Delicious examples of popular Chinese dishes and their recipes

Classic examples of popular Chinese dishes and their recipes

When people ask for examples of popular Chinese dishes and their recipes, they’re usually thinking of the greatest hits from American-Chinese restaurants. Let’s start right there, with dishes that are familiar, comforting, and surprisingly doable at home.

General Tso’s Chicken: crispy, tangy, and totally weeknight-friendly

If you want an example of a dish that defines American-Chinese takeout, this is it. General Tso’s Chicken is all about contrast: crunchy chicken in a sticky, sweet-tangy sauce with a mild chili kick.

How it’s typically made (home-cook version):

• Bite-size chicken thigh pieces are marinated with soy sauce, a little Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry), and cornstarch.
• They’re shallow-fried in a skillet until golden and crisp.
• The sauce is a mix of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, garlic, ginger, a little tomato paste or ketchup, and dried chilies.
• The chicken gets tossed in the simmering sauce just long enough to coat.

To make this lighter, many home cooks in 2024 are baking or air-frying the chicken instead of deep-frying. If you’re watching sugar or sodium, the CDC’s sodium guidelines are a good reference as you adjust soy sauce and sugar to taste.

Beef and Broccoli: fast stir-fry, big flavor

Another one of the best examples of popular Chinese dishes and their recipes is Beef and Broccoli. It’s simple, colorful, and works perfectly with steamed rice or cauliflower rice.

Home-style approach:

• Flank steak or sirloin is sliced thin across the grain and briefly marinated with soy sauce, cornstarch, and a little oil.
• Broccoli florets are blanched or quickly stir-fried until bright green and crisp-tender.
• A sauce of oyster sauce, soy sauce, a bit of sugar, garlic, and ginger is cooked in a hot pan.
• Beef and broccoli go back into the pan and are tossed in the sauce until glossy.

For a lighter version, swap some soy sauce for low-sodium soy sauce and add extra broccoli. The American Heart Association (a .org, though not .gov) offers clear tips on reducing sodium that you can apply directly to stir-fry sauces.

Regional examples of popular Chinese dishes and their recipes

China’s food is wildly diverse. When people ask for more examples of popular Chinese dishes and their recipes, I like to pull from different regions so you taste a bit of everything: spicy Sichuan, delicate Cantonese, bold northern flavors.

Mapo Tofu: Sichuan spice with a 2024 twist

Mapo Tofu is a Sichuan classic and one of the best examples of a dish that’s gone global. It’s known for its numbing heat from Sichuan peppercorns and deep chili flavor.

Traditional-ish home version:

• Soft or medium tofu is cut into cubes and briefly simmered in salted water to firm it up.
• Ground pork (or beef, or a plant-based crumble) is stir-fried with doubanjiang (fermented chili bean paste), garlic, and ginger.
• Stock, soy sauce, and a bit of sugar are added, then tofu is gently folded in.
• The dish is finished with ground Sichuan peppercorns and a cornstarch slurry to thicken.

In 2024–2025, you’ll see lots of examples of mapo tofu meal-prep bowls online: people serve it over brown rice or quinoa with steamed greens on the side. If you’re curious about plant-based protein swaps, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has a helpful overview of healthy protein choices.

Kung Pao Chicken: sweet, sour, spicy, and nutty

Kung Pao Chicken is another Sichuan favorite that’s been adapted all over the world. It’s a perfect example of a dish that balances sweet, sour, salty, and spicy in a single pan.

How to make it at home:

• Diced chicken breast or thigh is marinated with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch.
• Dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns are briefly fried in oil to flavor it.
• Garlic, ginger, and scallions go in, then the chicken.
• A sauce of soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, and a little cornstarch is added.
• Roasted peanuts are tossed in at the end for crunch.

You can easily turn this into a veggie-heavy stir-fry with bell peppers, celery, or zucchini. This is one of the best examples of popular Chinese dishes and their recipes that can flex with whatever produce you have in the fridge.

Cantonese Steamed Fish with Ginger and Scallions

If you want something lighter, steamed fish is a great example of popular Chinese dishes and their recipes that feel restaurant-level but are actually very simple.

Home-cook method:

• A whole fish (like sea bass or snapper) or fillets are placed on a heatproof plate.
• They’re topped with julienned ginger and the white parts of scallions.
• The fish is steamed until just cooked.
• Hot oil is poured over fresh scallion greens and cilantro on top, then a mix of soy sauce, a bit of sugar, and water is drizzled around.

Because it’s steamed, this dish is naturally lower in added fat. For general guidance on safe fish consumption and mercury, the FDA and EPA fish advice is a helpful .gov resource.

Noodle and dumpling examples of popular Chinese dishes and their recipes

Noodles and dumplings are comfort food royalty. When readers ask for examples of popular Chinese dishes and their recipes they can meal-prep or freeze, these are at the top of my list.

Dan Dan Noodles: spicy, savory, endlessly customizable

Dan Dan Noodles started as a street food in Sichuan and are now a social-media darling. In 2024, you’ll see endless real examples of dan dan noodle bowls on TikTok and Instagram, often with lighter sauces and extra veggies.

Typical home version:

• Wheat noodles are cooked until tender but springy.
• A sauce is made from sesame paste or peanut butter, soy sauce, black vinegar, chili oil, and a touch of sugar.
• Ground pork is stir-fried with doubanjiang and preserved vegetables (like ya cai, if you can find it).
• Noodles are tossed in the sauce and topped with the pork, scallions, and sometimes bok choy.

You can easily skip the meat and add sautéed mushrooms or crumbled tofu to make it vegetarian.

Chili-Oil Dumplings (Sichuan-style)

Another trendy example of popular Chinese dishes and their recipes in 2024–2025 is chili-oil dumplings. They’re often shown in short videos because they’re dramatic: plump dumplings swimming in a glossy red sauce.

How they’re made:

• Dumpling wrappers are filled with a mix of ground pork (or chicken), napa cabbage, scallions, soy sauce, ginger, and sesame oil.
• Dumplings are boiled until they float.
• A sauce is mixed from chili oil, soy sauce, black vinegar, garlic, and a little sugar.
• Hot dumplings are tossed in the sauce and topped with scallions and toasted sesame seeds.

You can make a big batch and freeze them on a tray before bagging. That way, you have a real example of a homemade “fast food” that cooks in minutes.

Comfort-food rice examples of popular Chinese dishes and their recipes

Rice dishes are another area where you can find great examples of popular Chinese dishes and their recipes that work for busy weeknights.

Yangzhou Fried Rice

Yangzhou Fried Rice is a colorful, restaurant-style fried rice that’s famous across China and in many American-Chinese spots.

Home-style approach:

• Day-old rice is used so the grains stay separate.
• Eggs are scrambled lightly and set aside.
• Diced ham or barbecue pork (char siu), shrimp, peas, carrots, and scallions are stir-fried.
• Rice and eggs go back into the wok with soy sauce and a bit of white pepper.

This is one of the best examples of popular Chinese dishes and their recipes for using up leftovers. You can easily make it more veggie-forward by adding extra peas, corn, or chopped green beans.

Tomato and Egg Stir-Fry over Rice

If you want a simple, homey example of Chinese comfort food, tomato and egg stir-fry is it. It’s common in Chinese home kitchens and student dorms because it’s cheap, fast, and satisfying.

How to cook it:

• Eggs are beaten with a pinch of salt and scrambled in hot oil until just set, then removed.
• Tomato wedges are stir-fried with a little garlic and sugar until saucy.
• Eggs are added back in and gently folded into the tomatoes.
• Served over steamed rice with scallions on top.

It’s a great starter dish if you’re nervous about stir-frying, and another real example of how Chinese home cooking can be very simple.

Health, balance, and ingredient tips

When you explore more examples of popular Chinese dishes and their recipes, it helps to think in terms of balance:

• Pair richer dishes like General Tso’s Chicken or Kung Pao Chicken with lighter sides: steamed greens, cucumber salad, or plain steamed rice.
• Use aromatics (ginger, garlic, scallions) and vinegars to build flavor so you can lean a bit lighter on salt and sugar.
• If you’re concerned about sodium, the NIH’s tips on healthy eating can help you think about sauces and portion sizes.

Ingredient-wise, you don’t need a specialty store to start. You can cook many of these examples of popular Chinese dishes and their recipes with:

• Soy sauce (plus low-sodium soy sauce if you like)
• Rice vinegar and/or black vinegar
• Cornstarch
• Garlic, ginger, scallions
• Chili oil or crushed red pepper

As you get more comfortable, you can branch into doubanjiang, Sichuan peppercorns, and Shaoxing wine for more depth.

FAQ: examples of popular Chinese dishes and their recipes

Q: What are some easy examples of popular Chinese dishes and their recipes for beginners?
A: Tomato and egg stir-fry, Beef and Broccoli, and Yangzhou Fried Rice are great starter dishes. They use common ingredients, simple techniques, and don’t require a wok—any large skillet will work.

Q: Can you give an example of a healthier Chinese dish I can make at home?
A: Steamed fish with ginger and scallions is a good example of a lighter dish, as is mapo tofu made with less oil and more tofu than meat. Pair them with steamed vegetables and plain rice for a balanced meal.

Q: Are these examples of popular Chinese dishes and their recipes authentic?
A: Many of the dishes—like mapo tofu, dan dan noodles, and steamed fish—are based on regional Chinese cooking. Others, like General Tso’s Chicken and Beef and Broccoli, are American-Chinese classics. They’re adapted for home kitchens but stay true to the spirit of the originals.

Q: Do I need a wok to cook these examples of popular Chinese dishes and their recipes?
A: A wok is nice to have, but not required. A large, heavy skillet or sauté pan works for most stir-fries and fried rice dishes. The key is preheating the pan well and not crowding it.

Q: Where can I learn more about healthy ingredient swaps for Chinese recipes?
A: For general guidance on sodium, fats, and balanced meals, resources like the CDC, NIH, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health offer reliable, research-based advice you can apply to your stir-fries, sauces, and portion sizes.

As you cook through these examples of popular Chinese dishes and their recipes, don’t worry about perfection. Focus on learning the basic patterns—quick marinades, stir-fry timing, balancing salty, sweet, sour, and spicy—and you’ll be able to riff on any dish you like.