Sure, ordering for Chinese takeout is simple: You call your favorite restaurant, pick your favorite appetizers, stir-fries, and noodles, then camp in front of the TV with those little collapsible boxes. But did you know that some of those Chinese takeout classics can be made even faster at home?
Lightning-fast stir-fries like lo mein and fried rice are just minutes away and a flick of the wrist is gone. Twice-fried spicy staples like General Tso’s and Kung Pao chicken sometimes suffer from the rigors of delivery; by making them in your own kitchen, dinner comes hot from the wok to the table. Even dumplings, which may seem labor-intensive, are more manageable than you might think; with our guide, the whole family can enjoy the folding and tucking en route to a delicious (and kid-friendly) meal.
So if you’re in the mood for cooking tonight but still crave some tasty Chinese food, grab the wok and try making some of our favorites at home.
Commonly eaten for breakfast in China and other parts of Asia, this comforting recipe is often mixed with meat, poultry, or seafood and given a burst of flavor from the garnish of scallions, chiles, and shallots. Get the recipe >
This Chinese-American version of the Cantonese dish is based on a recipe by The Chinese Cookbook, the seminal 1972 volume by Craig Claiborne and Virginia Lee. Our version offers a sweet and sour sauce that is most commonly used with fish, but just as delicious with twice-cooked pork. Get the recipe >
The heat and aromatic spice of black pepper take center stage in this simple Cantonese classic. Get the recipe >
Bee Peking Duck House on Mott Street in New York City’s Chinatown, these sizzling lamb chops are served over a bed of lightly steamed broccoli. Pair them with plenty of steamed white rice to soak up their salty-sweet and aromatic sauce. Get the recipe >
A long marinade and a quick fry are the keys to this sweet and spicy starter. Get the recipe >
Mozel Watson (owner of) Wines from Mosel), is a die-hard fan of the lo mein at Peking Duck House in New York City’s Chinatown. He likes to combine the dish with champagne from Ruinart. The wine’s fine bubbles “act like little blades cutting right through the noodles,” and each of the ingredients complements the wine’s round, creamy, bright apple notes. Get the recipe >
Two kinds of soy sauce and a touch of sugar give this dish – loved all over China – its signature shine and a deep reddish-brown hue. Serve the tender pieces of pork belly and boiled eggs with a light vegetable, such as bok choy. Get the recipe >
A classic Chinese dish made with boiled-and-stir-fried pork and lots of leeks and fermented black soybeans. Cooking the pork (the first “cooked”) removes some of the fat and makes it easier to cut and later crisp in a piping hot wok. Get the recipe >
Peanut butter, sesame paste, and chili-garlic paste combine to create a silky, savory sauce for these noodles — a Chinese-American restaurant staple. Chopped peanuts and a flurry of shredded cucumber and carrot add crunch. Get the recipe >
The go-to Chinese filling: juicy pork mingled with the crisp onion flavor of garlic chives. Try to find a fatty mix of ground pork; it will improve the taste and juiciness of the filling. Chopped garlic chives, which have a peppery raw garlic taste, and fresh ginger cut through the rich flesh. Make sure the dumplings are completely sealed and free of air bubbles to prevent leakage during cooking. This recipe is adapted from The Dumpling Galaxy Cookbook† Get the recipe >
In these deliciously rich dumplings, homemade or store-bought chili oil is balanced by freshness from scallions and ginger and sweetness from oyster sauce. To maximize the crunchy surface, stretch and bend the raw dumpling shape slightly. Get the recipe >
Chili, scallions, garlic, ginger and soy sauce flavor tender chicken and peanuts in this moderately spicy dish. Receive the recipe >
In China, this combination of shrimp, scallops, and crab is a special occasion dumpling filling. The clean taste and smooth texture of the shellfish are not obscured by filler. Serve steamed dumplings straight from the bamboo steamers, as their delicate wrappers can break during transfer. Get the recipe >
Chinese New Year has come and gone, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep celebrating with these easy-to-make potstickers. Get the recipe >
This easy stir-fry is flavored with soy sauce, ginger, and rice wine. Get the recipe >
An adaptation of the fried wonton, crab rangoon is one of the most enduringly popular appetizers in the upscale Polynesian restaurant chain trader Vic’s† Get the recipe >
Apricot jam lends a touch of sweetness, acidity, and sheen in this riff on a classic General Tso chicken, a dish with Hunanese and Taiwanese roots that has become a Chinese-American takeout favorite. Get the recipe >
A handful of soybeans and fresh spinach brighten up this Chinese restaurant favorite. Get the recipe >
In this Sichuan classic, tofu and ground pork or beef are simmered in a fiery red chili sauce. Get the recipe >
Chewy rice cakes give this spicy vegetarian stir-fry a delicious texture. Get the recipe >
If you can’t find choy sum, whole baby bok choy makes a great substitute in these recipes. Get the recipe >
Crispy, savory, and easy to make, scallion pancakes are great for crowd-pleasing appetizers or snacks. Get the recipe >
Tossing these tasty pork wontons (a blend of ground pork, rice wine, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce) in red chili oil adds the signature Sichuan heat. Get the recipe >
For this beloved dish from China’s Sichuan province, a jumble of wheat noodles is topped with a spicy, pungent pork sauce. Get the recipe >
Steaming eggplant, rather than frying it, lightens this fragrant stir-fry, adapted from a recipe in Grace Young and Alan Richardson’s The breath of a wok (Simon & Schuster, 2004). Get the recipe >
Mild ingredients — mushrooms, tofu — are nestled in a fiery, vinegar-spiced broth. Get the recipe >
food writer Lillian Choo shared this carefully layered salty-sweet stir-fry from her friend Sun Guoying, which introduces dry and wet ingredients into the wok in a strictly prescribed order. Get the recipe >
These are made using a collagen-rich pork broth that gels as it cools; the jelly can then be sliced and mixed with ground pork and aromatics and used as a filling. Get the recipe >
