A paper carton of takeout cannot compete with dishes served straight from your own skillet or steamer. These 21 Chinese and Chinese-inspired recipes cover saucy chicken, beef, crisp shrimp, noodles, fried rice, soup, and appetizers, with a few familiar restaurant-style choices mixed in. Several come together in around 30 minutes, while scallion pancakes and marinated Beijing beef take more planning. Prepare the rice or noodles first, then bring each dish to the table while it is still at its best.
Chinese Salt & Pepper Shrimp
Lightly crisp shrimp pick up plenty of heat in Chinese Salt & Pepper Shrimp, which serves four in 35 minutes. A brief fish-sauce marinade comes before a flour-and-cornstarch coating and quick frying. Garlic, ginger, Thai chilies, scallions, and coarsely ground peppercorns season the shrimp at the end. Serve immediately with steamed rice or a cucumber salad so the coating stays crisp instead of softening in a covered container.
Get the Recipe: Chinese Salt & Pepper Shrimp
Scallion Pancakes
Flaky spirals form inside Scallion Pancakes after a simple flour-and-water dough is brushed with peanut oil, filled with scallions, and coiled before rolling. The recipe makes four servings in 1 hour 10 minutes, including a 30-minute dough rest. Each pancake browns in a skillet for about two minutes per side. Cut them into wedges and set out the soy-and-vinegar dipping sauce while the layers are still crisp.
Get the Recipe: Scallion Pancakes
Chow Mein
Glossy noodles and lightly cooked vegetables make Chow Mein a vegetable-forward main when the usual takeout order sounds repetitive. Chow mein noodles are tossed with cabbage, celery, red onion, carrots, and scallions in a savory sauce containing soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and beef broth. The 20-minute recipe serves four. Serve it right after tossing so the vegetables keep some bite and the noodles do not sit in their sauce.
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Panda Express Beijing Beef
Crunchy beef strips meet sweet, tangy sauce in Panda Express Beijing Beef, a copycat dish with peppers and onion. Thin flank steak marinates with egg whites and cornstarch before frying, then joins a sauce made with hoisin, ketchup, sugar, garlic, and soy. The recipe serves four and lists 1 hour 40 minutes, including an hour of marinating. Make the sauce during that wait and toss everything together just before serving with rice.
Get the Recipe: Panda Express Beijing Beef
Chinese Steamed Chicken
Ginger-scallion sauce brings a savory finish to Chinese Steamed Chicken without a frying pan or heavy coating. Boneless chicken thighs steam with sliced shiitake mushrooms for about 15 to 18 minutes, while ginger and green onions are prepared separately with hot oil, soy sauce, and sesame oil. The recipe serves four in 30 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the tender chicken and serve with rice to catch the juices from the steaming dish.
Get the Recipe: Chinese Steamed Chicken
Shrimp Toast
Open-faced pieces of Shrimp Toast combine crisp bread with seasoned pan-fried shrimp rather than the usual fried shrimp-paste layer. Whole wheat bread is topped with romaine, sautéed shredded carrots, Parmesan, sprouts, and shrimp seasoned with cayenne, rosemary, paprika, and lime. The recipe serves four in 25 minutes. Toast the bread shortly before assembly so the vegetables and shrimp do not leave it damp by the time lunch reaches the table.
Get the Recipe: Shrimp Toast
Panda Express String Bean Chicken Breast
Quick-seared chicken keeps Panda Express String Bean Chicken Breast simple while the beans retain a little crunch. Thin breast slices cook in a skillet before fresh string beans and garlic join them, followed by soy sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar, and sesame oil. The 22-minute recipe makes three servings. Spoon it over a fresh pot of rice and add sliced scallions if you want a little extra color at the table.
Get the Recipe: Panda Express String Bean Chicken Breast
Pork Fried Rice
Cold, day-old jasmine rice browns easily in Pork Fried Rice, making good use of leftovers without letting the grains turn mushy. Diced pork tenderloin cooks with hoisin sauce, followed by eggs, carrots, peas, bean sprouts, green onions, ginger, garlic, and soy sauce. The recipe takes 35 minutes and serves four. Keep the heat up as the rice goes in, then serve the skillet meal with chili oil or a simple vegetable side.
Get the Recipe: Pork Fried Rice
Kung Pao Chicken
Guizhou-style seasoning gives Kung Pao Chicken a lively mix of heat, tender chicken, and crisp vegetables without the peanuts commonly used in other versions. Chicken breast cubes marinate briefly before cooking with bell pepper, snap peas, garlic, ginger, and a soy-and-vinegar sauce thickened with cornstarch. The recipe serves four in 30 minutes. Adjust the chili to suit the table and add rice so none of the sauce is left in the pan.
Get the Recipe: Kung Pao Chicken
Beef and Broccoli
High-heat cooking makes Beef and Broccoli a straightforward dinner with browned flank steak and broccoli that still holds its shape. The sauce brings together soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and a little vinegar before coating everything in the skillet. The recipe makes four servings in 30 minutes. Prepare rice before starting the beef, since this dish is easiest to serve as soon as the sauce thickens.
Get the Recipe: Beef and Broccoli
Panda Express Orange Chicken
Orange-scented glaze coats the crisp chicken in Panda Express Orange Chicken, a 30-minute copycat recipe serving four. Chicken breast pieces receive a flour-and-cornstarch coating before frying in batches, while fresh orange juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and garlic simmer into a glossy sauce. Toss the cooked chicken just before serving to protect the crust. Finish with green onions and sesame seeds, then add steamed rice alongside.
Get the Recipe: Panda Express Orange Chicken
Egg Drop Soup
Delicate golden ribbons swirl through Egg Drop Soup when beaten eggs are poured into gently simmering chicken broth. Ginger, garlic, sesame oil, Sichuan pepper, and cornstarch season and thicken the soup, while green onions, cilantro, or chili oil can finish each bowl. The recipe serves four in 20 minutes. Make it just before the main course, since the egg strands form in moments and the soup needs very little waiting time.
Get the Recipe: Egg Drop Soup
Tofu Fried Rice
Skillet-browned tofu makes Tofu Fried Rice substantial without adding eggs or meat to the pan. Cold, cooked jasmine rice is tossed with tofu cubes, peas, carrots, garlic, green onions, soy sauce, and sesame oil. The 30-minute recipe serves four and is a practical way to use rice prepared the day before. Keep the ingredients moving over the heat, then bring the pan to the table with a little extra green onion.
Get the Recipe: Tofu Fried Rice
Copycat Panda Express Teriyaki Chicken
Browned chicken thighs get a shiny sweet-savory coating in Copycat Panda Express Teriyaki Chicken. The sauce needs only soy sauce, brown sugar, water, garlic powder, ground ginger, and cornstarch, which thickens around the cooked chicken in the skillet. This Japanese-style restaurant copycat serves four in 25 minutes. Slice the thighs over rice and spoon on extra sauce when you want a familiar counter-service order without relying on a delivery carton.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Panda Express Teriyaki Chicken
Sweet and Sour Sauce
Slow simmering turns Sweet and Sour Sauce glossy enough to cling to homemade chicken, shrimp, spring rolls, or fried appetizers. Pineapple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar simmer together before a cornflour slurry thickens the mixture. The recipe serves four and takes 10 minutes. It is a condiment rather than a stand-alone dinner, so cook it while your main dish is finishing and serve it warm.
Get the Recipe: Sweet and Sour Sauce
Panda Express Honey Walnut Shrimp
Crisp battered seafood and candied nuts distinguish Panda Express Honey Walnut Shrimp from the other shrimp dishes in the lineup. Medium shrimp are coated in flour, cornstarch, egg, and sparkling water before frying, then tossed with a creamy honey, mayonnaise, and lemon sauce. Walnuts caramelized with butter and sugar go over the top. The card lists 15 minutes and four servings. Keep the walnuts separate until serving to preserve their crunch.
Get the Recipe: Panda Express Honey Walnut Shrimp
Chinese Lemon Shredded Chicken
Cool vegetables and citrus dressing make Chinese Lemon Shredded Chicken a lighter alternative to battered lemon chicken. Drumsticks simmer with ginger and Shaoxing wine, then the cooked meat is shredded and tossed with cucumber, carrot, onion, cilantro, garlic, sesame, soy sauce, lemon juice, and oyster sauce. The recipe serves four in 25 minutes. Serve it cool or at room temperature, with warm rice on the side if dinner needs more substance.
Get the Recipe: Chinese Lemon Shredded Chicken
Shrimp Fried Rice
Each spoonful of Shrimp Fried Rice brings together seafood, vegetables, egg, and separate grains of lightly seasoned rice. Day-old cooked rice is heated with shrimp, onion, mixed vegetables, soy sauce, and chopped spring onions in a hot pan. The recipe makes four servings in 25 minutes. Have everything measured before cooking, since the shrimp needs only a short time in the skillet and the rice comes together quickly afterward.
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Chicken Chow Mein
Tender pieces of chicken give Chicken Chow Mein a different balance from the vegetable-forward chow mein earlier in the list. Chicken thighs cook with cabbage, carrots, red bell pepper, green onions, garlic, and noodles before being tossed with oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, chicken broth, and brown sugar. The recipe serves four in 30 minutes. Bring it out immediately so the noodles stay loose and the vegetables retain a little crunch.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Chow Mein
Bang Bang Shrimp
Tangy chili dressing coats Bang Bang Shrimp after a quick skillet cook, bringing a creamy contrast to the lightly crisp seafood. Lime-seasoned shrimp are tossed in cornstarch before cooking, while Greek yogurt, light mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, and Sriracha make the dressing. The recipe takes 20 minutes and serves four. Spoon the shrimp over cooked basmati rice with cucumber and green onions, or arrange it as a shared appetizer.
Get the Recipe: Bang Bang Shrimp
General Tso’s Chicken
Sticky garlic-and-ginger sauce clings to General Tso’s Chicken after the coated chicken is fried until golden. Chicken breast pieces get a brief soy-based marinade, then a flour-and-cornstarch coating before being mixed with hoisin, rice vinegar, garlic, chicken stock, sugar, and red pepper flakes. The recipe serves six in one hour, including preparation time. Serve over rice and adjust the amount of chili for the people sharing dinner.
Get the Recipe: General Tso’s Chicken