23 Asian-Inspired Dishes With Mains, Soups, Salads, and Appetizers
Planning an Asian-inspired menu gets difficult when everyone wants a different format. These 23 recipes cover crisp appetizers, light soups, noodle and rice mains, fresh salads, curries, fried chicken, and a quick sauce. The range moves across Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indo-Chinese, and Indian influences without forcing the whole table into one kind of dish. Use the quicker bowls and stir-fries for weeknights, or pair an appetizer, soup, and main for a fuller spread.
Scallion Pancakes
Layered and crisp around the edges, Scallion Pancakes take 1 hour 10 minutes including a 30-minute dough rest and make four pancakes. Flour, chopped scallions, and peanut oil create the coiled layers, while soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar form the dipping sauce. Slice each pancake into wedges while hot so the outside stays crunchy and the center remains tender. They work well beside soup, fried rice, or a larger appetizer spread.
Get the Recipe: Scallion Pancakes
Chinese Salt & Pepper Shrimp
Crunchy coating and fresh chile heat give Chinese Salt & Pepper Shrimp a strong place on either the appetizer table or the dinner plate. The 35-minute recipe serves four, using large shrimp, Thai chiles, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, flour, cornstarch, scallions, and cracked peppercorns. Frying in small batches keeps the coating crisp before the shrimp are tossed with the aromatics. Serve immediately with rice or crisp vegetables to balance the heat.
Get the Recipe: Chinese Salt & Pepper Shrimp
Miso Soup
Light broth with soft tofu makes Miso Soup an easy first course that does not crowd the rest of the menu. It takes 25 minutes and serves four with dashi, red miso paste, nori, green chard, green onions, and firm tofu. The miso goes in after the pot leaves the heat, which keeps its flavor from turning harsh. Pair each bowl with noodles, rice, or a crisp appetizer for a simple lunch or dinner.
Get the Recipe: Miso Soup
Shrimp Spring Rolls
Wrapped for easy sharing, Shrimp Spring Rolls make ten rolls in 35 minutes. Rice paper holds shrimp, thin rice noodles, lettuce, carrots, red cabbage, cucumber, and cilantro, with a peanut, soy sauce, and rice vinegar dip on the side. The contrast between chilled vegetables and tender shrimp keeps each roll light but substantial. Arrange them on a platter for lunch, parties, or an appetizer course before a richer main.
Get the Recipe: Shrimp Spring Rolls
Black Bean Noodles
Glossy sauce clings to every strand in Black Bean Noodles, a 35-minute main that serves three. Pork belly, cabbage, onions, garlic, ginger, and Korean black bean paste cook into a thick sauce before fresh udon noodles are folded through. Julienned cucumber and sliced scallions add a cool, crisp finish against the rich noodles. This works best as a full dinner bowl, especially when served right away while the sauce is still loose and shiny.
Get the Recipe: Black Bean Noodles
Chinese Steamed Chicken
Gentle steaming keeps Chinese Steamed Chicken tender while building flavor without a fried coating. The 30-minute recipe serves four with boneless chicken thighs, shiitake mushrooms, ginger, green onions, light soy sauce, and sesame oil. A hot oil pour releases the ginger and scallion aroma before the sauce is spooned over sliced chicken. Serve it with steamed rice or noodles when the menu needs a lighter main that still carries a savory sauce.
Get the Recipe: Chinese Steamed Chicken
Yakisoba
Fast wok cooking gives Yakisoba tender noodles, browned chicken, and vegetables that keep some bite. It serves four in 25 minutes with yakisoba noodles, chicken breast, onion, carrot, shiitake mushrooms, cabbage, and green onions. Oyster sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, and brown sugar form the quick coating sauce. Bring it straight to the table for a weeknight main, or portion it into containers for lunches that reheat without needing extra sides.
Get the Recipe: Yakisoba
Seaweed Salad
Refreshing and pleasantly chewy, Seaweed Salad gives fried or sauced mains a lighter counterpoint. It takes 5 minutes and serves two, combining wakame with sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, shallot, and toasted sesame seeds. A short rest lets the dressing soak into the strands without softening them too much. Serve it chilled with sushi bowls, grilled fish, noodles, or rice when the plate needs something fresh and bright.
Get the Recipe: Seaweed Salad
Spicy Tuna Bowl
Temperature and texture contrast make Spicy Tuna Bowl a 25-minute meal for four. Canned tuna is mixed with mayonnaise, sriracha, soy sauce, sesame oil, and lime juice, then spooned over sushi rice with cucumber, nori, green onions, and sesame seeds. Keeping the rice, tuna, and vegetables separate until serving protects their textures. It is a practical lunch or dinner when individual bowls need to come together quickly.
Get the Recipe: Spicy Tuna Bowl
Crispy Sesame Chicken
Crisp pieces beneath a glossy sauce give Crispy Sesame Chicken its mix of crunch, sweetness, and savory depth. The 30-minute recipe serves four, coating chicken breast in cornstarch, egg, and seasoned flour before adding a sauce of sesame oil, garlic, rice vinegar, honey, sweet chile sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Finish with sesame seeds and scallions. Serve over boiled rice while the chicken is still crisp beneath the sauce.
Get the Recipe: Crispy Sesame Chicken
Egg Drop Soup
Silky egg ribbons move through the broth in Egg Drop Soup, a 20-minute appetizer that serves four. Eggs and cornstarch create the ribbons, while sesame oil, ginger, garlic, black pepper, Sichuan pepper, and chicken broth build the base. A steady circular stir helps the egg cook into fine strands instead of clumps. Ladle it into small bowls with green onions, cilantro, and chile oil before a stir-fry or noodle dinner.
Get the Recipe: Egg Drop Soup
Spicy Udon Noodles
Thick noodles and crisp vegetables make Spicy Udon Noodles substantial enough for a quick main or a shared side. The 25-minute recipe serves four with udon, green onions, red chiles, green beans, carrots, peanuts, and sesame oil. Soy sauce, hoisin or oyster sauce, garlic, ginger, sugar, and cornstarch form a sauce that clings to the noodles. Add sesame seeds at the table and serve while the vegetables still retain their bite.
Get the Recipe: Spicy Udon Noodles
Cashew Chicken
Several textures meet in Cashew Chicken, which brings meat, nuts, and vegetables together in one skillet. It takes 40 minutes and serves four with chicken breast, cornstarch, bell pepper, broccoli, cashews, and edamame. Soy sauce, honey, rice wine vinegar, chile garlic sauce, ginger, and garlic make the coating sauce. Spoon it over rice for dinner, or keep the sauce separate until reheating so the chicken and vegetables hold their texture.
Get the Recipe: Cashew Chicken
Vegetable Fried Rice
High heat turns leftover rice into Vegetable Fried Rice, a 30-minute Indo-Chinese dish that serves four. Carrots, green beans, cabbage, bell peppers, onions, garlic, ginger, and scallions cook quickly before the rice is tossed with soy sauce, vinegar, hot chile sauce, and ketchup. The vegetables stay lightly crisp because the wok time is brief. Serve it as a main with a fried egg or as a side beside chicken, shrimp, or curry.
Get the Recipe: Vegetable Fried Rice
Asian Chicken Thighs
Sticky glaze and browned edges make Asian Chicken Thighs a straightforward skillet main for four. The 40-minute recipe includes a 30-minute marinade of soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and optional red pepper flakes. Boneless chicken thighs cook quickly before the remaining marinade reduces into a glossy coating. Finish with green onions and sesame seeds, then serve over jasmine rice to catch the extra sauce.
Get the Recipe: Asian Chicken Thighs
Sweet and Sour Sauce
Bright acidity and pineapple sweetness give Sweet and Sour Sauce more range than a bottled dip. It takes 10 minutes and makes four servings from pineapple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, cornstarch, and water. The slurry thickens the mixture into a smooth glaze that clings to fried foods without running off. Use it with spring rolls, shrimp, chicken, tofu, or vegetables when the menu needs a quick sauce on the side.
Get the Recipe: Sweet and Sour Sauce
Crispy Rice
Golden outside and firm at the center, Crispy Rice works as a base for sauces, vegetables, or creamy toppings. Sushi rice is seasoned with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt, pressed into a thin layer, chilled for at least two hours, then cut and fried into 24 squares. Starting it ahead is essential because the chilling step helps each piece hold together in the oil. Serve the squares as an appetizer with toppings added just before eating.
Get the Recipe: Crispy Rice
Udon Noodles
Quick wok cooking keeps Udon Noodles chewy while the vegetables retain some bite. The 35-minute recipe serves four with thick udon, green onions, red bell pepper, green beans, carrots, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. A soy, hoisin or oyster sauce, garlic, ginger, sugar, and cornstarch mixture thickens around the noodles. Serve as a meatless main, or add cooked shrimp, chicken, tofu, or beef for a fuller dinner.
Get the Recipe: Udon Noodles
Butter Chicken
Creamy tomato sauce surrounds tender pieces in Butter Chicken, a four-serving main with 40 minutes of cooking and prep after marinating. Chicken thighs sit for at least two hours with yogurt, lime, and garam masala before cooking with ghee, garlic, ginger, cumin, chile powder, cream, tomato paste, sugar, and butter. The sauce is rich enough to carry simple sides. Serve with white rice, naan, lime, and fresh herbs for a complete dinner.
Get the Recipe: Butter Chicken
Shrimp Cauliflower Fried Rice
Lighter grains and quick-cooking seafood make Shrimp Cauliflower Fried Rice a 20-minute dinner for four. Shrimp, cauliflower rice, sesame oil, eggs, peas, carrots, green onions, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, black pepper, and red pepper flakes cook in one pan. The eggs and vegetables give the dish enough substance without regular rice. Serve it on its own for a fast lunch or add a cucumber salad when the meal needs a cool side.
Get the Recipe: Shrimp Cauliflower Fried Rice
Chicken Tikka Masala
Roasted chicken and a spiced tomato sauce give Chicken Tikka Masala a deeper finish than a quick stovetop curry. The recipe serves four and takes 1 hour, plus at least two hours for the yogurt, lime, garam masala, chile, garlic, cumin, and turmeric marinade. Ghee, onions, ginger, crushed tomatoes, and cream build the sauce. Spoon it over basmati rice or serve with naan when dinner can accommodate the extra marinating time.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Tikka Masala
Asian Cucumber Salad Jar
Cold, crunchy slices make Asian Cucumber Salad Jar a useful make-ahead side for richer dishes. It serves two and takes 2 hours 10 minutes, with most of that time spent chilling. Cucumbers and red onion sit in rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, and red pepper flakes before black and white sesame seeds and green onion are added. Pack it for lunch or serve chilled with noodles, fried chicken, or rice bowls.
Get the Recipe: Asian Cucumber Salad Jar
Korean Fried Chicken
Thin cornstarch coating keeps Korean Fried Chicken crisp under its sticky gochujang glaze. The 35-minute recipe serves four with boneless chicken thighs, garlic powder, ginger powder, soy sauce, gochujang, honey, sesame oil, green onions, and frying oil. Small batches help the chicken brown evenly before it is tossed with the sauce. Bring it to the table immediately with rice or a cool cucumber side so the coating stays crisp.
Get the Recipe: Korean Fried Chicken
