Chinese New Year Recipes Menu Planning Guide

Chinese New Year Recipes

The Lunar New Year, known in China as chūnjié (春节) or Spring Festival, is a festive time for many all over the world. The holiday features fireworks, new clothes, money-filled red envelopes (or hóngbāo – 红包) for kids, lots of red, and most importantly, tons of good food. Chinese New Year food traditions are hugely symbolic. Traditions include serving two whole fish and saving one for leftovers to represent surplus in the new year, serving a whole chicken to represent wholeness and prosperity, and serving items like spring rolls, which resemble gold bars and symbolize wealth. If it seems like a lot to navigate, don’t worry! We’ve put together this menu planning guide to help you figure out what to make for the holiday. We’ve organized the Chinese New Year foods on our site into several categories. These include Appetizers, Meat & Poultry, Seafood, Side Dishes, and Desserts. The recipes are shown in a grid view, as well as a list view for quick reference!

Cantonese Cha Guo Savory Rice CakesCantonese Spring RollsChicken Dumplings with Shiitake MushroomsChinese Beef DumplingsChinese Carrot Rice Cake (Hu Luo Bo Gao – 胡萝卜糕)Chinese Fried Ribs with Fermented Red Bean CurdChinese Pearl Meatballs with Sticky Rice (珍珠丸子)Chinese Sesame Twists (Zha Ma Ye – 炸麻叶), a Chinese New Year SnackChinese Shrimp CakesChinese Vegetarian Duck (素鸭)Coconut Firecracker ShrimpCrispy Stuffed Lotus Root with Pork (炸藕盒)Fried Prawn Crackers for Chinese New Year & Tips on How to Celebrate!Hong Shao Kao Fu: Braised Wheat Gluten with MushroomsMoney Bag DumplingsPan-fried Spring RollsPork and Celery DumplingsPork and Chive DumplingsSavory Tang YuanShandong Pork and Fish Dumplings (Jiaozi)Shanghai Smoked Fish, Xun Yu (上海熏鱼)Shanghai-Style Spring RollsSteamed Scallops with Glass NoodlesSticky Rice Mushroom Shumai w/ Homemade Wrappers (Vegan)Taro Cake (Chinese Wu Tao Gou)The ONLY Dumpling Recipe You’ll Ever NeedTurnip Cake (Chinese Lo Bak Go)Vegetable Dumplings

Meat & Poultry Dishes

These show-stopping meat and poultry dishes, along with a seafood dish or two, serve as the centerpiece of a Chinese New Year feast. Chinese Fried Pigeon (Squab), A Hong Kong FavoriteChinese Pearl Meatballs with Sticky Rice (珍珠丸子)Lion’s Head Meatballs – Shīzitóu (狮子头)Egg Dumplings, A Chinese New Year Must Have (蛋饺)Cantonese Poached Chicken w/ Ginger Scallion Oil (Bai Qie Ji)Sour Plum DuckSteamed Pork with Rice Powder (Fen Zheng Rou – 粉蒸肉)Shanghai-Style Braised Pork Belly (Hong Shao Rou)Braised Pork Belly with ArrowRootCantonese Roast Pork BellyTangerine BeefChinese Braised Ti Pang (Pork Shank)Steak Stir-fry (Chow Steak Kow)Chinese Stuffed Fried Gluten BallsSteamed Ribs with Glutinous Rice (糯米蒸排骨)Braised Pork Belly (Dong Po Rou)Braised Pork Belly with Meigan Cai

Seafood Dishes

Fish and shellfish are often a sign of celebration, and it’s no different at Chinese New Year. You’ll find some of our family favorites below!

Cantonese-Style Ginger Scallion LobsterChili Garlic ShrimpChinese Boiled Shrimp with Ginger Scallion Dipping SauceChinese Braised Fish (Hong Shao Yu)Chinese Deep Fried Oysters with Dipping SauceChinese Seafood Bird NestChinese Shrimp CakesCoconut Firecracker ShrimpCrispy Fried Flounder, Chinese-StyleDried Oyster and Black Moss (Ho See Fat Choy)How to Make XO SauceLobster CantoneseLobster Noodles (Yee Mein / E-Fu Noodles)Lobster Sticky Fried RicePan Fried Fish: Chinese Whole Fish RecipeSalt and Pepper ShrimpScallion Ginger Shrimp Recipe (Redux!)Shandong Pork and Fish Dumplings (Jiaozi)Shanghai Shrimp Stir-fry – You Bao Xia (油爆虾)Shanghai Smoked Fish, Xun Yu (上海熏鱼)Squirrel Fish in Sweet & Sour SauceSteamed Scallops with Glass NoodlesSteamed Whole Fish, Chinese StyleStir-Fried Clams in Black Bean SauceStir-fried Shrimp and Eggs (虾仁炒蛋)Sweet and Sour ShrimpWalnut Shrimp

Chinese New Year Side Dishes

Even some vegetable dishes are iconic Chinese New Year foods. Buddha’s Delight, consisting of at least 8 ingredients, is often eaten the morning of Chinese New Year after a ceremonial offering of food to honor family ancestors. You’ll also see stir-fried lettuce here, because in Chinese, the word for lettuce, “生菜” is a homonym for, “to grow money!”

Yan Du Xian (Shanghainese Salted Pork Soup with Bamboo Shoots and Tofu)Buddha’s Delight (Lo Han Jai)Ru Yi Cai (“As You Wish” Vegetables)Stir Fried LettucePea Tips Stir-fryA Basic Stir-Fried Bok Choy RecipeShanghai Rice Cake Stir-fry w/ GreensSteak and Scallion Rice Cake Stir-FryStir-fried Sticky Rice CakesLong Life Noodles – Yi Mein (伊面）Shanghai Fried NoodlesBian Dou Men Mian (Steamed Noodles and Green Beans)Sticky Rice with Chinese SausageYoung Chow Fried RiceChinese Vegetarian Duck – 素雅

Chinese New Year Desserts

While dessert perhaps isn’t as significant to a Chinese celebration dinner as it might be to a Western dinner, a little something sweet to cap off the meal is always welcome. Tang Yuan, or sweet rice balls, are traditionally eaten during the Lantern Festival, celebrated on the 15th day of the new year, marking the final day of Chinese New Year celebrations. Tang Yuan Sweet Rice Balls with Sesame FillingNian Gao (Chinese New Year Sweet Rice Cake)Sweet Fermented Rice (酒酿, Jiu Niang)Coconut Tapioca Dessert with Sweet Rice BallsChinese Walnut CookiesChinese Sesame Peanut BrittleSnow Fungus Soup with PearsChinese Sesame BallsOld-Fashioned Chinese Almond Cookies