60 Chinese Food Recipes You'll Crave Again And Again
Whether you're craving authentic or Americanized Chinese food, you'll find options here.
If it’s been a long work day, there’s nothing we dread more than coming up with what to cook for dinner, and too often we turn to our trusty takeout menus. If you’re like us, one of your go-tos is the local Chinese food place. Ours has a, shall we say, interesting mix of traditional and super-Americanized items (french fries, anyone?) that we kind of LOVE. We took inspiration from the mix of original and inauthentic for this list of 60 Chinese food recipes you can make at home. Whatever Chinese food you’re craving, these recipes are for you!
When it comes to Americanized Chinese food, there’s a few flavor profiles that get all the love, like kung pao, bang bang, and beef with broccoli. We’ve included a ton of recipes for them here, like kung pao shrimp noodles and brussels sprouts, bang bang cauliflower and shrimp, and beef and broccoli noodles and kebabs. We’ve also got some Mongolian-inspired recipes that have made their way to Chinese food menus over the years—we know you’ll love the mild sweet and salty sauce on everything from meatballs to chicken wings.
This list is all about the classics you’ll recognize from places like Panda Express, like fried rice and general tso’s chicken, but we’ve also included a few recipes you’re more likely to find in a Chinese home than a mall, like sichuan-style eggplant and congee. Join us in expanding our horizons and trying new flavor profiles and textures, like szechuan peppercorns. Their unique lip-tingling flavor is unlike anything else, and makes a number of these dishes stand out.
And we didn’t forget about the appetizers! They’re the best part of a takeout order, so we’re not skimping on them when we’re making our Chinese food at home either. We’ve got recipes for scallion pancakes, egg rolls (in the air fryer!), dumplings, and wonton soup that’ll rival your favorite delivery spot. Hot tip: make extra and freeze them so you’ll always be ready when the Chinese food craving hits.
For more takeout inspired recipes, check out our lists of Mexican, Italian, and Greek dishes.
Copycat Panda Express Chow Mein
The exact origins of chow mein are not entirely clear, but historians suspect this dish was born in northern China millennia ago. Thousands of years later, it’s been popularized by a beloved chain with a cute panda mascot. Now you can make it at home!
Ginger Pork Pot Stickers
Looking for a weekend project? We suggest these super-flavorful (and surprisingly easy) pot stickers! Check out the photos of our folding technique, but don't worry too much—these will taste amazing no matter how they look.
Get the Ginger Pork Pot Stickers recipe.
Black Pepper Chicken
Our trick to the most juicy tender chicken here? Velveting is the process of marinating protein in a cornstarch slurry before frying or boiling to keep it moist and tender. The bit of downtime while the chicken marinates is great for dicing veggies and making this delicious stir fry sauce.
Get the Black Pepper Chicken recipe.
Fried Rice
Fried rice is a quick and delicious way to transform leftovers into something greater than the sum of its parts. Though we sometimes think of certain ingredients being typical (eggs, peas...) the only things you need heat, rice, and oil. Anything else you add is up to you!
Get the Fried Rice recipe.
Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry
The secret to this unbelievably delicious dish? Hoisin sauce! It's crucial in giving this dish that trademark Chinese-American take-out flavor.
Get the Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry recipe.
Scallion Pancakes
Crispy, flaky, and with the *slightest* bit of chew, these are the perfect addition to Chinese food night. If you've got more pancakes than you can handle, we've got good news—these freeze super well too.
Get the Scallion Pancakes recipe.
General Tso's Chicken
This dish of crispy chicken tossed in a sweet and savory sauce is a Chinese-American classic. Though the typical preparation calls for deep-frying, we went for the easier stir-fry route for less mess from frying while still retaining all of the crispiness you're used to.
Get the General Tso's Chicken recipe.
Dan Dan Noodles
Originating from Chinese Sichuan cooking, Dandan noodles were named for the carrying pole (aka dan dan) that street vendors used to carry baskets of noodles and sauce. While sometimes served as a soup in China, American versions are usually more saucy than soupy, and often include sesame paste, peanut butter, or tahini, like our recipe here.
Get the Dan Dan Noodles recipe.
Copycat Chicken Lettuce Wraps
In our attempt to copy the P.F. Chang's fan favorite, we flavored ground chicken with hoisin sauce (a fermented bean paste that gives the chicken the quintessential Chinese-American flavor), soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, Sriracha, and sesame oil.
Get the Copycat Chicken Lettuce Wraps recipe.
Szechuan Chicken
Szechuan cuisine is known for using strong flavors and especially Szechuan peppercorns, which bring a unique herbal spice with a gentle numbing, tingly effect to the lips and tongue. Spice-lovers, this chicken is for you.
Get the Szechuan Chicken recipe.
Sichuan-Style "Fish-Fragrant" Eggplant
Despite the name, there is no trace of fish in this delicious dish. Originating from the Sichuan province in China, 魚香 (yu xiang) describes a flavor profile that was originally used in preparing fish dishes from the region. Now these pickled chilis, fermented bean paste, green onions, garlic, ginger, and punchy spice blend are used to season vegetables, like this eggplant, too.
Kung Pao Spaghetti
Our best copycat of California Pizza Kitchen's kung pao chicken spaghetti is saucy and extremely easy to make, with a slight spicy kick.
Get the Kung Pao Spaghetti recipe.
Congee + Youtiao
You can put seasoning in the rice porridge itself, but we keep it pure and simple until serving, which is when the fun comes in. We've served ours with a donut called 油條 (youtiao), but exercise total freedom and go wild with your own toppings!
Get the Congee + Youtiao recipe.
Homemade Dumplings
Take your time and give this homemade dumpling process lots of love—餃子 (jiao zi) resemble Chinese gold ingots, a currency that was used during the Ming dynasty, and are meant to represent prosperity, wealth, and health. May each one bring you a bite-sized pocket of blessing!
Get the Homemade Dumplings recipe.
Sweet & Sour Cashew Stir-Fry
It's a busy night, you don't have much in your fridge, but you still want to make a quick dinner? It's stir-fry time. Sweet and sour stir-fries are one of our favorite flavors on a plate, and you can make this vegan version with whatever's hanging around in your fridge.
Get the Sweet & Sour Cashew Stir-Fry recipe.
Szechuan Beef
This recipe marries the more intense and traditional heat of fiery chilis and numbing Szechuan peppercorns with the mildly sweet and salty takeout sauciness you know and love. Yum!
Get the Szechuan Beef recipe.
Steamed Buns (Baozi)
Making steamed buns that look like beauty queens might take some practice but it's really what's on the inside that matters here: the dough is soft but not too cake-y, tender with a slight chew, with a barely sweetened taste that pairs well with, well, almost anything. Our recipe includes three filling options—red bean paste, miso carrots, and pork.
Get the Steamed Buns (Baozi) recipe.
Better-Than-Takeout Beef and Broccoli
The sauce in this version uses ingredients we always have on hand in our kitchen—garlic, broth, soy sauce, lime juice, and Sriracha. While not traditional, this recipe hits the spot. For a more traditional version (with the addition of hoisin sauce), try our beef & broccoli stir-fry.
Get the recipe from Delish.
Mapo Tofu
Disclaimer: “authentic” mapo tofu is hard to perfect without a flaming hot wok above a fire and some hard-to-find ingredients. Never fear, we've made some concessions and this one is still delicious. Just make sure to serve it with rice to help sop up all that yummy sauce!
Get the Mapo Tofu recipe.
Honey Walnut Shrimp
Our crispy coated version of this slightly sweet dish more closely represents the Panda Express takeout version than the traditional. The sugared walnuts are our favorite part and make the dish so special!
Get the Honey Walnut Shrimp recipe.
Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at Delish, otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries. Previously, she attended the Natural Gourmet Institute for culinary school and worked at/managed a number of New York restaurants. She loves anything vegan, foods masquerading as other foods (hello, cauliflower), and a well-used Oxford comma.
