Baked whole chicken with vegetables is a meal prep miracle. Roasting a chicken on top of a bed of vegetables not only makes for a one-pan meal (chicken, veggies, potatoes, oh my!), it also allows the vegetables to soak up all the beautiful flavor of the chicken and ensures that none of that flavor goes […]
Main Dishes
Here, you’ll see our large selection of main dish recipes, including meat, seafood, and vegetarian options. Browse around and see what looks good for dinner!
Chicken Egg Foo Young
Egg Foo Young is a classic––some might say retro––takeout dish that was transformed when Chinese chefs brought the dish to the US. I have to admit, I’m not sure what the original dish looked like or tasted like in Asia, but I can say that I do know how to cook up a classic Chinese […]
Hot Dry Noodles (Re Gan Mian, 热干面)
I can’t talk about Hot Dry Noodles, or 热干面 (pinyin: rè gān miàn), without getting a little personal. During the Great Leap Forward in the late 1950s, my parents left home and traveled to vocational schools in poor villages near Wuhan, 武汉 (capital of Hubei Province, 湖北). Those schools promised potential students three meals a […]
Three Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji)
Three Cup Chicken––regardless of whether or not you’ve heard of it, you’ll definitely like it. It’s hard not to––it’s just that tasty. I developed this recipe with the help of my grandma, and thus, it has the coveted grandma stamp of approval! What is Three Cup Chicken? Three Cup Chicken, or “San Bei Ji” (三杯鸡) […]
Spicy Crispy Pork Noodles (Made with Spaghetti!)
Sometimes you’re craving something really really really TASTY, and oftentimes the secret to that craving is lots of salty, spicy goodness. That’s why today, we’re offering up these Spicy Crispy Pork Noodles made with one of our favorite store-bought sauces, Lao Gan Ma. We’ve done a few recipes now that showcase our favorite—really China’s favorite—chili […]
String Bean Chicken Stir-fry (A 20-Minute Recipe!)
This 20-Minute String Bean Chicken Stir-fry is another weeknight staple from me, The Woks of Life’s resident lazy weeknight cook. It’s no secret that I love recipes that can be made in 20 minutes or less. The fewer ingredients you need and the less time spent at the stove, the better. While I do love […]
Braised Instant Pot Pork Belly
This Braised Instant Pot Pork Belly results in easy, tender, and delicious pork belly, and makes for an easy meal with lots of slow-cooked flavor. Many of you are probably familiar with the the classic Shanghai dish, Hong Shao Rou or Red Braised Pork Belly. This isn’t that recipe. Because let me tell you a […]
Bourbon Chicken
Bourbon chicken is a favorite for many. For all of you sauce lovers out there, including my daughter Sarah, this saucy bourbon chicken dish will have you swooning over every bite of chicken and sauce-soaked rice. What is Bourbon Chicken? Bourbon chicken is a kind of Cajun and Asian hybrid dish that’s evolved over the years […]
Asian Pork Chops: A Quick & Easy Family Recipe
This Quick and Easy Asian Pork Chops recipe has been in the family for years. My great grandmother made up the method and taught it to my mom, who taught Sarah and me how to make it. Tried and true, Asian Pork Chops are an easy 30-minute meal great for weeknights and lazy meals when […]
Hamburger Fried Rice
Hamburger Fried Rice is a quick and easy weekday dish you can whip up in no time. Mixing together some simple ground beef, onions, frozen peas, and leftover rice can create a delicious meal. Top each serving off with a runny fried egg drizzled with sweet soy sauce, and bam! You have just kicked up […]
Cantonese Instant Pot Braised Beef with Radish
Cantonese Beef Stew is a dish that always popped in and out of my childhood. Sometimes it would be bubbling away in a clay pot at a Chinatown restaurant, and sometimes it was scooped out of a big pot at home. The tender, gelatinous pieces of beef and melt-in-your-mouth chunks of radish in a thin […]
Kung Pao Tofu (Vegan/Vegetarian!)
You may be thinking that kung pao dishes like this kung pao tofu fall within the realm of American classics like General Tso’s Chicken––an invention of Chinese immigrants to please American palates that has no real basis in authentic regional Chinese cooking. It’s true that Kung Pao is a staple in Westernized Chinese cuisine, but […]
Pork Rib Stew with Foo Jook and Chee Hou Sauce
Pork Rib Stew with Foo Jook and Chee Hou Sauce is simple homestyle Chinese cooking at its best. Foo Jook, or dried tofu skin, stewed with pork ribs and sweet Chee Hou sauce is a delicious comfort food combination, and a great Chinese New Year dish to boot! I make this Foo Jook Pork Rib […]
Winter Lamb Stew with Spicy Sausage
With most of the holiday decorations back in storage for the year and what seems like daily “gale warnings” popping up in my weather notifications this past week, it looks like that time of year is fully upon us here in the Northeast: full-on winter, without the holiday cheer to distract us all from the […]
Instant Pot Pho
Nothing satisfies my deepest cold weather food cravings like a big bowl of piping hot pho. Unless you have a favorite Vietnamese spot nearby, however, it can be difficult to get your hands on a bowl. Which is why I developed and posted a full pho recipe on The Woks of Life back in 2015. […]
Ma’s Spanish Chicken Stew
Spanish Chicken Stew is a hearty and comforting dish that we grew up eating all the time. Served on a bed of white rice, the sauce soaks right in, and a few dashes of hot sauce complement the richness of tender chicken thighs and the tanginess of the occasional green olive. In short, it’s perfection […]
Sukiyaki – A Japanese One Pot Meal
The first time I had Sukiyaki, I was living and working in Beijing. One of the things I miss the most about living there was the work lunches near my office in Sanlitun, an area filled with great restaurants and shopping. In China generally, lunchtime is serious business. There’s little concept of, “I was so […]
Beef and Mushroom Stir-Fry Rice Plate
Beef and Mushroom Stir Fry is a quick and easy dish that will have you thinking of your mom’s cooking, or your favorite Chinese restaurant’s effortless rice plate lunch. I remember we used to make this dish regularly when I was working as a teenager in upstate New York at my parents’ Chinese restaurant. Despite […]
Steamed Tilapia: Hunan-Style Whole Fish
Hunan-Style Steamed Tilapia with Duo Jiao and Tofu is a classic whole fish dish from the Hunan province of China. This impressive dish is made with a fresh whole tilapia on a bed of silken tofu, topped with plenty of fresh ginger, garlic, scallions, and Hunan salted chopped chili peppers. The combination of the perfectly […]
Saucy Beef Chow Ho Fun Noodles
Saucy Beef Chow Ho Fun Noodles or “sup chow ngau ho” is for the sauce lovers out there and a nice change from the classic “dry fried” beef chow ho fun, or “gon chow ngau ho.” A proper Gon Chow Ngau Ho is all about extra high heat searing beef, noodles, and scallions to “wok […]
Easy Pork Belly & Mushroom Rice Bowl
Let me start by saying that I’m pretty certain this Easy Pork Belly Mushroom Rice Bowl will quickly be becoming a go-to crowd pleaser. If you grew up in an Asian household, you’ve probably eaten something at least vaguely similar to this, especially as a child. A bowl of tender pork belly and glistening saucy […]
Fried Shanghai Pork Chops
During our last trip to Shanghai, Bill and I went to enjoy some of the famous street food on South Yunnan Road (云南南路), specifically in search of these Fried Shanghai Pork Chops. This is something I remember when I was growing up in Shanghai, but it was a rare treat. Though I’m sad to report […]
Cantonese-Style Periwinkle Snails in Black Bean Sauce
Periwinkle snails and I go a long way back. I don’t remember exactly when I first had Cantonese-style periwinkle snails in black bean sauce, but it was when I was a kid growing up in the Catskills in upstate New York. In fact, back then I didn’t even know what they were called in English. […]
Instant Pot Braised Curry Beef
This Instant Pot Braised Curry Beef Is. Life. I haven’t been more excited about a recipe in a long time. Growing up, we would make regular trips into New York City for family gatherings––weddings, birthday parties, holidays, and dim sum brunches. It was always a food-centric affair, with meals at Chinese restaurants in either Chinatown […]
Vegetarian Singapore Noodles
Singapore Noodles are one of our go-to’s when we get a craving for Chinese takeout. With plenty of curry powder and thin rice noodles, it’s a family favorite. In fact, Singapore Noodles is one of the dishes we use to gauge how good a Chinese takeout joint is! But one of the best things about […]
Steamed Mussels from Prince Edward Island
We enjoyed steamed mussels often while traveling through Prince Edward Island, a top Canadian producer of this tasty bivalve. From what we’ve seen (other than the relaxing sightseeing on our trip), PEI mussels are high quality, clean and fresh due to the beautiful waters surrounding Prince Edward Island. We probably ate far too many PEI […]
Steak Bites with Miso Ginger Dressing
These Steak Bites with Miso Ginger Dressing started as a “healthy” endeavor and ended up being a glorious exercise in flavor. Soy butter steak bites are seared to perfection, served with rice and a handful of veggies of your choice, and drizzled with wonderful creamy miso ginger dressing. In short, it’s the best thing ever. […]
Instant Pot Braised Pork Buns
Instant Pot Braised Pork Buns are a revelation. Tender, fall-apart pork shoulder comes together quickly in an Instant Pot, based on my mom’s signature Hong Shao Rou (Red Braised Pork) recipe, and the whole thing is served in a fluffy Steamed Lotus Leaf Bun for the optimal pork-to-mouth delivery system. The thing about this braised […]
Homemade Chicken Nuggets with Sichuan Spices
Is there a more nostalgic kid food than chicken nuggets? Growing up, chicken nuggets (and their closely related cousins, chicken fingers) were my sister’s go-to order from the kid’s menu of any restaurant our family walked into. There’s something about that crispy breading and tender, juicy chicken that takes us back to age 9, Nickelodeon […]
Sha Cha Chicken: A 10-Minute Stir-fry
This Sha Cha Chicken recipe is another win for lazy cooks everywhere. Just 9 ingredients and 10 minutes are required to make this dish, but the results are no less impressive. In fact, you’ll be able to make a plate of sha cha chicken faster than your rice cooker can steam rice, so make sure […]
