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Home » Weeknight Meals

Japanese Weeknight Meal Recipes

Make dinner simple with easy Japanese weeknight meal recipes. Try favorites like teriyaki chicken, oyakodon, yakisoba, and gyudon (beef bowl). These dishes cook quickly and use everyday ingredients.

Perfect for busy nights, these meals are flavorful and easy to clean up—great for home cooks of any level.

A Japanese shabu-shabu hot pot setup with a donabe pot, thinly sliced beef, tofu, assorted mushrooms, vegetables, udon noodles, and dipping sauces arranged on a wooden table.

Shabu Shabu Recipe (Video)しゃぶしゃぶ

4.70 from 96 votes
A Le Creuset pot containing Mille-Feuille Nabe, which is a hot pot dish with layers of pork belly slices and napa cabbage slices in a dashi broth.

Mille-Feuille Nabe ミルフィーユ鍋

4.76 from 132 votes
A bowl containing ahi tuna and salmon poke along with edamame, avocado, sushi ginger, and radish over bed of steamed rice.

Poke Bowl Recipe

4.78 from 61 votes
A rectangular plate containing Miso Glazed Eggplant garnished with yuzu kosho paste on a green maple leaf on the side.

Miso Glazed Eggplant 茄子の味噌焼き

4.70 from 118 votes
A white bowl containing Katsudon, pork cutlet rice bowl, where golden brown tonkatsu, drizzled egg, and tender onion are simmered in a savory dashi broth.

Katsudon (Pork Cutlet Rice Bowl) (Video) かつ丼

4.75 from 51 votes
An oval-shaped plate holds a comforting serving of Japanese cream stew, featuring tender chicken, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, and broccoli in a rich, creamy white sauce. The stew is generously ladled over a bed of fluffy steamed rice, creating a hearty and satisfying meal.

Easy Cream Stew (Video)

5 from 2 votes
Japanese ceramic plates containing Tonkatsu (pork cutlet) and shredded cabbage salad.

Tonkatsu (Japanese Pork Cutlet) (Video) とんかつ

4.68 from 303 votes
Yaki Udon (Japanese Stir-Fried Udon Noodles) being pulled out with chopsticks.

Yaki Udon (Stir-Fried Udon Noodles) (Video) 焼きうどん

4.68 from 177 votes
A Japanese meal consisting of small dishes or bowls, each plating Teriyaki Salmon, steamed rice, miso soup, pickles, tamagoyaki, and green bean gomaae.

Teriyaki Salmon (Video) 鮭の照り焼き

4.82 from 376 votes
A bowl containing Chicken Teriyaki glazed with homemade teriyaki sauce on the bed of steamed rice.

Chicken Teriyaki (Video) チキン照り焼き

4.76 from 380 votes
Donburi rice bowls containing gyudon, simmered beef and onions over steamed rice.

Gyudon (Japanese Beef Rice Bowl) (Video) 牛丼

4.74 from 505 votes
A bowl containing mapo tofu over steamed rice.

Mapo Tofu (Mabo Dofu) (Video) 麻婆豆腐

4.76 from 327 votes
Round plates containing shrimp yakisoba.

Shrimp Yakisoba 海老焼きそば

5 from 3 votes
A large ceramic donburi rice bowl containing Sukiyaki Don, thinly sliced beef, tofu, and vegetables simmered in a savory dashi soy broth and served over steamed rice.

Sukiyaki Don すき焼き丼

5 from 4 votes
A round bowl containing Niku Miso, a savory Japanese ground pork dish seasoned with miso, mirin, and aromatics.

Easy Niku Miso (Video)

5 from 6 votes
White scalloped plates containing negiyaki, a savory Japanese scallion pancake.

Negiyaki (Japanese Scallion Pancake) (Video) ねぎ焼き

5 from 4 votes
A large blue and white bowl containing udon noodle soup topped with fish cake, bok choy, fish cakes, and jammy soft boiled eggs in a savory dashi broth.

Easy Udon Noodle Soup (Video)

5 from 2 votes
A donburi bowl containing mapo tofu over bed of steamed rice, served with a small bowl of miso soup and a glass of green tea.

Easy Mapo Tofu (Video)

5 from 5 votes
A black round plate containing metaiko pasta - Japanese spaghetti with spicy salted cod roe topped with julienned shiso and shredded nori seaweed.

Easy Mentaiko Pasta (Video)

4.34 from 3 votes
A round plate containing Japanese chicken curry over steamed rice, garnished with fukujinzuke pickles.

Easy Japanese Curry (Video)

4.75 from 4 votes
A Japanese ceramic bowl containing Oyakodon, a chicken and egg rice bowl dish garnish with green onion.

Easy Oyakodon (Chicken and Egg Bowl) (Video)

4.88 from 8 votes
An olive colored oval plate containing Yaki Udon, Japanese stir-fried udon noodles with chicken and vegetables.

Easy Yaki Udon (Video)

5 from 3 votes
An oval plate containing Napolitan (Japanese Ketchup Spaghetti).

Easy Napolitan (Japanese Ketchup Spaghetti) (Video)

5 from 1 vote
A white ramen bowl containing Korean ramen (ramyeon), topped with soft-cooked egg, kimchi, and green onions.

10 Minute Meal – Instant Ramen Recipe (Video)

4.67 from 3 votes
A plate containing butter shoyu chicken, broccoli, and tomatoes.

Butter Shoyu Chicken バター醤油チキン

4.78 from 166 votes
Shio Koji Chicken on a oval plate.

Shio Koji Chicken 塩麹チキン

4.72 from 50 votes
A donburi bowl containing grilled eel fillet over steamed rice.

Unadon (Grilled Eel Rice Bowl) (Video) 鰻丼

4.78 from 63 votes
A glass plate containing cold natto udon topped with kimchi, onsen tamago, blanched okra, fresh cucumber, and grated nagaimo.

Cold Natto Udon

5 from 2 votes
A bowl containing Mazesoba (Mazemen), Japanese Brothless Ramen, topped with seasoned minced meat, green onion, garlic chives, nori seaweed, crushed garlic, and katsuobushi powder.

Mazesoba (Mazemen) 台湾まぜそば

4.67 from 33 votes
A glass bowl containing cold somen noodles with dipping sauce.

Japanese Cold Somen Noodles そうめん

4.79 from 38 votes
A white plate containing chicken katsu with tonkatsu sauce and shredded cabbage with sesame dressing.

Chicken Katsu (Video) チキンカツ

4.70 from 100 votes
White ceramic bowls containing Bacon Asparagus Miso Soup topped with a slice of butter.

Bacon Asparagus Miso Soup

5 from 12 votes
A white plate containing Japanese Pasta with Shrimp and Broccolini.

Japanese-style Shrimp and Broccolini Pasta 海老とブロッコリーニの和風パスタ

4.74 from 46 votes
A plate containing panko-coated, fried horse mackerel fillets and a bed of shredded cabbage salad.

Fried Horse Mackerel (Aji Fry) あじのフライ

4.67 from 3 votes
A white ceramic plate containing Okonomiyaki, a savory Japanese cabbage pancake topped with okonomi sauce, Kewpie mayo, and bonito flakes.

Okonomiyaki Recipe (Video) お好み焼き

4.73 from 710 votes
A white plate containing Broiled Miso Salmon served over ginger rice.

Miso Salmon (Video) 味噌サーモン

4.76 from 614 votes
A white ceramic bowl containing Instant Pot Short Ribs with daikon and carrots pressure cooked in a savory sauce.

Instant Pot Short Ribs (Video) 牛バラ肉と大根煮

4.88 from 115 votes
A fluted plate containing Yakisoba (Japanese Stir-Fried Noodles).

Yakisoba (Japanese Stir-Fried Noodles)(Video) 焼きそば

4.81 from 413 votes
A bowl of Vegetarian Ramen topped with ajitama (soy marinated egg), spicy bean sprouts, corn, and a green veggie.

Vegetarian Ramen (Video) 豆乳味噌ラーメン

4.82 from 391 votes
A Japanese donburi bowl containing Yakiniku Don, where pan-grilled well-marbled beef is coated with Japanese BBQ sauce and served over a bed of steamed rice.

Yakiniku Don (Japanese Grilled Beef Bowl) 焼肉丼

5 from 3 votes
A white plate containing Stir-Fried Garlic Chives and Egg Over Rice.

Niratama Donburi (Garlic Chives and Egg Over Rice) (Video) ニラ玉

4.82 from 32 votes
A fluted plate containing baked Tonkatsu drizzled with tonkatsu sauce, shredded cabbage, cucumber slices, and tomato wedges.

Baked Tonkatsu (Video) 揚げないとんかつ

4.82 from 223 votes
Dipping the grilled beef in the homemade Yakiniku Sauce.

Yakiniku (Japanese BBQ) 焼肉

4.67 from 6 votes
A white bowl containing Shiso Pesto Pasta garnished with shaved Parmesan cheese and shiso leaves.

Shiso Pesto Pasta (Video) 大葉ジェノベーゼパスタ

4.67 from 9 votes
Colorful plates containing Okinawa Taco Rice with flavorful taco fixings served on a bed of hot Japanese white rice.

Okinawa Taco Rice (Video) タコライス

4.81 from 86 votes
A white plate containing Baked Chicken Katsu (Japanese Chicken Cutlets) and shredded cabbage salad.

Baked Chicken Katsu 揚げないチキンカツ

4.79 from 216 votes
A cast-iron pan containing Steak Garlic Rice topped with chopped scallions and garlic chips.

Steak Garlic Rice

4.69 from 64 votes
Ramen bowls containing Spicy Shoyu Ramen topped with chashu, marinated egg (ajitama), fish cake, scallions, and nori.

Spicy Shoyu Ramen ピリ辛醤油ラーメン

4.73 from 140 votes
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