10 Easy Meat-based Japanese Side Dishes – Revealing Secret Recipes!

1. Quick Tomato Chicken Stew

Ingredients (for 2 servings)

・5.3 oz (150g) Chicken
・3.5 oz (100g) Onion
・1.4 oz (40g) Green bell pepper
・A pinch of Salt and pepper
・7 oz (200g) Canned tomato☆
・1 clove of Garlic☆
・0.2 cup (50ml) Water☆
・2 tbsp Sake☆
・1/2 tbsp Sugar☆
・1 tsp Miso paste☆
・1 tsp Soy sauce☆
・1 tsp Consomme (stock powder)☆
・1 tsp Butter

Direction

1.  Cut chicken and bell pepper into bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the chicken. Fry it in a pan until the surface get browned. Take it out once.

2.  Stir-fry onion. When it gets soft, return chicken, and add ☆. Simmer until sauce is reduced by about half.

3.  Add bell pepper and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Finally add butter. Check the taste and add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.

2. Shrimp & Chicken Gyoza (Dumplings)

Ingredients (for 3-4 servings)

・25 Gyoza wrappers
・4.6 oz (130g) Ground chicken
・3.5 oz (100g) Shrimp
・1 oz (30g) Green onion
・3 tbsp Potato starch☆
・1.5 tbsp Sake☆
・1.5 tsp Soy sauce☆
・1 tsp Sesame oil☆
・1 tsp Grated ginger☆
・1/2 tsp Chicken stock powder☆
・A pinch of Salt☆

・1 tbsp Sake
・0.3 cup (80ml) Water

・1 tsp Sesame oil

Direction

1.  Mince green onion and shrimp. Put green onion, shrimp, ground chicken, and ☆ in a bowl. Knead well. Wrap a teaspoon of filling on a dumpling skin.

2.  Put gyoza in a pot. Pour a little sake and water, and steam it for 5-6 minutes.

3.  Finally add a little sesame oil.

3. Stir-fried Pork & Egg in a Rich Sauce

Ingredients (for 2 servings)

・3.5 oz (100g) Thinly sliced pork
・1.4 oz (40g) Bok choy
・2 Eggs
・1 tsp Oil
・1 tbsp Soy sauce☆
・1 tbsp Mirin☆
・1/2 tsp Oyster sauce☆
・1 tbsp Butter☆
・A pinch of Black pepper

Direction

1.  Cut pork and bok choy into bite-sized pieces.

2.  Make scrambled egg and take it out once. Stir-fry pork and bok choy.

3.  Add ☆ and return egg. Mix well and sprinkle black pepper as you like.

4. Crispy Chicken with Sweet Sour Sauce

Ingredients (for 2 servings)

・5.3 oz (150g) Chicken
・A pinch of Salt and pepper
・1 tbsp Potato starch
・Oil for frying

・1 oz (30g) Green onion
・1 tsp Grated ginger☆
・1/2 tsp Grated garlic☆
・1.5 tbsp Soy sauce☆
・1 tbsp Sugar☆
・1 tbsp Rice vinegar☆
・2 tsp Sesame oil☆
・1 tsp Sake☆
・1 tsp Honey☆

Direction

1.  Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Mince green onion.

2.  Thinly coat the chicken with potato starch, and fry in oil until crispy.

3.  Put minced green onion and ☆ in a pan. Bring to a light boil and stir well.

4.  Pour the sauce on top of crispy chicken.

5. Rolled Pork with Vegetables

Ingredients (for 2 servings)

・4.2 oz (120g) Thinly sliced pork
・A pinch of Salt and pepper
・1 oz (30g) Carrot
・1 oz (30g) Green beans
・1-2 tsp Flour
・1 tsp Oil
・2 tsp Soy sauce☆
・2 tsp Mirin☆
・1.5 tsp Sugar☆

・1 tbsp Sake

Direction

1.  Cut vegetables into sticks according to the width of the pork. Boil them and let them cool thoroughly.

2.  Sprinkle salt and pepper on pork. Roll carrots and green beans with pork. Thinly coat the pork with flour.

3.  Oil the pan. Lightly cook the pork until it changes color, then add sake, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Turn over halfway through cooking.

4.  Add ☆ into the pan. Cook the sauce until it thickens and toss the pork with the sauce.

6. Japanese Meat & Potato Stew (Nikujaga)

Ingredients (for 4 servings)

・3.5 oz (100g) Thinly sliced pork
・10.6 oz (300g) Potato
・5.3 oz (150g) Onion
・2.8 oz (80g) Carrot
・1.4 oz (40g) Green beans
・1 tsp Oil

・1.7 cups (400ml) Water☆
・3 tbsp Sake☆
・3 tbsp Soy sauce☆
・2 tbsp Sugar☆
・2 tbsp Mirin☆
・1 tsp Dashi powder☆

Direction

1.  Cut pork and vegetables into bite-sized pieces.

2.  Stir-fry onion and carrot with a little oil. Add pork and cook until the color changes.

3.  Add potato and ☆ to the pot. Simmer until potatoes are cooked and soft.

4.  Just before turning off the heat, add green beans and cook for 1 minute.

7. Refreshing Chicken Salad

Ingredients (for 2 servings)

・3.5 oz (100g) Chicken tenders
・3.5 oz (100g) Cherry tomatoes
・1.4 oz (40g) Okra
・A pinch of Salt

・1 tbsp Sake
・1/2 tbsp Soy sauce

・2 tsp Rice vinegar☆
・1 tsp Soy sauce☆
・1 tsp Sesame oil☆
・1 tsp Sugar☆
・1/2 tsp Chicken stock powder☆

Direction

1.  Remove the streaks from the chicken tenders and cut into bite-sized pieces.

2.  Cook the chicken with sake and soy sauce until the water is gone. Let it cool in a bowl.

3.  Rub salt on okra to remove the hairs and let stand for 1 minute. Boil it for 2 minutes.

4.  Cut okra and cherry tomatoes into small pieces. Put them in a bowl with chicken. Season them with ☆.

8. Fluffy Tofu Tsukune (Meat Balls)

Ingredients (for 2 servings)

・4.6 oz (130g) Tofu (3.5oz/100g after drained)
・4.6 oz (130g) Ground pork or chicken
・1 oz (30g) Green onion
・1 tbsp Potato starch
・1/2 tsp Grated ginger
・A pinch of Salt and pepper
・1-2 tsp Oil

・1 tbsp Sake☆
・1 tbsp Soy sauce☆
・1 tbsp Sugar☆
・1 tbsp Mirin☆

Direction

1.  Wrap the tofu in paper towel and place a weight on top to drain the tofu.

2.  In a mixing bowl, combine ground meat with drained tofu, minced green onion, grated ginger, salt, pepper, and potato starch. Knead well. Form into small round shapes

3.  Oil the pan, cook meatballs on one side over medium heat until browned. Turn over, cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.

4.  Add ☆ to the pan and cook the sauce until it thickens and toss the meat balls with the sauce.

9. Garlic Beef with Cucumber

Ingredients (for 2 servings)

・5.3 oz (150g) Thinly sliced beef
・5.3 oz (150g) Cucumber
・1 tsp Salt

・1 tsp Oil
・1 clove of Garlic
・1 tbsp Soy sauce☆
・1 tbsp Rice vinegar☆
・1 tbsp Honey☆
・1 tsp Chicken stock powder☆

・1 tsp Sesame oil
・A pinch of Chili pepper

Direction

1.  Beat cucumber with a stick and cut into bite-sized pieces. Spread salt on cucumbers and let sit for 10 minutes.

2.  Stir-fry beef with oil and garlic. Season them with ☆.

3.  Wash cucumber and wipe dry thoroughly. Combine it with beef.

4.  Finally add chili pepper and sesame oil and stir to combine.

10. Spicy Meat & Eggplant Stir-fry

Ingredients (for 2 servings)

・6.3 oz (180g) Eggplant
・1 tbsp Oil

・3.5 oz (100g) Ground pork, chicken, or beef
・1 tsp Oil
・1 clove of Garlic
・2-3 slices of Ginger
・1 tbsp Sake☆
・1 tbsp Soy sauce☆
・1 tbsp Mirin☆
・1/2 tbsp Sugar☆
・1 tsp Miso paste☆
・1/2 tsp Oyster sauce☆
・A pinch of Chili pepper☆
・A pinch of Salt and pepper☆

Direction

1.  Cut eggplant into bite-sized pieces. Stir-fry with oil and when it’s almost cooked take it out from the pan once.

2.  In the clean pan, put oil, minced garlic and ginger. Heat for a while and add ground meat. Stir-fry them and season it with ☆.

3.  Return eggplant and stir to combine.