15 Make-Ahead Washoku Recipes: 2 Weekend Hours for Easy Weekday Meals

"I'm too tired from work on weekdays to cook." Many Japanese expats in HCMC probably feel this way. The solution is weekend meal prep. Just 2 hours in the kitchen on Sunday prepares washoku sides for the entire week. This article introduces 15 make-ahead washoku recipes achievable overseas, in 7 parts.

1. Basic Rules of Meal Prep

To succeed at meal prep, master these basic rules.

Hygiene Management

HCMC is hot and humid year-round. Hygiene management for meal prep is even more important here than in Japan.

• Keep utensils and containers clean: Rinse with boiling water or wash thoroughly with dish soap before use
• Cool completely before refrigerating: Putting hot food in the fridge raises the internal temperature and affects other foods
• Use clean chopsticks for portioning: Using eating chopsticks introduces bacteria and shortens storage life

Storage Duration Guidelines

• Refrigerated: 2-5 days (varies by dish)
• Frozen: 2-3 weeks
• Thawing: Move to fridge the night before, or use microwave

Recommended Storage Containers

Glass airtight containers are the most hygienic. Can be reheated in the microwave directly. For plastic containers, line with cling wrap to prevent odor transfer.

2. Main Dishes (Meat) 5 Items

Chicken Soboro (Fridge 5 days / Freezer 3 weeks)

300g ground chicken, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp sugar, ginger. Put everything in a pot and stir with 4 chopsticks over medium heat until liquid evaporates. Use for soboro rice bowl, bento, or onigiri filling.

Miso-Marinated Pork (Fridge 5 days / Freezer 3 weeks)

4 pork loin slices, 3 tbsp miso, 2 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp sugar. Mix sauce, marinate pork in zip bag. Just pan-fry when eating. Flavor deepens from the next day.

Chicken Teriyaki (Fridge 4 days / Freezer 2 weeks)

Cut 2 chicken thighs into pieces, glaze with 3 tbsp soy sauce, 3 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp sugar. Portion and store; reheat and serve over rice for teriyaki bowl.

Japanese-Style Braised Pork (Fridge 5 days / Freezer 3 weeks)

Cut 400g pork belly into pieces, braise with 4 tbsp soy sauce, 3 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp sugar, 300ml water, 1 knob ginger on low heat for 40 minutes. Store with braising liquid. Reheating next day deepens the flavor.

Meat Miso (Fridge 5 days / Freezer 3 weeks)

300g ground pork, 3 tbsp miso, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp mirin, garlic and ginger. Stir-fry pork, add seasonings and cook off moisture. Serve over rice, toss with udon, wrap in lettuce: versatile.

3. Main Dishes (Fish and Eggs) 3 Items

Salmon Flakes (Fridge 5 days / Freezer 3 weeks)

Grill 2 salmon fillets (from Farmi), flake, season with salt and sake. Great for onigiri, fried rice, and bento.

Marinated Soft-Boiled Eggs (Fridge 5 days)

Soft-boil 6 eggs, soak in 100ml mentsuyu and 100ml water overnight. Eat as-is or use as donburi or ramen topping.

Mackerel Simmered in Miso (Fridge 3 days / Freezer 2 weeks)

2 mackerel fillets (from Farmi), 2 tbsp miso, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp sake, 1 knob ginger, 150ml water. Put everything in a pot, cover with drop lid, simmer medium heat 15 minutes. Store with liquid and reheat to eat.

4. Side Dishes: 5 Items

Okinawan-Style Carrot Stir-Fry (Fridge 5 days)

Julienne 2 carrots, stir-fry in sesame oil, season with 2 tbsp mentsuyu. Add beaten egg at the end. Colorful and perfect for bento.

Spinach with Sesame Dressing (Fridge 3 days)

Boil 1 bunch spinach, dress with 2 tbsp ground sesame, 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar. Water spinach or bok choy can substitute.

Kinpira Carrots (Fridge 5 days)

Julienne 1 carrot, stir-fry in sesame oil, season with 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin, chili. Add burdock root if available.

Kiriboshi Daikon Style (Fridge 4 days)

If no kiriboshi daikon, thinly slice and sun-dry daikon, or substitute with julienned carrots and shiitake. Just simmer in mentsuyu.

Simmered Pumpkin (Fridge 4 days)

Cut Vietnamese supermarket pumpkin into pieces, simmer with 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp sugar, 200ml water on low heat 15 minutes. A sweet, comforting classic.

5. Weekly Meal Prep Plan

Sunday Prep (About 2 Hours)

Make: Chicken soboro, miso-marinated pork (just marinate), marinated eggs, Okinawan carrot stir-fry, spinach sesame

Weekday Combinations

• Monday: Soboro bowl + miso soup + carrot stir-fry
• Tuesday: Grilled miso pork + rice + spinach sesame
• Wednesday: Soboro and marinated egg ramen style (top on instant noodles)
• Thursday: Miso pork with leftover vegetable stir-fry + rice
• Friday: Eat out or delivery (rest day)

With 5 prepped dishes, you can cover Monday through Thursday.

6. Meal Prep Advanced Tips

Remixing to Prevent Boredom

Same dish, different presentation prevents fatigue.

• Chicken soboro: Soboro bowl → onigiri filling → mixed into tamagoyaki → lettuce wraps
• Miso pork: Grilled plain → stir-fry with vegetables → udon topping
• Marinated eggs: Eat as-is → donburi topping → bento addition

Rotating Frozen Stock

Change up main dishes in the freezer every 2-3 weeks. Repeating gets boring: after soboro, switch to meat miso; after miso pork, switch to chicken teriyaki.

Prep Your Seasonings

For efficient meal prep, pre-measure seasonings. Diluted mentsuyu becomes an all-purpose sauce, making it the most useful seasoning for batch cooking.

7. Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How long does meal prep last? Fridge 2-5 days, freezer 2-3 weeks. However, given HCMC temperatures, eat refrigerated items early. If you notice any unusual smell or appearance, discard without hesitation.

Q2. How do I reheat meal prep? Microwave is easiest. About 1-2 minutes at 600W. Simmered or soupy dishes taste better reheated on the stove.

Q3. What containers are best? Glass airtight containers are most recommended. No odor transfer and microwave-safe. Small portioning cups from dollar stores are handy for bento prep.

Q4. How many dishes should I prep at once? 2 mains + 2-3 sides covers 4 days. Don't try too many at first; start with 1 main and 1 side.

Summary: 2 Weekend Hours of Meal Prep Transform Weekday Meals

Meal prep is the most practical method for enjoying washoku during a busy expat life. Just 2 hours in the kitchen on weekends means weekday meals are just reheating. Opening the fridge to see homemade dishes lined up brings a sense of comfort that's hard to beat.

Download the Farmi app and receive Japanese seasonings for meal prep in as fast as 1 hour. Download the Farmi App

Related Articles

• Easy washoku recipes for overseas
• Self-cooking recipes for expats
• Seasonal washoku calendar in Vietnam

Note: This article and some images were created with the assistance of AI (artificial intelligence) and reviewed by our editorial team before publication.