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.
(source)
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.
Thanks for this recipe! I had a craving for one and came across your site. I used the frozen angus philly cheesesteak meat instead and was just as good! Yum :-)
I recognize that this is a very old post; you may or may not see current responses. If so, here is mine:
I’ve been chasing formulas for this dish for years! If you have modified yours since 2011, I’d love to know how. As much as I like this ‘guy-don,’- like dish, perfect honesty requires me to to declare that my principal reason for making it is as a vehicle for Kizami-style pickled ginger. (I’d put it on breakfast cereal if my partner would allow it.) Unfortunately, this ginger is difficult to find, miserably expensive when found and I limp along with little I can find. Just for the record, this is NOT the thinly sliced, light pink ‘sushi’ ginger that is very easy to to find. And as expected, the folks at Yoshinora (Beef Bowl) and their presumed ginger supplier, JFC, Inc., decline all requests for links or details. If you have any suggestions, I’d sure like to hear them.
-Craig
aka cook@peak.org
I still use this one!! I was 19 when I lived in Japan and wasn’t very adventurous in the food department yet, so unfortunately I’ve never tried the ginger. I’ll give it a go the next time I go back!
What kind of soy sauce u use
Thank you so much for this recipe – alot of the ones online include dashi powder and sake etc…. yours was so simple and i tried it tonight and it really tastes like Yoshinoya!
My husband was one happy man! Thank you again :)
I went to Wal-Mart to get the Aji-Mirin they didn’t have it just a head’s up I’m in D’Iberville,Ms. Making this tonight!!
Yoshinoya is totally disgusting. The bowls are 90% rice and the meat is some thin sliced, highly salty mystery meat.
Would you happen to know the chicken bowl recipe? Anyone?
Thanks for the recipe, it was great!! :) Simple, easy, and delicious!
I made this recipe as per your instructions and it tasted nothing like Yoshinoya’s beef bowl.
Excellent recipe! My son is addicted to Yoshinoya beef bowls. I tried your recipe and he said it’s “pretty close” and he has devoured the whole thing (1lb of beef) over white rice within a day!
One thing I did differently is that instead of slicing my own beef, I just went to our local Marukai (I’m in California) and bought ribeye shabu-shabu (thinly pre-sliced beef), so my entire preparation time took no more than 10 minutes.
For shabu-shabu, I suspect if you don’t have Japanese grocery stores near by, you could try Korean or Chinese supermarkets.
thank you!!
Omg, so glad I found this page, even if no one posted in over a year. Yoshinoya was my saving grace in Japan as I didn’t like sushi back then lol I simply can’t wait to make this dish… Hopefully they will open one in Toronto sometime in the near future! Thank you so much for this!!!
I lived in Denver many years ago and in the 70’s there was a restaurant chain called Beef Bowl. I loved it and they went out of business. I have always wondered how to duplicate it but never tried, but really wouldn’t know where to start.
Anyway, after all these years I thought this morning that I would Google it and see what I could find. I had no idea that this was such a popular dish. I know what we are having for dinner tonight and I already have most of the ingredients including the pickled ginger, the best part. Wow. Thanks
Karl Bishop
Thanks for explaining how to do this. I’m stationed in Texas where there is absolutely NO YOSHINOYA! I can’t wait to try this recipe out!
My husband and I live in Japan right now and love the beef bowls! I have been wanting to cook this at home so thanks so much for the recipe! Will be trying this tomorrow!
That is so awesome!! Hope you enjoy them! What part of Japan do you live in?
We live in Northern Kyoto Prefecture in a place called Maizuru. The recipe is amazing! Yummy!! We loved it!
So glad you enjoyed!! :)