A collection of recipes for festive dinners and feasts. They offer tasty ideas to add some Chinese elements to your holiday preparation.
As the year comes to a close, it’s the perfect time to bring new flavors to your holiday celebrations. Chinese cuisine offers a rich variety of dishes that are both comforting and festive—ideal for gatherings. Picture the inviting aroma of ginger, garlic, and soy filling your kitchen, setting the scene for memorable meals together.
I’ve gathered a collection of Chinese recipes that are sure to impress and delight. Whether you’re looking for a unique appetizer, a comforting main, or a refreshing side, these dishes will add something special to your festive spread.
Appetizers & Small Bites
Spring Rolls
These nutrition packed spring rolls can be deep fried or air fried. Served as whole or halved, they make a great nibble for young and old.
Lettuce Wraps
These lettuce wraps are filled with a balanced mixture of meat and vegetables. The use of classic Sichuan spices makes them extra appealing.
Hot & Sour Soup
A small bowl of hot and sour soup makes a wonderful start to a meal. This recipe shows you how to make it the traditional way without shortcuts or adaptation.
Salt & Pepper Squid
Tender squid coated in a well-seasoned batter, fried until golden and crunchy, then tossed with aromatics and spices, salt and pepper squid makes a delightful party nibble.
Smashed Cucumber
Cracked with force and seasoned with bold flavours, smashed cucumber salad is a quick, fun and refreshing dish to enjoy.
Five Spice Edamame
A healthy dish that requires minimal effort, Chinese five spice edamame is perfect for munching as a snack or appetizer.
Salt & Pepper Tofu
Tender tofu with a golden, crispy crust and super aromatic seasonings, salt and pepper tofu makes a delectable vegan appetizer.
Fried Wontons
Juicy filling wrapped with crispy pastry, fried wontons make a crowd-pleasing appetizer. They can be either deep-fried or air-fried.
Chicken Potstickers
These chicken potstickers, tasty inside and crispy outside, offer a treat that’s a pleasure for both your palate and your eyes.
Centerpiece Dishes
Peking Duck
A legendary dish made easy, this Peking duck recipe doesn’t require any special equipment or advanced skill. But it still tastes so satisfying!
Aromatic Crispy Duck
A home cook-friendly recipe for aromatic crispy duck, offering alluring flavors and exceptional tenderness. Perfect when enjoyed with bao buns or duck pancakes.
Five Spice Chicken
Tender, juicy and thoroughly flavored, this spatchcocked five spice chicken brings roast chicken to a new level. You only need a few common ingredients to season but the taste is amazing.
Salt Baked Chicken
A simplified version of a classic delicacy, this salt baked chicken recipe requires minimal effort but yields wonderful results.
Smoked Chicken
Tender meat with an aromatic flavor, Chinese smoked chicken is my favorite way to cook a whole chicken. You don’t need a special smoker. Everything is done is a wok or a large pot.
Scallion Chicken Chops
Tender chicken coated in a thick, aromatic sauce, scallion chicken chops are a quick dish that delivers the comforting warmth of classic Chinese cuisine.
Char Siu Chicken
This Char Siu chicken dish can be roasted either in the oven or in an air fryer. It’s seriously finger-lickin’ good! You can serve it both warm and at room temperature.
Scallion Pork Chops
Succulent pork flavored with fried scallions and a rich sauce, Shanghai style scallion pork chops are hearty, comforting and quick to prepare.
Chinese BBQ Ribs
Richly seasoned and perfectly roasted, Chinese BBQ ribs are an easy and tasty way to cook pork ribs. Both oven-roasting and air-frying methods are included.
Char Siu Pork
Aromatic, smoky, savory and a little sweet, Cantonese classic dish Char Siu (Chinese BBQ pork) is one of the tastiest ways to roast pork. Try my easy recipe!
Braised Pork Belly
Tender, gelatinous and aromatic, Chinese red braised pork belly makes a scrumptious centerpiece. This recipe shows you how to cook it with ease.
Scallion Ginger Salmon
Pan-fried salmon with crispy skin seasoned with scallion & ginger infused oil and an umami-rich sauce. It only takes 15 minutes to cook.
Sweet & Sour Salmon
Beautifully flavored with a pleasant contrast in texture, this sweet and sour salmon recipe is perfect for festive feasts. It’s very easy to prepare too!
Chinese Hot Pot
A thorough how-to guide to Chinese hot pot covering all aspects of preparing this iconic meal at home. It will help you to throw a stress-free hot pot party.
Healthy Sides
Broccoli with Garlic Sauce
A must-try dish, broccoli with garlic sauce shows you a classic Chinese way to make vegetables irresistibly appealing.
Bok Choy & Mushroom
This bok choy & mushroom dish features braised meaty shiitake and blanched leafy greens full of crunchiness. It’s a healthy side dish that only takes 10 minutes to cook.
Sichuan Green Beans
If you’re bored with blanched vegetables, try Sichuan dry fried green beans as a side. It’s packed with bold flavors. Skip the minced meat and make it vegan if you wish.
Oyster Sauce Gai Lan
A quick and delicious way to cook Gai Lan (Chinese broccoli). It requires two simple steps: briefly blanch the vegetable and simmer the sauce mixture with garlic.
Eggplant with Garlic Dressing
You only need 8 minutes to cook this steamed eggplant recipe. Creamy, aromatic, and tangy, it tastes wonderful both hot and cold.
Tiger Skin Peppers
A classic Sichuan dish, tiger skin pepper combines a delightful texture with bold flavors like smokiness, spiciness, and a hint of sweet and sour.
Staples for Sharing
Bao Buns
These steamed bao buns are perfect for wrapping up any centerpiece dishes you prepare. My foolproof recipe ensures you can make them with ease.
Spring Pancakes
Thin, soft, and pliable, these spring pancakes are idea for wrapping up any fillings of your choice, including the iconic Peking duck and many others.
Scallion Pancakes
An informative guide to homemade scallion pancakes, a layered Chinese flatbread loved for its super crispy, flaky texture and oniony, aromatic taste.
Soy Sauce Fried Rice
Soy sauce fried rice is another classic staple that can be prepared in advance, and it’s vegetarian/vegan friendly.
Yanzhou Fried Rice
Classic Yangzhou fried rice combines a wide range of flavors and textures, and it’s tasty both warm and at room temperature. A great staple for sharing.
Soy Sauce Noodles
Springy noodles seasoned with a flavorful sauce and complemented by crunchy sprouts, these soy sauce pan fried noodles are a simple delight!
Chow Mein
Who doesn’t love a tasty plate of chow mein? Improvise with your favorite proteins and vegetables, and serve it as a comforting side dish that appeals to both young and old.
Five Spice Potatoes
Boiled then briefly pan-fried, these five spice potatoes only take less than 15 minutes to prepare. The addition of chili flakes makes it very exciting to eat.
Holiday Treats
Almond Cookies
Learn the quick and simple method for making Chinese almond cookies, a delicious treat loved for their crumbly texture and nutty flavor.
Sesame Balls
Gooey mochi dough filled with red bean paste and coated with crispy sesame seeds, Chinese sesame balls are simply delightful!
Fortune Cookies
Homemade fortune cookies make a great party treat as you can hide personalized messages inside. They’re also a fun gift to give.
Pumpkin Mochi
Soft, gooey, sweet, and nutty, pumpkin mochi with red bean paste offers a feast for both your eyes and your palate. A fun treat to enjoy!
Your recipes are good and delicious. Hoping to perfectly cook your recipe.
Thanks Rey! Have a wonderful holiday with delicious food!
Would love you to put together a cookbook that could be purchased with all your wonderful recipes.
Thank you so much Wendy for your support! I haven’t got any plan to publish a physical cookbook for the moment. Maybe one day!
Thank you for your recipes – I will make some of it for this holiday, my parents want to try it on the second day of christams! I wish you a blessed holiday too, and I await your recipes next year too! Dori
You’re welcome Dori! Wish you a fun time cooking with/for the family.
Happy Holidays Wei,
I love all of your recipes, but am particularly fond of the Char Siu recipes. I am grateful for your website,
Helen
Thank you Helen! I love Char Siu dishes too. Have a wonderful celebration!
Just love reading your menus, but more, love working through them and preparing, making and eating them.
Edible Heaven.
So happy to hear your appreciation Lawrence. Happy cooking!
Dear Wei,
Thank you for your recipes and regular email updates. I have tried your char siu and stirfrys so far and looking forward to tackling chinese new year 2022. Thank you
Happy New Year to you too! Happy cooking in 2022!
My dear Wei,
Thank you for the inspiration! Your tasty and well-presented recipes got my mouth watering. I will certainly try some over the holidays…and beyond.
In spite of this crazy pandemic that refuses to go away, I wish you all the best this festive season.
So happy to know you like my recipes. Have a wonderful holiday Demetrios!
Hi Wei,
You make every dishes look so simple and easy I can’t wait to try them.
Thanks for keeping me wanting to try new dishes!
Regards
Margaret
My pleasure to share Margaret! Wish you a wonderful time cooking new dishes!
Do you have a Peking Duck recipe?
I haven’t shared a recipe for Peking duck yet. Will try developing a recipe when I get my hands on good quality ducks.