A collection of recipes for festive dinners and feasts. They offer tasty ideas to add some Chinese elements to your holiday preparation.
How time flies! We’re coming to the end of 2023. For this festive season, I’ve curated a collection of crowd-pleasing dishes that might inspire you to incorporate some Chinese elements into your traditional feasts 🎉🎉.
Starters & 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.
Smashed Cucumber
Cracked with force and seasoned with bold flavours, smashed cucumber salad is a quick, fun and refreshing dish to enjoy.
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.
Sichuan Peanuts
Hot, fragrant, crispy and powerfully mouth-numbing, Sichuan peanuts are an irresistible snack that can really liven up the party mood.
Salt & Pepper Tofu
Tender tofu with a golden, crispy crust and super aromatic seasonings, salt and pepper tofu makes a delectable vegan appetizer.
Coca-Cola Wings
Tender, juicy meat coated with a sticky, shiny sauce, Coca-Cola chicken wings are simple to make and amazingly tasty.
Siu Mai
Dim sum dishes are wonderful for festive gatherings. These Siu Mai are filled with a tender mixture of pork and shrimp. Every bite is a delight!
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.
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.
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 (aka 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
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.
Chili Garlic Mushroom
This chili garlic mushroom recipe requires simple ingredients but the flavour is intensely delicious: garlicky, spicy, savory, umami with a hint of sweetness.
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.
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.
Scallion Bread
This scallion bread recipe is inspired by the classic scallions pancake. It’s easier to make and great for sharing, especially when feeding a crowd.
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 Fried Rice
Soy sauce fried rice is another classic staple that can be prepared in advance, and it’s vegetarian/vegan friendly.
Chow Mei Fun
Fried noodles also make a wonderful party staple. This easy recipe for chow mei fun takes little effort to cook but is so satisfying to eat.
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.
Holiday Treats
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.
Mango Pancakes
Fresh mango chunks topped with fluffy whipped cream, all wrapped in thin, moist and elastic crepes, mango pancakes are truly a dessert to die for.
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!
Rey Chan says
Your recipes are good and delicious. Hoping to perfectly cook your recipe.
Wei Guo says
Thanks Rey! Have a wonderful holiday with delicious food!
Wendy Shinbori says
Would love you to put together a cookbook that could be purchased with all your wonderful recipes.
Wei Guo says
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!
Dori says
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
Wei Guo says
You’re welcome Dori! Wish you a fun time cooking with/for the family.
Helen says
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
Wei Guo says
Thank you Helen! I love Char Siu dishes too. Have a wonderful celebration!
Lawrence says
Just love reading your menus, but more, love working through them and preparing, making and eating them.
Edible Heaven.
Wei Guo says
So happy to hear your appreciation Lawrence. Happy cooking!
Ilin says
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
Wei Guo says
Happy New Year to you too! Happy cooking in 2022!
Demetrios says
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.
Wei Guo says
So happy to know you like my recipes. Have a wonderful holiday Demetrios!
Margaret Lim says
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
Wei Guo says
My pleasure to share Margaret! Wish you a wonderful time cooking new dishes!
Lee Schilling says
Do you have a Peking Duck recipe?
Wei Guo says
I haven’t shared a recipe for Peking duck yet. Will try developing a recipe when I get my hands on good quality ducks.