Japanese Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Butadon (Pork Bowl)
Grilled or pan-fried pork slices glazed in a sweet soy sauce over rice.
Contains common allergens
In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.
Good to know
- Ready in under 30 minutes
Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: 30-minute meals
Instructions
6 steps- 1
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, sake, and mirin until the sugar is fully dissolved to create the sweet tare glaze.
- 2
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with the neutral oil. Lay the pork slices in a single layer.
- 3
Pan-fry the pork for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned and crispy on the edges. If using pork belly, wipe away excess rendered fat with a paper towel.
- 4
Pour the sweet tare glaze directly into the pan over the pork.
- 5
Let the sauce boil aggressively. Toss the pork continuously in the bubbling liquid for 1-2 minutes until the sauce reduces to a thick, glossy, sticky syrup that coats the meat.
- 6
Scoop hot steamed rice into bowls. Arrange the glistening pork beautifully overlapping over the rice. Drizzle any remaining pan sauce over the top, and garnish with chopped green onions and a sprinkle of sansho pepper.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
72/100
Good fit for most families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving755
Calories
64 g
Protein
28 g
Carbs
39 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
Butadon is a bowl of thin pork glazed in sweet-savory tare over rice, with a famous regional version from Obihiro in Hokkaido using grilled pork and a soy-sweet sauce. It is the pork answer to gyudon, fast and deeply satisfying.
Listahan note
This version builds the tare from four pantry ingredients and reduces it hard around the pork, so the meat ends up glazed and glossy rather than swimming in sauce.
Technique cues
- Brown the pork before the sauce so it has a little crisp edge for the glaze to cling to.
- Wipe excess rendered fat if using pork belly, or the glaze turns greasy instead of sticky.
- Reduce the tare aggressively until it is a thick syrup that coats each slice.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Start the rice first; the pork and glaze come together in a few minutes.
- Make-ahead
- The glazed pork keeps for days and reheats well; cook rice fresh for the best bowl.
- Leftover move
- Stuff leftover butadon pork into a rice ball or fold into fried rice.
- Cleanup rhythm
- One skillet and the rice pot; rinse the skillet before the sticky glaze sets.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
Thinly sliced pork
The protein
Purpose: Thin belly or loin cooks fast and takes a glossy glaze.
Handling: Lay in a single layer and brown before saucing.
Adaptation: Belly is richer; loin is leaner. Thinly sliced is the key.
Soy sauce, sugar, sake, mirin
The sweet tare
Purpose: This quartet reduces into the signature sweet-savory glaze.
Handling: Whisk until the sugar dissolves before it hits the pan.
Adaptation: Use tamari for gluten-free; honey can replace some sugar.
Steamed rice
The base
Purpose: Plump short-grain rice catches the glaze and balances the rich pork.
Handling: Serve hot under the pork and drizzle pan sauce over.
Adaptation: Any short-grain rice works.
Sansho pepper and green onion
The finish
Purpose: Sansho's citrusy tingle and fresh onion cut the sweetness of the glaze.
Handling: Sprinkle over the finished bowl.
Adaptation: Black pepper and scallion are an easy stand-in for sansho.
Technique notes
- Let the sauce boil hard around the pork; a gentle simmer will not reduce it to the glossy syrup you want.
- Wiping the fat is the small step that turns a greasy bowl into a clean, glazed one.
- Overlap the slices neatly over the rice; the look is part of the appeal of a donburi.
Ingredient swaps
- Gluten-free direction
- Use tamari and confirm the sake and mirin are gluten-free.
- Leaner direction
- Use pork loin instead of belly and add a touch of oil.
- Lower-sodium direction
- Use low-sodium soy and lean on the sugar and mirin for the glaze.
Serve alongside
- Miso soup
- Japanese pickles
- Quick cabbage salad
- Spinach with sesame
- Green tea
- Cold barley tea
- Light lager
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Refrigerate the glazed pork up to 3 days in a sealed container.
- Reheat gently with a splash of water to loosen the glaze.
- Freeze the pork up to 2 months; reheat over fresh rice.
Equipment
- Skillet
- Whisk
- Tongs or chopsticks
- Rice cooker or pot
Make this household-aware
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