Name: How To Make Unagi Don (Grilled Eel Rice Bowl)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 1 Readymade Unagi no Kabayaki (Grilled Eel); 1 Tbsp Cooking Sake; 4 Tbsp Sugar; 4 Tbsp Soy Sauce; 4 Tbsp Mirin; 4 Tbsp Cooking Sake; Steamed Rice, as needed; Japanese Pepper Powder (Sansho Powder), as you prefer

How To Make Unagi Don (Grilled Eel Rice Bowl)

Easy Eel Main dish Popular Summer Under 15 Minutes

Eel (Unagi) is enjoyed all over the world, and each country or region has its own style of eating Unagi.

In Japan, Unagi is commonly grilled over white charcoal (Binchō-tan) and seasoned with a sweet soy sauce-based Tare (sauce). This dish is known as “Unagi no Kabayaki,” and its savory flavor is truly mouth-watering. Since it pairs well with steamed rice, Unagi no Kabayaki is usually served on rice. The dishes are called “Una-jyu” and “Unagi-don,” depending on the container they are in. Unagi no Kabayaki served on steamed rice in a Jyubako box is called “Una-jyu,” while Unagi no Kabayaki served on steamed rice in a Donburi bowl is called “Unagi-don.”

In Japan, Unagi is not something we usually cook at home. In fact, raw eel is rarely available at Japanese supermarkets. Unagi no Kabayaki is a dish typically prepared by skilled chefs, so when we want to eat it, we either go to a specialty restaurant or buy a ready-made one from the supermarket.

When we buy Unagi no Kabayaki at supermarkets, all we need to do is warm it up. Although this step seems easy, you need to know how to do it correctly to avoid ruining the dish. Properly warming up Unagi no Kabayaki is crucial for enjoying it at home.

Today, we are going to make Unagi-don and show you four general ways to warm up store-bought Unagi no Kabayaki at home, along with additional tips to enjoy perfect Unagi no Kabayaki. Don’t miss the instructions on how to make the savory sauce for Unagi no Kabayaki as well!

Among the four ways, the quickest is using a microwave oven, which takes less than two minutes! You can also use a frying pan, which is easy and quick, but in my opinion, grilling is the best way to warm up Unagi no Kabayaki. This method results in a dish that tastes just like the freshly made ones served at specialty restaurants!

Usually, store-bought Unagi is grilled and coated with sweet soy sauce-based Tare. Before heating, it is better to remove the Tare from the surface to prevent burning, especially with pan-frying and grilling methods. We use tap water to remove the Tare, but some cooking tips suggest using green tea instead! It is interesting to see how many cooking tips are available on Japanese websites for warming up Unagi no Kabayaki even more deliciously.

If you have a chance to try Japanese Unagi no Kabayaki at home, choose the method you prefer and enjoy delicious Japanese-style Unagi-don!

Overview

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 15 mins

Total servings: 2

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1 Readymade Unagi no Kabayaki (Grilled Eel)
1 Tbsp Cooking Sake
4 Tbsp Sugar
4 Tbsp Soy Sauce
4 Tbsp Mirin
4 Tbsp Cooking Sake
Steamed Rice, as needed
Japanese Pepper Powder (Sansho Powder), as you prefer

Expert's Tip

P-1-AUX-UCH-GR-UCS16RD-Uchicook Steam Grill with Metal Lid Red UCS15-2023-09-13T00:19:49.jpg

Japanese stoves have a small grill inside them for cooking fish, which is very convenient and can grill fish perfectly. However, cleaning the small grill can be difficult and a bit annoying.

This product was created to overcome these problems. You can grill fish just like you would with a frying pan using this product. Additionally, it makes the inside texture fluffy with steam while keeping the outside crispy.

If you are looking for a fish grill for your kitchen, this one is easy to handle and will make your fish dishes even more delicious!

Instructions

1) Gathering the Ingredients

Gather all of the ingredients together.

adding the cooking sake and mirin to a small pot

simmering the cooking sake and mirin to allow some of the alcohol to evaporate

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2) Preparing the Tare for Unagi Don

Prepare a small saucepan and add cooking sake (4 tbsp) and mirin. Heat over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Let the alcohol evaporate for about 1 minute.

Then, add soy sauce and sugar. Mix well and continue heating over low to medium heat until the sauce thickens and the liquid is reduced by about half.

As it cools, the sauce will thicken more, so don’t reduce the liquid too much.

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3) Removing the Sauce From the Unagi

Place the Unagi on a plate carefully to prevent it from breaking apart, and rinse off the sauce under tap water.

Gently remove the water with paper towels and cut the Unagi into two or three pieces.

Then, sprinkle cooking sake (1 tbsp) over the Unagi.

This preparation step is common for all the heating methods below.

removing the plastic wrap from the unagi

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4) Method 1: Microwaving the Unagi

Place the Unagi on a microwave-safe plate. Cover it with plastic wrap.

Heat it in the microwave for 1 minute. Then, take it out of the microwave and remove the plastic wrap.

Place it back in the microwave and heat it for 30 seconds without the plastic wrap. Be careful not to overheat it, as doing so can dry out the Unagi no Kabayaki.

Drizzle the Tare (step 2).

placing the unagi over a piece of foil in a frying pan

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5) Method 2: Cooking the Unagi in a Frying Pan

Prepare a large frying pan and place a parchment paper or aluminum foil if you prefer.

*For aluminum foil, coat it with extra cooking oil not to stick to the Unagi while heating.

Then place the Unagi the skin side down.

Heat it over medium heat for 1 minute and then place a lid on and heat it for another 3 minutes over low to medium heat.

Drizzle the Tare (step 2).

grilling the unagi until it begins blistering

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6) Method 3: Grilling the Unagi

Coat the aluminum foil with extra cooking oil and place the Unagi on it.

Grill the Unagi for about 5 minutes over medium heat. While grilling, coat the Unagi with the Tare (made in step 2) using a cooking brush every 1 to 2 minutes.

Be careful not to burn the Unagi.

placing a piece of unagi inside of a piece of foil

baking the unagi until it becomes blistered

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7) Method 4: Baking the Unagi in a Toaster Oven

If you don’t have a fish grill, you can also use a toaster oven (1000W).

Preheat the toaster oven.

Coat the aluminum foil with extra cooking oil and place the Unagi on it. Roughly wrap it with the aluminum foil.

Place it in the toaster oven. Bake the Unagi for about 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, open the aluminum foil and coat the Unagi with the Tare (made in step 2) using a cooking brush, and bake for another 1 to 2 minutes.

Be careful not to burn the Unagi.

placing unagi over a bowl of rice and topping with sansho

drizzling the remaining tare over unagi don

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8) Serving the Unagi Don

Prepare a large bowl and add steamed rice. Then, place the Unagi no Kabayaki on top. Sprinkle with Japanese pepper if you prefer.

If needed, drizzle extra Tare. Enjoy!

About the author

Megumi Moriya

Megumi is a recipe writer based in Chiba, Japan. She carries a Bachelor in the Faculty of Foreign Studies and is interested in creating content about Japanese cuisine and traditional confectioneries. Megumi is most interested in making Japanese recipe content, and in her free time, she likes to play the piano, make handcrafted goods, and hula dance. She hopes to inspire Japanese Taste readers to make Japanese recipes at home and of course share more about Japanese culture.

View articles by Megumi Moriya