Easy Japanese Rice Bowls: 6 Donburi Ideas to Try at Home
Some of the easiest Japanese meals start with one simple ingredient: a bowl of rice.
Add chicken, salmon, beef, tofu or vegetables, finish with a Japanese sauce and a few toppings, and you have an easy Japanese-style rice bowl that works just as well for a quick lunch as it does for a busy weeknight dinner.
In Japan, rice bowl dishes are commonly known as donburi. Classic examples include oyakodon, gyudon, katsudon and tendon, but you do not have to follow a traditional recipe every time.
The easiest way to think about a Japanese rice bowl is:
Rice + Main + Vegetables + Sauce + ToppingsOnce you know that simple formula, you can build a bowl around whatever you fancy — or whatever happens to be in the fridge.
This guide brings together six easy Japanese rice bowl and donburi ideas, plus simple ways to choose your rice, sauce, toppings and side dishes.
What Are You in the Mood For?
In This Guide
■ What Is Donburi?
Donburi is the Japanese word used for both a large rice bowl and the style of meal served in it.
A typical donburi dish starts with cooked rice and is topped with ingredients such as meat, fish, egg or vegetables.
Some of Japan's best-known donburi include:
- Oyakodon — chicken and egg over rice
- Gyudon — beef and onion over rice
- Katsudon — breaded pork cutlet, egg and rice
- Tendon — tempura over rice
One of the reasons donburi works so well for everyday cooking is that the rice and toppings come together in one bowl.
You can enjoy a traditional donburi recipe, but you can also borrow the same idea and build your own rice bowl with ingredients you already enjoy.
■ The Easy Japanese Rice Bowl Formula
You do not need a long ingredient list to make an enjoyable Japanese rice bowl. Start with five simple parts.
Keep it simple: you do not need something from every category every time. Rice, one main ingredient, a sauce and one topping can already make a satisfying bowl.
■ 6 Easy Japanese Rice Bowl Ideas
Rather than treating these as strict recipes, use them as starting points. Choose the bowl that suits your mood and adjust the ingredients to what you have at home.
Oyakodon
When you want something comforting
Oyakodon is one of Japan's classic donburi dishes, combining chicken, onion and softly cooked egg with warm rice.
The chicken and onion are typically cooked with Japanese seasonings such as dashi, soy sauce and mirin before egg is added towards the end.
The combination of soft egg, tender chicken and savoury-sweet seasoning makes it an especially comforting option after a busy day.
Japanese Rice + Chicken + Onion + Egg + Soy-Based Seasoning + Spring Onion
Best for: a warm and comforting lunch or dinner.
Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
When you need an easy weeknight dinner
A teriyaki chicken bowl is an easy place to start if you are new to Japanese-style rice bowls.
Add teriyaki chicken to warm rice, then finish with spring onion and sesame seeds. Broccoli, cabbage or carrot can easily be added for extra colour and texture.
Using a ready-made teriyaki sauce can also make this a particularly practical option when you want dinner on the table quickly.
Japanese Rice + Teriyaki Chicken + Broccoli + Spring Onion + Sesame Seeds
Best for: busy evenings when you want something simple and full of flavour.
Salmon Rice Bowl
When you fancy something fresh and simple
Salmon works particularly well with Japanese rice, nori, sesame and simple soy-based flavours.
Try combining it with cucumber, avocado and spring onion, then finish with soy sauce, sesame dressing or ponzu depending on the flavour you want.
A small amount of shredded or sliced nori on top adds an easy Japanese finishing touch.
Japanese Rice + Salmon + Cucumber + Avocado + Soy Sauce + Nori + Sesame
Best for: a lighter lunch or dinner with plenty of contrasting textures.
Salmon note: use salmon that is suitable for the way you intend to serve it, and always follow the product's storage, preparation and cooking instructions.
Gyudon-Style Beef Bowl
When you want something rich and savoury
For a more filling bowl, take inspiration from Japanese gyudon.
Thinly sliced beef and onion work well with a sweet-savoury soy-based sauce and warm Japanese rice.
Finish it with spring onion, sesame seeds or Japanese pickles for extra flavour and contrast.
Japanese Rice + Beef + Onion + Soy-Based Sauce + Spring Onion + Pickles
Best for: days when you want a hearty one-bowl dinner.
Tofu & Edamame Bowl
When you fancy a colourful meat-free option
Tofu and edamame make an easy base for a meat-free Japanese-style rice bowl.
Add cucumber, carrot or other vegetables, then bring everything together with sesame dressing or a simple soy-based sauce.
Nori and sesame seeds make easy finishing touches, while the bright green edamame adds colour to the bowl.
Japanese Rice + Tofu + Edamame + Cucumber + Carrot + Sesame Dressing + Nori
Best for: an easy meat-free lunch or dinner.
New to edamame? Read our guide to edamame .
The Use-What-You-Have Rice Bowl
When you want to use what is already in the fridge
One of the best things about a Japanese-style rice bowl is that you do not need to buy a completely new set of ingredients every time.
Leftover chicken, cooked vegetables, egg or tofu can all become the starting point for dinner.
Add them to warm rice, choose a Japanese sauce, then finish with nori, furikake or sesame seeds.
Leftover Chicken + Japanese Rice + Cucumber + Teriyaki Sauce + Sesame
Egg + Japanese Rice + Edamame + Soy Sauce + Nori
The important point is that Japanese food does not have to feel complicated.
A bowl of rice, a familiar ingredient and one or two Japanese cupboard staples can be enough to turn an everyday meal into something different.
■ Which Rice Should You Use for a Japanese Rice Bowl?
The rice is the foundation of your bowl.
Japanese short-grain rice is particularly well suited to donburi and other Japanese rice bowls because it becomes soft and naturally cohesive when cooked.
That texture makes it easy to pick up together with meat, fish, vegetables and sauce.
If you would like to learn more about the different types of rice used in Japanese cooking, read our guide to Japanese rice .
Using leftover rice? Make sure it has been stored and reheated safely before serving.
■ Choose a Sauce to Match Your Mood
You can change the whole character of a rice bowl simply by changing the sauce.
Easy with chicken, salmon, tofu and grilled vegetables.
A versatile choice for salmon, tofu, egg and vegetables.
Particularly good with tofu, edamame, cucumber and vegetables.
A lighter option for fish, tofu and vegetable-based bowls.
■ Finish with Japanese Toppings
Even a very simple rice bowl can feel more complete once you add one or two toppings.
| Topping | Try It With | What It Adds |
|---|---|---|
| Nori | Salmon, tofu, egg, teriyaki chicken | A savoury seaweed flavour and extra texture |
| Furikake | Almost any rice bowl | An easy way to change the flavour of plain rice |
| Sesame Seeds | Teriyaki chicken, beef, tofu, salmon | A nutty aroma and a little crunch |
| Spring Onion | Oyakodon, beef bowls, tofu bowls | Freshness and colour |
| Japanese Pickles | Beef, chicken and richer rice bowls | A contrasting sharp or savoury element |
Keeping two or three toppings in the cupboard is also an easy way to make the same basic rice bowl feel different from one day to the next.
■ What to Serve with a Japanese Rice Bowl
A rice bowl can easily be a meal on its own, but adding one small side can make dinner feel a little more complete.
Add a small bowl of miso soup.
Try our easy miso soup recipe →Serve a small dish of salted edamame alongside your rice bowl.
Learn how to prepare edamame →Try a wakame and edamame salad with your bowl.
View the Edamame Wakame Salad recipe →Discover how dried wakame is prepared and used in Japanese cooking.
Read our Wakame Guide →■ Build Your Own Japanese Rice Bowl
If you still cannot decide what to make, work through these five steps.
Your Bowl, Your Way
You do not have to make a complicated Japanese meal from scratch.
Start with food you already enjoy, add Japanese rice and one or two Japanese seasonings, and make the bowl your own.
Japanese Rice Bowl Essentials
A few cupboard staples make it easy to create different rice bowls throughout the week.
Start Here
Japanese Rice
Choose Japanese short-grain rice as the base for donburi, rice bowls and everyday Japanese meals.
Shop Japanese RiceEasy Flavour
Japanese Sauces
Use teriyaki, soy-based sauces and Japanese dressings to change the flavour of your bowl.
Shop Japanese SaucesFinish Your Bowl
Nori, Furikake & Sesame
Add extra flavour, aroma and texture with simple Japanese rice toppings.
Shop Japanese ToppingsEasy Addition
Edamame
Add shelled edamame to tofu, salmon or vegetable rice bowls for colour and texture.
Shop Shelled Edamame■ Japanese Rice Bowls: The Easy Way to Start
The best thing about Japanese rice bowls is how flexible they can be.
You might make a traditional oyakodon one evening, a teriyaki chicken bowl the next, and a quick use-what-you-have bowl at the end of the week.
The basic formula stays simple:
Rice + Main + Vegetables + Sauce + Toppings
Choose teriyaki chicken when you need something quick, salmon when you fancy something fresh, tofu and edamame for a meat-free option, or simply start with whatever you already have in the fridge.
If Japanese cooking sometimes feels complicated, a rice bowl is one of the easiest places to begin.
One bowl is enough to bring a little more Japanese food into an everyday meal.
■ Frequently Asked Questions
What is donburi?
Donburi is a Japanese word used for both a large rice bowl and a style of dish in which cooked rice is topped with ingredients such as meat, fish, egg or vegetables. Popular examples include oyakodon, gyudon, katsudon and tendon.
What rice is used for Japanese rice bowls?
Japanese short-grain rice works particularly well for donburi and Japanese rice bowls because it becomes soft and naturally cohesive when cooked, making it easy to eat together with toppings and sauce.
What can I put in a Japanese rice bowl?
You can use chicken, beef, salmon, tofu, egg, edamame and a wide range of vegetables. Finish the bowl with Japanese sauces and toppings such as nori, furikake, sesame seeds or Japanese pickles.
What are popular Japanese donburi dishes?
Popular Japanese donburi include oyakodon with chicken and egg, gyudon with beef and onion, katsudon with breaded pork cutlet and egg, and tendon with tempura.
Can I make a rice bowl with leftovers?
Yes. Cooked chicken, vegetables, tofu or egg can all be used as the starting point for a rice bowl. Add them to safely stored and reheated rice, then finish with a Japanese sauce and toppings.
What sauce goes with a Japanese rice bowl?
Teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, sesame dressing and ponzu are all easy options. Teriyaki works particularly well with chicken, while soy sauce and ponzu pair well with salmon and tofu, and sesame dressing suits vegetable and edamame bowls.
What toppings can I add to a rice bowl?
Popular easy toppings include nori, furikake, sesame seeds, spring onion and Japanese pickles. They can add extra flavour, aroma, texture and colour to a simple bowl.
What can I serve with donburi?
Donburi can be served on its own or with a small side such as miso soup, edamame, wakame salad, Japanese pickles or gyoza.