Takeout can be convenient, but these 19 Chinese recipes will make you reconsider the delivery guy. From savory stir-fries to comforting noodle dishes, each one brings the flavors you love without the wait. Whether you’re craving crispy fried chicken or a bowl of rich curry, there’s something here for every craving. Plus, these recipes are simple enough to pull off any night of the week. Skip the phone call to the restaurant and cook up something even better at home.
Spicy Dan Dan Noodles with Ground Pork
Szechuan Shrimp gives you that takeout-style heat and tingle, but without the delivery delay. A mix of hot bean paste, chili oil, and Sichuan peppercorns makes the sauce sharp and bold, with shrimp that stay juicy and tender. It cooks fast and hits hard. You won’t miss the soggy takeout version.
Get the Recipe: Spicy Dan Dan Noodles with Ground Pork
Beef Chow Fun
Bang Bang Noodles with Chicken combine chewy noodles, spicy-sweet sauce, and tender strips of chicken in one ridiculously good bowl. The crunch of peanuts and snap of fresh herbs take it further than anything you’d get in a plastic container. It’s fast, fiery, and built for repeat dinners. The kind of weeknight dish that earns a permanent spot.
Get the Recipe: Beef Chow Fun
Spicy Cucumber Salad
Sweet and Sour Tofu nails the sweet-savory balance with crisp tofu and a glossy sauce that sticks just right. It’s a solid vegetarian answer to all those greasy takeout options. You get crunch, sauce, and a satisfying finish without the deep-fried regret. This one makes skipping delivery a no-brainer.
Get the Recipe: Spicy Cucumber Salad
Szechuan Shrimp
Air Fryer Spring Rolls keep everything you love—crispy wrappers, savory pork and veggie filling—minus the vat of oil. They’re crunchy, golden, and come out of the air fryer in minutes. If you’ve ever been disappointed by soggy takeout rolls, this is your fix. Make a batch and you’ll forget they ever came in wax paper boxes.
Get the Recipe: Szechuan Shrimp
Bang Bang Noodles with Chicken
Air Fryer Wontons have the same golden crunch and juicy filling as your favorite appetizer, but you won’t have to deep fry a thing. These are loaded with seasoned shrimp and pork and take just minutes to cook. You can batch them ahead and keep them in the freezer for a quick hit of comfort. Better than anything from a paper carton.
Get the Recipe: Bang Bang Noodles with Chicken
Sweet and Sour Tofu
Chicken Egg Foo Young is fluffy, savory, and loaded with meat and vegetables—basically an omelet that’s dinner-worthy. It cooks quickly and soaks up sauce like a sponge. Skip the mystery brown gravy from takeout joints and make your own. You’ll wonder why you didn’t start sooner.
Get the Recipe: Sweet and Sour Tofu
Air Fryer Spring Rolls
Har Gow, those translucent shrimp dumplings you chase down at dim sum, are surprisingly easy to make at home. The dough is simple and forgiving, and the filling is pure shrimp flavor. You won’t get that same freshness from a steamer basket that’s been sitting under a heat lamp. Homemade har gow beats the restaurant version, no contest.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Spring Rolls
Air Fryer Wontons
Sesame Noodles with Beef bring together chewy noodles, savory sliced beef, and a rich sesame-soy sauce that coats every bite. It’s the kind of dish that hits hard and fast, without a long prep list or cleanup. No styrofoam box required. You’ll start making this instead of ordering in.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Wontons
Chicken Egg Foo Young
Scallion Noodles are proof that simple can still be the best. A quick scallion-infused oil turns plain noodles into something addictive and comforting. You don’t need a dozen sauces or ingredients. This one tastes better than takeout and takes less time to make.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Egg Foo Young
Sesame Noodles with Beef
Spicy Prawns in a Noodle Nest is the kind of dish that looks like a restaurant plate but takes less effort than it seems. The crispy noodle base gives a satisfying crunch, while the prawns are tossed in a bold, chili-laced sauce. It’s got heat, texture, and speed on its side. Takeout doesn’t even come close.
Get the Recipe: Sesame Noodles with Beef
Scallion Noodles
Dan Dan Noodles are salty, spicy, and mouth-numbing in the best possible way. The sauce clings to every strand, giving you that deep umami hit without dialing a delivery number. It’s one of those recipes you’ll start craving on repeat. This version is easy enough for weeknights and bold enough to ditch takeout entirely.
Get the Recipe: Scallion Noodles
Char Siu Bao
Air Fryer Kung Pao Chicken comes together fast and delivers real crunch without the greasy mess. With dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, and roasted peanuts, it’s hot, crispy, and straight-up better than most restaurant versions. Serve it over rice and you’ve got dinner that feels like a win. This is what air fryers were made for.
Get the Recipe: Char Siu Bao
Spicy Prawns in a Noodle Nest
Vegetarian Dan Dan Noodles keep all the heat and flavor of the original, but swap the pork for a meatless mix that still hits hard. The sauce is spicy, nutty, and full of that tingling Sichuan punch. You won’t miss the meat, and you won’t miss delivery either. It’s fast, satisfying, and totally plant-based.
Get the Recipe: Spicy Prawns in a Noodle Nest
Dan Dan Noodles
Crispy Beef hits that perfect balance of sticky, spicy, and crunchy—all without a deep fryer. The beef stays tender inside, but the coating crisps up beautifully. It’s one of those dishes that’s easier to make at home than you think. This version comes out hot and fresh, unlike the soggy takeout version.
Get the Recipe: Dan Dan Noodles
Air Fryer Kung Pao Chicken
Tantanmen takes everything you love about Sichuan dan dan noodles and adds Japanese flavors like white miso and sesame paste. It’s rich, spicy, and surprisingly easy to customize by serving the sauce and noodles separately. You get all the comfort of ramen with a bit of a kick. This is weeknight comfort with real flavor.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Kung Pao Chicken
Vegetarian Dan Dan Noodles
Mongolian Pork gives you sweet and salty caramelized sauce coating thin strips of tender pork. It cooks in one pan and tastes just as bold as anything you’d get at a Chinese restaurant. The garlic and ginger punch through in all the right places. There’s no need to call for takeout when dinner’s already on the stove.
Get the Recipe: Vegetarian Dan Dan Noodles
Crispy Beef
Singapore Rice Noodles are stir-fried with curry powder, shrimp, veggies, and scrambled eggs for a dish that’s full of flavor but still light. It’s the one to make when you want fast and colorful. The curry gives it warmth without overwhelming the other flavors. It’s way better hot from the pan than from a takeout box.
Get the Recipe: Crispy Beef
Mongolian Pork
Mongolian Pork delivers tender strips of pork tossed in a glossy, garlicky sauce that’s sweet, salty, and just a little sticky. It’s the kind of dish that comes together fast in one pan and hits every craving square on. The ginger and soy sauce punch through for that deep takeout-style flavor, without the mystery ingredients. Once you’ve made it fresh, you won’t bother with the restaurant version again.
Get the Recipe: Mongolian Pork
Singapore Rice Noodles
Singapore Rice Noodles are thin rice vermicelli stir-fried with shrimp, vegetables, and scrambled eggs, all coated in a fragrant curry powder. The flavor is bright and just spicy enough to keep things interesting. It cooks fast and doesn’t rely on a heavy sauce, making it feel lighter than most takeout options. This one’s perfect for nights when you want something quick, filling, and full of color.
Get the Recipe: Singapore Rice Noodles