Tag Archives: Chinese new year

Classic Chinese Restaurant Dishes

Classic Chinese Restaurant Dishes

Craving Chinese takeout? Recreate your favorite restaurant-style dishes at home with easy, flavor-packed recipes. From crispy egg rolls and savory spareribs to noodle dishes, stir-fries, and fried rice, these homemade classics deliver bold flavor without the delivery wait.

Classic Egg Rolls

Serves: 8-10 | Preparation Time: 10 minutes | Cooking Time: 15-29 minutes

Ingredients

For marinade

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
  • ½ teaspoon brown sugar

For rolls

  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 cups cabbage, shredded
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 package egg roll wrappers
  • Peanut oil for deep frying

Directions

  1. Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl, blending well.
  2. Add the ground pork and cornstarch and combine. It’s best to use your hands, clean or gloved, to do this.
  3. Let the mixture marinade for about 5 minutes.
  4. In a wok, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Stir-fry the pork until it is no longer pink.
  5. Add the cabbage and carrots, and cook until heated through (about 2 minutes).
  6. Season with salt and pepper as desired, and remove from the heat.
  7. Place one wrapper at a time on a clean surface or tray, in a diamond shape.
  8. Add about ¼ or ⅓ cup of the pork filling close to the tip of the diamond at the bottom, closest to you. Do not put too much filling or the wrapper will break while frying.
  9. Fold the bottom tip of the wrapper over the filling. Roll tightly once.
  10. Fold the left and right corners inward, and continue rolling up to the top corner.
  11. Moisten the top corner with a little water or a paste of water and cornstarch to seal the roll.
  12. Repeat until all the filling or wrappers are used up.
  13. Prepare the peanut oil by heating it in a wok over medium-high heat. The oil is ready when wooden chopsticks immersed in the oil release tiny bubbles.
  14. Working in batches, fry the rolls until they are golden brown. For more efficient heating and to get crisp rolls, do not overcrowd the rolls in the oil.
  15. Use a spider strainer or tongs to lift the rolls out of the oil, and place them in a dish lined with paper towels.
  16. Serve hot.

 

 

Garlic Spare Ribs

Serves: 4-6 | Preparation Time: 15 minutes | Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • Water for boiling ribs
  • 4 pounds spareribs, cut apart

For sauce

  • 1 ½ cups brown sugar
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 3 ½ tablespoons light soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 ½ tablespoons dry mustard
  • Spring onions, chopped (for garnish)

Directions

  1. Fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil.
  2. Add the spareribs, cover, and simmer until the meat is tender (about 30 minutes).
  3. Remove the ribs from the broth and drain.
  4. In another pot or wok, combine the ingredients for the sauce.
  5. Bring it to a gentle boil, and add the spareribs.
  6. Bring once again to a boil, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
  7. Serve garnished with chopped spring onion, if desired.

 

 

Beef Chow Fun

Serves: 2-3 | Preparation Time: 1 hour | Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces flank steak, cut across the grain in strips

For the marinade

  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon oil

For the rest of the dish

  • 3 tablespoons oil, divided
  • 1 thumb ginger, cut into thin slices
  • 4 scallions, halved lengthwise and cut into 3-inch pieces
  • 1 12-ounce pack fresh flat rice noodles, pre-cut
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons regular soy sauce
  • ⅛ teaspoon sugar
  • Salt and white pepper, to taste
  • 4 ounces fresh mung bean sprouts

Directions

  1. Mix the ingredients for the marinade together, and marinate the beef for 1 hour.
  2. Heat the wok to smoking. Add 1 ½ teaspoons of oil, and sear the beef until browned. Remove the beef from wok and set it aside.
  3. Add the rest of the oil and cook the ginger until fragrant.
  4. Add the scallions and noodles, spreading them evenly inside the wok.
  5. Stir-fry over high heat for about 15 seconds.
  6. Add the wine, spooning it around the rim of the wok.
  7. Add the sesame oil, soy sauces, sugar and white pepper. Scrape the bottom of the wok with a spatula, and lift the noodles upwards to mix.
  8. Keep the heat high, and continue mixing the noodles until they are evenly coated with sauce, and heated through.
  9. Add the beef and sprouts, mix, and cook until the sprouts tender and the beef is heated through.

 

 

Kung Pao Shrimp

Serves: 2 | Preparation Time: 10 minutes | Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

For marinade

  • 1 tablespoon rice wine
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon salt

For sauce

  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • ¾ teaspoon cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil

Other ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 large green or red bell pepper, seeds removed and thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and minced
  • 3 Thai chilies, broken in half and seeded
  • ¼ cup chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts
  • 3 cups cooked rice

Directions

  1. Stir the marinade ingredients together, and marinate the shrimp for 10 minutes.
  2. Whisk together the ingredients for the sauce. Set aside.
  3. Heat a wok over high heat, and swirl in the oil.
  4. Add the bell pepper, garlic, ginger, and chilies, and stir-fry for 1 minute.
  5. Add the shrimp, and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until the shrimp have turned orange.
  6. Stir in the sauce, and cook until thickened, about 30 seconds.
  7. Sprinkle with peanuts and serve over rice.

 

 

Orange Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry

Serves: 4-6 | Preparation Time: 15 minutes | Cooking Time: 10 minutes 

Ingredients

For sauce

  • ½ cup orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 teaspoon ginger, peeled and minced
  • 1 ½ teaspoons honey, or to taste

For stir-fry

  • 1 pound chicken tenderloin, cut into bite-size pieces
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 cup chopped broccoli, sliced
  • 1 cup carrots, sliced
  • 1 cup snow peas, trimmed
  • ½ cup celery, sliced
  • ½ cup mushrooms, sliced
  • 2-3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
  • ½ cup medium yellow onion, chopped
  • Rice, for serving

Directions

  1. Place all the sauce ingredients in a blender and blend for 10-15 seconds.
  2. Transfer to a saucepan, and heat to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes.
  3. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
  4. Mix together the salt, pepper, and cornstarch, and coat the chicken with the mixture.
  5. In a saucepan or wok, boil enough water to cover the vegetables. Drop the broccoli, carrots, snow peas and mushrooms in the boiling water, and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the water and drain on paper towels.
  6. Heat a clean wok over medium high heat. Add the peanut oil and fry the onions with the chicken for 3-5 minutes.
  7. Add the pre-boiled vegetables, and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
  8. Gradually add the sauce while stirring constantly, allowing a few seconds between additions. The sauce should thicken and coat chicken pieces.
  9. Serve while hot over rice.

 

 

Yang Chow Fried Rice

Servings: 4 | Preparation Time: 30 minutes | Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 large eggs, scrambled (cooked)
  • 2-3 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
  • 1 medium onion, minced
  • ½ cup ham, cut into cubes
  • ½ cup Chinese roast pork
  • 5 cups cooked or day-old rice, lumps broken
  • ¾ cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 4 ounces fresh shrimp, shelled and deveined
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • ¼ teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon rice wine
  • 2 green onions, finely chopped
  • 2 cups lettuce, finely chopped
  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Directions

  1. Break the scrambled eggs into small pieces and set them aside.
  2. In a saucepan, boil some water to blanch the shrimp. Immerse the shrimp momentarily, until the color changes to orange. Remove them from the pot, drain them, and set them aside.
  3. Heat a wok over high heat. Add the oil and stir in the onion. Cook until it is translucent.
  4. Add the ham and pork, and cook for 30 seconds to heat through.
  5. Add the rice, and mix for 2 minutes to heat it through. Use the spatula to remove any remaining lumps, sprinkling water over any stubborn ones to soften them.
  6. Add the shrimp and peas and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes more.
  7. Stir in the salt and sugar, and drizzle the wine around the rim of the wok.
  8. Continue mixing, scraping the bottom of the wok with the spatula and lifting the rice upwards. Sprinkle with water to moisten or add a little more oil, if needed.
  9. Add the scrambled eggs, green onion, lettuce, and pepper, and mix until the lettuce is wilted.

 

 

 

***These recipes and more are found in Lina Chang’s Chinese Takeout Cookbook: Favorite Chinese Takeout Recipes to Make at Home. To get your copy, click on the cover below or click here.

Chinese Takeout Cookbook

To download or print the featured recipes, click here.

Delicious Chinese Takeout Recipes!

Delicious Chinese Takeout Recipes!

Prepare delicious Chinese take-out food with Mama Li’s best secret recipes! Perfect for Chinese New Year!

Dumplings with Peanut Sauce

Serves: about 40 pieces | Preparation time: 1 hour 30 minutes | Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 2 tablespoons soya sauce
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon white pepper
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 green onions, sliced
  • 1½ cups Napa cabbage, shredded
  • 4 tablespoons bamboo shoots, shredded
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 40-50 round dumpling wrappers
  • Egg wash for sealing (1 egg beaten with 1-2 tablespoons of water)

Spicy Peanut Sauce

  • ½ cup smooth organic peanut butter,
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 1 teaspoon chili paste
  • 1 pinch hot chili pepper flakes

Directions

  1. Warm 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok on medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger. Sauté for 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium and add the green onions, Napa cabbage, and bamboo shoots. Sauté until the vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and let cool down for a few minutes.
  2. Add the vegetable mixture to the raw ground pork. Mix well.
  3. Place 1 teaspoon to 1½ teaspoon of the pork filling onto one half of the wrapper. Seal the dumpling by brushing lightly with some egg wash on the edges. Press lightly to seal. Pleat if desired.
  4. You can cook the dumplings by either steaming (preferable for added flavors) or boiling them.
  5. When boiling, add them to the pot only when the water has started boiling. Let them boil for about 12 minutes.
  6. If you are using a bamboo steamer, place cabbage, bok choy, or large lettuce leaves at the bottom of the steamer. It will prevent the dumplings from sticking to the bottom. Arrange the dumpling so they do not touch. Steam for 15 minutes.
  7. You can also fry them after they have been boiled or steamed for added flavor.
  8. To make the peanut sauce, combine ingredients in a blender, mix until smooth. Add some more water if necessary for the desired consistency.
  9. Serve dumplings with peanut sauce, warm.

 

Chinese Spare Ribs

Serves: 4-6 | Preparation Time: 10 minutes | Marinating time: 8 hours + (overnight) | Cook Time: 1hr 5 minute

Ingredients

  • 1 slab pork spareribs, about 4 or 5 pounds, sliced into individual ribs
  • 5 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • ½ cup sherry
  • ¼ cup hoisin sauce
  • 3 tablespoons chili garlic paste
  • 4 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons molasses
  • 1¼ teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
  • ½ teaspoon cardamom
  • 1½ teaspoons sesame oil

Directions

  • Place ribs in a large stockpot and cover completely with water, plus an extra inch. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer for at least one hour. Meat should be tender and close to falling off the bone. Remove ribs from water and allow them to cool completely.
  • In a large bowl, combine all other ingredients. Split the marinade in two. Reserve half in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Place cooled ribs into the other half of the marinade and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
  • Let ribs rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
  • Preheat broiler or grill.
  • If using a broiler, transfer ribs to a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush liberally with remaining marinade and broil or grill for 5-7 minutes or until hot and just beginning to crisp around the edges. Turn over the ribs after 3 minutes. Brush with marinade and continue cooking for 2-4 more minutes.
  • Transfer to a serving plate and enjoy immediately.

 

Chicken Lo Mein

Serves: 4-6 | Preparation Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Chinese egg noodles
  • 2 cups Napa cabbage, shredded
  • 1 cup oyster mushrooms, chopped
  • 5 green onions, sliced, greens part reserved for garnish
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken, cubed
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sherry
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon peanut (or other preferred) oil

Directions

  • Begin by cooking noodles: In a large sauce pan or stock pot, bring water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until firm, approximately 5 minutes. Check for doneness along the way, as cooking times may vary depending on thickness. Drain and rinse with cold water. Return noodles to pot, and toss gently with sesame oil. Set aside.
  • Heat a wok over high heat and add oil to coat pan.
  • Add crushed red pepper to the pan, tossing around until fragrant. Add chicken, ginger, soy sauce, sherry, salt, and cornstarch. Cook, tossing gently, for 2 minutes.
  • Add shiitake mushrooms, white parts of the green onions and cabbage, cook for two more minutes until chicken begins to brown and cabbage wilts slightly. Remove chicken mixture from pan and set aside.
  • Add a bit more oil to the hot pan before adding noodles. Toss noodles in the hot oil for no more than 1 minute. Add the chicken mixture back into the pan and toss gently until heated through.
  • Garnish with green onions, if desired.
  • Serve immediately

 

Yang Chow Fried Rice

Serves: 4-6 | Preparation Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • ⅔ cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 1 medium carrot, diced
  • ½ pound Chinese roast pork, cooked, shredded, or diced
  • ½ cup small shrimp, shelled and deveined
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
  • 3 green onions, sliced, whites and greens separated
  • 4 tablespoons soy sauce or ponzu
  • 4-5 cups cooked rice
  • 1½ tablespoons peanut (or other preferred) oil

Directions

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok over medium-high heat.
  2. Add eggs and cook until just set, cut into small pieces while cooking. Remove from pan and set aside.
  3. Add garlic and vegetables to pan, and cook for 4 minutes, tossing gently while cooking.
  4. Add remaining oil and shrimp to the pan, and cook until they begin to turn pink and look done. Add pork, remaining oil, and egg back into the pan, tossing gently to incorporate. Cook for about 2 minutes.
  5. Add rice and soy sauce to pan. Cook rice, tossing gently until well incorporated and rice begins to toast very slightly, approximately 3-4 minutes.
  6. Serve immediately, garnishing with green onions if desired.

Note: for best results, cook rice a day ahead of time or use leftover rice.

 

Szechuan Beef

Serves: 4-6 | Preparation Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound flat iron steak (cut into very thin strips against the grain)
  • 2 carrots, julienne
  • 1 celery stalk, julienne
  • ½ small red bell pepper, julienne
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 4 green onions, white part only, julienne
  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 3 teaspoons chili sauce
  • 6 tablespoons peanut oil for stir-frying, or as needed
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon dry sherry
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon Szechuan peppercorn
  • Rice for serving

Directions

  1. In a small dry pan, toast the Szechuan peppercorns until fully aromatic, approximately 2-3 minutes.
  2. In a small bowl, add chili sauce and hoisin sauce. Mix and set aside.
  3. Heat pan or wok on high heat, and add a tablespoon of peanut oil. Let the oil warm for about 30 seconds. When the oil is hot, add carrots, celery, and red bell pepper. Stir fry for 3 to 4 minutes and remove from heat. Place vegetables on a plate and reserve.
  4. Add 4 to 5 tablespoons of peanut oil and add steak. Stir fry for about ten minutes or until the steak is dark brown and sizzles.
  5. Splash with the sherry once the steak is done.
  6. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of peanut oil. Add the reserved hoisin sauce mixture, ginger, salt, and green onions. Turn heat down to medium-high. Stir fry for just under a minute.
  7. Add carrots back into the pan and Szechuan peppercorns. Simmer for about 2 minutes.
  8. Serve with rice.

 

Chinese Doughnuts

Makes: 12 | Preparation Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup milk
  • ⅓ cup butter, cubed
  • ⅓ cup butter
  • ¾ cup milk
  • Oil for frying
  • Granulated sugar for dusting

Directions

  1. In a medium-sized bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
  2. Using your hands, add butter to the flour mixture and incorporate until crumbly but with no large clumps.
  3. Add milk and mix until a firm dough forms.
  4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured working surface and knead just enough to form an elastic ball. Do not over-knead the dough in this stage.
  5. In a wok or pan large enough for frying, heat 2 inches of oil over medium-high heat.
  6. Shape dough pieces into golf ball-sized balls. Flatten slightly, not applying too much pressure.
  7. Fry in small batches, not overcrowding the pan. Slowly lower doughnut into oil and fry until golden brown, about 4 minutes, turning once.
  8. Remove doughnuts from oil and dust in sugar.
  9. Allow to cool slightly before eating.

 

***These recipes and more can be found in Sarah Spencer’s Best Chinese Take-out Recipes from Mama Li’s Kitchen. To get your copy of the cookbook, click on the cover or here.

To download or print any of these recipes, click here.