Ikura Donburi is a deliciously decadent rice bowl featuring marinated ikura (salmon roe) and fragrant shiso on a bed of Japanese white rice. Serve with wasabi and top with nori for extra flavor!
We make Ikura donburis when we are in the mood for something richly flavored, but light and satisfying. These donburi, or rice bowls, make the perfect lunch or a light dinner, especially with delicious Japanese sides like Furikake and Lemon Shishito Peppers, Spicy Tuna Onigiri, or Spicy Kani Salad.
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About Ikura Donburi
- Taste - The rich and briny ikura is the star of the show. The neutral rice balances the ikura's decadent flavor.
- Texture - The ikura is soft with a slight bite while the rice is firm yet fluffy.
- Effort - All you need to do is marinate the ikura while the rice is cooking then assemble the ingredients.
- Time - It takes about a half hour to cook the rice then another 5 minutes to assemble the don.
What is Ikura?
Ikura is an orange and bead shaped Japanese delicacy. It is often enjoyed raw in sushi or as garnish for sushi rolls. It is also usually marinated in sauce for added flavor. Ikura is technically salmon roe (salmon eggs) and is harvested from Alaskan salmon like king salmon, pink salmon, coho salmon, and sockeye salmon. It has a rich and briny taste.
What is a donburi?
Donburi translates to "bowl" in English. These Japanese rice bowls typically feature fish or meat over steamed Japanese rice. However, we also enjoy ikura donburis when we want a special treat.
Ingredients
- Ikura - Fresh ikura provides salty and briny ocean flavor.
- Soy sauce - Soy sauce, or shoyu, adds a deeply umami-rich component.
- Mirin - Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice wine that adds to the umami flavor and is the base of many Japanese sauces and marinades.
- Rice - Japanese short grain rice is best because it is fluffy and lightly salted for flavor.
- Nori - Shredded nori pieces (kizami nori) for extra crunch and seaweed flavor.
- Shiso leaves - Shiso leaves add a fragrant and sweet accent to the bowl.
- Wasabi - Wasabi adds a pungent spice.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Rice cooker instructions - Place rice in the electric rice cooker pot and rinse the rice in the sink until the cold water runs clear, then drain. Combine rice and filtered water in the pot and cook per the rice cooker directions. See recipe card for stovetop instructions.
- Cool rice - Let the rice cool while you prep the other ingredients.
- Marinate ikura - Place ikura in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix soy sauce and mirin and pour over ikura. Let marinate for 10 minutes.
- Assemble - Divide rice into two bowls. Place one shiso leaf on each bed of rice, top both bowls with ikura, and a pinch of nori on top. Add a small dollop of wasabi if desired and serve immediately.
Hint: Be sure to wait for the rice to cool before adding the ikura so it maintains its texture and temperature.
How to Enjoy This Ikura Donburi
This ikura bowl is best enjoyed by combining a little bit of each ingredient in a megabite. The combination of neutral rice, robust ikura, fragrant shiso, and crunchy nori outstanding. If you want to enjoy this ikura don with a tasty side, it pairs wonderfully with these other Japanese dishes:
- Spicy Kani Salad
- Spicy Kani Roll (Crab Sushi)
- Furikake and Lemon Shishito Peppers
- Ebi Tempura (Crispy Japanese Shrimp Tempura)
Substitutions
- Meat - Seasoned and cooked beef or chicken will also be delicious in a donburi.
- Sushi rice - Add seasoned rice vinegar to the rice to make sushi rice. The vinegar adds a lightly sweet and tart flavor to the rice.
- Brown rice - A healthier alternative to white rice. You can also make a blend of brown and white rice if you want the best of both worlds.
- Low sodium soy sauce - Replace regular soy sauce with low sodium for a healthier alternative.
- Fish - Make a yellowtail or salmon sashimi bowl for a richly flavored fish donburi.
- Tobiko or masago (Flying Fish Roe) - Replace ikura with tobiko or its cheaper cousin, masago, for a slightly sweeter roe. Tobiko and masago are also smaller and more delicate than ikura.
Variations
- Pickled ginger - Add some pickled ginger for a mild ginger flavor that is refreshingly sweet and sour. Pickled ginger is particularly great if you plan on eating sashimi or sushi with this dish because it will cleanse your palate before trying those other dishes.
- Salmon - Enjoy ikura on top of smoked salmon or salmon sashimi.
- Furikake - Furikake is a Japanese seaweed seasoning commonly made of dried seaweed, sesame seeds, and salt. It adds an ocean-like flavor to this seafood dish.
- Yuzu Ponzu sauce - Enjoy yuzu ponzu sauce on the side for dipping or drizzle it on top. Yuzu ponzu sauce is a tangy and citrusy sauce that is lighter than shoyu.
- Uni Ikura Don - Uni is essentially sea urchin roe. It has a rich ocean flavor and creamy texture that pairs beautifully with ikura and rice.
FAQ
Yes, most of the ingredients are healthy and low calorie. The ikura is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and essential nutrients. If you want to make this dish even healthier, use low sodium soy sauce and brown rice.
The ingredients are usually available at Japanese markets, like Mitsuwa or Nijiya, or some common chain grocery stores. Ikura is often sold under the popular name "King Salmon Caviar."
Roe generally describes collected fish eggs, whereas caviar is a particular kind of roe from sturgeon. However, the term salmon caviar often refers to salmon roe.
Yes, unopened salmon roe caviar can last up to 1 year in the freezer, assuming it was salted and pasteurized. Please note that when you are ready to enjoy it, you should thaw it in the fridge overnight.
Yes, Ikura is low in mercury and so long as it is pasteurized and refrigerated, there is a low risk of any issues. However, we recommend consulting your doctor before eating it.
If it has a lightly sour smell when opened, it is bad and you should not eat it.
Equipment
This ikura caviar recipe requires just a few kitchen essentials. You just need measuring spoons, a mixing bowl, a pot or rice cooker to cook the rice, and a rice paddle to scoop the rice. You also need serving bowls.
To explore more kitchen items to make your kitchen complete, head to our Kitchen Essentials Shop.
How to Store Ikura
This ikura recipe is best enjoyed immediately or within 3 days of making. Store the ingredients in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. The key is to keep the moisture locked in so the rice doesn't dry out. This salmon caviar recipe does not stand up well to freezing.
Top cooking tips
- Cool the rice - Make sure the steamed rice is cool before adding the fish. The temperature of the rice should match the temperature of the ikura so the delicate ikura doesn't cook.
- Fish medley - Add hamachi, tuna, or salmon for a yummy fish medley.
- Sauce on the side - Serve with soy sauce on the side instead of on top so the rice stays sticky and won't fall apart when you try to eat it.
Did You Like this Recipe?
If you liked this unagi roll recipe, please rate and comment on the recipe below! If you want to make similar Japanese cuisine and seafood, check these out:
- Broiled Salmon Collars (Sake Kama)
- Unagi Sushi (Eel Hand Roll)
- Yellowtail Sashimi Bowl (Hamachi Donburi)
- Alaska Sushi Roll
- Hamachi Crudo (Yellowtail Carpaccio)
- Tobiko Gunkan Sushi (with Quail Egg)
Ikura Donburi (Salmon Roe bowl)
Equipment
Ingredients
Rice
- 1 cup rice
- 1⅓ cup filtered water
Instructions
Rice
- Stovetop instructions - Place rice in a saucepan and rinse the rice in the sink until the water runs clear, then drain. Combine washed rice and filtered water in a medium saucepan. Bring the rice to a low boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork.
- Rice cooker instructions - Place rice in the electric rice cooker pot and rinse the rice in the sink until the water runs clear, then drain. Combine rice and filtered water in the pot and cook per the rice cooker directions.
- Cool rice - Let the rice cool while you prep the other ingredients.
Ikura Donburi
- Marinate ikura - Place ikura in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix soy sauce and mirin and pour over ikura. Let marinate for 10 minutes.
- Assemble - Divide rice into two bowls. Place one shiso leaf on each bed of rice, top both bowls with ikura, and a pinch of nori on top. Add a small dollop of wasabi if desired and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Food safety
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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