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Quick, easy, and delicious Teriyaki Pork Donburi. There’s protein, carb, and salad layered in a bowl. A perfect one-pan and one-bowl meal for weeknight dinner.
Many of us, especially parents with young children, can relate to the demands of life – the endless meetings at work and the mad rush between activities after school, which all results in little to no time to prepare dinner. Being a mom and running a Japanese recipe website full time, I too find myself struggling to pull it all together. Although I test and shoot recipes all day long, the food I cook may not always be dinner-appropriate for the family (although my kids don’t mind desserts for dinner!). Sometimes I just have no more energy to cook another meal. But, at the end of the day I still find myself back in the kitchen, and cook.
On the day that I’m short on time, I usually make a simple meal with ingredients that I can quickly pick up from my nearest local American grocery store. Ideally, our family meals should still be nutritious and substantial enough to feed hungry stomachs. One of my reliable go-to dishes to make is this Teriyaki Pork Donburi (豚の照り焼き丼).
Teriyaki Pork Donburi – A Complete Meal in A Bowl
What appeals to me most about this donburi is its fuss-free preparation and fast cooking time. You just need to cook the rice (let your rice cooker do the job), chop up some vegetables, and a quickly grill up the pork chops over the pan.
All the teriyaki seasonings in this recipe, such as soy sauce, sake, rice vinegar, sesame oil, are essential condiments in Japanese cooking. You will see them all the time in Japanese recipes, so this might be the time you go to a Japanese/Asian grocery store to stock your pantry.
Some donburi (rice bowl) meal can be heavy with deep-fried food on top of the rice. But this Teriyaki Pork Donburi is lighter than it might look.
Under the delicious grilled pork with teriyaki glaze is a bed of shredded lettuce for fibers and refreshing crunch. If you need to fill up a bit more, you can serve a full bowl of steamed rice, but otherwise, you can adjust the portion of steamed rice and shredded lettuce. For an extra pop of colors, you can also top the rice bowl with some cherry tomatoes or pickled ginger.
Another bonus point (especially for the cook) is that this dish is all made in one frying pan. Super easy cleanup after a long day.
Teriyaki Pork Donburi – Substitute Suggestions:
Main Protein/Veggie: You can use other protein choices such as chicken, beef, fish, shrimp, tofu, or vegetables like eggplants or zucchini in place of the pork chops. It does get pretty versatile when it comes to the main part of the dish.
Leafy veggies: I like iceberg lettuce for this dish because it gives crisp and crunchy refreshing texture and taste. It goes well with savory dishes (like Chinese lettuce cups). Otherwise, romaine lettuce or shredded cabbage would work just fine.
Rice: You can use white rice, brown rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice, or even noodles underneath the savory main protein/veggie.
Seasonings: Sake is probably the only condiment that you may have trouble finding. Use dry sherry or Chinese rice wine if you can take alcohol. Otherwise, you can replace it with water so the sauce is not overly salty. Rice vinegar (or rice wine vinegar) is milder than other types of vinegar. If you need to use other kind of vinegar, use less amount.
Following the one-pan and one-bowl template, quality dinner can happen more quickly than you think. And I can assure you that your family will enjoy the time spent together at the table, especially when you serve them delicious Teriyaki Pork Donburi.
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- 2 boneless pork loin chops (½ inch thick)
- ¼ tsp kosher/sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; Use half for table salt)
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp potato starch/cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, canola, etc)
- 2 leaves iceberg lettuce
- 2 green onions/scallions
- 2 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice (cook 1 rice cooker cup (180 ml) yields roughly 2 servings (2 US cups); see how to cook short-grain with a rice cooker, a pot over the stove, an instant pot, or a donabe)
- 2 cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
- 1 knob ginger (1", 2.5 cm)
- 2 Tbsp sake
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp sesame oil (roasted)
- Gather all the ingredients first.
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Cut the iceberg lettuce into julienne strips and green onions into thin rounds.
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Slice 2 garlic cloves and grate the ginger.
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Combine the Seasonings ingredients in a bowl (grated ginger, 2 Tbsp sake, 2 Tbsp rice vinegar, 3 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp sugar, and ½ tsp sesame oil) and whisk all together.
- Pound the pork loin to tenderize and equal thickness.
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Season the pork with ¼ tsp kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
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Dust the pork with 1 Tbsp potato starch/corn starch and remove the excess flour.
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In a non-stick frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp cooking oil on medium heat. While the oil is still cold, add the garlic slices and coat with the oil. Add the meat and cook until the bottom side is nicely browned.
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Flip it over, reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the Seasonings. Cook covered for 5-7 minutes.
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Remove the lid and spoon some sauce over the pork a few times. Add chopped green onions and remove the pan from the heat.
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Take out the meat and slice it into a few pieces. Serve rice in a bowl, and place shredded lettuce on top.
- Place the teriyaki pork on top of the lettuce. Pour the sauce and garnish grape tomatoes on the side.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on May 9, 2011.
That is one of the most perfect food photos I’ve ever seen. Makes me want to make it for sure. Pinned it to my must do ASAP recipes. Thank you!
Hi Sue! Thank you so much for your kind compliment! Hope you enjoy this recipe!
Hi! Long time lurker here. Today I made for dinner this Teriyaki Pork Donburi. My husband was pleased, asked for seconds and requested to have some for lunch at work tomorrow ???? Thank you for this recipe, it was delicious ????
Hi Kaye! Thank you for reading my blog! I’m so happy your husband and you enjoyed this dish. It’s easy, delicious, and super simple… but great for dinner/lunch/bento! Thanks for your kind feedback. xo
Konnichiwa Nami-san,
I’ve just made this for my dinner.
Kore wa oishi desu!
Dave
Hi Dave! I’m so happy to hear you liked this recipe! Arigato for your kind feedback. 🙂
I can’t wait to give this a try, it looks delicious and really simple. Also, i’m fascinated that out of all the teriyaki ingredients Sake would be the one you would peg as potentially hard to find. Maybe i’m spoiled living in a mid-size city like New Orleans but I can usually find, at the very least, Gekkeikan in every grocery I’ve ever patronized. Bonus points when I load up two big grocery bags and, to the amazement of other shoppers, just plunk them down in the panniers on my bicycle before strapping a case of good beer to the luggage rack in between heheh.
Hi Taylor! Hahahahahaha! You’re funny!
I’m happy to hear you are interested in trying this recipe! Hope you like it – because it’s really easy to make and delicious!
This was delicious! Pounding the pork thinner made the pork so tender and tasty. I used bone in chops (because that’s what I had) and cut away the bone before serving. Worked out just fine. Thanks for this and your many other great recipes.
Hi Donna! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for your kind feedback. xoxo
I didn’t have any lettuce or tomatoes, but I made this to the recipe otherwise. It was fantastic. I had a little trouble getting the bottom to brown properly, but it still turned out GREAT. Took me about an hour to make from start to finish.
Hi Angel! That’s okay, the lettuce and tomatoes are for the color (so it makes the dish more appetizing) and balance (nutrition wise). 🙂
The browning part – it all depends on the pan, heat, and oil. When the pan is hot and some oil, the meat will brown nicely. When the pan is cooler and not much oil, it’s harder to brown the meat. Another tip is… DO NOT TOUCH. It’s tempting to move the meat around and touch/flip, but don’t touch it for a long time, giving enough time to brown. That should help. 🙂
Normally I’m the person in the family following your recipes, but after saying for the millionth time “Nami has a recipe for that!” my husband decided to surprise me with your teriyaki pork donburri for dinner. Not only was it delicious, but the fact he could make it without asking for my help at all shows how clear and easy to follow your recipes are! I’m looking forward to the next meal of yours he makes! Thanks, Nami!
Hi Alexa! Awww thank you so much for making my day! I’m so happy to hear that your husband surprised you with this dish! What a nice husband. 😀 I mentioned to Mr. JOC, maybe he got a hint. LOL. Thank you for trying many of my recipes! xoxo
Hi there
I’d like to make a teriyaki salmon donburi and I was wondering what vegetables you would put in that and how you would cook it. I had teriyaki salmon donburi the other day at a restaurant (cooked by Chinese) and I was impressed by their teriyaki, it tasted quite authentic. I loved the bowl. I’d like to put some baby broccoli in it perhaps if that’s not too sacrilegious, I know they had red onion in it.. that might be sacrilegious but I took that out, anyway. Even better, I would be so grateful to have an authentic teriyaki salmon donburi recipe! I already make your teriyaki salmon and just love it. It’s a regular at our house.. just looking for other ways to use it. Thank you. 🙂 Best regards, kg
Hi KG! Glad to hear you enjoy my teriyaki salmon recipe. “Teriyaki” dishes have been cooked very differently outside of Japan and I’m not sure what kind of teriyaki salmon you enjoyed it at the restaurant, in terms of flavor. We don’t really make teriyaki salmon donburi in Japan (although you can definitely create it)… so there is no authentic version in that sense. 🙂
Made it! Came very nice!
Hi Martyna! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback! So happy to hear you enjoyed it.
I am terrible at cooking but my boyfriends family (they are japanese) came to visit and I quickly made this recipe and they absolutely adored it!! Thank you so much for saving my life
Hi RS! I’m so happy to hear your boyfriend’s family enjoyed this dish! Well, you are the cook and did a great job! Thanks so much for your wonderful review. 🙂 Nikujaga is considered “Ofukuro no aji” (mom’s food) in Japan to impress mother in law. *hint hint* 😉
Hello,
I tried this recipe today with a larger portion (6 large pork chops). It’s good. I might actually not add salt on the pork or pull back a tad bit on the soy sauce.
It is true it’s better to complete the recipe with a few cuts a a time, but I realized I need to reduce the cooking time for the first few pieces to prevent them from becoming overcooked once I finished the last two. Also, thicker cuts (5/8 inch) seem to give me a bit more leeway, while still achieving a nice golden color.
Hi Sebastien! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and for your feedback. 🙂
Looks delicious, and so attractive. I would need to cook six chops. Would you recommend having two skillets going at the same time, or tenting the first batch while the second batch cooks?
Hi Chris! Sorry for my late response. If you plan to eat together, I would cook at the same time. It should be manageable. 🙂
I lived just outside Tokyo for 2 years and this dish brought back so many memories. Delicious and one I will make again. THANK YOU
Hi Mary! Thank you for trying this recipe. I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Hope you can find the food you enjoyed eating while you lived in Japan on my blog!
Can you use chick breasts for this?
Hi El! Sure, you can. Don’t overcook it.
Hi,
Are you supposed to turn the heat to low after adding the sauce. I kept it on medium and the sauce burned. This is the first time my wife and I have had any problem with your recipes.
Hi Peter! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and I’m sorry this recipe didn’t work out.
I’ve edited the recipe to reduce the heat to medium-low. I’m not fully sure if I lower(ed) the heat cooking this recipe, but it does not hurt to lower the heat so I have made changes. Sometimes I adjust the heat if it looks like the heat is strong, and maybe I wasn’t taking that in my notes. I do not remember at this time, but it really doesn’t hurt to lower the heat slightly, so I’ve changed it.
Please do not forget to cover with the lid though. It is required so the cooking liquid won’t evaporate.
Thanks so much for bringing this to my attention.
Delicious! My husband and I often cook many of your recipes for our family of six. We are never disappointed! The cook times are always exact and everything turns out well. Thank you!
Hi Monica! I’m so happy to hear you and your family enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for your kind feedback. xo
Oishii desu. I wanted a little bit more green nutrition so used steamed broccoli instead of the lettuce. Which was a hit in this family. For continuing a wonderful blogs, doumo Arigato. Hope you have a speedy recovery.
Hi Isabelle! Arigato for trying this recipe! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe! 🙂
Hello from Sydney, Australia. I have made quite a few of your recipes and I find your detailed recipes and photos very handy. I will definitely be trying your pork teriyaki. My 6-yr-old daughter will eat anything with teriyaki sauce over it as it is a little sweet. Thank you for your fantastic work.
Hi Ana! Thank you for trying my recipes. I’m so happy to hear you enjoy them. Hope your daughter will enjoy the recipe. 🙂
This was delicious! I made it exactly to the recipe. I made this for lunch for my family and they loved it so much that we decided to make the same thing for dinner but with chicken instead. AMAZING! And, it was so quick to put together, too 🙂
Hi Mihane! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! So happy you enjoyed this dish with both pork and chicken! Thank you for your kind feedback. xo
Hi can we use normal pork loin like the one used in your ginger pork (Shugayaki) for this recipe? Couldn’t get any pork loin chop.
Hi Bel! Yes, that’s okay; be careful not to overcook the pork. 🙂 Hope you enjoy the recipe!