Here’s a list of freezer-friendly bento dishes that you can stock up on! With this collection, your bento-making will be so much easier, smarter, and effective.
Some Japanese homemakers wake up early in the wee mornings to pack beautiful bento lunch boxes for their spouses and children. The truth is I can barely wake up at 6:30 am.
So how do I make Japanese-style bento for my children? It’s about strategizing based on your lifestyle and routine. With better planning and practice, you’ll get into the groove and become a pro with bento-making.
💡I always make extra food for dinner and stock up in the freezer/fridge. In the morning, you choose all the dishes you want to pack and reheat (or sometimes pack directly in the bento box).
🔖 Here I’ve created a list of freezer-friendly dishes for you. They are family-friendly and kids-approved too. Bookmark this page for your reference!
Freezer-Friendly Main Dishes
🙋🏻♀️ Please note that I marked (v) for vegetarian. The time shown below indicates the required cooking time for each recipe (including marinating/inactive time). And YES, we can freeze all these dishes after finish cooking!
⏲️ Under 30 Minutes
Beef
- Beef and Green Pepper Stir Fry (Chinjao Rosu)
- Carrot Beef Rolls
- Gyudon
- Simmered Beef with Ginger (Shigureni)
- Teriyaki Steak Rolls
Chicken
- Butter Shoyu Chicken
- Oyakodon (Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl)
- Mapo Eggplant (Mabo Nasu)
- Omurice (Omelette Rice)
- Soboro Don
- Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs
Pork
- All-Purpose Miso Meat Sauce (Niku Miso)
- Baked Tonkatsu
- Chashu Fried Rice
- Easy Fried Rice
- Ginger Pork (Shogayaki)
- Ginger Pork Rolls with Eggplant
- Ham Katsu
- Kabocha Pork Stir Fry
- Katsudon (Pork Cutlet Rice Bowl)
- Miso Pork and Eggplant Stir Fry
- Miso Ginger Pork
- Okonomiyaki
- Teriyaki Pork Donburi
- Yakisoba
- Yaki Udon
Seafood
Pasta
- Ketchup Spaghetti (Napolitan)
- Japanese-style Tuna Mushroom Pasta
- Miso Butter Pasta with Tuna and Cabbage
- Japanese Pasta with Shrimp and Asparagus
- Japanese-style Pasta with Shrimp and Broccolini
Vegetarian
- Japanese Fried Rice with Edamame, Tofu and Hijiki Seaweed (v)
- Kimchi Fried Rice (v)
- Niratama Donburi (v)
- Soy-Glazed Eggplant (v)
- Stir-Fry Miso Eggplant (v)
- Stir Fry Vegetables (v – please omit pork in the recipe)
- Teriyaki Tofu (v – please omit katsuobushi in the recipe)
⏲️ Under 60 Minutes
Beef
- Baked Croquettes (Korokke)
- Menchi Katsu (Ground Meat Cutlet)
- Nikujaga (Japanese Meat and Potato Stew)
- Wafu Hambagu (Japanese Style Hamburger Steak)
Chicken
- Baked Chicken Katsu
- Chicken Karaage
- Chicken Katsudon
- Chicken Cheese Katsu
- Chicken Katsu
- Chicken Teriyaki
- Garlic Miso Chicekn Wings
- Garlic Onion Chicken
- Gluten Free Baked Chicken Katsu
- Gluten Free Karaage
- Shio Koji Chicken
- Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs
- Yakitori
- Chicken Meatballs with Sweet and Sour Sauce
Pork
Seafood
⏲️ Over 60 Minutes
Beef
- Bulgogi (Korean Grilled Beef)
- Hambagu (Japanese Hamburger Steak)
- Instant Pot Short Ribs
- Japanese Croquettes (Korokke)
Chicken
- Chikuzenni(Nishime) – Simmered Chicken and Vegetables
- Instant Pot Nishime
- Honey Soy Chicken
- Miso Chicken
Pork
Seafood
- Ebi Fry (Japanese Fried Shrimp)
- Japanese Salted Salmon (Shiojake/Shiozake)
- Miso Salmon
- Shio Koji Salmon
Vegetarian
- Kabocha Croquettes (v – please omit bacon)
- Vegetable Gyoza (v)
Freezer-Friendly Side Dishes
⏲️ Under 30 Minutes
- Bean Sprout Namul
- Broccoli Blanched with Sesame Oil
- Tamagoyaki (Sweet Rolled Omelette) (pack frozen)
- Kinpira Gobo (v) (pack frozen)
- Kinpira Renkon (v) (can pack frozen)
- Chikuwa Isobeage
- Carrot Namul (v) (meal prepped)
- Green Bean Gomaae (v) (meal prepped)
- Green Bell Pepper with Okaka (meal prepped)
- Japanese Pickled Cucumber
- Korean Pancake
- Namasu (Daikon and Carrot Salad)
- Pounded Burdock Root with Sesame Sauce (Tataki Gobo)
- Simmered Bamboo Shoots
- Simmered Sweet Potatoes with Lemon
- Spinach Namul and Bean Sprout Namul
- Spinach with Sesame Miso Sauce (Gomaae)
⏲️ Under 60 Minutes
- Gluten Free Korean Pancake
- Hijiki Salad
- Simmered Kiriboshi Daikon (v)
- Simmered Taro (v)
- Steamed White Rice (v)
⏲️ Over 60 Minutes
- 4 Easy Soy Sauce Pickles (v)
- Instant Pot Kuromame
- Japanese Turnips with Soboro Ankake Sauce
- Okra Ohitashi (Japanese Okra Salad)
- Ramen Egg (Ajitsuke Tamago)
- Simmered Fried Tofu and Greens
- Simmered Kabocha
- Spinach Ohitashi
Freezer-Friendly “Bento Fillers”
⏲️ Under 15 Minutes
- Blanched broccoli
- Blanched aspareagus
- Blanched green beans
- Blanched okra
- Blanched corn
- Chikuwa Okra (can’t freeze Chikuwa Cucumber)
- Ham Flower
- Octopus Sausage
- Quick and Easy Tamagoyaki
When you plan your weekly menu, include the freezer-friendly dishes from the list. Make sure you cook a big batch, portion, and freeze.
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