Vegetable Egg Rolls are a welcome change over the classic egg rolls you get at your local Chinese restaurant or takeout joint. Whether you’re a vegetarian or meat lover, these veggie egg rolls make the perfect appetizer or crunchy snack to go with a drink! I have been making different versions of Chinese egg rolls […]
Instant Pot Ribs (Just 6 Ingredients!)
During the summer, we have a rotation of go-to, easy recipes for the grill, and these 6-ingredient Instant Pot Ribs are our latest discovery! Apple cider vinegar and your favorite bottled BBQ sauce do the legwork on flavor, the Instant Pot does the cooking (fast!), and a little TLC in the oven or on the […]
Chicken and Broccoli with Brown Sauce
Chicken and Broccoli with brown sauce is a popular Chinese takeout dish. This chicken and broccoli recipe will show you how to make it with a delicious Chinese brown sauce. Our recipe uses the same technique as Chinese restaurants. The broccoli is blanched, and the chicken is seared separately. The aromatics and sauce are cooked […]
Tomato Egg Drop Soup
Bowls of tomato egg drop soup are commonly seen on tables in Chinese households, especially in the summertime when tomatoes are plentiful. Tomatoes and eggs just go together, and many food cultures know it. Just think of Shakshuka in the Middle East, “Eggs in Purgatory” in Southern Italy, and another Chinese classic, stir-fried tomato and […]
Chicken Yakisoba
I’m particularly excited about this chicken yakisoba recipe, because it used to be one of my go-to’s at Japanese restaurants, before I discovered that I really like sushi. Every time I go to a Japanese restaurant now, I kind of stop and gaze wistfully at the yakisoba on the menu before ordering my usual rolls or […]
Creamy Sweet Corn Drink
An abundance of sweet and tender summer corn is hitting markets near you. You may be grilling it, buttering it, chopping it up for salads, or putting it in a seafood boil, but I usually like my corn steamed simply for its natural sweetness. For that exact reason, I want to let you in on […]
Shanghai Scallion Oil Noodles (Cong You Ban Mian)
A really quick post today, along with a lightning fast recipe with only 6 ingredients! Shanghai Scallion Oil Noodles, or 葱油拌面 (cong you ban mian), is an easy recipe that also happens to be one of our favorites. We first had this Shanghai noodle dish at a popular Shanghainese restaurant in Beijing called “Shanghai Min” […]
How to Prepare Beef for Stir-fry
We have a lot of beef recipes in our archives here at The Woks of Life, so we wanted to show everyone how to prepare beef for stir-fry. We’ll recommend our favorite cuts of beef to use and show you how to properly cut and marinate beef just like it’s done in Chinese restaurants. We […]
24 Easy Asian Ground Meat Recipes
In our house, ground meat is a total lifesaver. There’s no need to slice or cut a slab of meat; you just take it out, toss it in, and dinner is on the table that much quicker. That’s why we’ve gathered our favorite––easy––ground meat recipes in this post! While some of these recipes call for […]
Mapo Tofu
This mapo tofu recipe is the true blue, authentic real deal—the spicy, tongue-numbing, rice-is-absolutely-not-optional, can’t-have-just-one-scoop mapo tofu that you get in the restaurants. Since we published this recipe in March 2014, it has garnered many 5-star reviews from readers! As of June 2019 , we’ve re-tested and updated the recipe with new photos, clearer instructions, […]
Steamed Eggs with Crispy Pork
Steamed Eggs with Crispy Pork is one of my favorite recipes to come out recently! Mostly because it was an accidental success. When my daughter Sarah and I blogged another recent recipe, Stir Fried Chinese Green Beans with Pork, we had it for lunch. As we were commenting on how great those crispy pork bits […]
Cantonese Spring Rolls
Use this homemade spring roll recipe to make the Cantonese version of spring rolls that you know and love from dim sum restaurants! Note: This recipe was originally published in September 2015, updated as of June 2019! 2 Chinese Spring Roll Recipes? When I was growing up, Chinatown was the only place you went for […]
Stir-fried Chinese Green Beans with Pork
Cooking can become a bit of a chore in the summer—for me too, even! But this easy dish of Chinese green beans with pork (or chicken or beef!) is delicious and simple. I love to eat, but when it’s hot and humid, I just want to make something quick and easy. Of course, that something […]
Lotus Root Stir-fry
This stir-fried lotus root recipe is one of my favorite vegetable dishes. If you’ve never tried lotus root, you’re really missing out! This lotus root stir fry recipe has a delightful mixture of textures and flavors, and it’s incredibly tasty considering how simple it is. What is Lotus Root? Lotus roots are the stem of […]
Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
Chicken Satay is a delicious alternative to your standard saucy Thai curries, with chicken marinated in a positively potent mixture of red curry paste and coconut, seared to perfection and served up with peanut sauce. It’s a great flavorful weeknight dinner or party appetizer, and people are sure to be clamoring for more of these […]
Mongolian Beef
Our Mongolian Beef recipe has been one of the most popular Woks of Life recipes since we first published it in July 2015, and for good reason! The Origins of Mongolian Beef But first. What exactly are the origins of Mongolian Beef? Because it’s definitely not Mongolian… In fact, in Mongolia, more often than not, […]
French Palmier Cookies
Since we posted our rough puff pastry recipe a few months ago, we’ve been experimenting with more treats to make with it! This palmiers recipe has become one of our favorites, not least because it is so versatile! What Are Palmiers? Palmiers are a classic French cookie/pastry made from puff pastry. Sometimes called palm leaves […]
4-Ingredient Fruit & Yogurt Popsicles
When I was a kid, there was nothing better than a cool popsicle as the temperatures climbed in the summer. Today, I’m bringing back a little summertime nostalgia with these 4-Ingredient Fruit & Yogurt Popsicles! When I say I loved popsicles, no popsicle was neglected. There were the 50-cent cherry popsicles for when I was […]
Chicken Adobo
I was introduced to this Chicken Adobo recipe by the Lucky Peach cookbook, 101 Easy Asian Recipes. I’d never tried chicken adobo before, but it seemed too easy to pass up. And you know what? It’s so delicious I’ve added it to my regular rotation. Note: This post was originally published in January 2016, and […]
Chinese Stir-Fry Sauce: For Any Meat/Vegetables!
This is an easy stir-fry sauce recipe to quickly make homemade stir-fries with whatever meat or vegetables you have! Of all the recipes here on the Woks of Life, you may find yourself coming back to this one the most often for both versatility AND taste. Over the years working and cooking in Chinese restaurants, […]
Moo Goo Gai Pan: Mushroom and Chicken Stir Fry
I remember moo goo gai pan from my first job in a Chinese restaurant in upstate New York. As was the case for this Chinese kid and most Americanized Chinese dishes, the first time I ate it was on the job! The first time I saw my father prepare moo goo gai pan, it was […]
Char Siu-Style Oven Baked Ribs
A few weekends ago, baby back ribs were on sale at our local grocery store. And with many spring and summer gatherings coming up, I decided to experiment with some crowd-pleasing rib recipes. Well, cat’s out of the bag. It was a success. These char siu-style oven baked ribs are the best blog experiment we’ve […]
Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more satisfying sandwich than this lemongrass chicken banh mi. When I’m at a Vietnamese restaurant, I rarely order a banh mi because I’m always swayed by the prospect of that other giant of Vietnamese cuisine, pho. However, the minute I had assembled these magical sandwiches and took a bite, […]
Mango Muffins with Oatmeal Crumb Topping
We don’t post muffin or cupcake recipes often on The Woks of Life, but these mango muffins are too delicious to not share. Made with buttermilk, a sweet and delicious oatmeal crumb topping, and plenty of fresh mango, our mango muffins are perfect for breakfast with a hot cup of coffee. They’re also great as […]
Zhaliang (Fried Dough Rice Noodle Rolls)
Zhaliang is everyone’s favorite dim sum item, especially kids. When Sarah, Kaitlin, and their cousins were little, zhaliang was the most requested and coveted plate on the table! What is Zhaliang? Zhaliang is a Cantonese dim sum dish consisting of crispy Chinese fried dough (youtiao) wrapped inside silky rice noodles. It is then garnished […]
Egg Drop Soup
In my parents’ Chinese restaurant, we used to make three soups every day without fail, and it was always the first thing we would do when we opened the restaurant. Wonton soup, hot and sour soup, and egg drop soup––the classic trio offered on every Chinese menu. Making these soups during the winter months would help […]
Chinese Tomato Egg Stir-fry
Hi everyone, Sarah here. This Chinese tomato egg stir-fry is something you’ll find on many Chinese home dinner tables. It’s fast, easy, cheap, and made with very simple, everyday ingredients. You’ll really be surprised at how tasty it is. The tangy tomatoes, mixed with rich scrambled eggs, a hint of sugar, and flavorful sesame oil […]
Beef and Broccoli
Beef and Broccoli is one of the most popular dishes on Chinese restaurant menus. It also happens to be one of our family’s favorite takeout dishes. When my parents owned a Chinese takeout restaurant years ago, we had to crank out beef and broccoli orders every single day, so I’ve had plenty of practice making […]
Typhoon Shelter Shrimp
If you like shrimp, you’re going to want to try this Typhoon Shelter Shrimp recipe. Crispy panko breadcrumbs are tossed in aromatic shrimp oil, along with fried ginger, garlic and chili. This mixture is then tossed with fragrant fried shrimp. With that description alone, I don’t think I need to tell you how wonderful it […]
Kung Pao Chicken
Kung pao chicken exists both in the traditional Chinese repertoire and Americanized takeout menus alike. When we lived in Beijing, I was actually surprised to see how popular Kung Pao Chicken was among restaurant goers. At certain restaurants that featured family-style cooking, I’d often see kung pao chicken on one out of every three tables. […]
