30+ Delicious Chinese Recipes at Home (2024)

It’s surprising, but not many people make their own Chinese food at home.

The world loves Chinese food, and for the last several decades, Chinese food has been hugely popular in the U.S. Some Chinese dishes have become ubiquitous. For example, fried rice dishes, lo mein, and stir fry dishes are so easy to make that many of us already make them in our own kitchens.

Usually, families will order some takeout from their favorite local place even though most of the Chinese food recipes can be made right inside their homes.

Chinese cuisine boasts an impressive array of flavors, ingredients, and techniques that make it one of the most popular culinary traditions in the world. Diverse and unique, these recipes reflect the heritage and history of the Chinese people as it has evolved over time. Delving into the world of Chinese cooking will not only satisfy your taste buds but also provide a glimpse into the rich cultural traditions that are integral to this ancient cuisine.

From the classic dishes that have become synonymous with Chinese cuisine, such as Kung Pao Chicken and Sweet and Sour Pork, to unexpected surprises found in regional specialties, there are countless recipes to tantalize your palate. By learning the essential ingredients, mastering traditional techniques, and exploring the various cooking styles of different Chinese regions, you will be well on your way to creating delicious meals for any occasion.

Key Takeaways

• Explore diverse and unique Chinese recipes to expand your culinary repertoire
• Master essential ingredients and traditional techniques for authentic results
• Discover regional specialties and dishes suited for any occasion or skill level

The flavors are beautiful and the Chinese dishes don’t take a ton of time to make either.

In the list below you’ll find all the classics like beef and broccoli or chow mein and even some of the best Chinese recipes you’ve never heard of.

So, if you want to make homemade Chinese food for the family, just pick your favorite recipe from the list below.

Source: theminichef.com

1. Chinese Braised Pork Belly

This satiating dish is irresistible and filled with flavor.

The pork belly is the perfect combination of crisp yet tender and served with some rice is addicting.

Source: thewoksoflife.com

2. Chicken Chop Suey

Chop suey is a great way to get a ton of veggies into your meal but still have a flavor packed sauce to go with it.

This is the kind of stir-fry you can make with a variety of different proteins from chicken to beef.

Rice and noodles are going to be the preferred filler for this veggie mix, but if you want to get rid of the carbs, use some cauliflower rice.

Source: food.com

3. Chinese Green Tea

For a calm and soothing drink to endyour meal, consider making a little Chinese green tea.

It’s got a slight amount of caffeine, so it works just like coffee when you need a little pick-me-up after your meal.

You can have this tea hot or cold and it will still please the mind and spirit.

Source: omivorescookbook.com

4. Chinese Noodle Soup

The main ingredient in this soup is going to be the delicious broth you end up creating.

Make sure to keep seasoning and tasting to get the taste you like.

As for the other ingredients, you can get away with pretty much anything.

Throw in what you like and as long as you get the broth just right, the rest of the dish will come together perfectly.

Source: dessertnowdinnerlater.com

5. Mango Pudding

You might not have thought this tropical dessert is Chinese, but aren’t you glad it made it on the list?

You’ll have a deliciously creamy treat with a mix of milk, sugar, mangoes, gelatin sheets, and milk to give it the custard type of consistency.

Use fresh mangoes if you really want this dish to taste delicious, but you can also use frozen and it’ll still be good.

Source: casuallypeckish.com

6. Cashew Chicken

Traditionally, a Chinese restaurant will cook cashew chicken in a wok but you don’t have to buy one if you don’t have one.

Just bust out your biggest skillet and you can start tossing in ingredients.

Cashew nuts mixed with chicken are the star of the show and provide a unique blend of flavors and textures.

However, you will be best served by cooking up a great garlic sauce to coat your chicken recipe in.

Source: mantitlement.com

7. Fortune Cookies

You can’t have a classic Chinese recipe without having the classic Chinese fortune cookies to end the meal.

This cookie has little paper fortunes inside that are different for every person who gets one.

The fun part about this treat is that you can make up your own futures and give them to your family.

Source: therecipecritic.com

8. Beef and Broccoli

Here is one of the classics of Chinese cuisine and it truly has the best balance of flavors.

The best part? It’s incredibly easy to make!

You’ll find all the ingredients on the list at your local grocery store, so it’s not hard to create the same rich flavors you get at your favorite local restaurant.

Source: dishingouthealth.com

9. General Tso’s Tofu

This classic Chinese takeout food can be made right at your home and you can even sub in some tofu to get a little healthier.

You won’t have a super-rich meal with this lighter version of General Tso’s, but that’s because it has less of the bad stuff in it.

You’ll want to marinate the tofu ahead of time so that it has plenty of time to absorb all the wonderful flavors.

Source: thewoksoflife.com

10. Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce

You may not have had a lot of experience with oyster sauce, but you will soon be finding ways to incorporate it into your favorite dishes.

It gives the broccoli and other ingredients a wonderful umami flavor you won’t find anywhere else.

Chinese broccoli goes well on this dish, but you could honestly just use whatever veggies you have around the home.

The sauce really does the trick, so make sure you have enough to go around. You could also use a little hoisin sauce if you prefer a different taste.

Source: healthynibblesandbits.com

11. Stir Fried Rice Cakes

The best part about this stir fry is that you can make it in under half an hour so it doesn’t take up your entire night for dinner.

The rice cakes have some sesame seeds sprinkled on top so they have a great crunchy texture.

This is classic Asian comfort food and will cause you to cozy up on a couch and rest for a bit.

Source: honest-food.net

12. Dan Dan Noodles

If you’ve ever tried this noodle dish before, then you know it can be pretty spicy.

Keep that in mind when you’re creating this dish with its wonderful mix of greens, scallions, chopped peanuts, white noodle, and meat mixture.

This dish is filling, so even if you don’t make a ton you might still have some leftovers for later.

Source: pickledplum.com

13. Chinese Eggplant

Eggplant probably won’t make many people’s top five favorite foods, but this Chinese recipe might just change some minds.

Put in some tasty, but spicy, Szechuan sauce and crisp up the eggplant to create this wonderfully flavorful dish.

To go all-in on a healthy dish, you could even throw this in with some quinoa or cauliflower rice.

Source: healthynibblesandbits.com

14. Chinese Cucumber Salad

Looking for a snack that is light and refreshing and won’t make you feel guilty after eating?

Try this flavorful Chinese cucumber salad recipe that will satisfy your cravings.

The combo of savory flavors from soy sauce to vinegar and garlic really makes this salad stand out from others.

Source: tiffanycooks.com

15. Crab Rangoon

If you’re looking for a crowd-pleaser appetizer you can bring to your next party, your search is over.

The crab rangoon is filled with cream cheese but has all the complicated flavors of Asian spices to give it a unique and addicting taste.

Serve this dip with a generous side of crispy wonton chips and watch as people devour it.

Source: cupfulofkale.com

16. Chow Mein

What’s beautiful about chow mein is that it’s meant to be cooked quickly so that you don’t overcook the noodles.

That means you can have a delicious tasting meal for the entire family without having to take all night to do it.

You can add broccoli, mushrooms, bok choy, bean sprouts, or any other Asian vegetable you want and this dish will still taste good.

This will have some of that umami taste with the oyster sauce and you can throw in any protein you like.

Source: yumofchina.com

17. Fried Milk

If you haven’t been lucky enough to try fried milk, then consider yourself in for a treat.

Of course, you can’t fry liquids, so what you’ll have to do is add some cornstarch to the mix to thicken it up slightly.

You’ll then throw that into a mix of egg, starch, and breadcrumbs to create an outer breading.

Deep fry it till it’s golden brown and try to resist its crunchy and creamy mix.

Source: foodnetwork.com

18. Lo Mein

This is another classic Chinese meal that takes practically no time to make.

In less than half an hour, you’ll have a flavor packed bowl full of your favorite Asian ingredients.

The noodles are perfect for the slightly sweet sauce you’ll add because they soak up all that juice.

Source: spicetheplate.com

19. Chinese Zucchini Salad

If your zucchini salad has been tasting a little bland these days, then it might be time to kick it up a notch with this Chinese version.

You’ll get that umami flavor on your healthy side with the mix of soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and oyster sauce.

Throw on some chives as a garnish to give it just that extra added flavor.

Source: dinneratthezoo.com

20. Chicken Fried Rice

The classic fried rice can’t be ignored when listing Chinese recipes.

This chicken variation takes less than half an hour but you will need to prep a bit beforehand.

It’s not necessary, but marinating the chicken can add a ton of flavor and it’s worth taking the time to do.

Source: cookclickndevour.com

21. Sesame Noodles

This is another classic Chinese cooking dish that you can pair with a ton of different ingredients and still get a delicious tasting meal.

The sauce itself has a great peanut flavor which makes you want to keep going back for more.

Pair the sweet peanut flavor with sriracha, garlic, and ginger, and the mix of flavors will hook you in.

Source: dinnerthendessert.com

22. Chinese Spring Rolls

There are few Chinese appetizers more appealing than spring rolls.

The crunchy hard outer layer pairs perfectly with the softer, yet still crunchy, inside.

Since you’re creating these at home, you can make them any way you like. Vegetarian, meat packed, or a mix all work perfectly in this app.

The best part is the sweet chili dipping sauce because it goes perfectly with the spring roll.

Source: recipe-diaries.com

23. Chinese Peanut Sauce

Peanut sauce is kind of like BBQ sauce in that everyone makes it a little differently.

This recipe takes the good from a lot of recipes and mixes it together to give you one of the best flavors you’ll find.

You can use this for pretty much anything, including pasta or veggies.

All you really have to do is mix the ingredients so it takes practically no time to make.

Whip yourself up a decent amount to snack on when a craving hits.

Source: carlsbadcravings.com

24. Chinese Chicken Salad

This is a light, refreshing salad that is packed with unique flavors you won’t get every day.

This particular recipe even adds some oranges to give an extra burst of flavor, but you can sub out for another fruit if you want.

There is a ton of delicious and fresh ingredients in this salad, so when you make it get a large container to fill it because you’ll definitely want to keep munching on it throughout the week.

Source: rasamalaysia.com

25. Steamed Buns

Steamed buns on their own are absolutely fantastic because they are extra soft and doughy in all the right ways.

The problem is they can be a little tricky to master but this recipe gives you step-by-step instructions on how to get them perfect.

The real reward thoughis learning how to make them so you can start filling them with all kinds of goodies.

From savory to sweet, you can put pretty much anything you want in your steamed buns.

Source: tablefortwoblog.com

26. Cold Spice Peanut Noodles

If the sound of cold noodles doesn’t get you excited, you probably haven’t had this cold spice peanut noodles recipe.

Meant to be served cold, this dish is simple yet it’s packed with flavor.

With a bit of sprinkled sesame seeds on top to give it some crunch, the peanut noodles can go with pretty much any meat seamlessly.

Source: allrecipes.com

27. Chinese Green Beans

You might have thought you knew everything there was to know about a green bean, but you haven’t tried out this Chinese version.

They don’t need a lot of ingredients so you can whip up this side in no time if you’re in a pinch for something delicious.

Like most Asian food, if you have a wok it will be a little easier and taste slightly better than if you were using a skillet.

This recipe is a Szechuan classic, so it will have a good amount of spice to it.