10 Easy Asian Recipes Better Than Takeout
I used to spend $60+ on takeout for our family every time we craved Asian food. Then I learned to make it at home and the takeout menus started collecting dust. These 10 recipes taste as good as (or better than) restaurant versions, cost a fraction of the price, and most of them take 30 minutes or less. The secret isn’t culinary school — it’s understanding a few key ingredients (soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, gochujang, fish sauce) and the techniques that make Asian cooking sing: high heat, fast cooking, and bold seasoning.
As a Polish home cook, I came to Asian food as an outsider — no family recipes, no cultural knowledge, just a deep love for the flavours. I learned through trial, error, and approximately 50 batches of mediocre fried rice before I figured out the day-old rice rule. Every recipe here represents techniques I’ve tested and refined in my home kitchen, and each one includes the specific tips that took me from “okay” to “better than takeout.” If I can cook these dishes in a Chicago suburban kitchen while managing four kids, you can too.
Korean
Easy Chicken Pad Thai
The gateway drug to Korean cooking. Gochujang (fermented chilli paste) creates a sweet-spicy-savoury sauce that caramelises beautifully. Twenty minutes, one pan, and a flavour profile that ruins you for plain chicken forever.
Japanese
Chicken Katsu Curry
Crispy breaded chicken over rice with Japanese curry sauce. The breading technique is essentially schabowy — flour, egg, panko. Same three-station method babcia taught me, different seasoning. This recipe is where I first realised Polish and Japanese cooking share more than you’d think.
Korean
Korean Beef Bowl (Bulgogi-Style)
Sweet-savoury marinated beef over rice. The marinade uses pear (traditional Korean tenderiser) and soy sauce. Eight minutes of cooking for a bowl that rivals any Korean restaurant.
Thai & Chinese
Spicy Miso Ramen (Shortcut)
Twenty-minute ramen that tastes like it simmered for hours. The shortcut: instant dashi + miso paste + chilli garlic sauce creates a broth with real depth. Top with a soft-boiled egg, green onions, and nori.
Japanese
Japanese Gyoza (Pan-Fried Dumplings)
Crispy-bottomed Japanese dumplings filled with pork and cabbage. The folding technique is similar to pierogi — different shape, same hand skills. The steam-fry method gives them crispy bottoms and tender tops.
Thai & Chinese
Thai Coconut Curry (Chicken)
The most popular Asian recipe on Polish Mom. Rice noodles, chicken, egg, bean sprouts, peanuts, and a tamarind-based sauce. The key is high heat and fast cooking — everything comes together in the wok in under 5 minutes once your prep is done.
Korean
Korean Fried Chicken
Double-fried for extra crunch, glazed in a spicy-sweet sauce. The double-fry technique is what makes Korean fried chicken different from American — the first fry cooks it through, the second fry makes it shatteringly crispy. Worth every minute of effort.
Japanese
Teriyaki Salmon Bowl
Glazed salmon over rice with avocado, edamame, and pickled ginger. The homemade teriyaki sauce takes 5 minutes and is exponentially better than bottled. This is the recipe I make when I want something healthy that still feels indulgent.
Thai & Chinese
Chicken Fried Rice (Better Than Takeout)
The rules: day-old rice (fresh rice = mushy), high heat (the wok needs to SMOKE), and don’t crowd the pan. Follow these three rules and your fried rice will beat any Chinese takeout. I guarantee it.
Tips for Cooking Asian Food at Home
✓ Stock these five ingredients and you can make 90% of the recipes on this page: soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sriracha or gochujang, and fish sauce. They last months in your pantry and transform simple proteins and vegetables into restaurant-quality meals. A rice cooker ($20) and a large skillet or wok are the only equipment upgrades you need.
✓ Explore more: spicy recipes for heat seekers, Polish-Asian fusion recipes, or easy weeknight dinners from every cuisine.