Gyūdon (or 牛丼, translating to, “beef bowl,”) is a Japanese donburi (rice bowl) dish that originated in the 1800s. It quickly gained popularity as citizens in Japan began eating more beef, soon becoming a common quick meal.

Eikichi Matsuda coined the name “gyūdon” for this iconic meal in the late 1800s. At Nihonbashi Fish Market of Chuoku Tokyo in 1899, Matsuda saw the demand for fast and affordable meals for busy and hard-working fishermen. With this demand, a new type of restaurant was created: one serving quick and inexpensive rice bowls. The restaurant began Japan’s most famous Tokyo-based beef bowl chain, Yoshinoya.

Gyūdon is a budget-friendly and easy to make one-pot dish. The only ingredients you need are thinly sliced beef, an onion, sauce, and some garnish. One popular variation includes adding an egg. Learn more about making your own gyūdon by watching this video from Just One Cookbook!

If you are interested in making gyūdon yourself, check out our beef products at Bucky’s Varsity Meats!