Japanese beef bowl, also known as gyudon, is an easy healthy weekday meal. Thinly sliced, soft and juicy beef simmered in a sweet and savory sauce then topped on a bed of rice. Comforting, delicious and so simple to make!
Inspired by the famous Japanese beef bowls they serve at Yoshinoya, this copycat is just as good as the original minus the carbs.
Best of all, this dish comes together easily and quickly in as little as 15 minutes.
This gyudon recipe gives you the option to make this dish sugar-free, low carb, and keto friendly to fit your dietary needs.
What is Beef Gyudon, a Japanese Beef Bowl recipe?
Gyudon is a traditional Japanese dish made in homes and served in restaurants all across Japan. It is considered a comfort food that is loved by most Japanese.
Traditionally, gyudon includes thinly sliced meat and onions that is simmered in a sweet and savory dashi broth, then placed on a bed of rice and accompanied with beni shoga (red pickled ginger)
This recipe includes options using a low carb and sugar-free sweetener and cauliflower rice so you can enjoy the same great taste and flavors without all the carbs.
What ingredients do I need and how do you make beef gyudon?
- Sliced Beef – thinly sliced beef. You can find this cut of meat in most Japanese or Asian supermarkets labeled shabu shabu meat.
- Dashi – a soup base broth made from boiling bonito flakes. This is the base responsible for giving Japanese cuisine its signature umami flavor. You can also use dashi powder to make dashi for a shortcut.
- Onion – thinly sliced yellow or brown onions.
- Soy Sauce – low sodium is preferred. For gluten-free, you can use tamari or coconut aminos.
- Japanese Sake – use Japanese cooking sake which is fairly inexpensive and can be found in most Asian supermarkets.
- Sweetener – (Monkfruit Erythritol Blend, sugar or sweetener of choice) to keep this recipe sugar-free, we use a monkfruit erythritol blend. It is low carb, keto friendly, and has 0 calories. Feel free to use your preferred sweetener or regular cane sugar.
- Cauliflower Rice (or rice of choice) – use traditional white rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice for a low carb option.
- Butter – unsalted or salted butter.
For a little kick, use shichimi togarashi (red pepper).
Add dashi to a large skillet and bring to boil on high heat. Once boiling, reduce to medium heat, add Japanese cooking sake, sweetener, soy sauce and onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Next, add sliced beef and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until beef is fully cooked. Place over a bed of rice or cauliflower rice and garnish with a side of beni shoga (red pickled ginger).
What kind of beef is used for gyudon?
Use thin slices of beef which can usually be found in Asian supermarkets labeled shabu shabu or sukiyaki.
What is gyudon sauce made of?
Gyudon sauce is made from a mixture of dashi, a umami-filled broth made from bonito flakes, soy sauce, Japanese sake, and sweetener.
You will find many recipes that use mirin (sweet rice wine) to make gyudon. For the purpose of keeping our recipes sugar-free, we use sweetener and sake essentially making our version of mirin without the sugar.
How do you cook gyudon without sake?
If you don’t have Japanese sake, you can also use dry sherry wine or Chinese rice wine. Water will also work but will affect the flavor.
What is the nutrition information for this gyudon recipe?
- 703 Calories
- 5g Carbohydrates
- 3g Fiber
- 41g Protein
- 57g Fat
- 191mg Cholesterol
- 373mg Sodium
- 620mg Potassium
- 45mg Calcium
- 4mg Iron
- 350ui Vitamin A
- 0mg Vitamin C
Looking for other Japanese recipes?
- Japanese Chicken Egg Bowl Oyakodon
- Japanese Chicken Gratin
- Japanese Tonkatsu Pork Cutlet
- Japanese Wafu Hamburger Steak
Now, let’s get making this Japanese Beef Bowl recipe!
- Prepping Time 5M
- Cook Time 10M
- Total Time 15M
- Net Carb/Serv ~4g
- Servings 1 Bowl
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb Thinly Sliced Beef
- 3/4 Cup Dashi
- 1/4 Cup Sliced Onion
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Japanese Sake
- 1 tsp Sweetener (Monkfruit Erythritol Blend, sugar or sweetener of choice)
- 1 1/2 Cups Cauliflower Rice (or rice of choice)
- 1 tbsp Butter
Directions
1) Gather all the ingredients.
2) Prepare 3/4 cup of dashi (link on how to make dashi here).
3) Thinly slice onions and set aside.
4) In a large Teflon frying pan, melt butter on high heat. Once melted, add cauliflower rice, stir often and cook for 4-5 minutes or until desired tenderness is reached. Reduce heat to simmer to keep warm. Note – if using traditional steamed rice, skip this step and serve directly into the bowl.
5) In the meantime, add dashi in a new large Teflon frying pan and bring to boil on high heat. Once boiling, reduce to medium heat, add Japanese cooking sake, sweetener, Soy Sauce and onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
6) After 2-3 minutes, add sliced beef and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until meat is cooked.
7) Transfer cauliflower rice to a serving bowl and top with beef mix and extra juice. Enjoy hot.
Hope you enjoy your Japanese Beef Bowl!
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Japanese Beef Bowl Gyudon
Ingredients
- 1/2 lbs Beef thinly sliced
- 3/4 Cup Dashi
- 1/4 Cup Sliced Onion
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Japanese Sake
- 1 tsp Sweetener monkfruit erythritol blend, sugar or sweetener of choice
- 1 1/2 Cup Cauliflower Rice or rice of choice
- 1 tbsp Butter
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Prepare 1 cup of dashi (link on how to make dashi here).
- Thinly slice onions and set aside.
- In a large Teflon frying pan, melt butter on high heat. Once melted, add cauliflower rice, stir often and cook for 4-5 minutes or until desired tenderness is reached. Reduce heat to simmer to keep warm.
- In the meantime, add dashi in a new large Teflon frying pan and bring to boil on high heat. Once boiling, reduce to medium heat, add Japanese cooking sake, sweetener, Soy Sauce and onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- After 2-3 minutes, add sliced beef and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until meat is cooked.
- Transfer cauliflower rice to a serving bowl and top with beef mix and extra juice. Enjoy hot.
Video
Nutrition
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I was just making oyako donburi with full on mirin and figured I would see what you do for subbing mirin out. From this gyudon recipe, I can’t really tell. What do you do for oyako don?
We actually have an oyako donburi recipe here that already subs out the mirin (http://www.lowcarbingasian.com/keto-chicken-egg-bowl-oyakodon/)! We sub out mirin with Japanese Sake and Sweetener.