Japanese recipe ideas that go beyond sushi

Teriyaki chicken

Prepared using skinless boneless chicken thigh or breast, this teriyaki dish can be cooked up in minutes. Stir-fry the meat and bathe or glaze in teriyaki sauce—an inspired combination of soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, honey, sesame oil, mirin, and water.   

Katsu don chicken

A traditional Japanese staple, katsu don is a crispy fried chicken cutlet coated with a savory umami onion and egg sauce and served on a bed of rice. 

Kakuni bossam

Kakuni is braised pork belly. Tender chunks of succulent meat are coated in a savory soy sauce glaze and seasoned with sake, mirin, and dashi (Japanese soup stock). The dish is served with hard-boiled eggs.   

Edamame

Edamame are bright green, immature soybeans and a favorite snack in Japanese bars. A popular variation is edamame shichimi where the beans are fried and served with togarashi (spice) seasoning. 

Tsukune

Tsukune is a Japanese chicken meatball. Finely chopped garden vegetables are mixed into the minced meat to taste, and sweet soy sauce added as a glaze. 

Teriyaki salmon

Besides meats, teriyaki sauce complements all sorts of fish and seafood. Try it with salmon, along with corn salad, pickled carrots, and radishes. As a special treat add sliced avocado, a vegetable not easily available in Japan. 

Ramen

Ramen is a noodle soup dish, and there are a variety of exciting ways it can be served up. Try tuna steak ramen, a combo of fried tuna steak and noodles with miso sauce and wakame seaweed. 

Miso soup with duck

This miso soup idea features tender duck breast with soba noodles, again with wakame seaweed and a dash of lime. 

Nasu dengaku

Nasu dengaku is a delicious Japanese dish made from eggplant (aubergine) coated in a tasty sweet miso glaze. 

Tempura

Tempura is a typical Japanese dish of deep-fried pieces or slices of meat, fish, and/or vegetables. Tempura fried prawns with dark soy sauce are a delicious snack option.

Sashimi

Sashimi is a traditional Japanese delicacy of raw fish or meat sliced into thin pieces and typically served with daikon radish, pickled ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce. Pictured is hamachi sashimi, a dish of raw sliced hamachi (yellowtail fish). 

Donburi

Donburi is a Japanese rice bowl dish for those with hearty appetites. It consists of fish, meat, vegetables, or other ingredients simmered together and served over rice. 

Sukiyaki

Similar to oden and prepared in the same fashion is sukiyaki. This is another winter warmer, a dish comprising slices of seared beef in a delectable sukiyaki broth, normally made from soy sauce, sake, mirin rice wine, and sugar. 

Kake udon

Udon is another Japanese noodle variety, this one thick, chewy, and traditionally made from wheat flour and brine water. Kake udon pairs udon noodles with a subtle yet satisfying dashi broth. Simple!  

Kaiseki

Looking to splurge Japanese-style? Kaiseki is a traditional multi-course dinner where a set menu of select cuisine is served on an individual tray. The sequence of dishes is often small and artistically arranged.

Onigiri wrapped in nori seaweed

Onigiri is Japan's on-the-go snack, rice balls wrapped in nori seaweed. Normally made with a filling in the center, they've been eating these for centuries.