10 Napa Cabbage Recipes: Easy Japanese Style

The type of cabbage you see most often probably depends on where you live. In Japan, we use Napa cabbage (hakusai/白菜) just as much as regular green cabbage! It’s incredibly versatile and shows up in hot pots, soups, pickles, and so much more. Today, I’m excited to share some classic Japanese-style napa cabbage recipes with you.

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1. Japanese Napa Cabbage Pickles

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It is absolutely addictive and goes with anything. I’ll admit to eating just the cabbage pickle with a bowl of really good quality rice for dinners at times. Thank you for a better recipe than what I had been using.
– @pinkmonkeybird2644 (from YouTube)

Here, napa cabbage is chopped into bite-sized pieces and sealed in a bag with salt, yuzu, kombu, chili, sugar and Japanese light soy sauce. After a day in the fridge, the cabbage becomes a crisp, fragrant pickle that’s bright and slightly tangy.

This is the most straightforward way to let napa cabbage shine. No complex fermentation or long waiting periods.

Japanese Napa Cabbage Pickles (Hakusai no Asazuke)

These refreshing citrus-infused pickles are made with crunchy napa cabbage and flavored with yuzu. They're the perfect palate cleanser and are ready in just 24 hours!

Napa cabbage pickles recipe

Japanese Napa Cabbage Pickles (Hakusai No Asazuke) on a small white plate with brown brushstroke design next to yuzu citrus and a bowl of miso soup

2. Sukiyaki

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I made this last night for Thanksgiving dinner (4 people) and it was sooo good!!! This recipe was just like I remember at that restaurant in Japan. The sauce is incredible. I used every ingredient, Easy to cook and it was a fantastic hit! Out of the park!

★★★★★
– Mitchell

Thinly sliced beef, tofu, mushrooms, and napa cabbage cook together in a sweet soy-based broth at the table.

Sukiyaki turns napa cabbage into something luxurious alongside premium beef. The communal cooking experience makes it perfect for gatherings where guests can interact while the meal develops.

Japanese Beef Sukiyaki (Traditional Sauce From Scratch)

Wow your guests with this homemade Sukiyaki, a luxurious yet surprisingly simple dish made with thinly sliced beef, grilled tofu and a beautiful display of vegetables cooked in a sweet and rich "warishita" sauce.

Best sukiyaki recipe

Traditional Japanese beef sukiyaki made with homemade sauce, thinly sliced wagyu beef, grilled tofu, shiitake mushrooms, enoki, carrots, napa cabbage, Japanese leeks and napa cabbage in a cast iron pot

3. Mille Feuille Nabe (Pork & Napa Cabbage Hotpot)

Japanese Mille Feuille Nabe (Pork and Napa Cabbage Hot Pot) in a gray pot on a dark gray background

This hot pot stacks napa cabbage and thin pork slices into tidy layers that resemble a mille-feuille. As it simmers, the pork becomes tender and the cabbage turns sweet, creating a broth rich with natural flavor.

This modern hotpot is visually stunning with its presentation. The sweetness from both pork and cabbage shines through, especially when dipped in refreshing ponzu sauce. It’s a simple dish that maximizes ingredient flavors to create something truly exquisite.

Mille Feuille Nabe (Pork & Napa Cabbage Hotpot)

Mille Feuille Nabe is a simple yet beautiful hot pot made with layers of napa cabbage and tender pork belly simmered in a delicate dashi broth. It's easy to make and ready in just 30 minutes!

Mille feuille nabe recipe

Japanese Mille Feuille Nabe (Pork and Napa Cabbage Hot Pot) in a gray pot on a dark gray background surrounded by various condiments, seasonings and serving bowls

4. Glass Noodle Miso Soup

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I love this recipe! Simple, balanced and filling meal 🙂

★★★★★
– Erina

This comforting miso soup blends soft glass noodles, napa cabbage, chicken meatballs and tender mushrooms.

Napa cabbage adds its characteristic sweetness to these familiar miso soup flavors. The chicken meatballs transform it from a simple side into a satisfying light meal.

Glass Noodle Miso Soup with Chicken Meatballs

This unique variation of miso soup combines hot pot vegetables, fragrant chicken meatballs and silky glass noodles to create a nourishing fusion soup that is perfect for winter!

Glass noodle miso soup recipe

A hand holding harusame soup with chicken meatballs in a cream bowl holding up the glass noodles with wooden chopsticks with a wooden pepper grinder in the background

5. Shabu Shabu

Swishing thinly sliced wagyu beef in a kombu and yuzu dashi broth next to shabu shabu dipping sauces and additional condiments

This classic hot pot features thinly sliced meat swished through a light kombu broth until just cooked. Napa cabbage, tofu, mushrooms and other vegetables soak up the gentle flavors, keeping the dish clean and delicate.

This is how I create a multi-course experience in a single pot. From the initial beef tasting to vegetable courses and finishing noodles, shabu-shabu unfolds like a proper meal.

Japanese Shabu Shabu with homemade sauce

Shabu shabu is a popular Japanese hot pot dish that involves cooking thinly sliced meat and vegetables in a simple broth and then dipping them in a variety of flavorful sauces. In this article, I will guide you through the steps of preparing authentic shabu shabu at home, including how to choose the right ingredients, make the dipping sauces and finish off your meal with tasty noodles.

Shabu shabu recipe

Ingredients to make shabu shabu on a gray background (a basket of vegetables and noodles, a plate of thinly sliced wagyu beef, various bowls of condiments and a bowl of sesame sauce and ponzu sauce)

6. Kare Nabe (Japanese Curry Hot Pot)

Japanese Curry Hot Pot (Kare Nabe) with chicken, prawns, vegetables and cheese in a gray ceramic pot on a black wood-effect background

This hot pot blends a cozy curry broth with tender meat, napa cabbage, mushrooms and tofu. The cabbage softens as it cooks, adding sweetness that balances the warming spices.

For those who want something different in their hotpot rotation, this curry nabe is perfect for winter. If you already love Japanese curry rice, this is the ultimate seasonal twist. It reimagines familiar flavors in an entirely new format.

Kare Nabe (Japanese Curry Hot Pot)

This Japanese Curry Hot Pot is a hearty dish packed with chicken, shrimp, and vegetables simmered in a spicy curry-infused broth. It's the perfect comfort dish for a cold evening!

Japanese curry hotpot recipe

Japanese Curry Hot Pot (Kare Nabe) with chicken, prawns, vegetables and cheese in a gray ceramic pot on a black wood-effect background top down

7. Chanko Nabe (Sumo Stew)

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As it turns out, I’ve been eating it for the last couple of weeks! It’s very filling, no carbs needed. Thanks for the recipe.

★★★★★
– Feby

This hearty hot pot is inspired by the meals sumo wrestlers eat during training, packed with chicken, tofu, mushrooms and plenty of napa cabbage.

It’s packed with all sorts of vegetables and guaranteed to fill you up.

Chanko Nabe (Sumo Stew)

Chanko nabe is a traditional hot pot dish eaten by Japanese sumo wrestlers. It's packed with vegetables, tofu, and fragrant, tender homemade chicken meatballs served in a warming miso-flavored broth.

Chanko nabe recipe

8. Mizore Nabe (Grated Daikon & Pork Hotpot)

Daikon radish hot pot in a gray pot on a black wood-effect background top down

Fatty pork enriches the dashi as napa cabbage, mizuna, and shiitake cook together. The star is the grated daikon added at the end, named “mizore” for its resemblance to sleet.

You might not have encountered this hotpot before, but it’s worth seeking out.

Mizore Nabe (Grated Daikon Radish & Pork Hotpot)

Mizore Nabe is a refreshing hot pot dish made with pork, vegetables, and tofu in a light dashi-based broth and topped with a generous helping of grated daikon.

Daikon hotpot recipe

9. Ishikari Nabe

Hokkaido Style Ishikari Nabe (Salmon and Miso Hot Pot) with vegetables, tofu and scallops in a black Japanese "nabe" pot on a wooden background top down

This Hokkaido-style hot pot features salmon simmered in a miso-based broth with napa cabbage, tofu, mushrooms and potatoes.

Looking for fish or seafood instead of meat in your nabe? Ishikari Nabe is exactly what you need.

Ishikari Nabe (Salmon and Miso Hot Pot)

This Ishikari Nabe is a nourishing hot pot from Hokkaido made with tender salmon and hearty vegetables cooked in a flavorful miso broth.

Ishikari nabe recipe

10. Botan Nabe

Botan nabe served in a black hot pot made with wild boar, tofu and vegetables in a miso flavoured broth

This rustic hot pot uses wild boar simmered with napa cabbage, mushrooms and other vegetables in a miso-based broth. The boar becomes tender and sweet as it cooks, and the miso helps soften its gamey aroma.

If you can get wild game meat, I highly recommend trying this mountain specialty.

Botan Nabe (Japanese Wild Boar Hotpot)

Learn how to make Botan Nabe at home with thin slices of wild boar shaped like a peony flower simmered in a sweet miso broth with tofu and vegetables. This beautiful dish is one of Japan's most unique hot pot recipes!

Botan nabe recipe