Copycat Yoshinoya Beef Bowls taste just like the popular fast food beef bowl recipe, Gyudon, from Japan!
Remember that time I spent the summer in Japan and gained like, 15lbs from drinking too much Peach Chu-Hi and eating WAY too many gyoza?
Well, there’s something else to blame for all the weight I packed onto my short little frame in 3 short months — Yoshinoya Beef Bowls.
Yoshinoya is a fast-casual restaurant chain in Japan that’s famous for its beef bowls containing white rice and piles of thinly shaven, tender beef on top. Sounds weird – taste AMAZING.
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They’re pretty much everywhere and you can get in and out in under 15 minutes, making it ideal for stopping in for a quick lunch, bite after work, nosh after the bars…
I was incredibly Japan-sick after returning home at the end of that summer, and simply had to recreate the beef bowls at home.
Calling for just six low-fuss ingredients, I think I got pretty close!
Start by bringing beef broth, soy sauce or gluten-free Tamari, mirin, and a little sugar to a boil.
Mirin is a Japanese cooking wine that you can get at any grocery store these days.
After the liquid comes to a boil, add thinly sliced onions, turn the heat down to medium, then simmer until tender, about 5 minutes.
Finally, add very thinly sliced beef loin. I’ve had my butcher do the slicing for me before, otherwise pop the beef into the freezer until it slightly hardens then slice it.
The thinner the better!
Since the beef is sliced so thin, it takes just a minute or two to cook in the hot broth. It’s kind of like Pho in this way.
Pile the tender beef and onion slices over fluffy white rice, drizzle with some of the broth, and you’re set!
The sauce in this dish is so delicate. Neither salty, nor sweet — it’s just right.
Mixed with the melt-in-your-mouth beef and onions, I am sent straight back to the counter at my local Yoshinoya with just one bite.
Copycat Yoshinoya Beef Bowls
Ingredients
- 1-1/3 cups beef broth
- 5 Tablespoons gluten free reduced-sodium Tamari, or soy sauce if not GF
- 3 Tablespoons mirin
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 small yellow onion, cut in half then very thinly sliced
- 1 lb top sirloin steak, sliced very thin against the grain
- cooked white rice, for serving
Directions
- Bring the beef broth, Tamari or soy sauce, mirin, and sugar to a boil in a medium-size saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium then add the onions and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the beef slices into the hot broth then simmer until just barely cooked through, 1-2 minutes. Scoop the onions and beef over cooked white rice then drizzle with the cooking liquid and serve.
Notes
- Tip: to slice the beef very thinly, place the steak into the freezer for 20-30 minutes first.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
This dish looks incredible, and I really like your re-design!!!
Love the new colors of the blog, so purty :) I recently re-designed mine too and chose light blue and yellow as the colors, I love those combo.
We have (did?, not sure if they are still around) Yoshinoya here in Southern California, I used to eat their bowls a lot in high school.
My husband in Japanese but he was born here in the U.S. Someday we plan to go to Japan and vacation together and explore.
That looks delicious! I think i will try it with Chicken though, yum!
And, I have a crazy boss. As like right now in the present, and I wouldn’t even know where to begin with the stories.
i just got a huge wave of nostalgia!!
i visited japan for 3 weeks last november, and my hubby and i ate there for breakfast a few times… LOVED IT!!
actually, i loved every single thing about japan in general :)
Tokyo, the shinkansen, mount fuji, the subway, the people, the culture, etc etc…lol
when we got back to Toronto, we were bowing to everyone as a hello or thank you, it took us a few days to re-adjust!
love, love, loved Japan :)
cant wait to go back on our 10 yr anniversary, 6 more yrs to go.
p.s. awesome redesign :)
I studied in Germany for a summer. I now live in Austria (going on ten years now.)
Um, this looks delish! I totally understand the love for Yoshinoya. We’ve got them all over the place here in Beijing. I would gain loads of weight if it were close enough to justify going everyday. I’ve been living abroad for a long time.I teach internationally. I’ve lived in Cairo, Egypt for 3 years and now I’m in Beijing, China.I love how every time I move somewhere there are always certain elements that make is seem like home after a while. Reading your blog helps me stay connected to Iowa too!
Yay! I lived in Japan for 4 years after college and LOVE Japanese food, but have also become a Grade A Japanese food snob as a result. It was THE time of my life, and I dream about it most days…sigh.
Good work on the Yoshinoya – did you try anything else when you were there? takoyaki? Okonomiyaki? Where were you exactly?
Yum! Looks delicious and so easy to make! That could definitely become one of my go to end-of-a-long-day dinner recipes!
And I am currently living in Germany. We’ve been here for over two years now, and have about two years left. My husband is in the Air Force and this is where they sent us! Once the culture shock wore off, I was definitely able to enjoy Germany much better! It truly is a beautiful place. I couldn’t ask for a better opportunity.
This looks delish.
I studied in Mexico twice and met my husband there. Oh to be back with a corona in hand enjoying an afternoon in the zocalo…
Ugh this makes me want real Japanese food. I’ve still been meaning to make ramen with soba noodles with all of the seaweed and chili oil in it… haven’t gotten around to it yet. I also wish that there was some ice cream place that produced Beni Imo! That stuff was like crack.
I did Camp Adventure, too!!!! What a great program! I spent one summer in Seoul, Korea (at Yongsan) and one summer in Japan also (in Atsugi). They were both awesome experiences!
I studied abroad in Vienna, Austriafor five months in 2007, and then returned to southern Austria for a month this last summer. Austria is one of my favorite countries in the world. Summer-great for drinking white wine (Austria is famous for their Rieslings), and sitting outside in the Wachau wine valley. Fall-the new wine comes out, called Sturm, and it gets you really happy really quickly, and the Austrians love to sit outside in the restaurant vineyards (Heuriger) and drink the new wine and party. Winter-Christkindlmarkts are these outdoor Christmas markets where they sell crafts, hot alcoholic beverages, gingerbread, appetizers, and they have them in all the main plazas decorated with beautiful Christmas lights….oh, Austria is so wonderful. I miss it so much! You would probably really like it Kristen!
That being said, they eat alot of meat in Austria. I got tired of meat being every meal’s main event. Also, I got tired of the weird meatless bready but somehow still soggy ‘souffles’ they served when I tried to order vegetarian entrees. :p But that may have just been the catering at the place I lived this last summer….
Wouldn’t you laugh your butt off if your old boss read your blog and didn’t realize you were talking about her!! :d
She’d *totally* know I was talking about her! She even knows what a nut case she is (she just doesn’t care!)