Today’s recipe is for every diehard Sichuan food fan out there. Fuqi feipian (夫妻肺片; fūqī fèipiàn) is about as Sichuan as it gets. It’s a dish of sliced beef and tripe, swimming in chili oil with that signature combination of fiery spice and mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorns that keeps you reaching your chopsticks back into the […]
Vegan Garlic Aioli
One of the most sought after recipes in the plant-based cooking world is a good creamy dressing or sauce. Luckily, it’s not that difficult to achieve! With this perfect vegan garlic aioli in your arsenal, you’ll never be at a loss for a creamy, tasty condiment! The Best Sauce for Vegans and Meat-lovers Alike This […]
Thai Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang)
Thai grilled chicken, or gai yang, is one of the most flavorful grilled chicken recipes you’ll ever make. Traveling to Thailand (or Laos, where the dish is called ping gai) and having this chicken hot off the grill from a street vendor is definitely on my travel bucket list. Until that day, though, making this […]
How to Make Chili Oil
This chili oil recipe has become one of the most popular on the blog, and for good reason. It is as much a foundational ingredient for many of our recipes as it is a casual condiment. Also, learning how to make chili oil yourself means 1) having a much more flavorful blend than those you […]
Chinese Seaweed Salad (凉拌海带丝)
This Chinese Seaweed Salad is a light and healthy summer recipe that’s easy to prepare. It makes a great side or appetizer, keeps in the fridge for a few days, and gets more flavorful each day. That’s why this recipe makes a large batch! Our Chinese Cold Salad Dressing Recently, we posted our all-purpose Chinese […]
Tamarind Iced Tea
I will confess that tamarind has long been one of those ingredients I’ve overlooked. Sure, it’s a mainstay in our Shrimp Pad Thai recipe, but what else can one do with it? Well, that mystery has been solved, because this tamarind iced tea is all you need this summer! What is Tamarind? Tamarind is a […]
Taiwanese Pork Chop Plate
A Taiwanese pork chop plate is a thing of beauty. The full monty version usually consists of: A crispy fried pork chop A halved tea egg (because the giant pork chop wasn’t enough protein—duh) Pickled mustard greens (for that perfectly pickled bit of tang) Sautéed cabbage A bed of steamed white rice Which one do […]
The Woks of Life Family’s Favorite Chicken Recipes
Over the years, we’ve found that our readers can’t get enough chicken recipes! In fact, even if we post recipes involving pork, lamb, or beef, we often get questions about whether or not chicken can be substituted. We understand—we also enjoy a good chicken dinner. In a recent conversation, we were discussing each of our […]
How to Make Liangpi (& Kaofu/Wheat Gluten)
Liangpi, which translates to “cold skin” noodles, is a street food dish originally from Shaanxi Province. It has become popular throughout China and even abroad for good reason. Liangpi dishes are delicious, especially during the summertime. Liangpi’s springy, elastic, and almost slippery texture makes it an ideal candidate for cold noodle dishes, slathered in flavorful […]
Spicy Cold Skin Noodles (Liangpi)
Spicy cold skin noodles, or liangpi, is a cold noodle dish practically made for hot summer weather. It’s spicy, refreshing on the palate, and most of all…VERY tasty. Note: if you can’t find ready-made liangpi noodles at your local Chinese market, you can make them using our liangpi recipe! What Are Cold Skin Noodles? Cold […]
Mango Sago
Mango Sago is a refreshing and satisfying summer dessert, with juicy chunks of mango and a mango/coconut milk tapioca pudding. The glug of heavenly condensed milk doesn’t hurt either! Inspired by Honeymoon Dessert This is another dessert copycat off the menu of famed Asian dessert chain, Honeymoon Dessert. (Though you may have seen mango sago […]
Chinese Cold “Salad” Dressing (凉拌汁)
This all-purpose Chinese Cold “salad” dressing is ready to add flavor to blanched or steamed vegetables, tofu, seaweed, noodles, etc. With this sauce, you can make a variety of refreshing, cooling dishes during the warmer months, and use it for anything you have on hand. Chinese “Salad” When we say “salad,” we mean it in […]
How to Velvet Pork for Stir-fry
Velveting is a common Chinese cooking technique. Meat or seafood is marinated and then pre-cooked in oil or water before stir-frying with other ingredients. Today, we’re talking about how to velvet pork for stir-fry. Velveting Different Meats The velveting process ensures tender, silky pieces of meat in your stir-fry. I’ve already covered how to velvet […]
Peanut Noodles
There’s many a peanut noodle recipe out there, but I humbly submit these peanut noodles for your consideration, in the hopes that they become your new go-to. Fast and Easy Peanut Noodles Why? Maybe you’re reading this from your at-home desk (read: your couch). Perhaps there’s a child clawing at you for entertainment as you […]
How to Steam Rice Perfectly Every Time!
Tired of burnt rice? Mushy rice? Undercooked rice? Cooking rice seems simple enough, but a lot can go wrong! That may sound like the prelude to an infomercial, but it’s true! While Sarah’s already published her method for cooking rice without a rice cooker, I’ll teach you what I think is an even more foolproof […]
How to Cut Whole Pork Shoulder
Are you confused at the meat counter when you want to buy pork for a stir-fry or Chinese BBQ pork (char siu––one of our most popular recipes)? We get questions all the time about what cuts of pork are best for Chinese cooking and which cuts make sense for different dishes. My quickest answer is: […]
Chongqing Hot and Sour Glass Noodle Soup (Suan La Fen)
This tantalizing Suan La Fen, or as we’re calling it in English, Chongqing Hot and Sour Glass Noodle Soup (酸辣粉 – suān là fěn), has the same beloved status in China as the Hot and Sour Soup we know here in the U.S. The fact that there are instant noodle versions of this noodle soup should indicate […]
Asian Garlic Noodles
These garlic noodles are so incredibly quick, easy, and tasty, combining a few Western and Asian ingredients––that you probably already have on hand––to make one very flavorful bowl of deliciousness. Serve them either as a side dish, or as a quick and easy vegetarian main, with some bok choy or sauteed broccoli on the side! […]
Vegan 1-2-3-4-5 Tofu
A vegan spin on my mom’s 1-2-3-4-5 ribs, this 1-2-3-4-5 Tofu is a delicious, extra saucy way to cook up tofu with a perfect balance of sour and sweet! Plus, you need just 8 ingredients to make it. An Irreplaceable Ingredient? The original recipe that inspired this is a pork rib recipe. You brown the […]
Lazy Sticky Rice Dumplings (Zongzi)
The Dragon Boat Festival (Duānwǔ jié) is nearly here (June 25th), and you know what that means? Zongzi. (Or joong in Cantonese.) Tasty wrapped sticky rice dumplings with assorted fillings, steamed to perfection. This version, however, is a shortcut to zongzi flavors, without the work of forming them into individual dumplings. If you love eating […]
Simple, Spicy Pan-Fried Noodles
Today, we’re going to share a dish we’ve been making for as long as we can remember: spicy pan-fried noodles. It’s just about as simple as it gets. There’s a small handful of ingredients involved and no special skills required beyond boiling a pot of water and heating up a pan. Growing up, my mom […]
All-Purpose Chinese White Sauce
This all-purpose Chinese white sauce is easy to make, store and use in any stir-fry. Keep this white stir-fry sauce in the refrigerator to quickly whip up healthy weekday dinners! You can use any combination of vegetables and/or protein. With this sauce, you’ll be making dishes just like those you’d normally order from your local […]
Thai Basil Pork Belly
Thai basil pork belly is one of those incredibly simple, delicious recipes that offers a huge bang for your buck. With just 10 ingredients and 15 minutes, you’ll have a restaurant quality meal. Put some rice on to cook, saute a simple green vegetable, and dinner’s on the table. My Introduction to Thai Basil Pork […]
Raw Ginger Scallion Oil
Raw Ginger Scallion Oil is a deceptively simple recipe that’s an absolute must when enjoying a classic Cantonese bai qie ji (poached chicken). But I also find that it’s an addictive topping for almost anything. Two Kinds of Ginger Scallion Oil You may be familiar with our cooked ginger scallion oil (with chilies) that relies […]
Spiced Tofu Stir-Fry with Garlic Chives
This spiced tofu stir-fry with garlic chives is a new favorite in our house. I’ve made it three times in the last couple weeks! What Are Garlic Chives? Garlic chives, also known as Chinese chives, are different from the run-of-the-mill chives you might be familiar with. They have broader leaves and distinctive garlicky flavor. I […]
Our Favorite Chinatown Classics
Going to Chinatown—any Chinatown—has always been a feasting event. The main purpose of the drive in was often visiting with family or running errands, but the many restaurants, curbside fruit markets, and groceries were never far from our minds. During this staying-at-home period, we’re watching TWOL readers cook up an absolute storm. With every sheet […]
Pork Ribs with Black Bean Sauce
I don’t make pork ribs with black bean sauce very often, but when I do, I always wonder why I’m not making it all the time. This saucy pork rib dish over rice is total comfort food and a perfect one-plate meal. Ribs with black bean sauce takes a little bit of time to get […]
Spinach Noodles
You’ve all been loving our handmade noodle recipes so far, like our homemade egg noodles and handmade white noodles. But what about handmade spinach noodles? These spinach noodles aren’t just a fun color, they’re a great way to add a little bit of extra veg to your meal, without sacrificing flavor or texture. Versatility! Fresh […]
Roasted Chicken with Sticky Rice
Okay. So I LOVE this chicken with sticky rice. I pine for it. This sticky rice chicken recipe was one of the first we ever posted back in June 2013. In fact, now that I think about it, getting this recipe written down might have been one of my primary motivations for starting The Woks […]
Slow Roasted Tomato Pasta
This slow roasted tomato pasta deserves a spot in your regular rotation. Slow roasting the tomatoes turns them sweet as candy, and they make a fantastic, light sauce with a bit of chili as a delicious counterpoint. Now that many of us are working from home and spending more time at home in general, this […]
