20 Best Japanese Chicken Recipes for Dinner (2024)

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From chicken teriyaki to yakitori to chicken katsu, here are our best Japanese chicken recipes—approved by kids and adults alike. With so many delicious options, you’re sure to find something you’ll want to make for dinner tonight.

20 Best Japanese Chicken Recipes for Dinner (1)

When it comes to weeknight dinners, chicken is always the ingredient that comes to mind. In my household, we have chicken dinner at least once a week. They are always dependable and crowd-pleasing. Here, I’ve pulled together a list of Japanese chicken recipes that have been thoroughly approved by our readers and my family, including my two self-acclaimed food critic kiddos.

With easy ingredients and fail-proof methods, each of these recipes is the workhorse of Japanese home cooks. You’ll find sweet and sour chicken meatballs, teriyaki chicken, butter shoyu chicken, crispy bite-size karaage fried chicken, and more on the menu. I hope they will be your favorites too!

1. Chicken Meatballs with Sweet and Sour Sauce

You can always count on meatballs when you need a winning dinner recipe that will please every palate. What makes this chicken recipe stands out is its irresistibly sweet and sour sauce. It goes so well with steamed rice or noodles like slippery udon. They also freeze well so you can reach for these babies anytime!

2. Miso Chicken

This miso chicken is one of the most popular chicken recipes among our readers! Marinated in a homemade all-purpose miso sauce and pan-fried till crispy, you’ll get chicken so moist and full of umami that you’d want to make it regularly.

3. Chicken Teriyaki

Chicken teriyaki doesn’t require any introduction since every household outside of Japan is also making the famous chicken dish for dinner. But if you’ve been using the bottled teriyaki sauce, it’s time to ditch it for an easy homemade sauce. My recipe shows you how to prepare the classic chicken teriyaki in the authentic Japanese cooking method. Not only does it taste better, but you’d also be surprised how easy it is to make your own sauce!

4. Garlic Onion Chicken

Succulent pan-fried chicken smothered in a flavorful and robust garlic onion sauce, this is a weeknight winner! It’s quick and easy, and utterly satisfying.

5. Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken)

Karaage is a very popular home cook dish in Japan. Because they are cut in bite-size pieces, it makes deep frying so much easier. Thanks to the potato starch, the chicken is fried to perfection with a crisp texture on the outside and super juicy and tender on the inside. It’s so good that you may want to fry up extra pieces for your bento lunch box.

6. Chicken Katsu

Consider this a Japanese version of chicken schnitzel. We use panko breadcrumbs for a lighter yet ultra-crispy exterior, and drizzle the chicken cutlet in tonkatsu sauce. Serve it with a simple salad or in a rice bowl!

7. Gluten-Free Baked Chicken Katsu

This gluten-free chicken katsu is coated with panko made with rice flour that yields a really crunchy texture. It is also oven-baked, which makes it a healthier option than the original deep-fried katsu. Serve with homemade ponzu and grated daikon, it is easily a favorite chicken recipe you want to make frequently.

8. Chicken Karaage with Sweet Chili Sauce

Coated in a delightful sweet chili sauce, you’d be smitten by this sweet and spicy version of Japanese fried chicken. No take-out dinner can beat a homemade chicken dinner like this!

9.

Oyakodon is cooked in one pan where onions, chicken, and egg are simmered in a dashi-based sauce. It is then poured over a bowl of fluffy steamed rice to make up a comforting donburi rice bowl. You can pull this off in 30 minutes!

10. Chicken Tempura

While chicken is not a common ingredient for tempura, it is actually a regional favorite in Oita Prefecture of the Kyushu region in Japan. Thanks to the tempura batter, you can use chicken breast for this recipe. The meat stays juicy and tender inside while the batter stays crispy and fluffy. It makes such a special treat for a weekend dinner!

11. Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs

These teriyaki chicken meatballs are so juicy and fluffy, and my kids love them! The savory homemade teriyaki sauce adds a whole layer of deliciousness to the meatballs.

12. Shio Koji Chicken

With Shio Koji, a natural seasoning used in Japanese cooking, you can make easy and delicious Shio Koji Chicken in no time with just 4 ingredients!

13. Butter Shoyu Chicken

Glazed with a simple soy-butter sauce, this butter shoyu chicken will easily win your family’s heart! 30 minutes is what you need to dish up a chicken dish that is big on flavor.

14. Soboro Don (Ground Chicken Bowl)

This colorful rice bowl follows the grain-protein-veggie formula – featuring ground chicken, scrambled eggs, and sweet peas atop of fluffy rice. It’s almost a no-brainer but highly dependable. If you have the rice cooked in a rice cooker in advance, everything else comes together so quickly that you’d be happy if you make dinner at home instead of taking it out.

15. Teba Shio (Salted Chicken Wings)

Wings are a favorite for parties and game day, but I like to serve them on Friday night family dinners too. They are economical, fun, and so easy to make. Can you believe you only need salt, sake, and black pepper to make these salted chicken wings?

16. Mizutaki (Chicken Hot Pot)

Mizutaki is a Japanese Chicken Hot Pot in which chicken, assorted vegetables, mushrooms, and tofu are cooked in a light kombu dashi broth. Dip the freshly cooked ingredients in the savory and citrusy ponzu sauce. It’s one of the best comfort foods to enjoy!

17. Japanese Chicken Curry

Tender pieces of chicken, carrots, and potatoes cooked in a rich savory currysauce, this Japanese version of curry is a must-have for your family meal.

18. Yakitori (Grilled Chicken Skewers)

Glazed in a homemade sauce, these Japanese chicken skewers are hard to resist. You’d love this simple Yakitori recipe with delicious savory-sweet sauce! It’s great for grilling outdoors or under the broiler.

19. Japanese Cream Stew (White Stew)

Japanese Cream Stew, also known as White Stew, is rich and creamy without being heavy. It’s a classic Yoshoku meal packed with tender chicken, bite-size vegetables, and served with steamed rice or crusty bread. If you have a pressure cooker, you can make my Instant Pot Cream Stew recipe.

20. Tsukune (Japanese Chicken Meatball Skewers)

Drizzled with sweet soy sauce, these Japanese chicken meatball skewers called Tsukune are absolutely delicious. They are best on the grill but you can bake them in the oven too.

More Delicious Chicken Recipes?

I hope you enjoy making these chicken recipes. Browse here for more recipes and ideas!

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20 Best Japanese Chicken Recipes for Dinner (2024)

FAQs

What is the most popular Japanese chicken dish? ›

Teriyaki is by far one of the most famous ways of preparing chicken in Japan. The chicken is glazed with a teriyaki sauce comprised of soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar, which gives the Japanese chicken dish its mouthwatering caramelization.

Which is the most popular chicken dish in the world? ›

Butter chicken, also known as Murgh Makhani, has recently claimed the top spot in the "Top 100 Chicken Dishes in the World" list by TasteAtlas, (an online guide for traditional food) solidifying its place as a global culinary sensation.

Which Japanese food is a type of chicken? ›

Yakitori. Perhaps the most famous chicken dish in Japan is yakitori, which is chicken grilled on a skewer. Yakitori is most commonly served by street food vendors, and thousands of stalls selling these skewers can be found in Japan.

Does Japanese cuisine use chicken? ›

The types of meat used are beef, pork, and chicken. A popular dish is Katsu-karē which is a breaded deep-fried cutlet (tonkatsu; usually pork or chicken) with Japanese curry sauce. Japanese curry can be found in foods such as curry udon, curry bread, and katsukarē, tonkatsu served with curry.

What is the number 1 Japanese dish? ›

1. Sushi. Sushi is one of the first foods that spring to mind when we think about Japanese cuisine.

What is the most eaten dish in the world? ›

Rice is the staple food of more than half the world's population, and it's been that way for centuries. It's cheap, it's filling, and it can be easily grown in a variety of climates. Rice is so important to so many people that it's no surprise that it's the world's most-eaten food.

Which country has the best chicken dish? ›

Best Chicken Dishes Around The World That You Must Try
  1. Butter Chicken- India. ...
  2. American Fried Chicken. ...
  3. Schezwan Chicken-China. ...
  4. Lebanese Chicken Shawarma. ...
  5. Chicken Parmigiana-Italy. ...
  6. French Coq Au Vin. ...
  7. Italian Herbs Roasted Chicken. ...
  8. Stacked Baked Roasted Chicken Enchilada Suizas.

Which is the best fried chicken in the world? ›

Popeye's Original Fried Chicken From Anywhere

I have a theory that Popeye's serves the best Southern fried chicken you'll find in any city in the world (provided, of course, that said city has a Popeye's outpost).

Why does Japanese chicken taste so good? ›

Japanese chicken consists of a rich variety of breeds, among them are local chicken, brand chicken, and broiler chicken. The special qualities, flavors, and textures found in each one making Japan chicken the right choice for many types of dishes; for Japanese food in particular, it is indispensable.

What are 5 popular Japanese dishes? ›

11 Best Japanese Foods & Dishes
  • Tempura.
  • Noodles: soba, udon and ramen.
  • Sushi.
  • Okonomiyaki.
  • Teppanyaki.
  • Teishoku - a set meal.
  • Yakiniku.
  • Yakitori.

Why is chicken in Japan so good? ›

In an effort to breed healthy and delicious chicken amidst Japan's natural environment, Japanese chickens are kept in well-maintained, caring environments throughout the four seasons. The pride farmers take in their work to compassionately tend to their chickens has produced the perfect chicken product.

What is a traditional Japanese dinner? ›

A typical meal includes rice, a main protein, miso soup, pickled vegetables, and another vegetable side. Try these staples to get started with Japanese cooking: Rice: Plain, steamed rice is a main element in most Japanese meals.

What is Japan's favorite meat? ›

The most popular type of meat by far in Japan is pork. Nearly as much pork is consumed as chicken and beef combined.

Do Japanese eat chicken breast? ›

In Japan chicken thighs are the default cut of chicken meat and are the most popular cut. It wasn't until recently chicken breast started to gain popularity.

What is the most popular piece of chicken? ›

Breast. Perhaps the most popular cut, chicken breast is lean, mild, white meat consisting of two halves separated during butchering. This cut consists of the flesh beneath the junction of the sternal ribs and vertebrae. It's more expensive than thighs, wings, legs, and drumsticks and has various health benefits.

Why is fried chicken so popular in Japan? ›

Around the 1960s, as Japan's economic growth started to pick up after the Second World War, Western foods that were more expensive and luxurious, such as fried chicken, gained popularity.

Is chicken katsu popular in Japan? ›

Similar in form to a German schnitzel, katsu is one of many Western foods that has been adopted, adapted to suit local tastes, and become a key part of Japanese cuisine.

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