Lazy Oyakodon
Oyakodon, or ‘parent and child’ donburi is a homey Japanese rice bowl dish of chicken, egg, and onions are simmered together in a fragrant stock of dashi and is clung together with softly cooked egg. It’s a comforting meal packed with umami. The traditional recipe calls for dashi, soy, mirin, and sugar to flavor the dish, but today I’m going to show you the cheater’s way to satisfy your Oyakodon craving with ingredients you can find at TJ’s or already in your kitchen. This is by no means supposed to try to be a classic Oyakodon; rather an alternative for weeknight dinners just in case you don’t have the classic ingredients on hand. Enjoy :)
What You Need (Serves 2):
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Trader Joe’s Island Soyaki marinade
1/2 sweet yellow onion
your favorite rice (I dream about TJ’s brown rice!)
3-4 eggs
salt and pepper
scallions for garnish
sesame seeds for garnish
What To Do:
Chop up the chicken thighs into 1/2” chunks, placing them into a ziploc bag and cover with marinade. Marinade for at least 30 minutes.
Chop the onions into 1/2” pieces. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Saute the onions in olive oil, seasoning with salt and pepper until almost translucent. Remove from the pan and place aside.
Crack and scramble the eggs in a bowl, place aside.
Heat the same large pan that you cooked the onions in over medium-high heat. Add a bit of olive oil to the pan, and just as the oil begins to sizzle and pop, dump in all the marinaded chicken.
Spread the chicken out into a single layer and sear the chicken. Don’t touch it for about 5 minutes! The chicken will brown and gain some nice crisp edges.
After the chicken starts to cook halfway thru, flip the chicken and add the onions back in. Pour in a few tbsp more of Island Soyaki. Season with black pepper. Lower the heat to medium, and the chicken will be gently simmering.
The chicken should be cooked thru in about 12-14 minutes depending on the thickness of your chicken pieces. You can always cut a piece open to check on its progress. (If you’re making TJ’s Brown Rice, microwave it now)
Make a hole in the center of the pan, and pour in the scrambled egg. Once the egg hits the pan, let it bubble and cook a bit, then gently move the chicken around to allow the egg to hit the hot pan. Turn off the heat once the eggs are the desired doneness. I like the eggs super soft, so it doesn’t take more than a minute for the egg to cook.
Serve the chicken and egg over rice, garnishing with green onions and sesame seeds.
Chop the onions into 1/2” pieces. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Saute the onions in olive oil, seasoning with salt and pepper until almost translucent. Remove from the pan and place aside.
Heat the same large pan that you cooked the onions in over medium-high heat. Add a bit of olive oil to the pan, and just as the oil begins to sizzle and pop, dump in all the marinaded chicken. Spread the chicken out into a single layer and sear the chicken. Don’t touch it for about 5 minutes! The chicken will brown and gain some nice crisp edges.
Make a hole in the center of the pan, and pour in the scrambled egg.
Once the egg hits the pan, let it bubble and cook a bit, then gently move the chicken around to allow the egg to hit the hot pan. Turn off the heat once the eggs are the desired doneness. I like the eggs super soft, so it doesn’t take more than a minute for the egg to cook.
