Top Asian Recipes For Weeknight Dinner Ideas
Asian recipes in this collection include one-pan fried rice and shrimp dishes that cook quickly on the stovetop, as well as meatball and chicken recipes that bake or cook in a slow cooker and raw salmon crudo. Other recipes in this collection suitable for weeknight or other quick home meal preparation include sweet and spicy sauces, ginger and garlic flavors and other seasonings, cucumber salad, and other rice dishes.
Why These Asian Recipes Are Popular
- Single-Pan Preparation: General Tso's chicken is prepared with sweet and spicy sauce and crispy chicken in a single pan. General Tso's chicken may be prepared quickly as a meal.
- Baked Dish: Baked Thai chicken meatballs are a baked dish that can be topped with sweet chili sauce for a hearty meal.
- New Ingredients: Crudo and cucumber salad provide new flavor options alongside chicken, beef, shrimp, and other rice dishes.
- Batched Meals: Sticky chicken and rice bowls and garlic ginger chicken and chicken thighs cooked in a slow cooker are good options for batched meals or make-ahead lunches and dinners.
1. Peruvian Chicken Fried Rice (Arroz Chaufa)
Peruvian Fried Rice, or Arroz Chaufa, is a dish that blends Chinese and Peruvian cuisine. Quick and tasty Peruvian Fried Rice includes soy sauce and other seasonings, as well as ginger and garlic for more flavor. Peruvian Fried Rice can be served as a main course or side dish and is a good way to use leftover rice. Meat and vegetable toppings can be added according to preference.
2. Thai Chicken Meatballs: Juicy Treats with Sweet Chili Sauce
These Thai-style chicken meatballs are flavored with fresh ginger, garlic, and green onions. Baked and topped with sweet chili glaze, these flavorful meatballs offer sweet and spicy tastes. They are a good option for weeknight dinners or parties. Consider using these meatballs as substitutes for other dishes and serving them with steamed rice or noodles for a full meal.
3. General Tso’s Chicken With Thick Sweet-Spicy Sauce
Dinner is ready in 30 minutes with one pan when you make General Tso's chicken. Breaded and fried chicken thighs made with cornstarch are sautéed and combined with a sweet and spicy sauce made with soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, and other ingredients. Makes eight servings. Chicken thighs are chopped into 1-inch chunks and coated with cornstarch. Chicken is cooked in small batches in extra-light olive oil. Other sauce ingredients (cold water, reduced-sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, sugar, and cornstarch) are mixed in a bowl, then cooked separately. Fresh ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes are sautéed in the pan to flavor the dish. Sesame seeds can be sprinkled over cooked chicken. Prepare the sauce and other ingredients ahead of time. Cook the chicken in separate batches and remove it from the pan before adding the sauce. Aim to cook the chicken until both sides are slightly browned and the garlic and ginger are fragrant after about 30 seconds. Overcrowding the pan is a common issue that can keep the chicken from browning and sticking to the sauce. Serve hot chicken as directed with steamed rice or broccoli, Korean Carrot Salad, or chow mein. The sauce will be absorbed into the cornstarch coating over time. For best texture, do not hold the chicken in the skillet before serving.
4. Spicy Salmon Crudo with Crispy Carrots and Citrus Tamari Sauce
Buy salmon labeled sushi grade and prepackaged by weight at a seafood counter to prepare a crudo dish with the freshest-tasting raw salmon. Sautéed sliced carrots are added as a garnish to provide a sweet, spicy, and sour contrast to the flavor of the salmon. The dressing includes scallion whites and tamari, mirin, rice vinegar, lemon juice, ginger, sesame oil, agave nectar, Serrano peppers, and salsa macha or chili crisp. All of these ingredients are used in the dressing. Tamari is used for its savory flavor; mirin and agave nectar are used for their sweetness; and ginger and lemon juice provide a bright note. Fried carrot is included for texture. Green scallion strips removed from the ice bath can be used to garnish. Carrots should remain light in color, not browned, and sauce should pool around the fish. Sliced fish should be added to the sauce after it is strained. Let sauce stand for about 15 to 20 minutes to allow onion, Serrano pepper, and ginger and chili flavors to mingle. Common mistakes include overcooking and browning carrot slices, making them bitter. You may want to reserve solids as a garnish. Serve the crudo with sliced carrots and strips of lemon peel and scallions for textural contrast. Serving the dish in separate components lets you serve the crudo with the strained sauce over the salmon and other components on the side. This dish works well as an appetizer and should be prepared and served immediately.
5. Sticky Chicken Rice Bowls: A Quick Sweet-Savory Weeknight Meal
Sticky Chicken Rice Bowls contain chicken, rice, roasted broccoli, and sticky sweet and spicy sauce. Sticky Chicken Rice Bowls are a good dinner idea for weeknights or meal prep and can be a tasty meal. The sticky sweet and spicy sauce is a highlight of Sticky Chicken Rice Bowls, it has a garlicky and spicy taste and evenly coats other ingredients. Sticky Chicken Rice Bowls should be eaten warm but can be enjoyed by people with diverse tastes.
6. Korean Cucumber Salad: Crunchy and Zesty Side Dish with Fresh Flavor
Korean Cucumber Salad is a delicious dish made with cucumbers and other common Korean ingredients. It pairs well with grilled meats and rice. Korean Cucumber Salad has a sweet and spicy taste. This dish is simple to make and can be stored in the refrigerator to enhance its flavor. Serve Korean Cucumber Salad at any meal all year round. Guests are likely to enjoy it with other dishes served at your meal.
7. Honey Garlic Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs with Sweet-Savory Ginger Sauce
Precook the chicken thighs in a slow cooker with the sauce, arranging the thighs in a single layer. Aside from shredding the chicken, minimal additional preparation is required when cooking in a slow cooker. The cooked chicken is coated with a sweet-savory honey garlic topping and seasoned with fresh ginger and, optionally, red pepper flakes. Low-sodium soy sauce, honey, and ketchup add other savory flavors to the sauce. Garlic, apple cider vinegar, fresh ginger, and red pepper flakes add Asian flavors to the sauce. The cornstarch and cold water are added at the end of cooking to keep the sauce from thickening until after the chicken is cooked and to make it easier to prepare multiple batches. After 15 minutes or so, the sauce should coat the chicken when stirred; chicken thighs can be flaked apart with two forks. One common error people make when preparing this recipe is using cornstarch at the beginning instead of at the end, as instructed. Try to space the thighs out evenly in the slow cooker to help all of them get coated with sauce. Eaten with rice or noodles or in buns with coleslaw; garnishes include scallions and sesame seeds. Suggestions for reheating leftovers: reheat in a saucepan or microwave and serve with new rice or noodles for better texture.
8. Garlic Ginger Chicken: A Savory High-Protein Meal Prep Delight
This garlic and ginger chicken recipe is a high-protein meal prep recipe suitable for lunch and dinner during the week. Add garlic and ginger to ground chicken. Serve the sweet and savory dish with rice, noodles, and other vegetables. This meal can be prepared in 20 minutes and refrigerated for later use. It is suitable for quick meals during the week and can be enjoyed by children and modified for weeknight meals.
9. Orange Beef with Crispy Pan-Seared Strips and Tangy Citrus Sauce
Plan 20 minutes for prep time and 10 minutes to cook. Beef strips cooked after 30 minutes of marinating make crispy orange beef with orange sauce. Other ingredients in the orange sauce include soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, and others. Cook in batches to avoid steaming the beef in the pan. Flank steak is cut against the grain and marinated in Shaoxing wine, salt, and baking soda. Baking soda tenderizes other steak cuts, including round steak and fajita steak. Cornstarch is included in the breading mixture. Orange zest and juice provide citrus flavor to the sauce. Rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and cornstarch quickly add flavor and thickness to the sauce. Keep the beef strips and other ingredients close to the stove while cooking to save time. Cook the beef strips for 1 minute or until browned on each side and 30 to 45 seconds per side after turning. Tips include cooking the beef in batches to avoid crowding the pan and moving cooked batches to a separate dish. Serve the beef hot over steamed white rice or as an entrée without rice. Garnish with green onion tops after the sauce coats the beef. The beef will have a crunchy coating if served immediately but will be soggy after marinating in the sauce.
10. Thai Garlic Fried Shrimp with Crisp Cornstarch Coating
Serve this Thai garlic fried shrimp dish with vegetables for weeknight meals. Big shrimp are coated with cornstarch before sautéing and then added to a stir-fry of shallots, ginger, garlic, red pepper, fish sauce, sugar, and sesame oil. The shrimp are crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. Fresh garlic, ginger, shallot, green onion, and red pepper are added to the cooked shrimp to add flavor. Fish sauce and sugar are poured over the cooked shrimp. Sesame oil is drizzled over the shrimp at the end of preparation. Select fresh ingredients. The recipe advises against using bottled garlic because it has little flavor. Pan-fried shrimp need close attention. Pink, slightly curled brown shrimp will be fully cooked in three to four minutes. Pat shrimp dry before coating them with cornstarch. The main cause of overcooked shrimp is forgetting to remove them from the pan before turning and coating them. Removing cooked shrimp helps prevent overcooking the internal portions of the shrimp. Serve fresh. Accompaniments include steamed vegetables and rice, fried spring rolls, and egg rolls. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop after refrigeration, though shrimp should be eaten fresh for the best texture, the fried shrimp crust can become soggy over time.