Quick Weeknight Chinese Recipes

30-minutes-or-less Chinese dinners for busy nights. Every recipe here is written for a US kitchen — precise steps, real heat cues, and substitutes for anything hard to find.

Browse Quick Weeknight Chinese recipes

Kung pao tofu — crispy tofu cubes with dried red chilies, peanuts and scallions in a glossy dark sauce

Kung Pao Tofu

Chinese broccoli (gai lan) — blanched green stalks topped with fried garlic and a glossy soy-oyster sauce

Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) with Garlic Sauce

General Tso's tofu — crispy golden tofu cubes in a glossy sweet-spicy sauce with dried chilies, scallions and sesame seeds

American Chinese

General Tso's Tofu

Scallion oil noodles — glossy soy-coated noodles topped with crispy golden fried scallions in a bowl

Scallion Oil Noodles

Moo shu pork — stir-fried pork, egg, wood ear and cabbage with thin pancakes and hoisin sauce

Northern & Dongbei

Moo Shu Pork

Moo goo gai pan — sliced chicken with mushrooms, snow peas and water chestnuts in a glossy white sauce

Moo Goo Gai Pan

Shrimp with lobster sauce — shrimp in a savory garlic black bean sauce with egg ribbons over rice

Shrimp with Lobster Sauce

Egg foo young — golden Chinese egg omelette patties with vegetables, smothered in brown gravy over rice

American Chinese

Egg Foo Young

Chinese pepper steak — beef strips with green and red bell peppers and onion in a glossy brown sauce

American Chinese

Chinese Pepper Steak

Golden crispy air-fried dumplings in an air fryer basket with a soy-vinegar dipping sauce

American Chinese

Air Fryer Dumplings (Frozen or Fresh)

Rice cooker pot of fluffy rice topped with glossy soy-marinated chicken, shiitake mushrooms and scallions

Rice Cooker Chicken and Mushroom Rice

Golden pan-fried tofu triangles in a glossy brown sauce with red and green peppers

Home-Style Braised Tofu

Chilled silken tofu topped with soy dressing, scallions, and chili oil on a white plate

Cold Silken Tofu with Soy-Sesame Dressing

Yangzhou fried rice with shrimp, diced char siu pork, egg, peas and carrots, grains separate and glistening

Yangzhou Fried Rice

Crispy Beijing beef strips with red bell pepper and onion in a glossy sweet-tangy red sauce

American Chinese

Beijing Beef

Crispy Chinese lemon chicken pieces glazed in a glossy bright-yellow lemon sauce with lemon slices

American Chinese

Chinese Lemon Chicken

Black pepper chicken with celery, onion and bell pepper in a glossy peppery brown sauce

American Chinese

Black Pepper Chicken

Hunan pork with blistered green chilies and pork belly slices in a wok

Hunan Pork with Chilies

Hunan beef with broccoli, red peppers and dried chilies in a glossy spicy sauce

Hunan Beef

Hunan chicken with bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms and dried chilies in a glossy sauce

Hunan Chicken

A bowl of Chinese egg drop soup with silky golden egg ribbons and scallions

Home-Style (家常菜)

Egg Drop Soup

Bright green garlic bok choy halves topped with golden fried garlic on a white plate

Home-Style (家常菜)

Garlic Bok Choy

Chinese chicken and broccoli stir-fry with glossy brown sauce over rice

Chicken and Broccoli

Chinese cashew chicken stir-fry with golden cashews and bell peppers in a glossy sauce

Cashew Chicken

Beef chow fun with wide rice noodles, beef and bean sprouts, charred and glossy in a wok

Beef Chow Fun

Vegetable lo mein — soft egg noodles tossed with carrots, cabbage and scallions in a glossy sauce

Lo Mein

Mongolian beef — crispy beef slices in a glossy dark sauce with scallions over rice

Mongolian Beef

Black pepper beef with onions and peppers in a glossy peppery sauce in a wok

Black Pepper Beef

Kung pao shrimp with peanuts, dried chilies and scallions in a glossy sauce

Kung Pao Shrimp

Crispy salt and pepper shrimp with fried garlic, chili and scallion on a plate

Salt and Pepper Shrimp

General Tso's chicken — crispy chicken in a glossy dark red sauce with dried chilies and sesame over rice

American Chinese

General Tso's Chicken

Orange chicken — crispy chicken pieces in a glossy bright orange sauce with orange zest over rice

American Chinese

Orange Chicken

Sesame chicken — crispy chicken in a glossy brown sauce coated with toasted sesame seeds over rice

American Chinese

Sesame Chicken

Crispy air fryer chicken wings in a sticky soy-garlic glaze with sesame seeds and scallion

American Chinese

Air Fryer Chinese Chicken Wings

Crispy golden air fryer tofu cubes glazed with soy and sesame seeds in a bowl

Home-Style (家常菜)

Air Fryer Tofu

Air fryer salmon fillets with a glossy caramelized soy-honey glaze, sesame seeds and scallion

Air Fryer Salmon (Chinese-Style)

Soy sauce chow mein with browned egg noodles, bean sprouts and scallions in a wok

Soy Sauce Chow Mein

Cantonese steamed white fish topped with julienned ginger, scallion and a soy dressing on a plate

Cantonese Steamed Fish

Silky Cantonese steamed egg custard in a shallow bowl, drizzled with soy sauce and scallions

Cantonese Steamed Egg

Sichuan fish-fragrant shredded pork with wood ear and peppers in a glossy sauce

Fish-Fragrant Pork

Kung pao chicken with peanuts, dried red chilies and scallions

Kung Pao Chicken

Golden egg fried rice with scallions in a wok

Home-Style (家常菜)

Egg Fried Rice

Chinese tomato and egg stir-fry with soft scrambled eggs over rice

Home-Style (家常菜)

Chinese Tomato and Egg Stir-Fry

Beef and broccoli in a glossy brown sauce over rice

Beef and Broccoli

A bowl of hot and sour soup with tofu, mushrooms and egg ribbons

Home-Style (家常菜)

Hot and Sour Soup

Chinese eggplant in a glossy red-brown garlic sauce with scallions

Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce

Sichuan dan dan noodles topped with crispy pork, scallions and chili oil

Dan Dan Noodles

Sichuan dry-fried green beans, blistered and tossed with ground pork and chili

Sichuan Dry-Fried Green Beans

A bowl of mapo tofu with red chili oil, scallions and ground pork over rice

Mapo Tofu

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