#main dishes

Chili Crisp Noodles (Cold Noodles with Lao Gan Ma Sauce) When the weather is too hot to cook, these chili crisp noodles are exactly what I crave. They’re refreshing, satisfying, and tossed in a bold sesame chili crisp sauce that’s creamy, savory, spicy, and tangy.

Chinese Pork Belly Bun (Rou Jia Mo, 肉夹馍) My Chinese pork belly bun, or Rou Jia Mo, is a Northern and Midwest Chinese street food where melt-in-your-mouth braised pork belly is minced with cilantro and chili pepper, stuffed into a fluffy yeasted homemade flatbread, and finished with a spoonful of the savory braising liquid.

Chicken Chow Mein (鸡肉炒面) This chicken chow mein is my 25 minute weeknight version with springy chow mein noodles, marinated chicken, shredded cabbage and carrot, and a glossy brown sauce built on oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, and soy sauce. It is a Chinese takeout favorite I cook at home on the nights I want one pan, dinner on the table, and zero leftovers wasted.

Singapore Noodles These Singapore noodles are my 30 minute Cantonese restaurant style version, with thin rice vermicelli tossed in a curry powder sauce alongside char siu pork, shrimp, scrambled egg, and julienned vegetables. The dish gets its bright yellow color from curry powder, and the noodles stay light because they are stir fried instead of saucy.

Ginger Beef Stir Fry I absolutely love making this easy 45-minute ginger beef stir fry recipe for my family. It is a Chinese takeout classic that I make with chewy, crispy slices of flank steak coated in a savory, sweet, and tangy ginger sauce, then finished with green onions, red bell pepper, and baby bok choy.

Kung Pao Cauliflower (宫保菜花) This kung pao cauliflower (宫保菜花) is my vegetarian version of the Sichuan classic, made with cauliflower roasted in oil until charred and tossed in a wok with Sichuan peppercorns, dried Chinese chilies, fresh ginger and garlic, bell pepper, green onion, and roasted peanuts in a balanced savory spicy sweet and sour sauce.

String Bean Chicken This string bean chicken is a quick Chinese dinner with juicy chicken, green beans, and fermented black beans in a savory sauce. I sear the chicken and beans in one pan, and I can bring it to the table in 30 minutes.

Cashew Chicken (腰果鸡丁) This easy to make cashew chicken (腰果鸡丁) is a quick Chinese dinner with juicy chicken, bell pepper, and cashews in a gingery and garlicky sauce. I marinate the chicken first, stir fry everything in one pan, and have it ready on my table in just 25 minutes.