When most people think of Japanese food, they think of sushi. But their cuisine is so rich and diverse, with plenty of delicious options that go far beyond just sushi. If you’re looking to dive deep into the world of Japanese cooking, you’re in luck. I have 20+ Japanese recipes to try, and I promise, you’ll love them.
20+ Japanese-Inspired Recipes That Go Way Beyond Sushi
1. Japanese Beef Buns
Steamed meat buns, or Nikuman, are deliciously addictive. These fluffy buns are stuffed with fresh veggies and succulent meat. Eat them as a main course, side dish or even a snack. The dough is simple, and the meat filling requires basic ingredients you probably have in your kitchen.
While you don’t need one, I highly recommend using a bamboo steamer basket to steam these buns.
2. Japanese Tamago Sando
This creamy, delicious sandwich is commonly found in Japanese convenience stores. Essentially, it’s egg salad on a tasty brioche bun. Use Japanese mayo for this recipe and don’t skimp on the parsley. Be sure to follow the directions in this recipe carefully, as there’s an art to making this egg salad.
3. Japanese Chicken Yakitori
Yakitori is a beloved Japanese street food. It’s essentially a kebab, with alternating layers of juicy chicken and scallions (yum!) This recipe is super simple, so it’s perfect for those who are new to Japanese food.
You may need to buy some sake and mirin if you don’t have it in your pantry already, but the rest of the ingredients and prep is a cakewalk.
Related: 25 Surprising Instant Pot Recipes That Prove It Can Cook (Almost) Everything
4. Gyoza Soup
Sheer comfort food! This Japanese dumpling soup will quickly become a regular in your dinner rotation, especially since it only takes 10 minutes to cook.
You’ll need vegetable gyozas for this recipe, along with pack choi, ginger, garlic, spring onions and a few other ingredients.
5. Beef Negimaki
Juicy beef, fresh scallions – all simmered in a delicious sauce. These beef rolls are amazing, and they’re perfect to eat as an appetizer or a light meal. Serve them with rice and enjoy every last bite. You’ll need a good meat pounder for this recipe.
6. Simmered Ganmodoki
Ganmodoki are deep-fried patties made of tofu. They’re a popular protein source for vegetarians and vegans worldwide. Traditional Japanese recipes for ganmodoki call for frying each patty, but this recipe simmers them in a delicious sauce.
It’s a healthier alternative and a deliciously nutritious meal. If you can’t find ganmodoki at your local store, you can make it yourself (here’s a recipe). You’ll also need yuzu zest and dashi.
7. Gyoza Recipe
Japanese dumplings, or gyoza, are juice on the inside and crispy on the outside. While this recipe uses ground turkey, the filling is versatile. You can make a vegetarian version if you want or use any other lean ground meat you prefer.
Assembling the dumplings is easy if you have wonton wrappers (you can find them in most grocery stores).
8. Atsuage Teriyaki
Fried tofu, or atsuage, is the perfect addition to any vegetarian or vegan meal. If you can’t find atsuage in your local store, you can use firm tofu instead.
You’ll need only a few ingredients for this dish, and it cooks up fast. Serve with rice and vegetables for a complete meal.
9. Okonomiyaki
Okonomiyaki is a delicious and simple street food that’s easy to make in your own kitchen. It’s a savory Japanese pancake that’s similar to a frittata. The cabbage gives it a hashbrown texture, and you can top it with so many yummy things.
Best of all, you only need a few things to make this recipe and you probably have most of them already.
10. Dashimaki Tamago
Dashimaki Tamago is a rolled omelet dish topped with Japanese condiments and cooked in a special square pan called a tamagoyaki nabe. For this recipe, you’ll need dashi broth and a few other ingredients commonly used in Japanese recipes, like mirin and soy sauce. Grated daikon radish gives a refreshing, slightly spicy kick.
11. Castella Cake
Japanese Castella is a traditional sweet dessert. It’s a moist and fluffy sponge cake made with just a few simple ingredients. The secret to getting that fluffy texture is in the preparation.
Sudachi Recipes walks you through each step, so you can bake your cake with confidence.
12. Katsu Curry
Katsu curry is delicious, and it’s made with simple ingredients, like Japanese curry roux, chicken, onions, potatoes, carrots and fukujinzuke (okay, maybe this ingredient isn’t simple). Serve this dish with rice, a hardboiled egg, scallions and greens.
Related: 27+ Fancy Dinner Recipes That Are Incredibly Easy to Make
13. Gyudon
Japanese Gyudon is a dish made with sliced fatty beef cooked in a classic mixture of soy sauce and mirin. Serve with rice and top with an egg. The whole family will love this recipe.
You probably have most of the ingredients already, but you may need to grab some dashi stock and mirin.
14. Omurice
Looking for fun Japanese recipes to try? You’ll love omurice. It’s a dish that combines the classic Western omelet with Japanese fried rice. Super easy and oh-so delicious.
Essentially, it’s an omelet stuffed with a fried rice mixture. It’s a great way to use leftover rice, and you can get creative with the fillings.
Along with rice, omurice may also be stuffed with onion and mixed vegetables. It’s typically cooked with ketchup and a splash of soy sauce.
15. Spicy Tuna Onigiri
Ready in just 20 minutes, these stuffed rice balls are filled with tuna and wrapped in roasted seaweed. Spicy and delicious, you can use canned tuna to speed up the cooking time, but you’ll want to be sure to strain it very well.
You’ll also be making a delightful rice, and use sheets of nori for this recipe.
16. Karaage
Do you like fried chicken? If so, you’ll love this recipe. You’ll make a crispy chicken out of:
- Boneless chicken thighs
- A neutral oil
- Potato starch
- Lemon wedges
And the delightful taste comes from the chicken marinade that is made from sake, sugar, mirin, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and spices. If you have a double fryer, it will help you crisp the chicken to perfection.
Related: 25 Chicken Air Fryer Recipes That Will Change The Way You Meal Prep
17. Yaki Udon
Yaki udon noodles are one of my favorite recipes on the list. It does include shrimp, although you can swap it for chicken or another protein if you wish. And this delicious dish is ready in just 15 minutes.
The recipe does call for packaged udon noodles, shiitake mushrooms, onions, green onions and garlic.
For the sauce, you’ll need soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar and rice vinegar. Preparing the sauce is the first step and the rest of the recipe is super easy to follow.
18. Japchae
Japchae is one of the tastiest Japanese recipes and is a traditional dish found across Japan. You’ll need quite a few items, which should be easy to find in your local grocery store:
- Beef or pork
- Sweet potato noodles
- Eggs
- Onions
- Green onions
- Mushrooms
- Carrots
- Spinach
- Seasoning
- Sesame seeds
You’ll also be making sauce, which will include soy sauce, honey and sesame oil. Total time to make is just 30 minutes, so it’s a fast dish to make.
19. Yakitori
Yakitori does take a little over an hour to make, but the savory and sweet sauce is worth the commitment. If you want, you can even grill these up rather than bake them, but it’s 100% up to you.
For the main chicken, you’ll need thighs and Toyko negi.
And for the sauce, you’ll need brown sugar, mirin, sake and soy sauce. What I really appreciate is that the author of the recipe adds a bunch of substitution options that you can choose from.
20. Niratama Donburi
Eggs, rice and Japanese chives make for a tasty recipe that’s very popular in Japan yet still very easy to put together. You’ll add the eggs to a bowl and beat them with seasoning while stir-frying the garlic chives until they wilt in your wok.
Add the stir fry to the egg mixture and then cook in a hot wok until fully cooked.
Serve over rice.
21. Ganmodoki – Easy Japanese Fried Tofu Patties
Tofu patties are vegetarian, and since they only take 40 minutes to make, they’re a good option for anyone wanting to add a little Japanese flair to their weekly meals. You’ll need a deep fryer for these tofu patties that have:
- Carrots
- Tofu
- Edamame
- Dried hijiki seaweed
- Eggs
- Mushrooms
And if you want to experiment a little, this recipe offers the flexibility to do so.
22. Easy Dango Recipe
Asian desserts always look so interesting, and this recipe is no exception. You will need pink food coloring if you want to keep the colorful nature of this recipe, but that’s 100% up to you.
And you’ll need quite a few ingredients that you likely won’t have in your cupboards already:
Bamboo skewers will also be needed to skewer these dough balls.
