A Donburi bowl with duck has to be one of my favourite dishes when I visit Wagamama's but I can still have this dish at home. Best of all there's absolutely nothing difficult about it!
Duck legs are slow cooked until tender and melting then mixed with onions and carrots in a rich teriyaki sauce and served with broccoli, cucumber and spring onions. The whole lot is topped with a fried egg and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.
Just grab some chop sticks, or a fork for speed and get stuck in!

What are the ingredients?
I am using duck legs for this dish as opposed to breast as in this dish the duck is shredded. Legs are much cheaper than the breast, which is best served pink and sliced thinly. You could use duck breast if you prefer to pan fry it.
I've swapped the sweet potato in the original dish for tender stem broccoli but that is just my preference due to cooking time.
The dish needs teriyaki sauce, either homemade or straight from a bottle.
Other than that, you don't need any special spices.
How to make the donburi bowl.
Start by cooking the duck legs. This does take some time so I normally cook double the amount I need and freeze the leftovers, shredded, in a container so that I just need to thaw the meat and I can have a donburi in minutes.
Wipe the duck legs dry with kitchen paper and place in a deep sided roasting dish. Prick them all over with a carving fork or a skewer and sprinkle them with salt. Cover the dish with foil and roast at 160 C/310 F/Gas 2.5 for 2 hours.
In the meantime prepare the vegetables. Cut the carrots into julienne strips and finely slice the red onion.
Next prepare the cucumber. I find that cutting cucumbers length ways means that you get strips of watery seeds so I prefer to remove them first.
My tool of choice for this is little scoop used for hulling strawberries, but a grapefruit spoon or teaspoon works just as well.
Cut the cucumber into julienne strips and finely slice the spring onions diagonally.
When the duck has finished the cooking time use a fork to check that it is completely tender. Drain off all the fat. I keep it in a plastic container in the fridge. You will get amazing crispy and tasty roast potatoes if you use duck fat.
Use two forks to pull the meat off the bones and shred it.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok and fry the carrots and onions for about 5 minutes until just cooked.
Put the rice on to cook. I use basmati rice, which normally takes 10 minutes.
Add the duck and teriyaki sauce to the pan for 5 minutes until hot.
Cook the broccoli while the duck is heating. I prefer to microwave it in 2 cm of water for about 4 minutes.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the eggs to your liking. I do them 2 at a time.
Now it's time to plate up the duck donburi.
In individual serving bowls add a layer of rice. Put the duck mixture in one corner, the spring onions and cucumber in another , then broccoli and finally the fried eggs.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately.
The combination of the hot duck and rice with the cool spring onions and cucumber makes this dish lighter than you would expect. Add to that the yolk of the egg spilling over the rice and you will be in heaven!
It's a great idea to prep this meal in advance due to the time it takes to cook the duck. Get all the vegetables cut earlier in the day and roast the dusk the day before if you like. It will keep for 3 days in the fridge or freeze shredded.
This dish is amazing with leftover slow cooked brisket or pulled pork. It is equally good with leftover chicken or lamb from a roast.
Make it vegetarian by adding more vegetables instead to the teriyaki sauce. You could use sliced peppers, mushrooms, pak choi, asparagus or tofu.
Make a change from the broccoli and use roasted squash, green beans, endamame beans or sweet potato.
If you like extra heat sprinkle on some sliced red chillies before serving.
At the restaurant we usually order some side dishes that are really appetisers so why not try Szechuan Salt and Pepper Prawns, Pork and Peanut Moneybags, Crispy Miso Cod or Asian Pork Koftas?
Try these dishes:
Massaman curry with Duck
Duck Terrine with Asparagus
Warm Duck and Pineapple Salad
Oriental Duck Broth
Crispy Duck with Five Spice and Honey
Duck Confit with Redcurrant Sauce
Donburi essentially means bowl, referring to a large bowl the dish is served in. It originates in Japan, where it is a bowl of rice served the meat, vegetables and sometimes a raw or poached egg.
My recipe is a westernised version. If you love a good stir fry you will love this dish!
Donburi Bowl with Duck
Ingredients
- 4 duck legs
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 280 g rice
- 1 red onion
- 160 g cucumber
- 100 g spring onions
- 160 g broccoli tenderstem
- 200 g carrots
- 200 ml teriyaki sauce
- 4 eggs
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- Prick the duck legs and place them in a deep sided roasting dish.Sprinkle with salt, cover with foil and roast at 160 c for 2 hours.
- Cut the carrots and cucumber into julienne strips, finely slice the red onion and finely slice the spring onions diagonally.
- Drain the fat from the duck and shred with two forks.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok and fry the carrots and onions for about 5 minutes until just cooked.
- Cook the rice for about 10 minutes or according to instructions and steam the broccoli for about 4 minutes until tender..
- Add the duck and teriyaki sauce to the wok and heat for 5 minutes until hot.
- Fry the eggs in the remaining oil.
- In individual serving bowls add a layer of rice then serve the duck mixturer, the spring onions and cucumber, then broccoli and finally the fried eggs.Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately.
Notes
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
Please refer to the post for detailed recipe instructions.
Food safety
We sometimes take for a granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience, that the average visitor may not. Add to, or remove from, the list below with health and safety tips.
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- 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
Karen (Back Road Journal)
Your dish sounds wonderful and your photos make your want to go out now and find duck legs. 😊
Sharon Chen
Interesting combination and it looks yummy! I've never tried duck on Japanese-inspired dishes.
Beth
Yum! This looks so delicious and interesting! I can't wait to give it a try!
Traci
I love Asian bowls anytime and the duck adds so much flavor to this. This is a great dinner or lunch recipe. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Chris Collins
I've actually never had a Donburi bowl before but it sounds and looks delicious, especially with the added duck!
Sue
I love stir fry AND I love meals in a bowl - this combines both! So yummy!