Late-night takeout cravings are harder to ignore when the delivery apps are closed or the wait is longer than the cooking time. These 17 Chinese-inspired dinners cover fried rice, crisp chicken, brothy soups, quick stir-fries, shrimp, egg rolls, and a fast sweet finish. The recipes use skillet, wok, air fryer, and steaming methods, so there is something for a full meal, a lighter bowl, or a side to round out the plate.
Tofu Fried Rice
Cold jasmine rice and golden tofu come together in Tofu Fried Rice, a one-pan dinner ready in 30 minutes and portioned for four. Peas, carrots, green onions, garlic, soy sauce, ginger, and sesame oil fill out the skillet. The tofu cooks until crisp before the rice is toasted and coated with a thickened soy glaze. Spoon it into bowls, add fresh green onions, and eat it hot on its own or with steamed broccoli.
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Caramelized Fried Banana
Ripe bananas turn soft and golden in Caramelized Fried Banana, a 10-minute skillet dessert that makes two servings. Brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, and a little butter or oil melt around the slices to form a glossy sauce. The short cook time keeps the center tender while the edges pick up color. Serve the bananas warm over ice cream, pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, or yogurt when dinner needs a quick sweet finish.
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Egg Fried Rice
Using jasmine rice, four eggs, green onions, soy sauce, and sesame oil, Egg Fried Rice is ready in 25 minutes and serves four. The eggs cook into soft curds before the rice goes into the hot wok and turns slightly crisp and golden. A final pour of soy sauce seasons the whole pan without adding a long list of ingredients. Serve it straight from the wok as a main dish or beside chicken, shrimp, or vegetables.
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Shrimp Toast
Seasoned shrimp sits on crisp bread in Shrimp Toast, a 25-minute recipe that makes four open-faced servings. The shrimp cooks in coconut oil with cayenne, smoked paprika, rosemary, chili seasoning, garlic, and lime, while shredded carrots are sautéed in the same pan. Romaine, Parmesan, and sprouts layer onto the toast before the shrimp goes on top. Put it out immediately so the bread stays crisp while everyone eats.
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Hot and Sour Soup
Simmered with chicken, mushrooms, tofu, and eggs, Hot and Sour Soup takes 35 minutes and yields four bowls. Chicken broth gets its tangy, spicy base from dark and light soy sauce, red pepper flakes, white pepper, sesame oil, and sugar. Cornstarch thickens the broth before whisked eggs are streamed in to form ribbons. Ladle it hot, scatter sliced scallions over each bowl, and serve with rice or egg rolls.
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Crispy Sesame Chicken
Coated chicken breast turns crisp before meeting the sauce in Crispy Sesame Chicken, a 30-minute dinner for four. Flour, cornstarch, eggs, paprika, and garlic salt form the coating, while honey, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, sesame oil, and rice vinegar make the glaze. Sesame seeds and scallions finish the pan after the chicken is tossed. Pile it over boiled rice and eat while the coating still has some crunch.
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Egg Roll
Filled with ground pork and cabbage, Egg Roll produces 12 pieces in 30 minutes. Ginger, garlic powder, soy sauce, sliced green onions, and coleslaw mix make up the filling, which is rolled in wrappers and sealed with a flour paste. The rolls fry at 375°F until evenly golden, then drain briefly on paper towels. Serve them warm next to soup or fried rice, and let the crisp wrappers do most of the work.
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Wonton Soup
Built on ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and chicken broth, Wonton Soup reaches the table in 30 minutes and serves four. Frozen wontons simmer with sliced shiitake mushrooms, broccolini, and soy sauce in a Dutch oven. The broth stays light while the wontons and vegetables make each bowl substantial enough for dinner. Finish with sliced green onion, serve steaming hot, and eat it before the wonton wrappers soften too much.
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Spicy Cucumber Salad
Thin cucumber slices rest in salt before becoming Spicy Cucumber Salad, a four-serving side with 35 minutes of total time. Gochugaru, scallion, garlic, rice wine vinegar, sesame seeds, sugar, and sesame oil coat the drained cucumbers. Most of the time is hands-off while the salt pulls out excess water and protects the crunch. Set it beside fried rice, steamed chicken, or sesame chicken for a cool bite between richer forkfuls.
Get the Recipe: Spicy Cucumber Salad
General Tso’s Chicken
After a 30-minute marinade, General Tso’s Chicken fries until golden and finishes in a thick sauce, with six servings ready in one hour. Chicken breast is coated with egg whites, flour, and cornstarch, then tossed with hoisin, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, chicken stock, sugar, and red pepper flakes. The sauce clings once the cornstarch slurry cooks. Serve it over steamed rice with green onions and bring it to the table right away.
Get the Recipe: General Tso’s Chicken
Egg Drop Soup
Delicate egg ribbons run through Egg Drop Soup, a 20-minute recipe that fills four bowls. Chicken broth simmers with toasted sesame oil, ginger, garlic, black pepper, and Sichuan pepper before eggs whisked with cornstarch are poured in slowly. The stirring motion creates thin strands instead of large scrambled pieces. Top each serving with green onions, cilantro, or chili oil, then eat it as a light dinner or alongside dumplings.
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Copycat Panda Express Teriyaki Chicken
Browned chicken thighs carry the sauce in Copycat Panda Express Teriyaki Chicken, a 25-minute skillet dinner for four. Brown sugar, soy sauce, water, garlic powder, ground ginger, and cornstarch cook into a glossy coating around one pound of chicken. The thighs are seared on both sides before the sauce goes into the pan and thickens. Slice the chicken, serve it with white rice, scallions, and sesame seeds, and keep extra sauce for the rice.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Panda Express Teriyaki Chicken
Air Fryer Honey Walnut Shrimp
Double-coated jumbo shrimp crisp in the air fryer for Air Fryer Honey Walnut Shrimp, a 45-minute main that serves four. Cornstarch and egg form the coating, while mayonnaise, honey, and rice vinegar become the creamy sauce. Walnuts simmer separately with brown sugar and water until coated, then join the cooked shrimp. Serve immediately with green onions and rice so the shrimp stays crisp under the sauce.
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Chinese Steamed Chicken
Steamed over boiling water, Chinese Steamed Chicken cooks boneless chicken thighs with shiitake mushrooms in 30 minutes and serves four. Ginger and sliced green onions are covered with hot vegetable oil, then mixed with light soy sauce and sesame oil. That warm sauce is spooned over the sliced chicken after 15 to 18 minutes of steaming. Bring it out with steamed rice or noodles and eat while the ginger-scallion topping is fragrant.
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Pork Fried Rice
Day-old jasmine rice gets crisp edges in Pork Fried Rice, a 35-minute meal that portions into four servings. Pork tenderloin is seared with hoisin sauce, then mixed with eggs, carrots, green onions, peas, bean sprouts, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil. A hot wok keeps the rice from steaming and helps the pork stay browned. Transfer it to a wide bowl, serve at once, and pack any leftovers for lunch.
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Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
Tender chicken and crisp vegetables share the wok in Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry, a 30-minute dinner serving four. Broccoli florets and halved mushrooms cook with browned chicken breast, green onions, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Chicken broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, and cornstarch thicken into a sauce that coats everything without a long simmer. Spoon it over warm rice, add sesame seeds, and eat it as soon as the vegetables are done.
Get the Recipe: Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
Vegetable Stir Fry
Bright bell peppers, broccolini, and mushrooms cook quickly in Vegetable Stir Fry, a 27-minute recipe that serves four. Soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey or maple syrup, sesame oil, and cornstarch create the sauce, which thickens after the vegetables sauté for about seven minutes. Green onions and sesame seeds go on just before serving. Pair it with jasmine rice or noodles, or add tofu when you want a more filling bowl.
Get the Recipe: Vegetable Stir Fry