Japanese Cooking for Beginners: 5 Simple Recipes to Start With

Why Japanese Food Is a Good Place to Start

Japanese meals are often quick to prepare, use only a few ingredients, and don’t require advanced cooking skills. You won’t need any special knives or fancy kits. All you need is the right method and a few store cupboard basics.

If you’re just getting into Japanese cuisine, these recipes are a great starting point. They’re simple, full of flavour, and a great way to learn key cooking techniques.

You can also find many of the sauces and ingredients mentioned below in our Taste Japan collection.

1. Chicken Teriyaki

Ingredients

Chicken thighs (boneless, skin on if possible)

Soy sauce

Mirin (or a mix of rice vinegar and sugar)

Sugar

Optional: garlic or ginger

Method

Cook chicken skin-side down in a pan until golden.

Mix soy sauce, mirin and sugar in a bowl.

Pour the sauce into the pan.

Simmer gently until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken.

Tip: The sauce should bubble slowly until glossy. This gives a rich finish.

Find authentic sauces in our Japanese food range.

2. Onigiri (Rice Balls)

Ingredients

Cooked short-grain rice

Salt

Filling: tuna mayo, grilled salmon or pickled plum

Nori (seaweed sheets), optional

Method

Wet your hands or use cling film to shape warm rice.

Add a small spoon of filling in the middle.

Shape into a ball or triangle.

Wrap with seaweed if you like.

Tip: Use cling film to shape the rice cleanly. This helps avoid sticky hands.

3. Miso Soup

Ingredients

Dashi stock (instant granules are fine)

Miso paste

Tofu, cut into cubes

Dried wakame seaweed

Spring onions, finely chopped

Method

Heat dashi in a pot.

Add tofu and seaweed.

Turn off the heat and stir in miso paste.

Tip: Never boil miso paste—add it right at the end to keep the flavour.

You can find miso and more in our Taste Japan products.

4. Tamagoyaki (Rolled Egg Omelette)

Ingredients

Eggs

Sugar

Soy sauce

Oil for frying

Method

Beat eggs with sugar and soy sauce.

Heat a small non-stick pan. Pour in a thin layer of egg.

When cooked, roll the egg to one side.

Add more egg and repeat the rolling until done.

Tip: Use a spatula to help roll. A square pan works well, but isn’t required.

5. Yakisoba (Stir-Fried Noodles)

Ingredients

Yakisoba noodles (or instant ramen noodles, seasoning discarded)

Sliced pork, chicken or tofu

Cabbage, carrot and onion

Yakisoba sauce (or mix soy sauce, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce)

Method

Stir-fry your meat or tofu until cooked.

Add chopped vegetables and cook until soft.

Add noodles and toss everything together.

Pour over the sauce and stir well.

Tip: If you can’t find yakisoba noodles, instant ramen will do the job.

Explore noodle sauces in our Asian sauces section.

Handy Ingredients to Keep at Home

When cooking Japanese meals, it helps to have a few essentials in your kitchen. These are used often and last a long time:

Soy sauce

Mirin

Miso paste

Dashi stock

Short-grain rice

Nori sheets

You can find many of these in our Japanese collection.

FAQs

What is the easiest Japanese dish for beginners?

Chicken teriyaki is often the easiest to start with. It needs only a few ingredients and is cooked in one pan.

Can I use normal rice for Japanese recipes?

Short-grain rice works best for most Japanese dishes. Long-grain rice is too dry and doesn’t stick well, especially for onigiri.

Where can I buy Japanese sauces and ingredients in the UK?

You can find a full range of sauces, noodles, and pantry items in the Taste Japan range at Tiger Tiger Foods.

Is miso soup vegetarian?

Some miso soup is vegetarian, but most use dashi made with fish. Look for vegetarian dashi or use a vegetable-based broth instead.

Do I need special tools to cook Japanese food?

No. Most recipes use basic tools like a frying pan, a pot, and a knife. A square tamagoyaki pan is optional.

Final Word

Cooking Japanese food at home doesn’t need to be hard. Start small, use simple ingredients, and learn each step. These five recipes are easy to follow and help you build real cooking skills—without stress or confusion.

For sauces, miso, noodles and more, explore the full Taste Japan category on Tiger Tiger Foods.