16 Chinese Recipes for the Festive Season

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.

2. 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.

3. Hot and 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.

4. Salt and Pepper Tofu

Crispy outside and tender inside, these salt and pepper tofu cubes are seriously delicious. They’re vegetarian/vegan friendly too.

5. Shrimp Toast

Deliciously seasoned shrimp paste spread over toast then fried to perfection, sesame shrimp toast makes a great finger food. It takes very little time to prepare.

Main Courses

1. 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.

2. Char Siu Pork

Aromatic, smoky, savory & a little sweet, Cantonese classic dish Char Siu (aka Chinese BBQ pork) is one of the tastiest ways to roast pork. Try my easy recipe!

3. 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.

4. Braised Pork Belly

One of the most popular dishes on my blog, red braised pork belly delivers a complex taste: salty, sweet, aromatic and umami. My recipe uses a simplified approach that any home cook would find easy to follow.

5. 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.

Side dishes

1. 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.

2. Spring Onion Oil noodles

A signature Shanghai dish, spring onion oil noodles is a good example of “Less is more“. The spring onion and soy sauce based sauce can be made in advance.

3. 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.

4. Egg Fried Rice

This homemade egg fried rice is light, fluffy and tasty. It goes well with many main courses. Read my post to learn how to achieve the perfect texture.

Sweet Treats

1. 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.

2. Mango Pancakes

Fresh mango chunks topped with fluffy whipped cream, then wrapped with a thin crepe, Hong Kong style Mango Pancake is a dessert to die for. The small portions also make it easy to share.