Asian Food: 56 Easy Dishes to Cook at Home + Meal Plan

The short answer: Asian food covers dozens of distinct cuisines, and the easiest way to cook it at home is to pick one cuisine, stock five to eight pantry basics and start with a 15- to 30-minute dish. Below are 56 easy dishes in 9 groups, a pantry starter list and a 7-day dinner plan.

Start here: egg fried rice, chicken teriyaki, kimchi fried rice, pad kra pao, chana masala and chicken adobo

Core pantry: soy sauce, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, chili crisp, cornstarch, rice, garlic, ginger and scallions

Plan it: the Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99) keeps your week and your list on the same pages. Free download: recipe book starter pages (we email it to you).

Product prices and food safety facts checked November 12, 2026. Below: 56 dishes by cuisine, a pantry starter list, a 7-day plan with a grocery list, cooking and safety tips, and FAQs.

Asian food at a glance: 56 dishes by cuisine

Cuisine	Dishes	Signature flavors	Easiest first dish
Chinese	9	Soy, ginger, scallion, Shaoxing wine, chili bean paste	Egg fried rice
Japanese	7	Soy, mirin, miso, dashi	Miso soup
Korean	6	Gochujang, gochugaru, sesame, kimchi	Kimchi fried rice
Thai	6	Fish sauce, lime, chiles, basil, coconut	Pad kra pao
Vietnamese	5	Fish sauce, fresh herbs, lime, pickles	Fresh spring rolls
Indian	7	Cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala	Chana masala
Filipino	5	Vinegar, soy, garlic, bay leaf	Chicken adobo
Indonesian, Malaysian and Singaporean	5	Kecap manis, sambal, coconut, lemongrass	Nasi goreng
Asian American favorites	6	Sweet-savory glazes, cornstarch-thickened sauces	Beef and broccoli

Asian cuisine is not one style of cooking. A Sichuan home cook, a Punjabi home cook and a Filipino home cook use different staples and techniques, so the lists below are grouped by cuisine and use each dish's own name. Times are typical active-plus-cook times for a home kitchen.

Chinese food to cook at home

Chinese home cooking ranges from mild Cantonese stir-fries to numbing, spicy Sichuan dishes. A wok helps, but a 12-inch skillet works for every dish here.

#	Dish	What it is	Time
1	Egg fried rice	Cold rice, eggs, scallions and soy sauce fried hot. Full method in our fried rice recipe and shrimp fried rice	15 min
2	Kung pao chicken	Sichuan stir-fry with peanuts, dried chiles and Sichuan peppercorn. See our kung pao chicken	25 min
3	Mapo tofu	Sichuan soft tofu and ground pork in chili bean paste (doubanjiang)	20 min
4	Egg drop soup	Silky egg ribbons in lightly thickened chicken broth. Our egg drop soup takes 10 minutes	10 min
5	Tomato and egg stir-fry	A classic home dish of soft eggs and tomatoes with a pinch of sugar, served over rice	10 min
6	Pork and cabbage dumplings	Boiled jiaozi or pan-fried potstickers; frozen ones cook in minutes	15 min from frozen
7	Scallion pancakes	Flaky pan-fried flatbread layered with scallions and oil	40 min
8	Chow mein	Stir-fried egg noodles with cabbage, carrots, soy and oyster sauce	20 min
9	Smashed cucumber salad	Pai huang gua: cucumbers with garlic, black vinegar and chili oil. Our cucumber salad page has an Asian-style version	10 min

Technique tip: for any Chinese-style stir-fry, cut everything before the pan heats up. Our stir fry guide has the sauce ratio and order of ingredients.

Japanese food to cook at home

Japanese home cooking leans on a few balanced seasonings: soy sauce, mirin, sake, miso and dashi (a quick stock made from kombu and bonito flakes, or instant granules).

#	Dish	What it is	Time
10	Chicken teriyaki	Pan-seared chicken glazed with soy, mirin and sugar. See our teriyaki chicken and homemade teriyaki sauce	20 min
11	Chicken katsu	Panko-crusted cutlet with shredded cabbage and tonkatsu sauce. Our chicken katsu is the full recipe	30 min
12	Miso soup	Dashi with miso, tofu cubes, wakame and scallion; never boil after the miso goes in	10 min
13	Oyakodon	Chicken and egg simmered in sweet dashi-soy broth, spooned over rice	20 min
14	Japanese curry rice	Mild, thick curry from roux blocks with potatoes, carrots and onions	40 min
15	Yaki udon	Thick wheat noodles stir-fried with cabbage, pork or chicken and soy	15 min
16	Miso-glazed salmon	Salmon brushed with miso, mirin and sugar, then broiled until caramelized	15 min

Rice tip: Japanese and Korean dishes use short- or medium-grain rice, which is stickier than jasmine. Rinse it until the water runs mostly clear. Our cooked rice guide covers stovetop ratios.

Korean food to cook at home

Korean cooking is built on fermented flavors: gochujang (chili paste), doenjang (soybean paste), gochugaru (chili flakes) and kimchi.

#	Dish	What it is	Time
17	Bibimbap	Rice bowl topped with seasoned vegetables (namul), beef, a fried egg and gochujang	35 min
18	Bulgogi	Thin-sliced beef in a soy, garlic, sesame and Asian pear marinade, seared hot	20 min + marinating
19	Kimchi fried rice	Kimchi bokkeumbap: well-fermented kimchi fried with rice, topped with an egg	15 min
20	Japchae	Sweet potato glass noodles with vegetables, beef and sesame oil	35 min
21	Sundubu jjigae	Soft tofu stew with gochugaru, vegetables and an egg cracked in at the end	25 min
22	Korean-style ground beef bowl	A weeknight shortcut: ground beef in soy, garlic, ginger and brown sugar over rice	15 min

Shopping tip: older, sour kimchi is best for fried rice and stew. Keep fresh kimchi for the side dish.

Thai food to cook at home

Thai food balances salty, sour, sweet and spicy in one dish, usually with fish sauce, lime, palm sugar and chiles.

#	Dish	What it is	Time
23	Pad thai	Rice noodles stir-fried with tamarind, fish sauce, egg, bean sprouts and peanuts	30 min
24	Pad kra pao	Ground chicken or pork with holy basil and chiles, over rice with a crispy fried egg	15 min
25	Thai red curry	Coconut milk simmered with red curry paste, chicken or tofu, and bamboo shoots or vegetables	25 min
26	Tom kha gai	Coconut chicken soup with galangal, lemongrass, lime leaves and lime	30 min
27	Chicken satay	Turmeric-marinated chicken skewers grilled or broiled. Serve with our peanut sauce	30 min + marinating
28	Pad see ew	Wide rice noodles with Chinese broccoli, egg and dark soy, charred in a hot pan	20 min

Swap tip: if you can't find holy basil, use Thai basil or regular basil. The dish tastes different, but it is still a good dinner.

Vietnamese food to cook at home

Vietnamese cooking is fresh and herb-heavy, with lots of lettuce, mint, cilantro, pickled vegetables and nuoc cham (fish sauce, lime, sugar, garlic and chile).

#	Dish	What it is	Time
29	Pho	Rice noodle soup in beef broth spiced with star anise, cinnamon and charred onion and ginger	45 min shortcut; 3+ hours traditional
30	Banh mi	Baguette sandwich with pickled carrot and daikon, cilantro, jalapeño and grilled pork or tofu	30 min
31	Fresh spring rolls	Goi cuon: rice paper rolled around shrimp, vermicelli, lettuce and herbs	30 min
32	Lemongrass pork vermicelli bowl	Bun thit nuong: grilled pork over rice noodles and herbs, dressed with nuoc cham	35 min
33	Caramelized braised pork	Thit kho: pork and hard-boiled eggs braised in caramel, fish sauce and coconut water	1 hour

Indian food to cook at home

Indian food is many regional cuisines. Most home curries start the same way: bloom whole or ground spices in oil or ghee, then cook down onion, garlic, ginger and tomato into a masala base.

#	Dish	What it is	Time
34	Butter chicken	Murgh makhani: tandoori-style chicken in a tomato, butter and cream sauce. See our butter chicken	40 min
35	Chicken curry	Chicken simmered in an onion-tomato masala. Our chicken curry is weeknight friendly	45 min
36	Chana masala	Chickpeas in a spiced tomato-onion gravy, finished with garam masala	30 min
37	Dal tadka	Yellow lentils topped with spices sizzled in ghee (the tadka)	35 min
38	Palak paneer	Spinach puree with cubes of fresh paneer cheese	35 min
39	Aloo gobi	Dry-style potato and cauliflower with turmeric and cumin	30 min
40	Chicken biryani	Layered spiced basmati rice and marinated chicken, steamed together	75 min

Spice tip: buy whole cumin and coriander seeds if you can. They keep their flavor longer than ground spices, and a quick toast in a dry pan wakes them up.

Filipino food to cook at home

Filipino cooking blends Malay, Chinese and Spanish influences. Vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and calamansi (a small citrus) show up again and again.

#	Dish	What it is	Time
41	Chicken adobo	Chicken braised in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves and black peppercorns	45 min
42	Pancit bihon	Thin rice noodles stir-fried with chicken, cabbage, carrots and soy	30 min
43	Lumpiang shanghai	Slim fried spring rolls filled with ground pork and vegetables	45 min
44	Sinigang	Sour tamarind soup with pork, radish, green beans and leafy greens	1 hour
45	Chicken tinola	Ginger chicken soup with green papaya or chayote and leafy greens	45 min

Make-ahead tip: adobo tastes even better on day two, and the leftovers make great fried rice.

Indonesian, Malaysian and Singaporean food

These cuisines share coconut, lemongrass, chiles and shrimp paste, and many dishes cross borders.

#	Dish	What it is	Time
46	Nasi goreng	Indonesian fried rice with kecap manis (sweet soy), sambal and a fried egg	20 min
47	Mee goreng	Spicy fried yellow noodles with vegetables, egg and tofu or chicken	20 min
48	Beef rendang	Slow-cooked dry coconut curry from the Minangkabau region of Sumatra	3 hours
49	Hainanese chicken rice	Poached chicken with rice cooked in chicken broth, ginger-scallion sauce and chili sauce	1 hour
50	Curry laksa	Coconut curry noodle soup with tofu puffs, shrimp or chicken	40 min

Asian American favorites

These dishes were created or reshaped by Asian American cooks and restaurants. They are takeout classics in their own right, and they are easy to make at home.

#	Dish	Where it comes from	Make it at home
51	Orange chicken	Created at Panda Express in the 1980s	Our orange chicken
52	Beef and broccoli	Chinese American restaurant classic	Our beef and broccoli
53	Sesame chicken	Chinese American, sweet soy glaze with sesame seeds	Our sesame chicken
54	General Tso's chicken	A Hunan-style dish reshaped by American Chinese restaurants	Use the sesame chicken method with dried chiles and more vinegar
55	Egg roll in a bowl	American low-carb skillet version of the egg roll filling	Our egg roll in a bowl
56	Sushi bake	Casserole take on a California roll, popular in Hawaii and the Philippines	Our sushi bake

More ideas: our tofu recipes and rice recipes pages include several Asian-style dinners.

Asian pantry starter list

You don't need 30 bottles. Buy the core list first, then add one cuisine's extras at a time, when a recipe you want calls for them.

Level	Buy	Used in
Core (every cuisine above)	Soy sauce (reduced-sodium works), rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, chili crisp or sriracha, cornstarch, neutral oil, jasmine rice, garlic, ginger, scallions, eggs	Fried rice, stir-fries, teriyaki, noodle dishes
Chinese	Oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, doubanjiang, Chinese black vinegar, five-spice	Mapo tofu, chow mein, kung pao, cucumber salad
Japanese	Mirin, white miso, dashi granules, panko, short-grain rice	Miso soup, katsu, oyakodon, miso salmon
Korean	Gochujang, gochugaru, kimchi, toasted sesame seeds	Bibimbap, kimchi fried rice, sundubu jjigae
Thai and Vietnamese	Fish sauce, red curry paste, canned coconut milk, limes, rice noodles, rice paper	Pad thai, red curry, spring rolls, vermicelli bowls
Indian	Cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala, chili powder, ghee, basmati rice, canned tomatoes, dried lentils, canned chickpeas	Chana masala, dal, curry, biryani
Filipino	Cane or white vinegar, bay leaves, whole black peppercorns, rice noodles (bihon)	Adobo, pancit, tinola
Indonesian and Malaysian	Kecap manis, sambal oelek, lemongrass	Nasi goreng, mee goreng, laksa

Storage tip: refrigerate oyster sauce, fish sauce, gochujang, miso and curry paste after opening, and check each label. Keep a pantry inventory list so you don't buy a second bottle of something you already have, and see pantry organization for where to put it all.

7-day Asian dinner plan

This week uses one bag of jasmine rice, one pack of chicken thighs, one block of tofu and the core pantry. Monday makes extra rice on purpose, so Wednesday's fried rice starts with cold rice.

Day	Dinner	Cuisine	Planned leftover
Mon	Chicken teriyaki (#10) with rice and steamed broccoli	Japanese	Cook a double batch of rice
Tue	Egg drop soup (#4) and frozen dumplings (#6)	Chinese	None
Wed	Kimchi fried rice (#19) with Monday's rice	Korean	None
Thu	Chana masala (#36) over rice	Indian	Lunch for one or two
Fri	Pad kra pao (#24) with ground chicken and a fried egg	Thai	None
Sat	Chicken adobo (#41), double batch	Filipino	Half for Sunday
Sun	Adobo fried rice with the leftover adobo and a cucumber salad (#9)	Filipino and Chinese	Reset for next week

Want a template to copy this onto? The Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99) has a weekly menu page and a matching list. For the method behind it, see how to meal plan.

Grocery list for the 7-day plan

Assumes the core pantry above is already stocked. Amounts are for about four servings a night.

Section	Buy	Used in
Protein	3 lb boneless chicken thighs · 1 lb ground chicken · 1 bag frozen dumplings · 1 dozen eggs	Mon, Sat, Sun · Fri · Tue · Tue, Wed, Fri
Canned and dry	2 cans chickpeas · 1 can diced tomatoes · 1 quart chicken broth · jasmine rice	Thu · Tue
Produce	2 heads broccoli · 2 cucumbers · 1 onion · 2 heads garlic · 1 large knob ginger · 2 bunches scallions · 1 bunch basil · 2 to 3 fresh chiles	All week
Refrigerated	1 jar kimchi	Wed
Spices and extras	Mirin · fish sauce · cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala · bay leaves and whole peppercorns · white or cane vinegar	Mon · Fri · Thu · Sat

Pricing your list? Check it against a grocery price book, and see how to grocery shop on a budget for store-by-store habits.

Cooking tips for easy Asian recipes

Prep before the heat. Stir-fries cook in minutes, so slice the protein, mix the sauce and chop the aromatics first.
Cook in batches. An overcrowded pan steams meat instead of searing it. Cook the protein, set it aside, then cook the vegetables.
Thicken with cornstarch. Mix 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water and stir it into the sauce at the end.
Use a thermometer. FoodSafety.gov lists 165°F for chicken and other poultry, 160°F for ground pork and beef, 145°F for fish (or until it flakes) and 165°F for leftovers. Thin strips cook fast, so check a thick piece.
Season at the end. Soy sauce, fish sauce and curry pastes vary by brand. Taste before adding more.

Leftover rice and food safety

Fried rice is the best use of leftover rice, but rice has to be stored right. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service says to refrigerate cooked food within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), cool it in shallow containers and eat leftovers within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them. Spread hot rice on a sheet pan to cool, then refrigerate it in a covered container.

Watching the sodium

Soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, instant noodle seasoning and many jarred sauces are high in sodium. The FDA puts the Daily Value at less than 2,300 mg a day and notes that Americans average about 3,400 mg. Easy fixes: use reduced-sodium soy sauce, add more vegetables so a little sauce coats more food, and use half the seasoning packet in instant noodles.

Plan your Asian food week

A short plan beats a full pantry. Pick four or five dinners from the 56 above, choose ones that share fresh ingredients like ginger, scallions and basil, and write the grocery list from the plan.

Plan the week: Meal Planner & Grocery List, a $3.99 printable with weekly menu and grocery pages.
Save the recipes that work: Family Recipe Binder, $6.99 printable recipe pages and cards. Write your sauce ratios and spice level down once.
Give groceries a budget line: Budget Planner Printable, $5.99 monthly budget pages.
Browse all Printables, or get the free recipe book starter pages (we email it to you).

Want more weeknight ideas? See easy dinner ideas and quick dinner ideas. Cooking on a tight budget? Cheap meal ideas and meal planning on a budget show the money side, and the budget categories list helps you give food its own line.

Make it easier

Tools for this

HomeBase Meal Planner & Grocery List cover, a printable PDF you download instantly

Starter pick

Printables

Meal Planner & Grocery List

Weekly meals, a grocery list sorted by aisle, and pantry and freezer inventories so you shop once and waste less.

$3.99Buy

Printables

Family Recipe Binder

Section dividers, four recipe page layouts with room for the family story, 4x6 and 3x5 cards and a conversion chart - print it or type into the fillable version.

$6.99Buy

Printables

Budget Planner Printable

Twelve undated pages you can print every month: budget, bills, spending, savings and debt.

$5.99Buy

Frequently asked questions

What counts as Asian food? Asian food is the cooking of the many countries across Asia, not one single cuisine. In the U.S. the phrase usually means East Asian (Chinese, Japanese, Korean), Southeast Asian (Thai, Vietnamese, Filipino, Indonesian, Malaysian) and South Asian (Indian and its neighbors) dishes, though West and Central Asian food is Asian too. Each region has its own staples, sauces and techniques.

What are the most popular Asian dishes to make at home? The most popular Asian dishes to make at home are fried rice, stir-fries, chicken teriyaki, pad thai, butter chicken, chicken adobo, bibimbap and noodle soups like pho or ramen. They use pantry sauces and quick cooking methods, and most of them work with chicken, tofu or shrimp, so they fit an ordinary weeknight.

What is the easiest Asian food for beginners? Egg fried rice is the easiest Asian food for beginners. You need cold cooked rice, eggs, scallions, soy sauce and a hot pan, and it is done in about 15 minutes. After that, try miso soup, chicken teriyaki, chicken adobo and chana masala, which all use simple steps and forgiving timing.

What sauces do I need to cook Asian food? Start with five bottles: soy sauce, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, a chili sauce or chili crisp, and either oyster sauce or fish sauce. With fresh garlic, ginger and scallions, those cover most Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Southeast Asian weeknight dishes. Add cuisine-specific items like gochujang, mirin, curry paste or garam masala as you go.

What is the difference between Asian cuisine and Asian American food? Asian cuisine is the cooking of countries in Asia, while Asian American food grew out of immigrant cooks adapting dishes for American ingredients and diners. Orange chicken, beef and broccoli and egg roll in a bowl are American creations with Asian roots. Both are real food; it just helps to know which one you are cooking.

Is Asian food healthy? Many Asian dishes are built on vegetables, rice, tofu, fish and lean meat, so home-cooked Asian food can be a balanced meal. The main thing to watch is sodium from soy sauce, fish sauce and packaged sauces. The FDA says adults should keep sodium under 2,300 mg a day, so use reduced-sodium soy sauce and add vegetables to stretch the sauce.

What rice is best for Asian dishes? Use jasmine rice for Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and Filipino dishes, short- or medium-grain rice for Japanese and Korean dishes, and basmati for Indian dishes. For fried rice, any long-grain rice works best cold from the fridge, because the dry grains fry instead of steaming.

How long does leftover rice last in the fridge? Leftover cooked rice keeps 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, like other leftovers. The USDA says to refrigerate cooked food within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), cool it in shallow containers and reheat it to 165°F. If you will not use it by day 3, freeze it flat in a bag for later fried rice.

Can I make Asian food on a budget? Yes, many Asian dishes are budget friendly because rice, noodles, eggs, tofu, lentils and cabbage stretch a little meat a long way. Dal, chana masala, egg fried rice, chicken adobo with thighs, and kimchi fried rice are all built on low-cost staples. Track your own receipts in a price book to see which ones are cheapest where you shop.

What Asian dishes are vegetarian? Vegetarian Asian dishes include chana masala, dal, palak paneer, aloo gobi, vegetable japchae, miso soup with tofu and mapo tofu made with mushrooms instead of pork. Many Southeast Asian recipes use fish sauce, so swap in soy sauce or a vegetarian fish sauce if you avoid seafood.

What is the best meal planner for cooking Asian food at home? The Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99) from HomeBase Paper Co. is a good fit for cooking Asian food at home because you plan the week and write the grocery list on matching pages. That makes it easy to see when three dinners share one bag of rice, one knob of ginger and one bunch of scallions.

Where can I save the Asian recipes my family likes? Save them in the Family Recipe Binder ($6.99), a printable recipe binder with recipe pages and cards from HomeBase Paper Co. Write down your sauce ratios and spice level once, so dinner tastes the same every time. You can also start with our free recipe book starter pages, which we email to you.

How do I budget for groceries when I cook more Asian food? Give pantry sauces and spices their own small line for the first month, because they cost more up front but last for many meals. The Budget Planner Printable ($5.99) from HomeBase Paper Co. has monthly pages for groceries and other categories, and our meal planning on a budget guide shows how to plan the week around what you already have.

What temperature should chicken be for stir-fry and curry? Chicken is safe at 165°F in any dish, including stir-fries, curries and teriyaki, according to FoodSafety.gov. Ground pork and beef need 160°F, and fish needs 145°F or should flake easily. Thin stir-fry strips cook fast, so check one of the thickest pieces with an instant-read thermometer.

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Sources

FoodSafety.gov: Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures foodsafety.gov
USDA FSIS: Leftovers and Food Safety fsis.usda.gov
FDA: Sodium in Your Diet fda.gov

Asian food at home: 56 easy dishes by cuisine, a pantry list and a 7-day plan

Asian food at a glance: 56 dishes by cuisine

Chinese food to cook at home

Japanese food to cook at home

Korean food to cook at home

Thai food to cook at home

Vietnamese food to cook at home

Indian food to cook at home

Filipino food to cook at home

Indonesian, Malaysian and Singaporean food

Asian American favorites

Asian pantry starter list