Beef Bowl with Rice (Printable)
Tender beef and onions simmered in a flavorful sauce over fluffy steamed rice.
# What You Need:
→ Beef
01 - 1.1 lbs thinly sliced beef sirloin or ribeye
→ Rice
02 - 2 cups short-grain white rice
03 - 2 1/2 cups water
→ Sauce
04 - 1 cup dashi stock (or substitute beef broth)
05 - 1/4 cup soy sauce
06 - 2 tbsp mirin
07 - 2 tbsp sake
08 - 1 tbsp sugar
→ Vegetables & Garnish
09 - 1 large onion, thinly sliced
10 - 2 spring onions, finely sliced
11 - 1 tbsp pickled ginger (beni shoga, optional)
→ Oil
12 - 1 tbsp vegetable oil
# Directions:
01 - Rinse rice under cold water until clear. Combine rice and water in rice cooker or saucepan and cook according to instructions.
02 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onion and sauté 2-3 minutes until softened.
03 - In a bowl, combine dashi stock, soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. Pour sauce into skillet with onions and bring to a gentle simmer.
04 - Add thinly sliced beef to skillet, spreading evenly. Simmer 5-7 minutes until beef is just cooked and tender, skimming foam or fat if needed.
05 - Fluff cooked rice and divide among serving bowls. Spoon beef and onion mixture with sauce over rice.
06 - Top with sliced spring onions and pickled ginger if desired. Serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It's ready in thirty minutes, which means weeknight dinners actually happen without the stress.
- The sauce clings to every grain of rice in a way that makes you want to scrape the bowl clean.
- You need just one pan and basic ingredients to feel like you cooked something restaurant-worthy.
02 -
- Don't skip rinsing the rice—it washes away the starch and keeps the grains from clumping into a gluey mess.
- The beef only needs a few minutes in the sauce; overcooking turns it tough and chewy, which ruins the whole thing.
- If you can't find dashi, beef broth is your best friend, though the flavor won't be quite as delicate.
03 -
- Keep the heat at a gentle simmer once the sauce is in the pan—high heat will make the beef tough before the sauce even flavors it properly.
- If you're cooking for people with dietary restrictions, the sauce works with tamari instead of soy sauce and you can skip the sake if needed.