Here’s a delicious selection of our most popular donburi recipes you can make on a busy weeknight. From oyakodon and gyudon to chicken katsu donburi and vegetarian poke, you’ll find plenty of Japanese rice bowl favorites to enjoy at home.

Donburi rice bowls are the ultimate Japanese comfort food. A bowl of steamed rice topped with meat, seafood, or vegetables makes for a wholesome one-dish dinner. In Japan, you’ll even find fast food chains dedicated to donburi because they’re quick, filling, and satisfying.
I love making donburi at home too—they’re weeknight-friendly, flexible with seasonal or leftover ingredients, and always a family favorite. Here are our most popular donburi recipes to enjoy any day of the week.
20 Most Popular Donburi Recipes You Must Try at Home
Oyakodon (Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl)
“Easily one of my favorite Japanese dishes and one of the simplest and cheapest to make!” – Nicholas S
Gyudon (Japanese Beef Rice Bowl)
“This was so delicious, and so easy, I can’t believe I haven’t been making it regularly before now! Thank you for the recipe!” – HMJ
Vegan Poke Bowl
“Loved the recipe and the cooking process! easy and delicious with a mix of japanese and tropical flavors!” – Joana
Chicken Katsudon
“I have make adjustments to to sauce as we cannot have alcohol. I used chicken with a fish sauce and a bit extra sugar. My grandkids ate this for the first time and they loved it.” – Chez
Soy-Glazed Eggplant Donburi
“This is my new favorite eggplant dish! It was so easy, even on a busy weeknight.” – SL
Mapo Tofu (Mabo Dofu)
“I just made this w/out the doubanjiang because we don’t care for spicy. I also added green beans and oyster mushrooms to the recipe. It is a keeper!” – Deb
Pork Curry Donburi
“I’ve cooked so many wonderful recipes from this blog. I love regular curry, but this is even better (and faster, easier prep).” – Maggie
Tendon (Tempura Rice Bowl)
“Piping-hot shrimp tempura on a bed of rice is absolute bliss.” – Kimmi
Soboro Don (Ground Chicken Bowl)
“A few years back, I ate this dish at a SF Peninsula Japanese restaurant and longed for a recipe. JOC had one and it matched the deliciousness I had remembered. JOC is my go to for authentic and delicious Japanese food.” – Ron R
Salmon Sashimi Bowl (Donburi) with Ikura
“My husband is a huge fan of salmon and ikura and we both loved this donburi recipe!” – Janice
Niratama Donburi (Stir-Fried Garlic Chives and Egg over Rice)
“Wow, this came out amazing!! Super simple and I was surprised at how well the eggs and chives cooked.” – Alexandra S
Unadon (Unagi Don)
“This was mind-blowingly delicious. The eel is just so flaky and easy to eat with chopsticks. Thanks for helping me pretend I know what I’m doing in the kitchen.” – Alex
Poke Bowl
“Thank you so much for this recipe! This is the first time I’ve made/ eaten a Poke Bowl and I am huge fan now! The flavor combination and textures are something I’ve never tasted before and it was pure deliciousness with each bite!” – Kyo
Yoshinoya Beef Bowl (Gyudon)
“Thank you! I am transported back to Japan! Such a simple recipe with such a nostalgic and rich taste.” – Nina
Baked Katsudon (Japanese Crispy Baked Cutlet Rice Bowl)
“Being GF, I made this tonight by simply browning the pork and by-passing both my gluten free panko and my temperamental oven. It rivaled what I loved when I lived in Japan!” – Cindy
Eggplant Unagi Donburi
“Hello! I really liked the recipe. I didn’t have unagi so I subbed with mackerel like one of the comments said and it really does work out well.” – Jenny
Chukadon (Chinese-Style Rice Bowl)
“I made this the other evening, but substituted the pork and shrimp with chicken breast. Otherwise, we followed the recipe exactly, and it was absolutely delicious.” – Brenda
Butadon (Pork Donburi)
This was easy once I tried to make and my husband couldn’t eat enough! Plus my 2 picky eaters enjoyed! Fantastic recipe!” – Samantha
Crispy Tonkatsu Donburi
“I just made this for dinner party of 3 families. It was a big hit! I served it with your miso soup with clams. Also a hit!” – Grace
Beef and Egg Bowl (Tanindon)
“This recipe was is by far the best one I’ve come across and the most tastiest! I’m a student studying Japanese culture and food so I came across this recipe and made it in school to serve to my class and they all loved it and so did I.” – Hunter
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on September 6, 2017, and was updated on September 30, 2024. It was republished on September 25, 2025, with additional recipes and helpful information for readers.