For our March 2026 JOC Cooking Challenge, we’ll be making Yakitori Don—a sweet and savory grilled chicken rice bowl that’s perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal.

A wooden spoon holds a bite of yakitori don—glazed chicken, rice, and green onion—above a bowl filled with more saucy chicken and rice. The dish appears fresh and is garnished with chopped green onions.

This Month’s Recipe Challenge

I’m so excited to cook Yakitori Don (焼き鳥丼) together this month! This comforting chicken rice donburi is the ultimate one-bowl meal—simple, quick, satisfying, and full of flavor.

In my recipe, we glaze tender and juicy chicken pieces in a classic sweet-savory sauce and layer it over hot steamed rice. Traditionally, yakitori is grilled over charcoal on skewers, but you can easily make it at home using a frying pan, skillet, or broiler.

Plant-based option: Simply drain firm tofu wrapped in a paper towel for 30 minutes, then cut into slabs and continue with the recipe.

Whether this is your first time joining or you’ve cooked along with us before, I can’t wait to see your version. Let’s cook together!

A bowl of rice topped with glazed grilled chicken pieces and scallions, this yakitori don is served with chopsticks on a wooden table. A cup and a sauce container are partially visible next to the bowl.

The Prizes!

This contest is open worldwide, and we’ll randomly select 3 winners at the end of the challenge. Each winner will receive a $100 Amazon gift card.

Everyone who completes the JOC Cooking Challenge submission will be automatically entered into the prize draw. See below for how to join!

Please note: Winners are not chosen based on appearance. However, your submission must follow the recipe and meet the challenge requirements below.

Before You Start

  • Please read the full recipe post before you begin.
  • If you have recipe-specific questions, leave them in the comments on the recipe post.
  • For challenge-related questions, leave a comment below this post. We’re happy to help!
Chicken pieces and green onions are cooking in a skillet with a brown sauce on a stovetop. The golden chicken and bubbling sauce create a flavorful yakitori don-inspired dish.

How to Join the JOC Cooking Challenge

Make Yakitori Don and follow the recipe as closely as possible so your final dish looks similar to mine.

To enter for a chance to win, complete these two steps:

  1. Email your photo. Send one photo of your final dish to contest@justonecookbook.com by 12 pm (Pacific Time) on March 31, 2026; and
  2. Leave a star rating and comment on the Yakitori Don recipe post using the same email address you used for your photo submission.
  • Each person may submit only one entry.
  • Feel free to share your photo on social media and tag us @justonecookbook.

The Prize Winners

Winners will be announced during the first or second week of April 2026.

Readers’ Photo Submissions

Readers’ photos will be added here after the contest.

Past Cooking Challenges & Recipes

This is a quarterly online event on Just One Cookbook. We host the challenge in March, June, September, and December. We’d love for you to join us each time! To receive updates, be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.