Rice Cooker Oyakodon (親子丼)
Oya (親), ko (子), and don (丼) literally translates to parent-child-bowl, referring to the use of both chicken (parent) and eggs (child) in the recipe. A little morbid, I know.
It’s a type of donburi, which is a Japanese rice bowl dish typically served with various toppings. I grew up eating oyakodon, which is made by simmering bite-sized pieces of chicken and thinly sliced onions in a savory broth made from dashi, soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar.
Once the chicken is cooked through and the onions are tender, lightly beaten eggs are poured over the mixture and gently cooked until they are set but still slightly runny.
The entire mixture is then served over a bowl of steamed white rice and garnished with chopped green onions and sometimes shichimi togarashi for an extra kick. This method creates a comforting, flavorful dish that is both simple and satisfying.
Recommended Rice Cookers
While Oyakodon is typically prepared on the stovetop, I’ve discovered a way to make it even easier by using a rice cooker! Using a rice cooker for this dish simplifies the cooking process and ensures everything is cooked to perfection with minimal supervision. It’s a great way to make a traditional dish more accessible, especially if you’re pressed for time or prefer a hands-off approach to cooking.
Key Features to Look For:
- Multiple Cooking Functions: Ensure it has settings for steaming, slow cooking, and possibly even baking.
- Non-Stick Inner Pot: Makes cleaning easier and prevents sticking.
- Timer and Keep Warm Function: Useful for planning meals ahead of time and keeping them warm until you’re ready to eat.
- Steaming Basket or Tray: Allows you to steam vegetables or cook other ingredients while the rice cooks.
I grew up using rice cookers from the brands Tiger and Zojirushi. Here are a few from them that I would recommend. I’ve linked a few options depending on how large of a rice cooker you need. On that note… let’s get cooking!
Oyakodon (親子丼)
- Total Time: 30-40 minutes
Description
Oyakodon is a comforting dish consisting of chicken and eggs simmered together in a sweet and savory sauce, served over a bowl of steamed rice.
Instead of making it the traditional way in a pan over the stove, we are taking the easy route and making it in a rice cooker.
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked Japanese short-grain or medium grain rice
- 1 lb chicken thighs, diced
- 1/4 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (plus more for drizzling after cooking, if desired)
- 1 tsp hondashi (hondashi is a form of instant dashi. If you are using regular dashi, simply substitute the hondashi and water with dashi)
- 1.3 cup water
- 1 tsp mirin
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- Green onions and sesame seeds for garnishing (optional)
Instructions
- Begin by giving your rice a good rinse to clean it. Then pour it into the rice cooker, along with the appropriate amount of water. Be sure to follow the instructions for the correct water amount depending on the type of rice you are using. I used Nishiki-brand medium-grain rice, which requires 2 cups of water for every 1.5 cups of rice.
- To a medium-sized bowl, add the soy sauce, hondashi, mirin, and sugar. In the same bowl, add your diced chicken and thinly sliced onions. Toss to coat in the sauce.
- Place the chicken and onions on top of the rice in the rice cooker. Pour in any leftover sauce from the bowl to maximize flavor.
- Start the rice cooker and cook as you normally would. For my rice cooker, this is just the standard “Plain” setting, which typically takes about 20-25 minutes to cook.
- While the rice cooks, crack the eggs into a small bowl and beat with chopsticks or a fork for about 20 seconds.
- Once the rice cooker finishes, open it, pour the beaten eggs over the hot chicken and rice, and close the lid immediately. Do this quickly so as to avoid letting steam escape from the rice cooker. Turn on the rice cooker again (using the same setting) and cook for an additional 2-4 minutes.
- Open the rice cooker, serve it into bowls, and garnish with chopped green onions and a sprinkle of roasted sesame seeds. Drizzle with a little extra soy sauce if desired.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2