Explore a collection of delicious Chinese recipes perfect for busy weeknight dinners. Find your favorites and add them to your meal planner!
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Pin ItDo you find preparing weeknight dinners stressful sometimes? If you answered yes and enjoy the taste of authentic Chinese food, this recipe collection is sure to inspire you!
From my personal favorites, I’ve selected 20 popular dishes that are perfect for busy weeknights. These are the meals I often prepare to feed our family of four after long days at work and school.
Some of these recipes are quick and simple, while others are ideal for preparing in large batches over the weekend to be easily reheated during the week. Scroll down to explore them, and let me know which ones you plan to add to your meal planner!
One-pot Hainanese Chicken Rice
Inspired by the famous Hainanese chicken rice, this easy one-pot recipe stands out for its simple approach and delectable flavours.
🌟 TIP: You can make this meal in a regular pot, an instant pot or a rice cooker.
One-pot Hainanese chicken rice
Chow Mein
Making Chinese chow mein at home is quick and easy! It’s a perfectly balanced one-pan dish combining protein, starch and vegetables.
🌟 TIP: You can improvise and use whatever vegetables are available in your fridge.
Chicken Chow Mein (鸡肉炒面)
Oyster Sauce Chicken
A simple and delicious way to cook chicken, oyster sauce chicken requires little effort and basic skills but delivers amazing taste.
🌟 TIP: Pair it with steamed rice and a simple vegetable dish, such as Garlic Eggplant Salad or Water Spinach Stir-Fry.
Oyster Sauce Chicken (蚝油焖鸡)
Scallion Ginger Salmon
Pan-fried salmon with crispy skin seasoned with scallion and ginger infused oil and an umami-rich sauce. It only takes 15 minutes to cook.
🌟 TIP: Serve it with a simple vegetable dish (e.g. Smashed Cucumber) and steamed rice, you’ll get a tasty and healthy meal!
Scallion Ginger Salmon with Soy Dressing
Chinese Sausage Rice
Learn a simple way to cook Chinese sausage rice, a delicious all-in-one dish ready in 25 minutes. No clay pot or rice cooker is needed.
🌟 TIP: You can replace Chinese sausage with Chinese cured pork belly, or use a mixture of both.
Chinese Sausage Rice (腊肠饭)
Scallion Pork Chops
Succulent pork flavored with fried scallions and a rich sauce, Shanghai scallion pork chops are hearty, comforting and quick to prepare.
🌟 TIP: Apart from steamed rice, you can also serve this dish with pasta, potatoes, or other staples of your choice.
Scallion Pork Chops (葱烤大排)
Wonton Soup
Tasty, juicy filling wrapped with slippery wrappers and served in an umami broth, this easy wonton soup makes a wonderful all-in-one meal.
🌟 TIP: Prepare a large batch of wontons over the weekend and freeze them. Simply boil them without defrosting during weeknights.
Wonton Soup (馄饨汤)
Chinese Beef Stew
Easily prepared but intensely flavoured, Chinese beef stew with potatoes tastes tender, succulent and aromatic.
🌟 TIP: This is a great dish to cook in advance over the weekend. Store it in the fridge and reheat it on weeknights to pair with steamed rice.
Chinese Beef Stew with Potatoes (土豆炖牛肉)
Sha Cha Chicken
One of the easiest ways to cook chicken, this Sha Cha chicken recipe calls for simple preparation but delivers a delectable result.
🌟 TIP: Serve it over a bed of rice, or stir it into freshly cooked noodles.
Sha Cha Chicken (沙茶鸡)
Pork Fried Rice
Skip the take-out and cook this delicious pork fried rice in less than 20 minutes. Enjoy the mix of fluffy rice, tender pork and crunchy veggies coated with umami-filled seasoning.
🌟 TIP: This is a great fridge-raid dish. Use whatever ground meat and/or vegetables you have at hand as substitutes.
Pork Fried Rice (猪肉炒饭)
Sichuan Cold Noodles
Tangy, aromatic and refreshing, Sichuan cold noodles are such a delectable dish to try! It makes a perfect dinner on warm days.
🌟 TIP: It can be made with many different toppings, and it’s easy to adapt it into a vegan or vegetarian-friendly meal.
Cold Noodles With Sichuan Dressing (Liang Mian, 凉面)
Egg Foo Young
Learn how to make egg foo young at home so you skip the takeout or restaurant visits. It includes the formula for the classic gravy, as well as a tasty alternative way to season.
🌟 TIP: It tastes so nice served over a bed of steaming hot rice. Add a simple vegetable salad (e.g. Ginger Spinach) on the side for a more balanced meal.
Egg Foo Young (Chinese Omelette, 芙蓉蛋)
Chili Cumin Chicken Thighs
Quick to cook and intensely flavorful, chili cumin chicken thighs make a great weeknight dinner paired with crunchy vegetables.
🌟 TIP: You can use other vegetables to replace green beans, such as broccoli, asparagus, and snow peas.
Chili Cumin Chicken Thighs
Tomato and Egg Noodle Soup
Very easy to make and tastes wonderful, tomato and egg noodle soup requires minimum ingredients and preparation. A dish everyone should learn to cook.
🌟 TIP: If you fancy rice instead of noodles, check out its sister dish Tomato Egg Stir-Fry.
Tomato and Egg Noodle Soup (西红柿鸡蛋面)
Lemon Chicken
This isn’t the usual lemon chicken you get from Chinese takeout. No deep-frying is required. It’s bursting with flavor, lighter to eat, and quicker to make.
🌟 TIP: You can use any skin-on chicken cuts, such as thighs, leg quarters, wings, or drumsticks. Adjust the cooking time as needed.
Lemon Chicken
Steamed Chicken
Tender, succulent and fragrant, Chinese steamed chicken with shiitake mushrooms requires little effort to cook yet it tastes amazing. A classic dish for both everyday meals and special occasions.
🌟 TIP: Don’t forget to rehydrate the shiitake mushrooms beforehand.
Steamed Chicken with Shiitake Mushroom (香菇蒸鸡)
Pork Belly Rice Bowl
Cooked in a rich broth to a melt-in-your-mouth texture, Taiwanese Lu Rou Fan is a heavenly scrumptious way to enjoy pork in an all-in-one rice bowl dish.
🌟 TIP: Cook the braised pork belly in advance and store it in the fridge or freezer. Simple reheat it on weeknights to serve with freshly cooked rice.
Lu Rou Fan (Taiwanese Pork Rice Bowl, 卤肉饭)
Stir-Fried Rice Cakes
A delicious all-in-one meal ready in under 20 minutes, Chinese stir-fried rice cakes offer a delightful mix of great flavors and textures.
🌟 TIP: If using chilled or frozen rice cakes, no need to soak or defrost them. If using dried ones, rehydrate them in advance.
Stir-Fried Rice Cakes (Chao Nian Gao/炒年糕)
Scissor-Cut Noodles
A quick and fun way to make noodles from scratch. Try these Chinese scissor-cut noodles seasoned with a flavour-bursting sauce.
🌟 TIP: This noodle recipe only requires 15 minutes to rest the dough, so it’s much faster to prepare than other types of homemade noodles.
Super Easy Scissor-Cut Noodles (油泼剪刀面)
Chinese Chicken Noodle Soup
An umami-rich, all-in-one dish made with simple ingredients, Chinese chicken noodle soup is easy to make and tastes delectable.
🌟 TIP: Cook the broth and meat in advance and freeze them in portion-sized containers. Defrost in the fridge the night before you plan to make this dish.
