Oyakodon

親子丼

Chicken and egg on rice — the parent-and-child bowl, simmered in one pan until the egg is just set.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: 親子丼.

0 people cooked this in the public kitchen yet. Kitchen-tested by I Want Some Food. Not a purchased rating.

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Measurement system
Prep
10 min
Cook
15 min
Total
25 min
Difficulty
Easy
Spice
No chilli
Cost
Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
Source photograph of Oyakodon. Not official I Want Some Food pixel artwork.
Photo: Ocdp via Wikimedia Commons. CC0. Source

About

Oyakodon is chicken simmered in a sweet-savoury dashi-soy broth, then egg stirred in off a hard boil so it sets creamy over hot rice. The name is the joke: chicken and egg, parent and child. If the egg is rubber, you waited too long.

Ingredients

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

  1. Step 1

    In a small pan, simmer dashi, soy, rice wine, sugar, onion and chicken until the chicken is just cooked, 6–8 minutes.

    8 min
  2. Step 2

    Beat eggs loosely — you want streaks, not a uniform scramble. Pour over the chicken, cover, and cook 30–60 seconds until the edges set and the centre is still jammy.

    1 min
  3. Step 3

    Slide over hot rice. Spring onion. Eat immediately.

Adapt this recipe

The canonical recipe stays intact. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are maths, not AI.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 24 August.

Substitutions

  • Dashi Water plus a splash more soy

    Flatter, still a bowl.

Tips

  • A donburi-sized pan is easier than a wide skillet — the broth should stay around the chicken.
  • Mitsuba on top is the restaurant leaf. Spring onion is the home leaf.

History & culture

Lunch counters and home kitchens. One pan, one bowl. It is comfort without being a project.

Donburi shops in the late 19th century made this a Tokyo classic. The recipe is stable because it is short.

Traditional

Provenance: Editorial adaptation. Original editorial adaptation for I Want Some Food. Not copied from another recipe site. Official recipe photography is pending. Photograph: Ocdp via Wikimedia Commons (CC0). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oyakodon%20003.jpg

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips — not a chatbot.

How long does Oyakodon take?

25 min all in — 10 min prep, 15 min cook. That is the time on this recipe, not a guess.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 2 bowls. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Easy.

How spicy is it?

No chilli.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Eggs, Soy. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Nut-free.

What does it cost to cook?

Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Frying pan, Saucepan.

How much salt do I put in?

This recipe does not list salt as its own ingredient. Saltiness comes from Soy sauce — 2 tbsp. Taste at the end rather than adding a number we did not write.

How much soy sauce?

2 tbsp of Soy sauce.

How much sugar?

1 tsp of Sugar.

What can I use instead?

Dashi → Water plus a splash more soy. Flatter, still a bowl.

Any tips from this recipe?

A donburi-sized pan is easier than a wide skillet — the broth should stay around the chicken. Mitsuba on top is the restaurant leaf. Spring onion is the home leaf.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.

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