Xanthan Gum Free Gluten Free Japanese Gyudon
This Japanese beef bowl is pure comfort — savory, deeply flavored broth soaked into fluffy short-grain rice, topped with melt-tender sliced beef and sweet softened onions. The magic is in the broth itself: dashi stock, tamari, mirin, sake, and a touch of sugar come together into something that tastes like it simmered all day, even though it comes together in under 30 minutes. Many versions of this dish rely on regular soy sauce, which contains wheat, but swapping in tamari keeps every drop of that umami richness completely gluten free — and since none of the ingredients here require any thickeners or stabilizers, it's naturally free of xanthan gum without any workarounds needed. The optional jammy soft-boiled egg, sliced in half to reveal that golden yolk, takes each bowl from weeknight dinner to something genuinely special. Pickled red ginger adds a bright, tangy pop that cuts through the richness beautifully. This is the kind of recipe that earns a permanent spot in your rotation.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the rice
- 2 cups japanese short-grain white rice
- 2 ½ cups water
For the beef
- 1 ¼ lb beef ribeye or beef chuck, very thinly sliced (about ⅛ inch)
- 1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced into half-moons
For the broth
- 1 cup dashi stock (gluten free)
- ¼ cup tamari
- ¼ cup mirin
- 2 tbsp sake
- 1 tbsp sugar
For serving
- 4 large eggs (optional)
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced (green parts only) (optional)
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
- pickled red ginger (beni shoga), for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the rice in a medium saucepan under cold water, swirling and draining 3–4 times until the water runs mostly clear. Add 2 1/2 cups fresh water, cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and cook, covered, for 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let steam, still covered, for 10 minutes.
- 2
While the rice cooks, combine the dashi stock, tamari, mirin, sake, and sugar in a large skillet or wide saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
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