10 Chinese Chicken Recipes To Add To Your Dinner Rotation

We all love a classic Chinese American restaurant takeout dish, but sadly those delivery fees, drivers tips, and plastic containers can really start to add up after just a few nights of ordering in. Thankfully, we have some great news for you: Those favorite delivery dishes like chicken lo mein and General Tso's chicken are easier to replicate at home than you might have believed. These Chinese chicken recipes are simple to make, come together in a flash, and won't bust your budget, making them prefect additions your weekly dinner rotation.

Many of these recipes require similar ingredients like soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, and shaoxing wine, so once you have those in your pantry you'll find plenty of uses for them beyond just a single recipe. Most of these Chinese chicken recipes include hearty vegetables, which makes eating a more balanced diet easy and delicious. The only drawback to these fantastic recipes is that they don't come with a cookie that tells your fortune, so you'll have to settle for creating your own destiny.

Hearty, vibrant purple cabbage gives a colorful and crunchy edge to this chicken and vegetable stir-fry. The chewy noodles provide a tender contrast to the texture of the winter cabbage, shredded carrots, and onion. Slicing the chicken into bite-sized pieces means it will cook quickly, and this recipe takes only 10 minutes to prepare, making it a perfect option for a weeknight dinner. The leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for two days, so you can an enjoy it again at work later in the week.

Recipe: Winter Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry

This classic Chinese restaurant dish can be yours without a delivery app or a drive to pick up your to-go order, as it's easier to recreate at home than you might have thought. Marinated chicken pieces are tossed in cornstarch before frying, giving the chicken its signature light and crispy coating that you'd expect from a restaurant dish. The perfectly crisp-yet-tender chicken is tossed in a thick, fragrant sauce just before serving. Top with scallions and sesame seeds, and serve alongside freshly steamed rice for a perfect dinner at home.

Recipe: Homemade General Tso's Chicken

Stir-fries are the ultimate weeknight meal because they come together so quickly and are usually done in just one large pan on the stovetop, leaving you more time to relax and less dishes to deal with after dinner. Sliced mushrooms, peas, green onions, and lime juice lend extra flavor and texture to this dish. Unlike most stir-fries, this satay-inspired version includes a silky coconut milk-based sauce that's perfect for freshly steamed rice to soak up in your bowl, or serve over ramen noodles for a fun twist.

Recipe: Satay-Style Chicken Stir-Fry

Recipe developer Ting Dalton makes a bold statement about her Kung Pao Chicken, saying that this homemade version of the popular Sichuan dish is "better than takeout." Chinese black vinegar and spicy Sichuan peppercorns are what give this dish it's unique and addictive flavor. You might not have a few of the ingredients called for in your pantry, but they are well worth the minimal investment and will keep on the shelf for a very long time. Most are common ingredients in Chinese cooking, so you'll be able to tackle many more exciting and similar recipes in the future.

Recipe: Homemade Kung Pao Chicken

There's something extremely satisfying about the juxtaposition of sweetness and sourness in one dish to create a perfectly tangy combination. Despite its complexity of taste, this recipe comes together in under 30 minutes and packs a serious flavor punch. Pineapple juice, ketchup, and rice wine vinegar give the dish its namesake tasting notes, while fresh bell peppers and ginger keep things light and fresh. Serve alongside rice for an easy weeknight dinner.

Recipe: Hong Kong-Style Sweet and Sour Chicken

With stir-fries, there's little we love more than a perfectly bouncy, chewy noodle coated in a garlicky sauce, and this recipe doesn't disappoint. It employs a simple but useful Chinese culinary technique to tenderize the meat called velveting, in which the chicken marinates in a spicy cornstarch slurry. Fresh vegetables like carrots, bell peppers, and snow peas keep the dish crunchy and well-rounded. This complete meal comes together in about 15 minutes, so make sure you have all the ingredients prepped and ready before you start cooking.

Recipe: Garlic Chicken Lo Mein Recipe

An American twist on sticky chicken, this recipe uses bourbon, garlic, and fresh ginger for a unique flavor combination. Diced chicken is briefly marinated in soy sauce and water before being pan fried for a few minutes, then shimmered in a flavorful liquid that reduces to a beautifully sticky sauce. Although the recipe recommends serving alongside steamed rice, it would be excellent with additional steamed or roasted broccoli for a complete and balanced meal. Top with fresh scallions for a bit of crunch and freshness.

Recipe: Sticky Chinese Bourbon Chicken

Depending on your weekly dinner rotation, it's easy to tire of the basics like chicken and broccoli. This recipe, however, is anything but boring due to a velvety sauce that will coat your tastebuds in the best way. Thinly sliced chicken breast is marinated in baking soda, soy sauce, and dry sherry to tenderize the meat before cooking, adding to the velvety mouthfeel of the dish. With an equal ratio of chicken to broccoli, this uncomplicated weeknight dinner is rich in both antioxidants and lean protein.

Recipe: Velvety Soy Chicken and Broccoli

If you're seeking a textural adventure in your next homemade meal, look no further than this sweet and savory chicken and vegetable stir-fry. Crisp water chestnuts, snappy snow peas, and whole almonds provide plenty of crunch to this dinner that comes together easily in under half an hour. The recipe is already packed with filling and nutritious vegetables and could act as a stand alone dish; you could also serve it with some steamed rice or fluffed quinoa.

Recipe: Chicken Almond Gai Ding

We love a slow cooker for it's simplicity and hands-off cooking style. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs cook gently over a few hours in a deeply flavorful sauce that gets an extra kick from spicy Sichuan peppercorns. While commonly battered and deep fried, this slow cooker version of bang bang chicken is a great option for those looking to consume less oil. The recipe calls to be served with thinly sliced cucumbers for a lighter meal, but you could always include rice or lo mien noodles underneath for a heartier dinner.

Recipe: Crock Pot Bang Bang Chicken