Unadon Eel Rice

Unagi rice, eel rice, or unadon is a kind of popular Japanese food well received worldwide. Here comes a recipe on how to cook unadon (Eel rice).

Sweet caramelized homemade unagi sauce drizzled over perfectly grilled unagi and steamed rice, this Unadon (Eel Rice) will make any Japanese food enthusiasts mouth water.

Unagi sushi is a staple in most sushi restaurants, but have you ever had eel rice before? This classic Japanese dish is called 鲸丼 (鳸丼) or 鳥重 (鳥重), or you might know it as unagi rice.

The Japanese have a soft spot for Unadon because the satisfaction of having a perfectly grilled eel over hot rice is unmatched. Oh, and the aroma of the sweet caramel sauce...that alone is enough to make my mouth water.

What is Unadon (unagi rice and eel rice)?

Eel rice, also called unadon is a beloved Japanese dish consisting of steamed rice and grilled eel coated in sweet soy sauce (called tare) and caramelized, best grilled over a charcoal fire.

When grilled unagi is served in a big rice bowl called donburi, we call it Unadon (鰻丼), a short for unagi donburi. When the unagi is served in a fancy rectangle lacquered box with the lid on, we call it Unaju (鰻重) because these boxes are called jubako (重箱).

In the Tokyo region, the skewered eel is first broiled without the sauce, and we call it Shirayaki (白焼き). Then the unagi is steamed, before being dipped in the sauce and grilled again.

How to Make Eel Rice (Unadon) at Home?

ingredients you need

Eel slices

Eel Sauce - You can buy a bottle of Eel Sauce.

steamed rice

Japanese home cooks do not buy live eels to cook at home. They buy pre-grilled eel fillets and reheat them before serving. In the US you can buy vacuum sealed grilled eel at a Japanese/Asian grocery store or this online store

My local Japanese supermarkets sell imported unagi from Japan (all from Kagoshima prefecture) and they usually cost between $30-40 each (compared to the frozen eels from other countries, which cost around $10 each). If you are able to find Japanese unagi in your local market, you are in for a real treat!

Overview: Cooking Step

Prepare the homemade eel sauce (see below).

Broil eel fillets and brush the eel sauce right before taking them out.

Serve rice in a large rice bowl (donburi), brush with sauce, and serve eel fillets on top.

Eel Pro has been supplying high quality frozen roasted eel, unagi eel sauce, live eels, frozen seafood and Chinese dim sum to Japan, United States as well as European countries and other Asian countries since the year 1993.