Lucky Recipes for a Traditional Lunar New Year Meal (2024)

Easy Steamed Dumplings

Our steamed dumplings are a quick-and-easy Chinese New Year dish that guests will adore. Our short-cut solutions: use store-bought dumpling wrappers and premake these freezer-friendly dumplings up to three months before the Chinese New Year. Customize the traditional Asian cuisine with fillings ranging from our classic ginger pork to a vegetarian-friendly lemon-basil stuffing.

Soup Dumplings

Pork-stuffed dumpling buns are ready-to-serve in a classic steamer basket for any Chinese New Year gathering. Our puckered dumplings are filled with a light ginger broth, green onions, and sesame-seasoned pork to build a bite-size Chinese favorite. Steam these homemade dumplings for several hours atop Napa cabbage to allow the soup broth to be released within the dumpling. When serving, remind your guests to slurp their soup before devouring the rest of this delicious New Year food.

Tofu Spring Rolls

Our five-ingredient tofu spring rolls are a quick, vegan-friendly appetizer for the Chinese New Year. Just roll cucumber sticks with baked tofu, shredded carrots, and sprigs of mint in this simple 20-minute recipe. Serve the delicious finger food with a side of soy sauce or sweet chili sauce in colorful dipping bowls ($7, Etsy).

Sesame Chicken with Broccoli

Make homemade sesame chicken with its traditional sweet-tart sauce in an ode to everyone's favorite Chinese takeout. Our take on the beloved dish combines tender marinated chicken with steamed brown rice and crispy broccoli. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds atop the Chinese food favorite, then serve the dish as a delicious family dinner during the Chinese New Year.

Egg Drop Soup

This easy-to-make family favorite is sure to make a splash on your Chinese New Year menu. Flavor store-bought chicken broth with a dash of cayenne pepper, green onions, and minced garlic, then bring to a simmer on the stove. When you're ready for the namesake ingredient, gently pour beaten eggs into the soup as it simmers, then bring the mixture to a boil. Serve this traditional Chinese soup with fried wonton strips to complete the restaurant-worthy experience.

Sesame Chicken and Noodles

For an extra lucky Chinese dish, incorporate noodles, which are said to bring a long life and happiness. Our savory sesame chicken combined with thick udon noodles will bring a smile to everyone's face—especially since it takes just 20 minutes to prepare from start to finish. Serve this Chinese main dish for a quick lunch.

Pressure Cooker Asian Pork Cabbage Bowl

This healthy 35-minute meal is like an egg roll in a bowl. The dish features tender pork cooked in a pressure cooker and served on a bed of Napa cabbage with carrots, edamame, red onion, and mushrooms. Top it off with your favorite Asian-inspired salad dressing, or eat this delicious Chinese New Year side on its own.

Chicken Lo Mein

Chicken lo mein is a Chinese food dish that's hard to rival—thankfully, we found a recipe that's better than takeout for your New Year's party. Marinate chicken strips in our savory soy sauce mixture, cook your favorite veggies in a classic sesame sauce, and combine those ingredients with Chinese egg noodles for a much-improved version of the classic recipe. To try other variations of our Chinese lo mein, we have easy substitution steps for beef or shrimp. Whichever variation you make, serve the dish with colorful reusable chopsticks.

Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry

This 30-minute Chinese dinner will have guests baffled that you actually made it from scratch. Cook broccoli florets alongside sweet yellow pepper until they are crispy-tender. Once the veggies are cooked (no more than five minutes), switch to the chicken. Whip up our six-ingredient stir-fry sauce and cook the chicken bites in it. Combine the Chinese chicken and veggies, and serve this speedy dish over steamed rice. To speed up dinner, make the rice in an electric rice cooker ($25, Target) while you prepare the stir-fry.

Spring Green Fried Rice

Celebrate the annual Spring Festival with edamame-and-pea-filled fried rice. This veggie twist on the traditional Chinese dish makes a perfect side or main dish for your Chinese New Year celebration. The secret to perfectly flavorful fried rice during the New Year? Whisk an egg with a few dashes of soy sauce before starting the dish.

Asian Egg and Rice Cups with Plum Sauce

Bring the family together with a hearty, Asian-inspired egg muffin during the Chinese New Year. Eggs and ham will fill you with protein to start the morning off right, while fresh veggies—including pepper, carrot, and green onions—will add nutrients to this breakfast bite. A quick dunk in our Asian plum sauce will make this kid-friendly dish a morning must-have.

Egg Drop Soup

Make this comforting soup for Lunar New Year in just 25 minutes. Garnish each bowl with fried wonton strips, crushed red pepper, and sliced green onions.

Test Kitchen Tip: The key to achieving the correct texture is adding the eggs when the soup is simmering, not boiling.

Sweet-and-Sour Chicken

While this dish didn't originate in China, it has become a beloved mainstay of American Chinese food menus. Our homemade sweet-and-sour chicken takes just 30 minutes to make from start to finish.

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Grab your slow cooker, toss in a few simple ingredients, and relax as the meat mixture for delicious Asian-inspired chicken wraps comes together. This Chinese New Year dish takes just 25 minutes of prep time, then cooks for a few hands-free hours. Once it's ready, scoop the chicken onto lettuce leaves and sprinkle this healthy dish with Asian chili sauce and sesame seeds.

Pot Sticker Dumpling Soup

This five-ingredient Chinese soup is chock-full of carrots, green onions, and easy-to-prep dumplings. Combine these simple ingredients in a veggie broth and simmer on high heat for about ten minutes. When ready, serve this cozy wonton soup as your Chinese New Year appetizer.

Fortune Cookies

Give good luck with a fortune cookie that predicts happiness for the whole year. These easy Chinese-American pastries aren't your typical Chinese New Year dessert, but they're sure to make people smile!

Szechuan Dan Dan Noodles

During Lunar New Year, long noodles are often eaten as they symbolize longevity. This take on the classic Chinese Sichuan street food is filled with snow peas, carrots, and ground pork. The sauce is made with Szechuan peppercorns, garlic, and black bean paste.