Chinese Recipes for 2023 Holiday Season (2024)

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 anirresistiblesnack 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 spatchco*cked 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 dish featuresbraised 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, pumpkinmochi with red bean paste offers a feast for both your eyes and your palate. A fun treat to enjoy!