When takeout sounds too easy to say no to, these 19 Chinese-style dinners give you another option without making the night feel harder. This list has the kind of meals people usually crave from a box, including fried rice, chow mein, orange chicken, beef and broccoli, sesame chicken, sweet and sour favorites, and Panda Express-inspired dinners that can be cooked at home, served hot, and eaten without waiting on delivery.
Copycat Panda Express Teriyaki Chicken
Made with 1 pound of boneless skinless chicken thighs, Copycat Panda Express Teriyaki Chicken cooks in a skillet with brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic powder, ground ginger, and cornstarch in 25 minutes. Serve the sliced chicken over white rice with scallions and sesame seeds. The sauce thickens right in the pan, so every piece gets that glossy teriyaki coating before it is ready to eat.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Panda Express Teriyaki Chicken
Tofu Fried Rice
Built around cold jasmine rice, cubed tofu, peas, carrots, green onion, garlic, soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, brown sugar, and cornstarch, Tofu Fried Rice comes together in 30 minutes. Cook the tofu until golden first, then stir-fry the vegetables and rice in the same pan. Serve with extra green onions for a meatless fried rice that still feels filling enough to eat as the main plate.
Get the Recipe: Tofu Fried Rice
General Tso’s Chicken
Marinated with soy sauce, ginger, and garlic powder, General Tso’s Chicken uses cubed chicken breast coated in flour, cornstarch, and egg whites before frying until crisp. The sauce combines rice vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin, garlic, chicken stock, sugar, cornstarch, water, and red pepper flakes. Ready in 1 hour, it is served hot with steamed rice after the crispy chicken is tossed in the thick sauce.
Get the Recipe: General Tso’s Chicken
Shrimp Fried Rice
Using 1 pound of day-old cooked rice, 1 pound of shrimp, onion, mixed vegetables, egg, soy sauce, and spring onions, Shrimp Fried Rice is ready in 25 minutes. The shrimp cooks first for 2 to 3 minutes, then the rice, vegetables, and egg finish together in the pan. Serve it hot with chopped spring onions when you want a fast rice dinner that is ready to eat before delivery would arrive.
Get the Recipe: Shrimp Fried Rice
Chinese Steamed Chicken
Steamed with shiitake mushrooms, ginger, scallions, light soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and black pepper, Chinese Steamed Chicken is ready in 30 minutes. The chicken thighs steam for 15 to 18 minutes until tender, while hot oil is poured over ginger and scallions to make the sauce. Serve the sliced chicken with mushrooms over rice or noodles for a lighter Chinese-style dinner that is still easy to eat warm.
Get the Recipe: Chinese Steamed Chicken
Chow Mein
Loaded with 16 ounces of chow mein noodles, cabbage, celery, red onion, carrots, green onions, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, garlic, beef broth, and cornstarch, Chow Mein is ready in 20 minutes. The noodles soften first, then the vegetables stir-fry before the sauce thickens around everything. Serve with green onions and sesame seeds for a fast noodle plate that handles the takeout craving well.
Get the Recipe: Chow Mein
Crispy Sesame Chicken
Coated in egg, corn flour, all-purpose flour, garlic salt, paprika, salt, and pepper, Crispy Sesame Chicken cooks with chicken breast pieces and a sweet sauce made from sesame oil, garlic, rice vinegar, honey, sweet chili sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Ready in 30 minutes. Serve it over boiled rice with sesame seeds and spring onions while the chicken is still crisp and coated.
Get the Recipe: Crispy Sesame Chicken
Panda Express Beijing Beef
Marinated with egg whites, salt, and cornstarch, Panda Express Beijing Beef uses thin flank steak strips fried until golden, then tossed with onion, red bell pepper, garlic, hoisin sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sweet chili sauce, crushed red pepper, sugar, water, and apple cider vinegar. Total time is 1 hour and 40 minutes, including marinating. Serve with green onions or cilantro over rice for a crispy beef dinner with a sticky sweet-sour sauce.
Get the Recipe: Panda Express Beijing Beef
Kung Pao Chicken
Cut into ¾-inch cubes, Kung Pao Chicken uses chicken breast, soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, cornstarch, red bell pepper, sugar snap peas, garlic, ginger, chicken broth, vinegar, and sesame oil. Ready in 30 minutes. Serve the chicken and vegetables once the sauce thickens in the wok, then eat it with rice for a saucy dinner with a little heat.
Get the Recipe: Kung Pao Chicken
Panda Express Black Pepper Sirloin Steak
Made with thinly sliced flank or sirloin steak, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, onion, soy sauce, oyster sauce, cornstarch, brown sugar, garlic, beef broth, sesame oil, and black pepper, Panda Express Black Pepper Sirloin Steak is ready in 25 minutes. The beef sears first, the vegetables stay crisp, and the sauce thickens in the pan. Serve over steamed rice or noodles with sesame seeds and cilantro.
Get the Recipe: Panda Express Black Pepper Sirloin Steak
Vegetable Stir Fry
Packed with broccolini, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, mushrooms, green onion, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey or maple syrup, sesame oil, and cornstarch, Vegetable Stir Fry is ready in 27 minutes. The vegetables cook hot and fast so they stay a little crisp. Serve with sesame seeds and green onions, or spoon it over rice when you want something simple to eat with the rest of the spread.
Get the Recipe: Vegetable Stir Fry
Panda Express Chow Mein
Using 8 ounces of chow mein noodles, cabbage, celery, onion, garlic, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar, chicken broth, and cornstarch, Panda Express Chow Mein comes together in 25 minutes. The noodles cook briefly, then finish in the pan with the vegetables and glossy sauce. Serve right away with chopped green onions when you want the noodle side that usually ends up being the first thing eaten.
Get the Recipe: Panda Express Chow Mein
Chinese Lemon Shredded Chicken
Cooked with drumsticks, ginger, Shaoxing wine, cilantro, garlic, toasted sesame, chili, sesame oil, light soy sauce, lemon juice, oyster sauce, lemon zest, cucumber, carrots, and onions, Chinese Lemon Shredded Chicken is ready in 25 minutes. The chicken is boiled, shredded, and mixed with a lemony soy-based dressing. Serve it cold or at room temperature, which makes it easy to eat when you want something fresh but still full of Chinese-style flavor.
Get the Recipe: Chinese Lemon Shredded Chicken
Egg Fried Rice
Made with jasmine rice, 4 eggs, vegetable oil, green onions, soy sauce, and sesame oil, Egg Fried Rice is ready in 25 minutes. The eggs cook into soft curds before the rice is added and stir-fried with the sauce. Serve hot with extra green onions for a simple rice dish that works on its own or beside saucy chicken, beef, pork, or vegetables.
Get the Recipe: Egg Fried Rice
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Coated with cornstarch and cornflour, Sweet and Sour Chicken uses chicken breast, pineapple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, garlic, ginger, pineapple, bell peppers, onion, sesame seeds, green onions, and white rice. Ready in 35 minutes. Serve the crispy chicken with the vegetables and thick sweet-sour sauce over rice while the coating still has texture.
Get the Recipe: Sweet and Sour Chicken
Beef and Broccoli
Made with 1 pound of thinly sliced flank steak, 4 cups of broccoli, soy sauce, water, apple cider vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, cornstarch, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes, Beef and Broccoli is ready in 30 minutes. The broccoli cooks until tender-crisp, then the beef sears quickly before the sauce thickens around both. Serve hot with steamed rice or noodles and eat it while the sauce is still glossy.
Get the Recipe: Beef and Broccoli
Chicken Fried Rice
Cooked with diced chicken breast, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, peas, carrots, red bell pepper, green onions, eggs, white rice, and low-sodium soy sauce, Chicken Fried Rice is ready in 35 minutes. The chicken browns first, then the vegetables, eggs, rice, and soy sauce finish together in the same pan. Serve with fresh green onions for a full fried rice dinner that is easy to eat straight from a bowl.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Fried Rice
Sweet and Sour Pork
Using 1 pound of pork tenderloin, cornstarch, corn flour, garlic, ginger, pineapple, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, onion, sweet and sour sauce, sesame seeds, and rice, Sweet and Sour Pork is ready in 35 minutes. The pork is fried in batches until golden, then tossed with the vegetables and sauce. Serve immediately over white rice with sesame seeds or green onions while the pork is still crisp enough to hold up.
Get the Recipe: Sweet and Sour Pork
Panda Express Orange Chicken
Coated in flour and cornstarch, Panda Express Orange Chicken uses bite-sized chicken breast pieces with a sauce made from low-sodium soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, fresh orange juice, and garlic. Ready in 30 minutes. Serve with sesame seeds and sliced green onions over rice for a sweet, tangy chicken dinner that is cooked, served, and eaten without ordering out.
Get the Recipe: Panda Express Orange Chicken