Oyako-don is a Japanese comfort dish of chicken, onions and eggs simmered in a sweet dashi-soy reduction and served over hot rice. It's a quick, low-cost weeknight meal that comes together in under 30 minutes.
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Mix sauce ingredients in a large measuring cup/jar. Add 1/3 of the sauce into a small frypan of about 18-20cm (8") in diameter over medium heat (note 2).
When the sauce starts boiling, add 1/3 of chicken and onion spreading randomly. Stir occasionally and cook for few minutes until chicken is almost cooked (note 3).
Beat 2 eggs, add ½ of it into the pan and mix gently. When the egg is cooked through, spread the remaining egg over the cooked chicken and egg in the pan.
Cover the pan with a lid or use a larger pan with a flat bottom to cover the pan and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute until the egg on the surface is nearly cooked but slightly runny (note 4). By then, you should have a small amount of sauce still left at the bottom.
Turn the heat off. Using a spatula, slide the cooked chicken and egg over the rice, covering all of the rice. Garnish with shallots.
Repeat for other two bowls.
Add all the sauce ingredients to a large frypan over medium heat (note 2).
Follow the same process as per individual cooking method using all the ingredients at once. Note that time required to cook chicken and egg will be a bit longer.
After turning off the heat, divide the chicken and egg into three pies using a spatula. Then slide each pie onto the bowl of rice. Tidy up the edges to make the topping fit in the bowl. Garnish with shallots if using.
Store the finished oyako-don covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; reheat gently in a pan with a splash of water to restore sauce consistency.
Chicken thigh fillets are traditional—they stay moist and tender when simmered in the sauce, unlike breast meat which can dry out.
Cook the chicken-onion mixture and store refrigerated for up to 2 days. Add eggs and reheat gently just before serving over fresh rice.
Eggs cook too fast over high heat. Pour the beaten eggs in slowly while the sauce is simmering gently, then cover briefly so they set slowly.
Substitute with chicken stock or a dashi packet mixed with water. The flavour will be slightly lighter but still delicious.
Yes—scale all ingredients equally and use a larger pan. Cooking time stays roughly the same if heat is adjusted to maintain a gentle simmer.
