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. Unadon (Eel Bowl)
Grilled eel glazed with a sweetened soy-based 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
Preheat your broiler or toaster oven to medium-high heat. Line a baking tray with foil and lightly oil it.
- 2
If using frozen pre-grilled unagi, rinse off the thick packaging sauce under warm water and pat perfectly dry with paper towels to ensure a clean flavor.
- 3
Place the fillets on the tray, skin-side down. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of sake to tenderize and remove any fishy odor. Broil for 5-7 minutes until heated through and bubbling.
- 4
Generously brush both sides of the eel with the unagi tare sauce.
- 5
Broil for another 1-2 minutes, watching carefully, until the sauce caramelizes and the edges are slightly charred and crispy.
- 6
Cut the fillets to fit your serving bowls. Scoop hot steamed rice into the bowls, drizzle with extra tare, place the unagi on top, and sprinkle lightly with 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™
71/100
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 serving345
Calories
6 g
Protein
74 g
Carbs
1 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
Unadon is grilled freshwater eel (unagi) lacquered with a sweet soy tare over rice, a summer delicacy traditionally eaten to build stamina in the heat. Restaurant unagi is an art of splitting and grilling, but a fine home bowl can be built from quality pre-grilled fillets.
Listahan note
This version starts from pre-grilled unagi and focuses on the steps that lift it: rinsing off the packaged sauce, refreshing with sake, and caramelizing fresh tare under the broiler.
Technique cues
- Rinse the heavy packaging sauce off pre-grilled eel and pat it dry; it lets you re-season with clean, fresh tare.
- A splash of sake before broiling refreshes the eel and tempers any muddy odor.
- Broil briefly after brushing the tare so it caramelizes and the edges crisp, watching closely since the sugar burns fast.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Start the rice and preheat the broiler while you rinse and dry the eel.
- Make-ahead
- Keep tare on hand; broil the eel fresh, since reheated glaze loses its shine.
- Leftover move
- Flake leftover eel into ochazuke (tea poured over rice) or a quick rice ball.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Line the broiler tray with foil for easy cleanup, and soak the brush before the tare sets.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
Unagi (eel) fillets
The centerpiece
Purpose: Rich, fatty grilled eel is the entire point of the bowl.
Handling: Rinse off the packaged sauce, pat dry, and refresh with sake before broiling.
Adaptation: Pre-grilled unagi is the practical home option; grilled mackerel or saba gives a different but tasty bowl.
Unagi tare (eel sauce)
The glaze
Purpose: The sweet, thick soy glaze is what makes unadon unmistakable.
Handling: Brush on both sides and broil to caramelize, then drizzle extra over the rice.
Adaptation: A reduced soy-mirin-sugar sauce stands in; use tamari for gluten-free.
Short-grain rice
The base
Purpose: Plump, slightly sticky rice catches the glaze and supports the rich eel.
Handling: Serve hot and drizzle a little tare over it before the eel.
Adaptation: Any short-grain Japanese rice works.
Sake
Refresher and tenderizer
Purpose: It cleans up any off odor and keeps the eel moist under the broiler.
Handling: Drizzle over the fillets before the first broil.
Adaptation: A little mirin or water with a splash of rice vinegar can stand in.
Sansho pepper
Aromatic finish
Purpose: Its citrusy, tingling note is the traditional counterpoint to the rich, sweet eel.
Handling: Sprinkle lightly over the finished bowl.
Adaptation: A little lemon zest or black pepper gives a different lift.
Technique notes
- Watch the broiler closely once the tare is on; the sugar caramelizes and then burns within a minute.
- Rinsing and re-saucing pre-grilled eel is the small step that makes a store fillet taste freshly made.
- Warm the bowl and rice so the eel arrives hot, since it loses heat fast once sliced.
Ingredient swaps
- Gluten-free direction
- Use a tamari-based tare and confirm the eel was not pre-sauced with a wheat-containing glaze.
- No-eel direction
- Use grilled mackerel or saba with the same tare for an unagi-free bowl.
- Lower-sodium direction
- Brush the tare lightly and offer extra on the side instead of pooling it.
Serve alongside
- Miso soup
- Japanese pickles
- Clear suimono soup
- Cucumber sunomono
- Green tea
- Chilled sake
- Barley tea
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Refrigerate up to 2 days; the glaze dulls but the eel stays good.
- Reheat under the broiler or in a toaster oven, brushing on a little fresh tare.
- Freeze plain (un-sauced) eel up to 1 month; thaw, then broil with fresh tare.
Equipment
- Broiler or toaster oven
- Foil-lined tray
- Basting brush
- Rice cooker or pot
Make this household-aware
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Plan it in Listahan
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