23 Quick and Easy Chinese Recipes That Beat Takeout

Save time and money with your own beef and broccoli, mapo tofu, and more.

By
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud

Devan Grimsrud is a Berlin-based writer, editor, and recipe developer originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. After working in television production with James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Zimmern, she relocated to Berlin and became the managing editor at Kitchen Stories, an international digital cooking platform with millions of active users. 

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Published August 28, 2025
Devan Grimsrud
Mapo Tofu in a Pan With a Serving Spoon Next to a Bowl of Rice and a Soup Spoon on a Napkin, All on a Yellow Kitchen Towel

Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

Just the other week, I was tired and hungry after a long day and my husband and I decided that takeout would be quicker than scraping a meal together. We put in an order for Chinese and went to relax on the couch. An hour later, our food still hadn't arrived—and we were thinking about the dishes we could have cooked and had ready on the table. 

With that in mind I'm sharing some of my favorite quick and easy Chinese recipes. Most come together in 30 minutes or less, and a couple can be yours for under 10 minutes (I'm looking at you, Silken Tofu with Sesame Soy Sauce and Sesame Cucumber Salad). They’ll satisfy a craving and save you time—plus, they're fun to make.

  • Chinese Orange Chicken

    Orange Chicken in a Bowl Next to a Bowl of Rice, a Table Napkin, and a Fork

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

    "There is no specific chicken cut that works better than any other. Personally, I like boneless skinless chicken thighs because they’re inexpensive and stay a bit juicier than chicken breasts. But you can use chicken breasts if that’s what you prefer."—Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

  • Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry

    A bowl of beef and broccoli ready to serve

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "Put the steak in the freezer for 15-30 minutes before slicing; it will be firmer and easier to slice thin."—Jaden Hair, Recipe Developer

  • Easy Chicken Lo Mein

    Chinese chicken lo mein serve the lo mein

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

    "The beautiful thing about this recipe is that it’s adaptable to almost any vegetable. It can really be a fridge-clearing recipe. When I make this, I rarely buy vegetables for it. Whatever I have in my produce drawers goes in. Typically, however, when you order it, it is served with cabbage, shredded carrots, and sometimes peas."—Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

  • Chicken Fried Rice

    A bowl of fried rice, ready to serve and eat

    Simply Recipes / Lisa Lin

    "Fried rice is best made with leftover rice that's at least a day old. Otherwise it becomes gummy in the skillet. If you don’t have any leftover rice from the night before, cook a batch of rice and spread it on a large baking sheet or several large plates. Let the rice dry out for about 1 to 2 hours before using it for fried rice."—Lisa Lin, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 5 of 23 below

  • Moo Goo Gai Pan (Chinese Chicken and Mushroom Stir Fry)

    Moo Goo Gai Pan Chicken

    Simply Recipes / Marta Rivera

    "If you don't have a wok or another large, deep saute pan, cook everything in stages, removing ingredients from the pan after they are cooked in each step. Toss all the ingredients together when adding the sauce and cook until the chicken is cooked through."—Marta Rivera, Recipe Developer

  • Quick and Easy Egg Drop Soup

    Bowl of egg drop soup with mushrooms and spring onions

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "The cornstarch is key to this endeavor. It not only thickens up the soup just enough to give it body, but it also helps keep the eggs silky and tender. Don't skip it!"—Garrett McCord, Recipe Developer

  • Singapore Noodles with Shrimp

    Singapore Rice Noodles Recipe with shrimp and cilantro in a skillet

    Simply Recipes / Sheryl Julian

    "Buy rice sticks, rice vermicelli noodles, or Mei Fun noodles for this dish. They come in 6- to 8-ounce packages. You need only 6 ounces. You can cook the noodles ahead and refrigerate them in an airtight container. Let them come to room temperature and break them up with your hands before adding to the pan."—Sheryl Julian, Recipe Developer

  • Silken Tofu with Sesame Soy Sauce

    Platter of Silken Tofu with Sesame Soy Sauce Next to a Small Bowl with More Soy Sauce, Another Small Bowl with Sesame Sauce, a Spoon on a Napkin, and a Kitchen Towel

    Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

    "If you can’t find Chinese sesame sauce, use tahini."—Frank Tiu, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 9 of 23 below

  • Egg Foo Young

    Egg Foo Young on a Plate with Jasmine Rice at a Table Setting with Chopsticks on a Napkin and a Pot of Sauce

    Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

    "Just like any other omelet, egg foo young is a clever vessel for restaurants (and you!) to use whatever they have on hand and create a delicious new meal out of it."—Frank Tiu, Recipe Developer

  • Sichuan Style Stir-Fried Chinese Long Beans

    How to Cook Chinese Long Beans

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "Chinese long beans can be found in both green and purple varieties. Both have similar flavors and textures, and either kind can be used for this recipe."—Garrett McCord, Recipe Developer

  • Chinese Tomato Egg Stir Fry

    a plate of Chinese tomato egg

    Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

    "Tomato egg is all about timing. By starting the process with a cold pan, the eggs will cook over slow and gradual heat, creating the softest scrambled eggs."—Frank Tiu, Recipe Developer

  • Air Fryer Egg Rolls

    A plate of air fried egg rolls, ready to serve and eat

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

    "Egg roll wrappers are frequently found in the refrigerated section of your supermarket. They have a few simple ingredients like flour and eggs and are available nationwide these days. If you can’t find them, ask! It’s a good bet your supermarket has them somewhere."—Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 13 of 23 below

  • Sichuan Eggplant

    Sichuan Eggplant

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "This recipe calls for Asian eggplants, or Japanese eggplants. They are long and thin compared to a European or globe eggplant, and much more tender and delicate. If you can't find them you can substitute globe eggplant, but the dish is really best with the Asian eggplant."—Garrett McCord, Recipe Developer

  • Shrimp With Snow Peas

    Shrimp Snow Peas

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "You can also use sugar snap peas for this recipe. Save prep time by prepping the peas, ginger, and garlic while the shrimp is marinating."—Elise Bauer, Founder

  • Sweet and Sour Chicken

    A plate of sweet and sour chicken, ready to eat

    Simply Recipes / Jaden Hair

    "We include the standard add-ins, like pineapple and colorful bell peppers, in our sweet and sour chicken. But this recipe is versatile enough for whatever else you'd like to toss in."—Jaden Hair, Recipe Developer

  • Beef and Broccoli Ramen Stir Fry

    Beef and Broccoli with Ramen Noodles

    Recipe Developer / Nick Evans

    "You could use a wide range of noodles for this dish. You could use six to eight ounces of fresh ramen or udon noodles. Even soba noodles would work okay."—Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 17 of 23 below

  • Fish-Fragrant Eggplant

    fish fragrant eggplant

    Simply Recipes / Hannah Che

    "Salting the eggplant helps relax the flesh, reduce any bitterness, and prevent it from soaking up excessive oil."—Hannah Che, Recipe Developer

  • Chinese Hot and Sour Soup

    Sweet and sour soup in a bowl.

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "The hardest part about making hot and sour soup is really just collecting all the ingredients. Once you have those, you can have a bowl of restaurant-worthy soup on the table in under an hour!"—Garrett McCord, Recipe Developer

  • Air Fryer Crab Rangoon

    A plate of air fryer crab rangoon, ready to eat

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

    "You can also make these without the crab for plain ol' cream cheese wontons (equally delicious). You’ll just get fewer wontons out of the recipe because of the decreased volume of filling."—Nick Evans, Recipes Developer

  • Chop Suey

    Platter of Chop Suey at a Table Setting With Chopsticks on Napkins and Bowls of Rice, All on a Grey Kitchen Towel

    Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

    "Depending on your personal preference, adjust the amount of chicken broth and cornstarch slurry. For a saucier dish, add another 1/4 cup of chicken broth to the sauce and an additional teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with 1 teaspoon of water to the slurry."—Frank Tiu, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 21 of 23 below

  • Napa Cabbage with Dried Shrimp

    Napa Cabbage with Dried Shrimp

    Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin

    "Dried shrimp gives this Chinese dish a punch of salty umami flavor. You can find it at an Asian grocery store in the frozen or refrigerated section. Look for small-sized dried shrimp, about a 1/4-inch in size."—Irvin Lin, Recipe Developer

  • Sesame Cucumber Salad

    Sesame Cucumber Salad

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "Add some thinly sliced basil as an option, Thai basil or Vietnamese basil works best, though regular Italian basil works too!"—Elise

  • Mapo Tofu

    Mapo Tofu in a Pan With a Serving Spoon Next to a Bowl of Rice and a Soup Spoon on a Napkin, All on a Yellow Kitchen Towel

    Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

    "Mapo tofu is a traditional Sichuan dish of silken tofu, ground pork, Sichuan peppercorns, and a few other seasonings. It has a spicy and savory flavor with a tender texture thanks to the tofu, and bits of chewiness and crunch thanks to the pork and chile."—Frank Tiu, Recipe Developer

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