Japanese cuisine is renowned for its meticulous preparation, balanced flavors, and artistic presentation.
These 12 classic recipes bring the authentic tastes of Japan to your kitchen, ranging from comforting hot pots to crispy fried favorites.
Whether you’re new to Japanese cooking or an experienced home chef, these dishes offer a perfect blend of traditional techniques and accessible ingredients.
Each recipe showcases the fundamental elements of Japanese cuisine: umami-rich broths, perfectly cooked proteins, and the harmonious interplay of sweet and savory flavors.
Sukiyaki
This beloved winter dish brings families together around a simmering pot of savory-sweet broth.
Sukiyaki exemplifies the Japanese concept of shared dining, where everyone participates in the cooking process.
Ingredients
- 1 pound thinly sliced beef (ribeye or sirloin)
- 1 block firm tofu, cubed
- 1 bundle glass noodles (shirataki)
- 1 pack enoki mushrooms
- 1 bunch spinach
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
Sukiyaki Sauce:
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup mirin
- 1/4 cup sake
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl
- Heat a large sukiyaki pot or deep skillet
- Brown meat lightly, then add sauce
- Add vegetables and tofu in sections
- Simmer until ingredients are cooked through
- Serve with beaten raw egg for dipping (optional)
Shabu-Shabu
A lighter alternative to sukiyaki, shabu-shabu celebrates the pure flavors of ingredients through quick-cooking in a clear, delicate broth.
Ingredients
- 1 pound thinly sliced beef or pork
- Napa cabbage, chopped
- Shitake mushrooms
- Carrots, sliced
- Green onions
- Firm tofu, cubed
Dipping Sauces:
- Ponzu sauce
- Sesame sauce (gomadare)
Katsu Don
This hearty comfort dish combines crispy breaded pork with a silky egg sauce, creating a perfect balance of textures atop steaming rice.
Ingredients
- 2 pork cutlets, breaded and fried (tonkatsu)
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 cups cooked Japanese rice
- Green onions for garnish
Sauce:
- 1/2 cup dashi stock
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- Slice cooked tonkatsu into strips
- Simmer onions in sauce until soft
- Add tonkatsu slices
- Pour beaten eggs over top
- Cover and cook until eggs are just set
- Serve over hot rice and garnish with green onions
Unagi Don (Grilled Eel Rice Bowl)
A luxurious rice bowl featuring caramelized grilled eel glazed with a sweet-savory sauce. This prestigious dish is known for its rich flavor and tender texture.
Ingredients
- 2 fillets unagi (grilled eel)
- 3 cups cooked Japanese rice
- Pickled ginger for garnish
- Nori strips for garnish
- Sansho pepper (optional)
Unagi Sauce:
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup mirin
- 1/4 cup sake
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- Heat unagi according to package instructions
- Combine sauce ingredients and simmer until thickened
- Brush eel with sauce and broil until caramelized
- Serve over hot rice
- Garnish with nori, pickled ginger, and sansho pepper
Niku Jaga
This soul-warming stew represents the perfect marriage of Western ingredients with Japanese flavors, creating a dish that’s both nostalgic and satisfying.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound thinly sliced beef
- 4 potatoes, cut into chunks
- 2 onions, wedged
- 2 carrots, chunked
- 1 package shirataki noodles
- Green peas for garnish
Sauce:
- 2 cups dashi stock
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- Brown beef in a large pot
- Add vegetables and stock
- Simmer with sauce ingredients until potatoes are tender
- Add shirataki noodles
- Garnish with green peas before serving
Chicken Karaage
Japanese fried chicken that achieves the perfect balance of crispy exterior and juicy interior, seasoned with ginger and garlic for an irresistible flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
Marinade: - 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sake
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
For Frying:
- Potato starch or cornstarch
- Oil for deep frying
- Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Marinate chicken for 30 minutes to 2 hours
- Coat in starch
- Double fry: first at 325°F, then at 350°F
- Drain on paper towels
- Serve with lemon wedges and Japanese mayo
Yakitori
These grilled chicken skewers embody the Japanese principle of simplicity, where quality ingredients and precise cooking technique create something extraordinary.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs
- Green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Bamboo skewers, soaked
Tare Sauce:
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup mirin
- 1/4 cup sake
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 knob ginger, sliced
Instructions
- Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces
- Thread chicken and green onions alternately onto skewers
- Grill skewers over medium-high heat
- Baste with tare sauce in the final minutes
- Continue grilling until caramelized
Tonkatsu
The ultimate Japanese comfort food featuring a perfectly crispy exterior giving way to tender, juicy pork within.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless pork loin chops
- Salt and pepper
- All-purpose flour
- 2 beaten eggs
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- Oil for deep frying
- Shredded cabbage for serving
- Tonkatsu sauce
Instructions
- Season pork with salt and pepper
- Dredge in flour, egg, then panko
- Deep fry at 350°F until golden brown
- Rest and slice
- Serve with shredded cabbage and tonkatsu sauce
Buta No Kakuni
This melt-in-your-mouth braised pork belly dish represents the pinnacle of slow-cooking in Japanese cuisine.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork belly, cut into 2-inch cubes
- 1 knob ginger, sliced
- 2 green onions, white parts only
- 1 cup sake
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup mirin
- 1/4 cup sugar
- Hard-boiled eggs (optional)
Instructions
- Blanch pork belly in boiling water
- Combine braising ingredients
- Simmer pork for 2-3 hours until tender
- Add hard-boiled eggs in the last hour if using
- Reduce sauce until glossy
Tempura Don (Tendon)
A bowl of pure joy featuring perfectly crisp tempura sitting atop steaming rice, drenched in a light but flavorful sauce that brings everything together.
Ingredients
- 8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Mixed vegetables (sweet potato, eggplant, green beans)
- 3 cups cooked Japanese rice
Tempura Batter:
- 1 cup ice-cold water
- 1 egg
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- Pinch of salt
Tendon Sauce:
- 1/2 cup dashi
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- Prepare tempura batter with ice-cold water
- Dip ingredients and fry at 375°F until crisp
- Make sauce by simmering all ingredients
- Arrange tempura over rice
- Pour hot sauce over just before serving
Oyakodon
The name means “parent-and-child” bowl, referring to the combination of chicken and egg. This heartwarming dish perfectly captures the essence of Japanese home cooking.
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken thighs, diced
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 cups cooked rice
- Mitsuba or green onions for garnish
Sauce:
- 1 cup dashi
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- Simmer onions in sauce until soft
- Add chicken and cook through
- Pour beaten eggs over in a circular pattern
- Cover and cook until eggs are just set
- Serve immediately over hot rice
Saba Shioyaki
This classic preparation of salt-grilled mackerel demonstrates how simple techniques and minimal ingredients can create outstanding flavor.
Ingredients
- 4 mackerel fillets
- Sea salt
- Lemon wedges for serving
- Daikon radish, grated
- Soy sauce for dipping
Instructions
- Salt mackerel generously on both sides
- Let rest for 30 minutes
- Grill skin-side up until halfway cooked
- Flip and finish cooking
- Serve with grated daikon and lemon
FAQ Section
Q: Can I prepare these dishes in advance?
A: While hot pot dishes like Sukiyaki and Shabu-Shabu should be prepared and eaten fresh, many others like Niku Jaga and Buta No Kakuni actually taste better the next day as flavors develop further.
Q: What are good substitutes for hard-to-find Japanese ingredients?
A: Many Japanese ingredients have common substitutes: sake can be replaced with dry white wine, mirin with sweet white wine plus sugar, and dashi can be made with mushroom stock for vegetarian options.
Q: How do I achieve the perfect crispy coating for Tonkatsu and Chicken Karaage?
A: Double-frying at different temperatures is key. For Tonkatsu, use fresh panko breadcrumbs and fry at 350°F (175°C) first, then increase to 375°F (190°C) for the second fry.
Q: What’s the best way to store leftover rice for these donburi dishes?
A: Cool rice quickly and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When reheating, sprinkle with water and microwave covered, or steam briefly.
Q: How do I achieve the perfect tempura batter consistency?
A: The key is using ice-cold water and mixing minimally – lumps are good! Overmixing develops gluten and makes the coating heavy.
Q: Can these dishes be made ahead for meal prep?
A: While hot dishes like tempura should be eaten immediately, items like Buta No Kakuni and Niku Jaga actually improve in flavor overnight.
Q: What’s the best way to slice meat thinly for hot pot dishes?
A: Freeze the meat for 30 minutes until firm but not solid, then slice against the grain with a sharp knife. Many Asian markets also sell pre-sliced meat specifically for hot pot.