30 Chinese New Year Foods That Will Bring You Good Fortune

We absolutely LOVE dumplings, and xiaolongbao, the Chinese version filled with ground pork and gelatinized pork broth, are some of the best. Though traditionally pork bones are used to make the broth semi-solid, they can be hard to find, so we've subbed in gelatin and whatever broth you like. Trust us, once heated up, these dumplings are still just as heavenly.

Get the Soup Dumplings recipe.

Bowls of congee in Beijing are often served with a donut called 油條 (youtiao) that's commonly served at New Year's celebrations. Literally meaning “oil stick,” youtiao are consumed hot and fresh from the morning vendor’s drum of frying oil, the softly crunchy exterior giving way to a tender but slightly chewy crumb with large air pockets—perfect for dipping into a bowl of warm congee.

Get the Congee with Youtiao (Chinese Donuts) recipe.

If you're really paranoid about this gorgeous red fish sticking to your grill, make sure to cook over high heat and don't touch the snapper until its skin is crispy. You could also cook over a few slices of lemon or onion to provide a protective layer. Not only will this ensure no stuck bits, but it will also add some flavor to your fish.

Get the Grilled Red Snapper recipe.

Take your time and give this homemade dumpling process lots of love—餃子 (jiao zi) are often made in the company of loved ones around Chinese New Year to celebrate families gathering together. Their shape resembles Chinese gold ingots, a currency that was used during the Ming dynasty, and are meant to represent prosperity, wealth, and health.

Get the Homemade Dumplings recipe.

Orange chicken has become a staple in Chinese-American cuisine, and is a classic choice when it comes to takeout. The dish involves fried chicken tossed in a thick sauce made from orange juice, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, chili sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, and lemon juice. The result is crispy bites of chicken coated in a sweet and sticky orange-flavored sauce that seeps perfectly onto an accompanying pile of rice.

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Pan-fried noodles go through a two- step tango to reach peak pleasure: First they’re quickly boiled and then they’re thrown into the wok to get their crispiness. It’s in the burning crucible of this wok, endowed with wok hei, that the noodles develop their fragrant satisfying character, commingling under such high temperature with the soy sauce, wine, oil, sugar, and herbs.

Get the Pan-Fried Noodles in Superior Soy Sauce recipe.

Usually eaten on the 15th day of the Lunar New Year, tang yuan (湯圓) is a sweet treat that symbolizes familial unity and togetherness. Our favorite fillings are sweet black sesame and ground peanuts, but feel free to get creative with your fillings (Nutella, tahini, peanut butter...).

Get the Tang Yuan: Glutinous Rice Balls recipe.

Our best tip for making these Chinese cookies is to embrace trial and error! You’ll likely fail a few times before you get them right, but that's all part of the enjoyment. What better sentiment for ringing in the New Year?

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The perfect centerpiece to any holiday dinner (especially Chinese New Year where a whole roast chicken is a lucky charm), the steps to make this chicken are simple: You season the bird (just salt & pepper!), then roast it at high heat until the skin is bronzed and crisp and the flesh juicy.

Get the Roast Chicken recipe.

Originating from Chinese Sichuan cooking, Dan Dan noodles were named for the carrying pole (aka dan dan) that street vendors used to carry baskets of noodles and sauce. While sometimes served as a soup in China, American versions are usually more saucy than soupy, and often include sesame paste, peanut butter, or tahini.

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Making steamed buns that look like beauty queens might take some practice but it's really what's on the inside that matters here: the dough is soft but not too cake-y, tender with a slight chew, with a barely sweetened taste that pairs well with, well, almost anything. Our recipe includes three filling options—red bean paste, miso carrots, and pork.

Get the Steamed Buns (Baozi) recipe.

Trout's delicate flavor is the perfect match for citrus and herbs, which is why we love to roast it whole, filling it with all our favorite aromatics. Encasing the fish in foil steams the fish, trapping in all that delicious, buttery jus.

Get the Whole Roasted Trout recipe.

For our recipe, we rolled gently poached shrimp, springy rice noodles, crunchy vegetables, and fresh green herbs into al dente rice paper sheets, but the dish is highly adaptable. The shrimp can be replaced with slices of cooked pork, cilantro can take the place of mint or basil, and romaine or even iceberg can be a good Napa cabbage substitute.

Get the Summer Rolls With Peanut Dipping Sauce recipe.

A Chinese-American staple, egg rolls are one of our favorite dishes to experiment with and symbolize wealth. From reuben egg rolls to antipasto egg rolls (even Snickers egg rolls), we can't get enough of this versatile snack. Once we discovered the magic of the air fryer, we knew we had to develop an egg roll recipe for our new favorite gadget.

Get the Air Fryer Egg Rolls recipe.

With soy sauce-infused flank steak and broccoli, these rice noodles are packed with flavor. This sauce is truly legendary, too, so use it whenever you can: on roasted Brussels sprouts, baked salmon, or with chicken tenders.

Get the Beef & Broccoli Noodles recipe.

We turn to this quick and easy wonton soup over and over when temperatures start dropping. Not only does it come together in a flash, it's also super-satisfying without weighing you down. If you'd like to add some veggies to this soup, try dropping some quartered bok choy into the boiling broth a couple minutes before serving.

Get the Wonton Soup recipe.

Peking duck is a classic of Beijing cuisine, has extra-crispy and shiny skin, and is usually served in very thin slices and wrapped in some form of crepe. Using chicken is certainly untraditional but will give you similar results at home!

Get the Peking Style-Chicken recipe.

Making your own potstickers doesn't have to complicated! These vegan potstickers are easy to put together and most of your time is spent roasting your squash until really tender, which can be done ahead of time. Crimping takes a little practice, but the good news is that even if they look a little wonky they are still going to taste great! Grab a friend and start assembling!

Get the Butternut Squash Potstickers recipe.

Poached chicken is a delicious Chinese New Year tradition that's often a main dish, and let's face it: We hear "poached chicken breast" and we hear "tasteless, rubbery, no thanks." Before we jump to conclusions, can we interest you in some nutmeg-thyme gravy? We thought so!

Get the Poached Chicken Breast recipe.

Thought to have been created in China about a century ago, shrimp toast combines traditional Chinese shrimp paste with Western white bread to create one of the earliest fusion foods. Try the recipe, and you'll understand why this cocktail hour staple has stood the test of time and will help you bring in some much-needed happiness via the shrimp's Chinese New Year symbolism. 😉

Get the Shrimp Toasts recipe.