62 Chinese-American Takeout Recipes You'll Make Again And Again
Whether you're craving authentic or Americanized Chinese food, you'll find options here.
No matter which night of the week, we'd love nothing more than to not come 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 62 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, even meatballs.
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.
Orange Chicken
Our version of the Chinese-American staple is pan fried rather than deep fried, but is still super super crunchy thanks to secret ingredient cornstarch in the breading.
Get the Orange Chicken recipe.
Soup Dumplings
We absolutely LOVE dumplings, and xiaolongbao, the Chinese version filled with ground pork and gelatinized pork broth, are some of the best. Though traditionally pork bones are used to make the broth semi-solid, they can be hard to find, so we've subbed in gelatin and whatever broth you like. Trust us, once heated up, these dumplings are still just as heavenly.
Get the Soup Dumplings recipe.
Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts
Inspired by the popular Chinese takeout dish Kung Pao Chicken, these saucy Brussels sprouts are a delicious vegetarian alternative. If you want to up the spice level, feel free to add red chili peppers with the garlic.
Get the Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts 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.
Pan-Fried Noodles in Superior Soy Sauce
Pan-fried noodles go through a two- step tango to reach peak pleasure: First they’re quickly boiled and then they’re thrown into the wok to get their crispiness. It’s in the burning crucible of this wok, endowed with wok hei, that the noodles develop their fragrant satisfying character, commingling under such high temperature with the soy sauce, wine, oil, sugar, and herbs.
Get the Pan-Fried Noodles in Superior Soy Sauce 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.
Beef & Broccoli Noodles
With soy sauce-infused flank steak and broccoli, these rice noodles are packed with flavor.
Get the Beef & Broccoli Noodles recipe.
Bang Bang Shrimp
A go-to appetizer for many, bang bang shrimp is irresistibly delicious. The pairing of crunchy shrimp and the signature creamy, spicy-sweet sauce is a combo made in appetizer heaven. No matter how many times we make it—as a snack, party appetizer, or weeknight dinner—it never gets old.
Get the Bang Bang Shrimp recipe.
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!
Cashew Chicken
If you love kung pao chicken, but want something a little less spicy, cashew chicken is for you. It has a sweeter sauce tossed with roasted cashews, rather than peanuts, and goes nicely with veg like water chestnuts, celery, and bell peppers.
Get the Cashew Chicken recipe.
Copycat PF Chang's Wonton Soup
A lot of wonton soups tend to just be wontons and broth. Sometimes there will be noodles or some sliced scallions, but it tends to be a pretty minimalist dish. The PF Chang's version is for those who want more, more, and then some more.
Get the Copycat PF Chang's Wonton Soup 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.
Shrimp Toasts
Thought to have been created in China about a century ago, shrimp toast combines traditional Chinese shrimp paste with Western white bread to create one of the earliest fusion foods. Try the recipe, and you'll understand why this cocktail hour staple has stood the test of time.
Get the Shrimp Toasts recipe.
Egg Roll Bowls
If you're a fan of crispy savory egg rolls, then you might consider this unwrapped version your dream lunch. Without the need to wrap or fry, this veggie-packed meal comes together in well under an hour. Garnish with crispy raw scallions, toasted sesame seeds, and plenty of sriracha or chili oil.
Get the Egg Roll Bowls recipe.
Sesame Tofu & Broccoli
In this vegetarian version of a Chinese-American favorite, oven-baked tofu gets tossed in a savory, sweet, and slightly spicy sauce along with crisp-tender broccoli, then topped with toasty sesame seeds and scallions. With a side of white rice, you’ll be on your way to a saucy, crowd-pleasing weeknight dinner.
Get the Sesame Tofu & Broccoli recipe.
Chili Oil Smashed Cucumbers
Bonus for this recipe: you get to smash out a little bit of pent-up anger in the process! The resulting uneven, craggy texture of split cucumbers is perfect for grabbing and holding on to that delicious, seasoned oil.
Get the Chili Oil Smashed Cucumbers 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.
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.
Fortune Cookies
Our best tip for making these Chinese cookies is to embrace trial and error! You’ll likely fail a few times before you get them right, but that's all part of the enjoyment. What better sentiment for ringing in Lunar New Year?
Get the Fortune Cookies 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.
