37 Asian Breakfast Recipes

Looking for easy healthy asian breakfast ideas? This list of sweet and savory breakfast recipes are perfect for kids and adults: from a traditional simple rice soup bowl to high protein egg dishes, Southeast Asian noodles and sweet muffins, this list has your mornings covered. (Includes Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Indian , Southeast Asian breakfast meal prep ideas.)

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Asian cuisine offers a wide range of breakfast options that are flavorful, healthy, and easy to make.

However, those new to Asian breakfasts be warned: the meals are not for the faint of the heart: whilst you can eat Hong Kong egg tarts if you want, Asian breakfasts are usually savory and hearty. (Typical dishes would be a big bowl of rice or noodles- Perfect for the most important meal of the day!)

I am not the biggest fan of steamed food- Greedygirlgourmet is all about bold flavors!- but Chinese steamed eggs are something I can eat over and over again thanks to the soft and cloud-like texture.

Tip 1: these need to be properly seasoned to be tasty! I recommend mixing the egg with chicken broth and adding soy sauce over the egg after cooking instead of adding lots of salt to the egg mixture. (As everyone has different ideas of how salty food should be and you can't remove the salt once it's added to the egg! In contrast, everyone can add the right amount of soy sauce for them and there's so much umami!)

Tip 2 : you need to sift the egg mixture & make sure the egg mixture is heated very gently to get a smooth custard-like texture.

Rice Porridge

Hearty bowls of savory congee- and small mantou buns which can be eaten on the move (see below) are a staple of Chinese breakfast round the world.

Note: if you have leftover rice from the day before (stored properly in the fridge), this can be quickly turned into a plate of Chinese fried rice for breakfast. (No cooking on medium heat- you need the fire of the wok for a good plate of fried rice!)

Like Korean fried rice, it only takes 10 minutes or so making it a great option for those rushing to work!

This rice porridge dish is a favorite of my family.

In its simplest form, this traditional dish is just a bowl of rice in water, which can be garnished with various toppings, such as spring onions and sesame oil, and eaten with side dishes such as You Tiao (Chinese dough sticks) or a simple fried egg.

Tip: If you're in a hurry, use leftover rice to shorten the cooking time.

Often, a variety of ingredients such as meat, vegetables, and eggs are added. Below are some of the most popular congee recipes on my site.

These are all Chinese porridge recipes. However, other Asian countries also have their own type of porridge, such as Bubur Ayam in Indonesia and Cháo Gà in Vietnam. There are even different Chinese porridges, from Cantonese congee (juk) to Teochew and Taiwanese porridge!

Bao are fluffy steamed buns.

They can be plain, like mantou, or filled with meat, vegetables, or sweet fillings (think Char Siew Bao Dim Sum, Gua Bao, and Kong Bak Bao.)

Mantou and Char Siew Bao can be made in big batches, frozen and steamed from frozen- the perfect easy breakfast for busy days. (You can also fry them- perfect when dipped in a cup of soy milk!)

Obviously, the hamburger type bao, like Gua Bao, are best eaten fresh after assembling, so are better for lazy Sundays. (These are usually stuffed with braised pork belly but you can use mushroom, tofu or aubergine if Vegan.)

Gimbap is a popular Korean street food breakfast but for those of us not living in Korea or not sushi rolling pros, turn them into these easy sandwiches instead. They're equally delicious but easier to make!

For more information about what Koreans eat for breakfast, such as kimchi pancakes, click here!

Thanks to the liberal use of herbs such as lemongrass, it's ever so flavorful and fragrant!

Like any wrap, you have a lot of flexibility as to what to fill them with: from Chinese pork jerky to sesame seeds and egg whites, if you're feeling healthy, or any you tiao dough sticks you have leftover from the congee!

Mayak Eggs can be made a few days in advance and are a great meal prep recipe.

Tip: If you're storing them for a few days, you may want to reduce the seasoning as the later they stay in the braising liquid, the saltier they get.

This is 1 of the most popular breakfasts in Singapore, because it's cheap and fast!

In its basic form, it can jut be noodles and stir-fried bean sprouts. However, you can also make it more luxurious by adding seafood such as canned abalone!

Note: if you can't get thin Rice Vermicelli, here are some good Bihun substitutes.

Japanese breakfasts are known for their simplicity, nutrition, and umami flavors.

At its simplest, this is a bowl of white rice (Gohan), miso soup and some side dishes, such as Tamagoyaki (A rolled omelette made with eggs, dashi, sugar, and light soy sauce.)

Tip: for a Japanese spin on your regular breakfast, make Japanese- style Scrambled Eggs and add dashi and soy to your eggs!

Chicken Vermicelli Noodle Bowl (Bun Ga Nuong)

Bun is basically a Vietnamese rice bowl.

Although it's a rice vermicelli noodles dish, this chicken bowl is still a very refreshing breakfast dish thanks to all the vegetables and herbs and is sure to please your taste buds. (No peanut butter in the sauce!)

Asians lovely chewy foods so much, they've made Mochi Muffins! (Usually made with butter and milk, I've also included a vegan option below made using coconut milk.)

Japanese Pancakes

Japanese people also make the most delicious desserts. If you love soufflés, you'll adore these soft Japanese fluffy pancakes.

Asian breakfast recipes offer a variety of flavors and textures that are perfect for starting your day. Whether you prefer sweet or savory, rice-based or noodle-based dishes, there are some easy Asian breakfast recipes that will suit you!

If I've missed out 1 of your favorite Asian brunch recipes, let me know in the comments!