Steak Donburi Bowl With Bourbon Glaze
This steak donburi recipe features tender sliced steak, a rich bourbon glaze, sticky rice, and egg yolk for a bold, comforting Japanese‑inspired bowl.
Steak Donburi Bowl With Bourbon Glaze
This recipe comes to us from Derek Wolf, founder of Over the Fire Cooking and friend of Montana Knife Company.
4
15 minutes
30 minutes
336
Japanese-American
Main Dish
This steak donburi bowl puts a live-fire spin on the Japanese rice-bowl classic. Tender ribeye gets a hard sear over open flame, then gets glazed in a bourbon-soy sauce that caramelizes into a sticky, sweet finish.
Pile those slices over sticky white rice, drop a golden egg yolk on the steak, and scatter sesame seeds and chives across the top. The result is a donburi bowl that balances smoky, savory, and sweet in every single bite.
Traditional donburi calls for sake in the sauce, but bourbon hits differently. It brings a caramel depth that pairs perfectly with grilled beef. If you’ve been looking for a steak donburi recipe that works on the grill, this one is it.
Ingredients
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1 large ribeye or strip steak
2 Tbsp. steak seasoning (Derek Wolf’s Cowboy Butter Rub works well)
Neutral oil, as needed
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1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup bourbon
1/4 cup brown sugar
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1 1/2 cups cooked sticky white rice
1 egg yolk per bowl
Sesame seeds
Chopped scallions or chives
Directions
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Preheat a large skillet over medium-low heat, around 300°F. Add the soy sauce, mirin, bourbon, and brown sugar.
Let the mixture simmer for five to eight minutes until it thickens into a glossy glaze. Pull the skillet off the heat and set it aside.
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Pat the steak dry with a paper towel. Coat it in a thin layer of neutral oil, then season generously on all sides with your steak rub. Let the steak sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before grilling.
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Crank your grill to medium-high heat, around 350°F. Lay the steak over direct flame and sear for three to four minutes per side. Baste the outside with the bourbon-soy sauce as it cooks.
Pull the steak once it hits 120°F internal for medium-rare, or your preferred doneness. Let it rest for five minutes before slicing.
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Grab a sharp kitchen knife and slice the steak into thin strips against the grain. Clean, even cuts make all the difference in a steak donburi bowl. Thin slices soak up more of that bourbon glaze and look better fanned out over the rice.
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- Scoop warm sticky rice into the center of each bowl. Fan the steak donburi slices around the outside of the rice. Drizzle extra bourbon-soy sauce over the top until it pools around the base.
- Place a raw egg yolk in the center of the steak. Finish with a scatter of sesame seeds and chopped scallions or chives.
