Fast & Fresh Asian Recipes (2024)

In the mood for Asian food tonight? Put down that takeout menu and opt instead for a quick meal prepared at home from one of these 23 tasty choices.

Ginger-Garlic Shrimp: The trick to succulent shrimp in this recipe is a simple salt "massage" that cleans the shrimp and makes them crisper.

The secret to great Chinese flavor? Warm ginger and a splash of Shaohsing wine. (Don't be intimidated by the name. You can find it at the grocery store.)

Recipe: Ginger-Garlic Shrimp

Pieces of fish coated with pungent black-bean garlic sauce steam atop melt-in-your-mouth tofu pedestals.

Recipe: Steamed Fish on Soft Tofu with Black-Bean Sauce

A takeoff on the cook-it-yourself soup believed to have hailed from Mongolia, this hot pot combines zippy ginger broth, crisp asparagus, and slurpable noodles into a super-quick one-bowl supper.

Recipe: Chinese Pork and Asparagus Soup

The gentle, nutty flavor of soba noodles, which are made with buckwheat flour, complements the fresh crunch of vegetables in this cold salad.

Recipe: Cold Soba Salad with Crisp Vegetables

Serve this as a side dish, or try it with rice for a light vegetarian meal.

Recipe: Miso-glazed Eggplant (Nasu Miso)

Spicy garlic sauce gives a big flavor punch to simple stir-fry in this Asian-inspired dish.

Recipe: Spicy Eggplant, Pork, and Tofu Stir-fry

Quick and delicious, pad Thai is a ubiquitous street food in Thailand.

Recipe: Shrimp Pad Thai

Thai basil adds an anise nuance, and cinnamon basil contributes notes of spice to this quick stir-fry; however, other basil varieties work well too.

Recipe: Chicken and Basil Stir-fry

Most Chinese markets and take-out restaurants sell some form of cooked Peking or barbecued duck. It's easy to call ahead and pick it up on the way home. Then just serve it with a flavorful homemade broth and fresh noodles.

Recipe: Chinese Roast Duck Noodle Soup

Savor fresh asparagus in this quick stir-fry that pairs juicy shrimp with crispy noodles.

For guilt-free crispiness, bake the "pillows"―actually noodle nests―in the oven while you finish the stir-fry.

Recipe: Asparagus and Shrimp Stir-fry on Noodle Pillows

A Chinese takeout favorite ― only lighter and quicker when you make it at home. A mere 20 minutes, and you can serve up juicy shrimp flavored by a rainbow of peppercorns.

Recipe: Salt-and-Pepper Shrimp

Street hawkers in Penang, Malaysia, are famous for this dish. It's fast to prepare, making it a good go-to weeknight dinner.

Recipe: Malaysian Noodles with Crab and Sausage (Penang char kway teow)

Beef and onion stir-fry gets a boost from a dash of sake and smattering of cilantro leaves. Serve over fluffy rice to soak up every last drop of the yummy sauce.

Recipe: Japanese Beef Bowl

Look for Asian rice noodles (also called rice sticks) or bean threads in well-stocked supermarkets or Asian grocery stores. This stir-fry is also good with beef.

Recipe: Rice Noodles with Pork, Spinach, and Peanuts

Vietnamese spring rolls always make great light-dinner fare, but the assembly can be time-consuming.

Here's our solution: Set out the ingredients and let guests make their own. They'll have fun playing with their food, and the cook won't get stuck with all the prep work.

Recipe: DIY Chicken Papaya Spring Rolls

Pork tenderloin is a very tender cut of meat, perfect for stir-frying. With the addition of a few precut items from the grocery produce section or salad bar, this dish comes together very quickly.

Recipe: Sweet and Sour Pork

This dish requires some multitasking, but the benefits of creating something this delicious in only 30 minutes are well worth the hustle.

If you're entertaining friends, take a more leisurely approach and make the dressing, cook the noodles, and clean the herbs ahead; then at serving time, just cook the steak and combine the ingredients.

Recipe: Vietnamese Steak Noodle Salad

Skewering the shrimp makes them easy to eat and attractive for serving. You'll need to presoak wooden skewers for 30 minutes, or use metal skewers.

Recipe: Sesame Shrimp with Cucumber-Soy Salad

Asian flavors come together in a flash in this easy soup. Substitute vegetable broth for chicken to make it vegetarian.

Recipe: Shiitake Mushroom and Tofu Soup

These tender, sweet-spicy pork kebabs are made from pounded tenderloin and combine flavors from China and Vietnam.

Recipe: Caramelized Pork Kebabs with Chinese Eggplant

Yuzu, a kind of Japanese citrus, has an ultra-aromatic, floral flavor that makes it a knockout with seafood and mango. A soy-ginger mayo and a sprinkle of minced kaffir lime leaves add more layers of complexity.

Recipe: Crab, Shrimp, and Mango Salad with Yuzu Vinaigrette

Tender scallops and crunchy snow peas take a quick turn in the wok before mixing with piles of noodles in this lightning quick one-pot meal.

Recipe: Scallop and Snow Pea Stir-fry

Sushi rice, grilled steak, garlicky soy sauce, and lettuce make for a tasty—and foolproof—meal, with no utensils required.

Recipe: Korean Beef Wraps

Serve these refreshing rolls for dinner, or cut them into thirds and spear each with a toothpick to turn them into hors d'oeuvres.

Recipe: Vietnamese Noodle Rolls