Best Asian BBQ Recipes for Your Summer Cookout

We’ve wrapped up our best Asian BBQ recipes for you to enjoy during the summer! From bulgogi and teriyaki burgers to Asian coleslaw and corn rice, and from red bean ice cream to mochi ice cream, you’ll find many popular Japanese and Asian-inspired dishes on the menu.

Summer is the season of backyard BBQs, casual brunches, potlucks, and breezy suppers. With a busy schedule ahead, it’s easy to get stuck with the same old menu when you need to whip up something to feed a crowd.

If you are in the mood to switch things up for some new flavors, we have you covered. From teriyaki burgers, and chicken spring rolls with sesame sauce to colorful fruit jelly, these Japanese and Asian BBQ recipes will keep you inspired. 

Have a delicious summer, and I hope you enjoy the hot grills, amazing foods, great friends, and laughter.

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Sides + Salads + Pickles to go with your BBQ

Fresh Spring Rolls with Yakiniku

“Loved how clearly everything has been explained and it was so refreshing, light and flavourful! — Shazia

Fresh spring rolls are always a hit at the summer cookout! Here, you have juicy Japanese BBQ meat with crunchy vegetables, all wrapped in rice paper to seal in the deliciousness.

Vegetarians/vegan? Swap the meat with grilled tofu, zucchini, eggplants, or a good mix of meaty mushrooms!

Chicken Spring Rolls with Sesame Sauce

“Made this yesterday and it is very good!!! I use my lemongrass poached chicken instead and cut down a bit of sugar.” — Agnes

Prep the vegetables, fresh herbs, poached chicken, and the sesame sauce beforehand. When ready to serve, everyone can help themselves by wrapping the filling with rice paper. It’s the best kind of finger food for outdoor entertaining.

Asian Coleslaw with Sesame Dressing

“Bright, acidic, and full of delicious sesame flavor, this recipe is a slam-dunk for a cookout, party, or even just a weeknight meal if you make a smaller portion.” — John H

This is a perfect salad to complement your Asian BBQ & potluck menus.

Asian Cabbage Salad

“My wife promptly declared, “This is now my favorite salad!” — Michael G

Another gorgeous and colorful salad that deserves a spot for your Asian BBQ cookout! It’s brimming with texture, bright flavors, and extra protein from the edamame. Swap the peanuts with sesame seeds, if preferred.

Quick Korean Fresh Kimchi

“Made this just now and very much loving it! The idea of using jam in it balances the flavor, just like how some kimchi recipes used pear juice.” — Linny

This quick and easy Korean Fresh Kimchi is umami-packed but a lot less pungent compared to regular kimchi. It makes a refreshing side to serve with any Asian meal.

Japanese Corn Rice

“DELICIOUS! We just made this recipe with fresh corn as a side dish to yakitori, since we’re trying to get in as much grilling as possible before grilling season ends. The corn was crisp and sweet, the rice was perfectly fluffy.” — Erica

Made with fresh sweet corn and rice seasoned with soy sauce and a generous amount of butter, this corn rice is exciting and pairs well with any grilled dishes.

Spicy Edamame with Garlicky Miso Dressing

“We’ve made this recipe 3 times in the last week. Our friends can’t get enough of it! We did make it a little less spicy for some friends and they were all begging for the recipe.” — Ed Sakai

You can’t go wrong by serving a fun snack like this spicy edamame! Prep ahead and bring it to room temperature before serving.

Pickled Watermelon Rind

“I made this pickled watermelon rind for the first time and as it turns out, the pickled rind tasted much better than the watermelon itself and of course, there is very little waste using this recipe.” — Dan

Oh yes, these pickled watermelon rinds are super addicting! They are sweet, refreshing, and hit all the right notes. Perfect with any BBQ meal.

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For The Grill (Meat + Vegetables + Rice)

Bulgogi (Korean Grilled Beef)

“One of my first times cooking ever, I tried making this alongside Teriyaki Pork Donburi. It was so easy and delicious!” — Martí C

This is a classic dish for Korean barbecue. Who can resist tender pieces of caramelized beef with crunchy sweet vegetables like carrots and green onions? The best part is you can either cook this over a barbecue or a stove-top griddle.

Teriyaki Burger

“This is the first recipe we tried from your blog and it was delicious! Also made your teriyaki sauce to go with it … Just delicious.” — Rick M

When it comes to summer grilling, one thing that comes to mind: a juicy flavorful burger that we can really sink our teeth into. Brushed with a sweet-savory glaze and topped with a grilled pineapple slice and melted cheese, these teriyaki burgers are a fun little vacation and a whole lot of deliciousness.

Yaki Onigiri (Grilled Rice Ball)

“This recipe came together beautifully for me!” — Christine D

You can make these rice ball babies with or without fillings. Form them into triangles, lightly brush with a savory sauce, place on a cast iron pan and cook! The outside will develop a toasty delicious crust while the inside is tender and sticky.

Grilled Corn with Miso Butter

“Made this for our 4th of July BBQ and it was a big hit! It’s the most delicious grilled corn I’ve ever made.” — Vanessa

Char-grilled with husk and smothered in savory miso butter, these Grilled Corn with Miso Butter are exactly what you need! The intensity and flavor of miso butter elevate the sweet corn to another level.

Yakitori (Grilled Chicken Skewers)

“I did this exact recipe over a small charcoal grill, similar to a binchotan. It was phenomenally good!!” — Daniel

Glazed in a savory-sweet sauce, these Japanese chicken and scallion skewers are the ultimate food for the good times. Tip: Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for juicy texture.

Yakitori-Style Grilled Vegetables

“I love how easy it is to make the sauce and the bbq flavor of the grill makes the veggies next level flavor.” — Ana

Prefer to do a more veggie-forward BBQ? Make yakitori-style grilled vegetables. Simply skewer your favorite seasonal vegetables on a stick and grill them until nicely charred and tender.

Sweet & Spicy Asian BBQ Chicken Wings

“Made this 5 times in the last 5 months – an absolute favourite for me and my friends!” — Alana

The simple marinade includes soy sauce, mirin, garlic, sesame oil, and the umami-packed gochujang. Make extra, because they are absolutely finger-licking good!

Teba Shio (Salted Chicken Wings)

“I had friends over the other day and I served the teba shio salted wings and they were all impressed and it was gone in mins.” — Sheena

You’ll need only salt, sake, and black pepper to make these amazing chicken wings! They will be the wings on repeat for all your parties, game days, or lazy Sunday dinners.

BBQ Short Ribs With Korean-Style Marinade

“Great recipe! Make it every few months when it’s not too hot out. Family and I love it!” — Kayla

Short ribs marinated in a flavorful Korean BBQ sauce and seared over a hot grill until beautifully charred. Serve them with a big pile of fresh lettuce, kimchi, spring onions, or pickled vegetables. Rice is optional, but why not?

Tsukune (Japanese Chicken Meatball Skewers)

“I cooked these over the weekend and my fussy kids loved them.” — Nicole R 

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

Teppanyaki

“One of the best cooking ideas in a long time.” — Terry

Here’s the ultimate guide on how to do a true Japanese Teppanyaki at home! With an electric griddle and fresh ingredients, you can easily enjoy the fun of indoor grilling at any time. A homemade teppanyaki sauce is a must. 

Smoked Chicken Wings

These wings are cooked to perfection on the Traeger pellet grill, so every bite is crispy, juicy, and unbelievably flavorful. I’ll show you how to season the wings two ways: 1) with salt and pepper, and 2) with a spicy soy glaze.

Grilled Miso Chicken

“This was fantastic. I served this over a salad with your carrot ginger dressing. Easy to make since you need almost all of the same ingredients.” — Lisa 

Grilled chicken breasts marinated in a homemade ginger miso sauce recipe that‘s at once savory, salty, spicy, and sweet, this simple dish has the flavor pyramid covered!

Smoked Beef Ribs

These juicy, succulent, and flavorful smoked beef ribs are super easy to make at home. You’ll just need three simple ingredients and a smoker to make this summer favorite. Use more sriracha sauce if you like it spicier!

Asian BBQ Pork Belly

“Very good. And making on the grill is even better.” — Lars

Make this perfectly charred and succulent BBQ Pork Belly the star of your next cookout. The smoky, tender meat is simply irresistible!

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Drinks + Desserts

Cold Brew Green Tea

Cold brew green tea is the most guilt-free drink to counterbalance all the grilled food you enjoy. You can of course sweeten it up with a light drizzle of honey.

Cold Brew Hojicha

Another healthy but delicious drink to enjoy with your Asian BBQ spread is cold brew hojicha. The natural caramel flavor and sweetness make you want to refill the cup again and again.

Watermelon Juice

Watermelon juice is the epitome of a summer drink. Don’t forget to add a splash of freshly squeezed lime juice.

Japanese Parfait

Made of delicious layers of sponge cakes, granolas, fresh whipped cream, ice cream, and summer fresh fruits, these Japanese fruit parfaits are a winner for weekend brunches or special breakfasts. Kids & adults will go crazy for it.

Fruit Jelly

“My daughter & I made this refreshing dessert with golden kiwi & strawberries. It was easy & made a nice treat for our Japanese grandma.” — Lesley 

Colorful and whimsical, these chilled fruit jellies make a lovely dessert tray for summer entertaining.

Azuki Red Bean Ice Cream (Only 3 Ingredients)

“This is such a good recipe. I think it is better than any store-bought red bean ice cream I’ve had.” — Bojana

We are all about red bean flavored treats at Just One Cookbook, ice cream included! Life is not the same without it.

Mochi Ice Cream

“Your instructions are so helpful! I made these with my 5 year old yesterday and it was challenging but fun. We added powdered dried strawberries to the mochi to go with strawberry ice cream, so good.” — Martha

This is a highly rewarding summer cooking project. All you need is to make the mochi shells from scratch and fill it with quality store-bought ice cream in all sorts of flavors!

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We hope you enjoy making these fun Japanese and Asian-inspired summer recipes!

More Summer Recipes You’ll Enjoy:

• 7 Easy Japanese Cucumber Recipes
• Cold Noodle Recipes You’ll Need All Summer
• 10 Best Japanese Sandwiches

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