Japanese recipes

Looking for Japanese recipes? Want the best ramen? Try our ideas and twists here.

Create your own sushi spread, including temaki rolls and sashimi. Or tuck into comforting family dishes, from hearty ramen to plenty of Japanese curry ideas. We’ve even included a step-by-step guide to the perfect dashi and a sake cocktail or two. Pair with a bottle of Japanese rice wine – here’s everything you need to know about sake.

Try Japanese chef Luiz Hara’s Nikkei dishes. Nikkei is a Peruvian-Japanese fusion food. Read more about it in Luiz’s book Nikkei Cuisine: Japanese food the South American way.

Tuck into your Japanese food and escape through your earphones with our foodie Japanese travel podcast.

Not spotted your favourite Japanese dish? Do you know an awesome Japanese chef or food writer that you’d like to see featured here? Email us or contact us on social media at @olivemagazine to let us know!

Want to escape abroad through your kitchen? Try our top 10 travel-inspired dishes.

Easy Japanese recipes

Zaru soba

This six-ingredient Japanese recipe comes from Masaki Sugisaki of Dinings SW3. You can buy dried soba noodles in some supermarkets, Japanese grocery stores and online.

Endomame korroke (Japanese croquettes)

Bring alluring Japanese flavours to the table with these crunchy prawn croquettes by Angelo Sato’s London yakitori bar Humble Chicken.

Chicken thigh yakitori

Try your hand at chicken yakitori this weekend for a moreish meaty side dish, brought to you by Angelo Sato’s London izakaya-style restaurant, Humble Chicken.

Bone Daddies’ spicy miso ramen

This spicy miso ramen is from the hip Japanese ramen restaurant Bone Daddies. It takes a little time but the result is worth it: rich pork broth with noodles and exotic ingredients. Prepare and marinade the eggs and the meat the night before for best results.

Celeriac katsu sando

Take your sandwiches up a notch with our impressive and crunchy celeriac katsu sando. This moreish Japanese-style sandwich may take a bit of effort but it’s well worth the wait, plus it’s veggie too.

Yakitori chicken skewers with miso

This Japanese-style glaze is ideal for grilled meat, poultry or fish. It is so easy to make – the mix of miso, sugar and mirin makes these healthy chicken skewers deliciously sticky.

Easy okonomiyaki

These trendy Japanese-style savoury pancakes are popping up everywhere and are a brilliant way to use summer cabbage. This is a super-simplified version.

Temaki (sushi rice hand rolls)

Packed with plenty of fresh and crunchy veg, these vegan hand rolls are an easy lunch time treat.

Grilled Little Gem lettuce with tosazu dressing

This recipe comes from Chinese chef Larkin Cen and is served at his Bristol restaurant Woky Ko: Kaiju. Lettuce is grilled and then dressed in a sauce of soy, mirin and rice vinegar. Try it as a fancy BBQ side or as part of an Asian-inspired feast.

King prawn yaki soba

Check out our take on the classic Japanese recipe, yaki soba. We’ve used king prawns, but you can easily change things up with chicken or strips of beef if you like. It’s the sauce that really makes this.

Quick Japanese-style rice salad

Marmite chicken

Check out Luiz Hara’s crunchy marmite chicken with a quick cucumber pickle. This simple but moreish dish is packed with flavour for an easy flavour hit.

Dashi

Onigirazu (sushi sandwich)

Switch up your usual sarnie for our sushi sandwich with soft sashimi tuna, pickled fiery ginger and crunchy veg.

Japanese chicken, broccoli and mushroom curry

Add white miso and soy sauce to your curry for an umami-rich midweek meal, packed with chicken and veggies.

Yaki udon noodles

Stir-fries are the best quick meal. Get all your ingredients ready then the cooking takes minutes – this dish is ready in 20 minutes. Leave out the Worcestershire sauce for a vegetarian version.

Whole chicken shoyu ramen

They say good things come to those that wait and this chicken ramen recipe is no exception to the rule. This dish takes a few hours to make, but it’s definitely worth the wait for a healthy, flavour-packed dinner.

Chicken katsu curry

If you always order the katsu curry when you eat out in Japanese restaurants, you’ll be surprised to learn how easy it is to make at home. This is a chicken and pea version to try as a twist.

Seared tuna tataki 

This simple Japanese dish is super-healthy and will have your tastebuds singing. Ask your fishmonger for sashimi-grade tuna.

Miso mackerel with chilli brown rice

Try our quick Japanese-style recipe for mackerel. Grilling is an easy way to cook oily fish and the miso-mirin marinade takes minutes to make. Serve with brown rice.

Tsukune with Japanese-style quinoa

Peruvian-Japanese fusion food is called Nikkei and this recipe for tsukune with Japanese-style quinoa is a great, easy way to try it at home.

Spicy squid with Japanese BBQ sauce

This Japanese-style spicy squid is a great new way to serve squid in summer time.

Sake martini

Swap vermouth for sake in this Japanese-inspired take on the classic cocktail.