Chinese takeout cravings can hit before you know what kind of plate you want. Pick a dinner when you want something filling, a side when the main dish is already set, or a small bite when you just want something savory. Use your choice for a full plate at home, an extra dish on the side, or something to snack on.
Chinese Steamed Chicken
Steamed with shiitake mushrooms for 20 minutes, Chinese Steamed Chicken pairs boneless chicken thighs with ginger, green onions, soy sauce, and sesame oil. The full recipe takes 30 minutes and serves four, making it a practical main when fried dishes sound too heavy. Spoon the warm ginger-scallion sauce over the sliced chicken, then add rice or noodles to catch the seasoned juices.
Get the Recipe: Chinese Steamed Chicken
Bang Bang Shrimp
Crisp shrimp coated in cornstarch make Bang Bang Shrimp a 20-minute option that works as either a small bite or a main dish. The creamy sauce combines mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, sweet chili sauce, and Sriracha, while lime adds a brighter edge. This recipe serves four and can be plated over basmati rice with cucumber, green onions, and cilantro when a fuller dinner is needed.
Get the Recipe: Bang Bang Shrimp
Pork Fried Rice
Leftover jasmine rice gets a full dinner upgrade in Pork Fried Rice, which combines pork tenderloin, hoisin sauce, eggs, carrots, peas, and bean sprouts. It takes 35 minutes and serves four, with soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil building the takeout-style base. Serve it on its own for a complete skillet meal or use smaller portions beside another Chinese-inspired main.
Get the Recipe: Pork Fried Rice
Beef and Broccoli
Ready in 30 minutes, Beef and Broccoli brings flank steak and four cups of broccoli together in a glossy sauce. Soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and a little vinegar give the four-serving dish a salty-sweet balance. Spoon it over steamed rice for dinner, or pair it with noodles and a cucumber side when the menu needs more than one texture.
Get the Recipe: Beef and Broccoli
Egg Fried Rice
With four eggs and jasmine rice at the center, Egg Fried Rice keeps the ingredient list short while still covering dinner or side-dish duty. Green onions, soy sauce, and sesame oil season the rice, and the full recipe takes 25 minutes for four servings. It works well beside a saucy chicken dish, though a bowl on its own also makes a quick lunch or light meal.
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Panda Express Super Greens
Broccoli, cabbage, and kale give Panda Express Super Greens enough variety to stand beside richer takeout-style mains. Garlic, soy sauce, vegetable broth, and sesame oil season the vegetables without covering up their texture. The recipe takes 20 minutes and serves four, so it is an easy side for steak, chicken, shrimp, noodles, or fried rice when the plate needs something green.
Get the Recipe: Panda Express Super Greens
Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
A soy-based sauce thickened with cornstarch coats Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry from edge to edge. Chicken breast, broccoli, mushrooms, green onions, garlic, and ginger make this a complete four-serving dinner in 30 minutes. Serve it over warm rice to hold the sauce, or keep the portions smaller and place it next to egg rolls or a vegetable side for a broader spread.
Get the Recipe: Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
Sweet and Sour Pork
Golden pieces of pork tenderloin make Sweet and Sour Pork the crisp centerpiece of a 35-minute dinner. Pineapple, red and green bell peppers, onion, garlic, and ginger are tossed with sweet and sour sauce after the pork is fried. The recipe serves four and works best over white rice, with a simple green vegetable nearby to balance the rich coating and bright sauce.
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Chow Mein
Noodles, cabbage, celery, onion, and carrots turn Chow Mein into a vegetable-packed main or substantial side. Soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, garlic, beef broth, and cornstarch form the coating, while the full recipe takes 20 minutes and serves four. Add chicken, beef, or shrimp for a larger dinner, or keep it as written beside a protein-focused dish when noodles need to cover both side and main roles.
Get the Recipe: Chow Mein
General Tso’s Chicken
After a 30-minute marinade, General Tso’s Chicken is coated with flour, cornstarch, and egg whites before frying. The sauce uses rice vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, garlic, chicken stock, sugar, and red pepper flakes for a sticky finish. This six-serving recipe takes one hour, making it a stronger fit for a planned dinner than a last-minute meal. Serve it with rice and steamed vegetables.
Get the Recipe: General Tso’s Chicken
Panda Express Black Pepper Sirloin Steak
Black pepper runs through the sauce for Panda Express Black Pepper Sirloin Steak, a 25-minute dinner that serves four. Thinly sliced steak cooks with red and green bell peppers and onion, then gets coated with soy sauce, oyster sauce, beef broth, garlic, sesame oil, and brown sugar. Spoon it over rice or noodles when a fast beef main needs vegetables built into the same pan.
Get the Recipe: Panda Express Black Pepper Sirloin Steak
Chicken Fried Rice
Diced chicken breast adds enough protein to make Chicken Fried Rice a complete one-pan dinner. Peas, carrots, red bell pepper, green onions, eggs, cooked rice, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and soy sauce fill out the four-serving recipe. It takes 35 minutes and works especially well when cooked rice is already in the fridge, though it can also be served in smaller portions beside another main.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Fried Rice
Vegetable Stir Fry
Broccolini, three colors of bell pepper, and mushrooms give Vegetable Stir Fry a mix of crisp edges and tender centers. The sauce combines soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey or maple syrup, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Ready in 27 minutes for four servings, it can act as a lighter main with rice or tofu, or as a bright side next to chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp.
Get the Recipe: Vegetable Stir Fry
Air Fryer Honey Walnut Shrimp
The air fryer handles the cornstarch-coated shrimp in Air Fryer Honey Walnut Shrimp, cutting out the need for a pot of frying oil. Honey, mayonnaise, and rice vinegar form the sauce, while walnuts cooked with brown sugar and water add crunch. The recipe takes 45 minutes and serves four, making it useful as a restaurant-style dinner with rice or as a smaller plated course.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Honey Walnut Shrimp
Egg Roll
Ground pork, coleslaw mix, green onions, ginger, soy sauce, and garlic powder fill Egg Roll wrappers before frying. The 30-minute recipe makes 12, which suits a small-bite platter or a starter served before a larger main. Set out a dipping sauce and serve them warm, or freeze a prepared batch for another day when the menu needs something crisp without starting from the beginning.
Get the Recipe: Egg Roll
Panda Express Beijing Beef
A full hour of marinating helps Panda Express Beijing Beef build its crisp coating and bold sauce. Flank steak is paired with onion, red bell pepper, garlic, hoisin sauce, ketchup, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and apple cider vinegar. The four-serving recipe takes 1 hour 40 minutes, so it fits a planned dinner. Serve it over rice to catch the sweet, tangy sauce.
Get the Recipe: Panda Express Beijing Beef
Shrimp Fried Rice
Cold cooked rice is the starting point for Shrimp Fried Rice, which comes together in 25 minutes for four servings. Large shrimp, onion, mixed vegetables, egg, soy sauce, and spring onions cook in one wok or skillet. The rice can stand alone as dinner because it includes protein and vegetables, or it can fill the side-dish spot beside egg rolls, chicken, or a vegetable stir-fry.
Get the Recipe: Shrimp Fried Rice
Chinese Lemon Shredded Chicken
Served cold or at room temperature, Chinese Lemon Shredded Chicken combines tender drumstick meat with cucumber, carrots, and thinly sliced onion. Lemon juice and zest join cilantro, garlic, sesame, chile, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil in the dressing. The recipe takes 25 minutes and serves four, making it useful when dinner needs a cool dish beside hot stir-fries or a main that can be prepared ahead.
Get the Recipe: Chinese Lemon Shredded Chicken
Tofu Fried Rice
Golden tofu cubes bring substance to Tofu Fried Rice, a 30-minute recipe made for four. Day-old jasmine rice, peas, carrots, green onions, garlic, soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, brown sugar, and cornstarch round out the skillet. It works as a complete dinner without another protein, while smaller bowls can sit beside vegetable stir-fry or cucumber salad for a menu with several different textures.
Get the Recipe: Tofu Fried Rice
Chinese Salt & Pepper Shrimp
Fish sauce seasons the shrimp before Chinese Salt & Pepper Shrimp gets a flour-and-cornstarch coating and a quick fry. Thai chiles, garlic, ginger, scallions, peppercorns, and coarse salt create the bold finish. The recipe takes 35 minutes and serves four, fitting either a main course with rice or a smaller shared plate when the menu already includes noodles, vegetables, or another protein.
Get the Recipe: Chinese Salt & Pepper Shrimp
Kung Pao Chicken
Snap peas and red bell pepper give Kung Pao Chicken plenty of vegetables alongside bite-size chicken breast. Soy sauce, vinegar, chicken broth, sugar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and cornstarch create the sauce, while the recipe takes 30 minutes and serves four. Spoon it over rice for an easy dinner, or pair smaller portions with chow mein and a cucumber side for a wider Chinese-inspired menu.
Get the Recipe: Kung Pao Chicken