27 Authentic Chinese Recipes

Do you ever feel like the world is getting smaller? We imagine that 100 years ago, you’d struggle to find one recipe, let alone 27 Chinese recipes! Fortunately, today it’s actually a challenge deciding what we think is best. But we think we’ve cracked it. Take a look at our list below and see if you can find one of your favorites.

1. Chicken Chop Suey

Chop suey can be served along with rice or noodles but is equally delicious on its own. The basis of this dish is a thick sauce combined with crips and crunchy vegetables like shredded carrots, onions, and bean sprouts. While this particular recipe calls for chicken, it also delicious with beef.

2. Cashew Chicken

This is a take-out favorite, but you won’t need to pick up the phone. Make it for yourself at home. When you pan fry cashew nuts, they take on an entirely different flavor. When combined with juicy chunks of chicken and finished in a thick garlic sauce, this is one Chinese recipe that you won’t want to miss!

3. Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce

If you buy one ingredient to help make Chinese recipes, make it a bottle of oyster sauce. It’s salty, with a hint of sweetness, and can be used in loads of recipes. Broccoli on its own can be a little ‘meh’. Why not give it a little Chinese makeover with a lashing of savory sauce?

4. Chinese Cucumber Salad

No, you don’t have to use a Chinese cucumber. This dish is crisp, light, and refreshing. It contains a lot of vinegar. This effectively ‘cooks’ the cucumber. While it is delicious served straight away, we find that the flavor melds and develops if you leave it for a few hours. It’s basically a self-marinating dish. The sugar and garlic really complement the sweetness of the cucumber.

5. Lo Mein

The trick to getting this dish right is to select the correct kind of noodles. So, listen up. Medium egg noodles are where it is at. Aside from that, there are only a few necessary ingredients. Dark soy sauce, sugar, and a splash of sesame oil, and you are good to go. This is great as a side dish. Alternatively, stir fry with some pre-cooked chicken for a full meal.

6. Chinese Spring Rolls

This could be our favorite Chinese recipe of all time. You can serve spring rolls as an entrée or a main meal (just make them bigger). Crisp pastry rolls, deep-fried with a soft and succulent vegetable center. Don’t forget the dipping sauce!

7. Steamed Buns

Tired of all those noodles and rice? Well, let us suggest an alternative. Steamed buns! These little pillows of perfection are super easy to make and can be combined with other ingredients. Our favorite is to make char sui pork with barbecue sauce. Because they are so soft, they are also great for soaking up juices from other dishes. 

8. Peanut Noodles

If you’ve ever had satay, you’ll know what the flavors of this dish are all about. Peanuts are full of energy, and this light lunch will set you up for the day ahead. Peanuts are a little salty, but there is also a hint of sweetness too. Add some soy sauce and fish sauce, and you’ve got a delectable dish that is filling and easy to make. 

9. Sesame Noodles

These noodles are actually quite similar to peanut noodles. But they have one key addition. Can you guess what it is? Sesame seeds feature in many Chinese recipes. They are so tasty, especially when toasted in a hot pan where they take on an unmistakable nutty flavor. Along with the other ingredients, we can’t get enough of these tasty, slightly crunchy noodles. 

10. Fried Milk

Yes, it is possible. And yes, this is amazingly delicious. This is a simple dessert made of coconut milk, whole milk, and some sugar. We make a really stiff paste with the addition of cornstarch and then make it into thick sausages before breading and frying. As it heats, it melts slightly, giving you a crisp, oozy and sweet dessert.

11. Chinese Eggplant

This is a vegan-friendly Chinese dish that is jam-packed with lots of taste and flavor. The secret is to avoid cooking it for too long. That way, the eggplant slices keep their shape and have just a touch of bite. We pair it with a Szechuan sauce to give it a really hot and sweet flavor.

12. General Tso’s Tofu

If you’ve ever been to Panda Express, you’ll already have seen General Tso’s Chicken. This is the vegan version. Make sure to get good quality tofu so that it survives the rigors of being stir-fried in corn starch with this spicy sauce. Oh, and don’t forget to top with a layer of toasted and crispy sesame seeds!

13. Mango Pudding

This dish tastes a little tropical and is the perfect light chinese dessert if you’ve broken your chopsticks munching your way through other Chinese food. It is a mix of tangy mango, gelatin, and cream. It doesn’t rely on fresh mango either. We actually think that canned mango tastes a lot sweeter and gives a nicer texture. Whichever you decide, give it a go. You won’t regret it. 

14. Chinese Green Tea

Not a meal as such, but we couldn’t make a list of Chinese dishes without including it. Chinese food can sometimes be a little heavy and strong in flavor. What better way to refresh your palate than to have a quick sip of a lightly infused fragrant tea. It’s also full of antioxidants which are great for your health. 

15. Fortune Cookies

“you are about to discover 27 amazing Chinese recipes.”

Is that what your cookie said? It should do because it is true. Fortune cookies are great fun to bust out at the end of a dinner party. If you are smart, you can make sure that individual guests get a personalized message. Be inventive, and don’t say anything too rude. A smile full of crisp cookies, how nice!

16. Shrimp Crackers

You’ll often get these included for free alongside Chinese take-out… Well, why not make your own? They are really easy to make and are a great alternative to chips. We often ‘accidentally’ make too many and end up spending the next few days munching our way through them. They are delicious fresh out of the pan. We love how they sizzle when you dip them in the sauce!

17. Stir-Fried Rice Cakes

If you’ve never seen them before, rice cakes probably aren’t what you think. The recipe is made by boiling rice and compressing it into a sort of thick paste, which is then sliced into discs. It is really filling. Because it is so absorbent, it is great to serve with tasty sauces as they soak up all of those delicious flavors. Probably best not to serve them with rice… Wouldn’t want a rice overload! 

18. Crab Rangoon

This recipe is an absolute show-stopper in terms of taste. Don’t worry if you can’t get fresh crab either. The canned variety will work just as well! Imagine a crisp pastry parcel stuffed with melting cream cheese, chunks of succulent crab and finished off with a delicate layer of Asian spices… You don’t need to imagine it, as this is exactly what you get with this recipe. This is great dinner party food. Alternatively, serve it as a dim sum platter as an entrée before wowing people with your main course. 

19. Chinese Zucchini Salad

We aren’t sure if someone wanted to make Chinese cucumber salad and picked up the wrong ingredients, but either way, this is delicious. It contains similar elements to the cucumber salad and includes oyster sauce (have you bought a bottle yet?) When combined with vinegar, the sugar and salt give this dish a really strong flavor, which somehow makes the zucchini even tastier! 

20. Chinese Peanut Sauce

Chinese peanut sauce is a great accompaniment to so many dishes. Looking at our list of delicious Chinese recipes, you’ll find countless things to serve it with. Our favorite is alongside spring rolls and crab Rangoon, but we could just as easily load it on top of noodles and beansprouts for a really filling meal.

21. Chinese Green Beans

Green Beans are a staple in Chinese cooking (they even use red beans in desserts), but let’s keep it mainstream. Chinese cooking is well suited to beans as it involves cooking things really quickly over high heat. It features many ingredients that you’ll see featured elsewhere on our list, including soy sauce, chili, garlic, and vinegar. Cook the beans until they are only just done. That way, they will retain some of their crunch.

22. Chinese Chicken Salad

This is a great dish if you have leftover chicken that you want to use from the night before. It is full of vibrant colors, tastes, and textures. Aside from mouthfuls of shredded chicken, you’ll find beans, toasted peanuts, and noodles. You can use soft noodles if you wish (thick udon are the best kind) but for added texture, give them a quick blast in hot oil to make them all crispy and savory. 

23. Chicken Fried Rice

Want to know a secret? The key to getting fried rice perfect every time is this. Use cold rice that was cooked a few hours ago. When the rice cools, its starches tighten. This ensures that every grain stays firm in a hot pan. If you use warm rice, you’ll end up with mush. This is another recipe that is great for using leftover chicken. We like to add an egg. The best way to do this is to keep it separate from the rice and break it up before incorporating it. Add some garlic, chili, and soy sauce as the dish fries. 

24. Chow Mein

People often get mixed up between chow mein and chop suey… Here is the difference. Chop suey doesn’t have noodles, chow mein does. This is a variation of chicken fried rice, but the rice is replaced with noodles and beansprouts tossed in soy sauce and garlic. You can make this vegetarian by not including meat. Beef cow main is our favorite. We sometimes add a little more water so that we have a thick sauce. 

25. Dan Dan Noodles

Another noodle dish that requires you to be a noodle snob. In this case, we heartily recommend using thick Udon noodles for the best taste. They are ideal for soaking up all that lovely sauce that you create as you make this dish. This comes with a warning, if you make the recipe as described, you’ll find it pretty fiery, so either reduce the number of chilis or make sure you’ve got a nice cool glass of water close to hand.

26. Beef and Broccoli

This is another firm takeaway favorite. Here’s a top tip, give your beef a little marinate in corn starch and water before frying. This will give you really tender and soft strips. Aside from beef, this dish features crisp broccoli florets alongside a rich and thick oyster sauce, which is like gravy. Serve with boiled white rice to soak up all the excess.

27. Chinese Noodle Soup

You might call it ramen, but we insist that this is just a little more special. Chinese noodle soup is great as if there are any elements that you don’t like, then it is pretty easy to leave them out without affecting the taste of the dish (as long as it isn’t the noodles). This is a great Chinese recipe for using up leftover vegetables, and while we stick to a recipe, you can feel free to freestyle once you get the basics down.

Conclusion

Wow, how’s that for a list of authentic Chinese foods to make at home? You’ve got everything there from starters all the way through to desserts, with snacks in between. There’s more than enough to make a Chinese banquet. What would you pick if you were hosting a Chinese dinner party? Let us know in the comments. One of our favorites is Chinese chicken balls, didn’t quite make the list but tasty all the same.