Top 25 Chinese New Year Recipes

Chinese Dumplings

An indispensable New Year dish for many Chinese families, dumplings taste wonderful when made from scratch. Check out my Ultimate Dumpling Guide which includes:

• How to Make Dumpling Wrappers From Scratch
• How to Make Great Dumpling Fillings
• Ten Ways to Fold Dumplings
• Cook Dumplings in Three Ways: Boil, Pan-fry & Steam
• Six Dipping Sauce for Dumpling

🛎 Make ahead: Uncooked dumplings freeze well. Cook the usual way without defrosting.

Peking Duck

If you’re looking for a star centre piece for you feast, try Peking duck! My recipe introduces a simplified method that doesn’t require special equipment or advanced skills.

🛎 Make ahead: Prepare the duck 1-2 days before roasting. The pancakes can be made in advance and reheated on the day.

Steamed Fish

Cooked to a tender texture, seasoned with a delicious dressing, Cantonese steamed fish (清蒸鱼) requires little cooking skill and is very quick to prepare.

🛎 In Chinese culture, fish is believed to bring abundance to the New Year.

Sweet and Sour Fish

This recipe for sweet and sour fish doesn’t require deep-frying and the taste of the sauce is beautifully balanced. 

🛎 Make ahead: You can pan fry the fish in advance and simmer it with the sauce later.

Char Siu Pork

Glossy, aromatic, smoky, savoury & a little sweet, Char Siu (Chinese BBQ pork) is one of the tastiest ways to serve pork.

🛎 Make ahead: It can be served either warm or at room temperature.

Spring Rolls

Spring rolls make a wonderful appetiser for festive gatherings. They can be either deep fried or air-fried.

🛎 Make ahead: Freeze right after assembly. Cook without defrosting.

Hot Pot At Home

Chinese hot pot makes a wonderfully fun meal for festive gatherings. My thorough how-to guide covers all aspects of preparing it at home.

🛎 Every component of a hot pot meal (broth, dipping items and sauces) can be prepared in advance.

Smoked Chicken

Marinated with a homemade spice mix, then steamed and smoked in a wok, Chinese smoked chicken is definitely a crowd pleaser.

🛎 Make ahead: It can be served either warm or at room temperature.

Lion’s Head Meatballs

Routinely appearing at banquet-style meals, Lion’s head meatballs consist of giant pork meatballs, Napa cabbage and a delicious broth.

🛎 Make ahead: This dish can be partially cooked in advance.

Beef Shank Salad

Tender and aromatic, braised beef shank is one of the most popular cold dishes for Chinese banquets and festive dinners.

🛎 Make ahead: Braise beef chunks in advance. Slice and season on the day.

Soy Sauce Chicken

Flavourful and visually appealing, soy sauce chicken (豉油鸡) is a popular Cantonese delicacy that can be easily made at home.

🛎 Make ahead: It can be cooked in advance and reheated before serving.

Sichuan Boiled Fish

Don’t be fooled by its boring name, Sichuan boiled fish (水煮鱼) has nothing but exciting, bold flavours.

🛎 This recipe also applies to sliced beef or pork.

Red Braised Pork Belly

Seasoned with soy sauce, rice wine, rock sugar and spices, red braised pork belly offers a wonderful blend of flavours.

🛎 Make ahead: It can be cooked in advance and reheated before serving.

Spiced Beef Stew

Easily prepared but intensely flavoured, Chinese beef stew with potatoes is a hearty dish loved by young and old.

🛎 Make ahead: It can be cooked in advance and reheated before serving.

Salt and Pepper Shrimp

Fried to a crispy texture and served with an aromatic seasoning, salt & pepper shrimp can be made at home to a restaurant standard.

🛎 Make ahead: This dish can be partially prepared in advance.

Hot and Sour Soup

One of the most popular Chinese soup dishes, hot & sour soup stands out for its tangy flavour, pleasurable texture and warming nature.

🛎 Make ahead: You can cook it in advance but remember to only add vinegar and white pepper right before serving.

Mapo Tofu

Tender tofu cooked in an aromatic and spicy sauce, accompanied by minced meat, Sichuan classic Mapo tofu is simply irresistible.

🛎 You can replace the meat with mushroom to make it vegan.

Shrimp and Egg Stir-fry

A delectable dish with minimum preparation, shrimp and egg stir-fry brings out the best flavour and texture of these two common ingredients.

Garlic Sauce Eggplant

Soft, creamy eggplant flavoured with pungent, fragrant seasonings, eggplant with garlic sauce (鱼香茄子) is as tasty as it looks!

🛎 This dish is vegan adaptable.

Turnip Cake (Lo Bak Go)

A very popular dim sum delicacy, turnip cake (Lo Bak Go) stands out for its fragrant, umami taste and soft, gooey texture.

🛎 Make ahead: You can steam in advance and pan fry it right before serving.

Chinese Broccoli, Two Ways

A delicious vegetable popular in China, Gai Lan (Chinese broccoli) is very simple to prepare and full of goodness. Two classic methods are included.

Hot and Soup Cabbage

Tangy, flavourful in taste and crunchy in texture, hot & sour Napa cabbage is one of the best ways to cook this versatile vegetable.

Chinese New Year Rice Cake

This recipe takes your classic Chinese New Year rice cake (Nian Gao) to another level by adding extra ingredients for a more complex flavour.

🛎 They taste great both at room temperature and pan fried.

Glutinous Rice Balls

A classic Lunar New Year delicacy, glutinous rice balls (Tang Yuan) consist of a sweet, nutty filling and a silky, gooey wrapper.

🛎 Make ahead: They freeze well. Cook them without defrosting.

Eight Treasure Rice Pudding

A delectable dish consisting of sticky rice, dried fruits, nuts and red bean paste, eight treasure rice pudding is a classic Chinese New Year treat.

🛎 Make ahead: It freezes well. Defrost then steam to reheat.

I hope this collection of classic recipes has inspired you and I wish you a fun time preparing for this very special festival.

🧧Happy Chinese New Year! 🐯虎年大吉!