Takeout night at home can be a bowl of fried rice, a warm soup, or a plate of saucy chicken. Pick scallion pancakes when you want a starter, or go straight to chow mein when dinner is the main thing. Add greens, soup, or rice and set out the meal like your usual takeout order at your own table.
Scallion Pancakes
Flaky layers and crisp pan-fried edges give Scallion Pancakes the texture that makes a takeout starter worth ordering. The 70-minute recipe makes four pancakes, with 30 minutes devoted to resting the flour-and-water dough before rolling. Chopped scallions and peanut oil sit between the coils, while soy sauce and Chinkiang vinegar form the dipping sauce. Cut each pancake into wedges and serve it beside soup or fried rice while the rest of dinner finishes.
Get the Recipe: Scallion Pancakes
Bang Bang Shrimp
Creamy heat over golden shrimp makes Bang Bang Shrimp a fast centerpiece for a takeout-style bowl. The 20-minute recipe serves four and uses one and a half pounds of shrimp, cornstarch, lime juice, sweet chili sauce, Sriracha, mayonnaise, and Greek yogurt. Spoon the shrimp over basmati rice with cucumber, green onions, and cilantro. It works well when dinner needs seafood, sauce, and a fresh side in one plate.
Get the Recipe: Bang Bang Shrimp
Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
Glossy sauce clinging to browned chicken and crisp vegetables gives Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry its familiar restaurant-style finish. This 30-minute dinner serves four with chicken breast, broccoli, mushrooms, green onions, ginger, garlic, and a soy-brown sugar sauce thickened with cornstarch. The vegetables cook quickly so they keep some bite instead of turning soft. Serve the stir-fry over warm rice when the household wants a straightforward main without ordering multiple cartons.
Get the Recipe: Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
Shrimp Toast
Crisp bread carrying seasoned shrimp and colorful toppings gives Shrimp Toast a more substantial build than a small appetizer. The 25-minute recipe serves four with large shrimp, whole wheat bread, shredded carrots, romaine, sprouts, Parmesan, lime, and warm spices. Each slice is assembled after the bread, shrimp, and carrots cook separately, which helps the base stay firm. Put it out as an open-faced starter or serve two slices with a light soup for dinner.
Get the Recipe: Shrimp Toast
Pork Fried Rice
Smoky rice, glazed pork, and scattered vegetables make Pork Fried Rice look and eat like a full takeout carton. The 35-minute recipe serves four, using pork tenderloin, hoisin sauce, eggs, cold jasmine rice, carrots, peas, bean sprouts, ginger, garlic, and soy sauce. Day-old rice fries without becoming mushy, while the pork is cooked separately before returning to the wok. Serve it alone for a complete meal or beside orange chicken and cucumber salad.
Get the Recipe: Pork Fried Rice
Chinese Steamed Chicken
Silky chicken slices and shiitake mushrooms give Chinese Steamed Chicken a lighter place among the fried and sauced dishes on this list. The 30-minute recipe serves four and steams boneless chicken thighs for 15 to 18 minutes before adding a warm ginger-scallion sauce with soy sauce and sesame oil. The method keeps the meat moist without breading or frying. Pair it with steamed rice or noodles when takeout night needs a gentler main.
Get the Recipe: Chinese Steamed Chicken
Egg Fried Rice
High wok heat gives Egg Fried Rice lightly crisp grains without toughening the soft egg curds mixed throughout. The 25-minute recipe serves four with jasmine rice, four eggs, green onions, soy sauce, vegetable oil, and sesame oil. A quick final cook helps the rice gain golden edges while the eggs stay tender. Serve it under cashew chicken or black pepper steak, or add extra vegetables and make it the main dish on a simpler night.
Get the Recipe: Egg Fried Rice
Spicy Cucumber Salad
Cool cucumber slices coated in red chili flakes make Spicy Cucumber Salad a crisp counterpoint to sticky sauces and fried dishes. The 35-minute recipe serves four, with most of the time spent salting and draining the cucumbers. Gochugaru, scallion, garlic, rice vinegar, sesame seeds, sugar, and sesame oil create the dressing. Set it beside General Tso’s chicken, chow mein, or egg rolls when the meal needs something cold, bright, and quick to pass around.
Get the Recipe: Spicy Cucumber Salad
Egg Drop Soup
Delicate egg ribbons drifting through seasoned broth give Egg Drop Soup the familiar look of a restaurant starter. The 20-minute recipe serves four with eggs, chicken broth, cornstarch, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, black pepper, and Sichuan pepper. Stirring the simmering broth while the egg goes in creates the thin strands. Finish each bowl with green onions, cilantro, or chili oil, then serve it before fried rice or alongside scallion pancakes for a lighter dinner.
Get the Recipe: Egg Drop Soup
Cashew Chicken
Crunchy cashews and bright vegetables break up the saucy chicken in Cashew Chicken, giving every forkful more than one texture. The 40-minute recipe serves four with chicken breast, red bell pepper, broccoli, edamame, cashews, ginger, garlic, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chili garlic sauce. Cornstarch helps the chicken brown and the sauce cling. Spoon it over rice when the table wants a sweet-savory main with vegetables already built into the pan.
Get the Recipe: Cashew Chicken
Panda Express Chow Mein
Chewy noodles tangled with cabbage, celery, and onion make Panda Express Chow Mein a strong side that can also carry dinner on its own. The 25-minute recipe serves four and coats chow mein noodles with soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, garlic, sugar, and a light broth-and-cornstarch finish. The vegetables cook briefly so they retain some structure. Pair it with orange chicken or black pepper sirloin steak for a copycat meal without the drive-through stop.
Get the Recipe: Panda Express Chow Mein
Hot and Sour Soup
Peppery broth filled with mushrooms, tofu, chicken, and egg ribbons makes Hot and Sour Soup substantial enough to open dinner or stand alone. The 35-minute recipe serves four and balances light and dark soy sauce, white pepper, red pepper flakes, sesame oil, and a small amount of sugar. Cornstarch thickens the broth before the eggs are streamed in. Serve it with crispy egg rolls or a bowl of rice on a cool evening.
Get the Recipe: Hot and Sour Soup
Crispy Egg Rolls
Crackly wrappers around a vegetable-packed center give Crispy Egg Rolls the crunch people expect at the start of takeout night. The 40-minute recipe makes six servings from 12 wrappers filled with cabbage, mushrooms, carrot, green onions, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and cilantro. These bake for about 15 minutes instead of frying, which keeps the process manageable. Serve them hot with sweet-and-sour sauce while soup or stir-fry is still on the stove.
Get the Recipe: Crispy Egg Rolls
General Tso’s Chicken
Deep-golden chicken under a thick, red-speckled sauce makes General Tso’s Chicken one of the bolder mains in the collection. The one-hour recipe serves six and includes a 30-minute marinade before the chicken is coated in flour and cornstarch, fried, and tossed with hoisin, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Steam rice while the chicken marinates. This is the option for nights when crisp coating and pronounced heat matter more than speed.
Get the Recipe: General Tso’s Chicken
Shrimp Fried Rice
Plump shrimp and lightly crisp rice share the pan in Shrimp Fried Rice, keeping the meal complete without a separate main. The 25-minute recipe serves four with one pound each of shrimp and cooked rice, plus onion, mixed vegetables, egg, soy sauce, and spring onions. Cooking the shrimp first prevents it from overcooking while the rice develops color. Serve it with cucumber salad or egg rolls when dinner needs seafood and vegetables in one quick dish.
Get the Recipe: Shrimp Fried Rice
Panda Express Orange Chicken
Sweet citrus glaze over crisp chicken gives Panda Express Orange Chicken the tangy finish associated with the restaurant order. The 30-minute recipe serves four, using chicken breast, flour, cornstarch, orange juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and garlic. The chicken fries in batches before being tossed with the reduced sauce. Plate it over egg fried rice and add super greens for a complete copycat dinner with contrasting textures.
Get the Recipe: Panda Express Orange Chicken
Wonton Soup
Tender wontons floating among mushrooms and broccolini make Wonton Soup look generous without turning the broth heavy. The 30-minute recipe serves four with 16 frozen wontons, shiitake mushrooms, broccolini, chicken broth, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, and green onion. Using frozen wontons keeps prep short while fresh aromatics build the broth. Serve a bowl beside scallion pancakes, or make it the main course when a warm, lighter takeout-style dinner sounds right.
Get the Recipe: Wonton Soup
Kung Pao Chicken
Bright bell pepper and snap peas frame the browned chicken in Kung Pao Chicken, giving the stir-fry color and crispness alongside its spicy sauce. The 30-minute recipe serves four with chicken breast, soy sauce, rice wine, vinegar, broth, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. This Guizhou-style version does not require peanuts, though they can be added as a garnish. Serve it over rice or noodles when the menu needs a fast main with clear heat.
Get the Recipe: Kung Pao Chicken
Vegetable Stir Fry
Color and crunch share the pan in Vegetable Stir Fry, the brightest main or side in the lineup. The 27-minute recipe serves four with broccolini, mushrooms, three colors of bell pepper, and a soy-rice vinegar sauce made with honey or maple syrup, sesame oil, and cornstarch. The vegetables cook for about seven minutes so they remain slightly crisp before the sauce thickens. Add tofu for a fuller main, or serve it beside fried rice and steamed chicken.
Get the Recipe: Vegetable Stir Fry
Panda Express Super Greens
Tender-crisp broccoli, cabbage, and kale give Panda Express Super Greens a fresh break from noodles, rice, and fried chicken. The 20-minute recipe serves four and uses garlic, soy sauce, vegetable broth, olive oil, and sesame oil to season the vegetables without a heavy sauce. The pan is covered briefly to steam the kale while the broccoli keeps structure. Put it next to orange chicken, chow mein, or black pepper steak to balance a copycat plate.
Get the Recipe: Panda Express Super Greens
Caramelized Fried Banana
Sticky caramel edges and a glossy pan sauce make Caramelized Fried Banana a fast ending after a savory takeout-style meal. The 10-minute recipe serves two with ripe bananas, honey, brown sugar, cinnamon, water, salt, and oil or butter. Thick banana rounds cook for two to three minutes per side, so they soften without collapsing. Spoon them over vanilla ice cream or serve them warm on their own when dessert needs to use one skillet and little time.
Get the Recipe: Caramelized Fried Banana
Tofu Fried Rice
Crisp-edged tofu cubes scattered through rice and vegetables give Tofu Fried Rice enough substance to work without egg or meat. The 30-minute recipe serves four with cold jasmine rice, peas, carrots, green onions, garlic, soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, brown sugar, and a cornstarch-thickened sauce. The tofu browns separately before returning to the pan. Serve it as the main dish with cucumber salad or add crispy egg rolls for a larger takeout-style spread.
Get the Recipe: Tofu Fried Rice
Panda Express Black Pepper Sirloin Steak
Seared beef strips and crisp bell peppers give Panda Express Black Pepper Sirloin Steak a bold skillet finish without a long cooking time. The 25-minute recipe serves four with flank or sirloin steak, red and green bell peppers, onion, soy sauce, oyster sauce, beef broth, garlic, sesame oil, brown sugar, and black pepper. The sauce thickens in one to two minutes after the beef returns. Serve it over rice or noodles with super greens on the side.
Get the Recipe: Panda Express Black Pepper Sirloin Steak