 tbsp cooking oil in a wide pan or skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the 1/4 sliced onion and sauté for about 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is slightly softened and fragrant. Then add the 10 sliced beef rolls directly into the pan, spreading them out as evenly as possible so they cook evenly rather than sitting in a clump.

Pour the sauce over the beef and onion. Give everything a gentle stir to make sure the beef and onion are evenly coated in the sauce. Place the lid on the pan and let everything simmer over medium heat until the beef is cooked through and has absorbed the gorgeous flavour of the sauce. The sauce will reduce slightly and become thicker and glossier as it cooks.

❤️ Tip: Sliced beef rolls cook very quickly so don’t walk away from the pan at this stage. They only need a few minutes and overcooked beef becomes tough and chewy. As soon as the beef looks cooked through and the sauce has reduced to a nice glossy consistency you’re ready for the next step.

4. Add the egg and set

Once the beef is cooked, reduce the heat to low. Pour the whisked egg mixture evenly over the top of the beef and onion in the pan. Try to pour it as evenly as possible so it covers the entire surface rather than pooling in one spot. Place the lid back on the pan immediately and cook on low heat.

Watch it closely. You want the egg to be mostly set but still slightly soft and silky in the centre, not fully cooked all the way through. The moment it looks about 80-90% set with just a gentle wobble remaining, take the pan off the heat. The residual heat will finish cooking it to perfection.

❤️ Tip: Every stove is different so the timing here will vary slightly. Check the egg at the 1 minute mark by gently shaking the pan. If there’s still a lot of liquid egg moving around give it another 30 seconds. If it looks mostly set take it off the heat immediately. A slightly underset egg is always better than an overcooked one in this dish.

5. Garnish and serve

Spoon a generous serving of steamed white rice into a bowl. Carefully scoop the beef and egg mixture over the rice, making sure to get plenty of that gorgeous glossy sauce spooned over the top as well. Scatter a pinch of white sesame seeds and finely chopped spring onion over everything. Serve immediately.

Extra Tips

1. Use the right beef

Thinly sliced beef rolls are ideal for this recipe and are available at most Asian grocery stores in the frozen section. They’re cut thin enough to cook in just a few minutes and absorb the sauce beautifully.

2. Don’t skip the dark soy sauce

The combination of both light and dark soy sauce is important. Light soy sauce provides the saltiness and flavour while dark soy sauce gives the dish that beautiful deep brown colour and a subtle richness. Using only light soy sauce will give you a paler, less visually appealing result. Both are inexpensive and available at any Asian grocery store.

3. Leftovers and storage

This dish is best eaten fresh on the day it’s made. The egg in particular doesn’t reheat well and can become rubbery. If you do have leftovers, store them separately from the rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day and reheat very gently in a pan over low heat with a tiny splash of water.

Beef and Egg Rice Bowl