Healthy Chinese Recipes - Cooking Light

Photo: Brian Woodcock

Craving fried rice or potstickers? Our healthier versions of Chinese favorites preserve all the flavors you love with fewer calories, sugars, and fats.

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The Flavors of China

steamed vegetable sui mai dumplings recipe

Photo: Randy Mayor

View Recipe: Steamed Vegetable Sui-Mai Dumplings with Chili-Sesame Oil

Most commonly known for dishes such as fried rice, lo mein and dumplings, Chinese cuisine is both exciting and comforting. Try our healthier homemade versions to ensure you keep calories, fat, and sodium in check without sacrificing any of your favorite flavors.

Traditional Cantonese dumplings feature pork and mushrooms, but this version is completely vegetarian. Cabbage, apples, and tofu get spiked with hot sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine, and a few other seasonings and aromatics. If you’ve never made Chinese dumplings before, this is an easy place to start.

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Steamed Pork Buns

Photo: Oxmoor House

View Recipe: Steamed Pork Buns

The Chinese make these steamed dumplings from yeast dough as part of a collection of steamed and fried delicacies known as dim sum. Here, the dough surrounds the filling, then gets pinched and twisted to form a pouch.

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Chinese Potstickers

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

View Recipe: Chinese Potstickers

Variations of these little dumplings are popular throughout China. They symbolize abundance and wealth for the coming year, as they are made in large amounts and, when fried golden, represent coins.

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Stir-Fried Chinese Egg Noodles

Photo: John Autry

View Recipe: Stir-Fried Chinese Egg Noodles

Though the chewy texture of Chinese egg noodles is fantastic, you can substitute rice sticks or linguine. Omit or decrease the amount of chile paste if serving to kids.

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Chinese-Style Roast Pork (Char Sil)

View Recipe: Chinese-Style Roast Pork (Char Sil)

This versatile pork works well in stir-fries, lo meins, or dumplings. Wrap leftovers tightly in foil or heavy-duty plastic wrap, and place in a plastic bag. Freeze for up to three months. Serve with snow peas.

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Chinese Noodle Salad with Sesame Dressing

Photo: John Autry

View Recipe: Chinese Noodle Salad with Sesame Dressing

What's quicker than pasta? This simple dinner comes together in a flash by using packaged, trimmed snap peas from the produce department.

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Chinese Chicken and Persimmon Lettuce Wraps

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

View Recipe: Chinese Chicken and Persimmon Lettuce Wraps

Asian preparations are natural for persimmons. You can also serve individual wraps as appetizers.

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Chinese Wide Noodles with Barbecue Pork and Dried Mushrooms

Photo: Marcus Nilsson

View Recipe: Chinese Wide Noodles with Barbecue Pork and Dried Mushrooms

This quick version of char siu pork amps up pork tenderloin with a marinade of sweet-salty hoisin sauce and aromatic five-spice powder. Then slivers of this meat meld with meaty wood ear mushrooms among chewy noodles bathed in a salty-sweet sauce.

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Chinese-Style Stove-Top Pot Roast with Noodles

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

View Recipe: Chinese-Style Stove-Top Pot Roast with Noodles

Ginger, soy sauce, star anise, and Chinese five-spice powder infuse this dish with Asian flavor. If you can't find fresh Chinese egg noodles, substitute rice noodles or even linguine.

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Sweet and Sour Chicken

Photo: Randy Mayor

View Recipe: Sweet and Sour Chicken

This classic Chinese recipe is faster and healthier than take-out. It's a win-win!

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Chicken Fried Rice

Photo: Oxmoor House

View Recipe: Chicken Fried Rice

This little gem of a recipe was born from leftover veggies. It is beautiful, tasty, and nutritious. For a vegetarian option, substitute tofu or edamame for the chicken.

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Shrimp Fried Rice

Photo: José Picayo

View Recipe: Shrimp Fried Rice

This shrimp fried rice dish is best if you use day-old rice. Cook it, and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet to cool completely. Then refrigerate overnight to allow it to lose any excess moisture.

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Lo Mein with Tofu

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

View Recipe: Lo Mein with Tofu

Lo mein, a popular Chinese dish, is often a go-to choice when dining out. But making lo mein at home not only keeps calories in check, it boosts the flavor and gives you limitless variety.

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Sichuan Beef Soup

Photo: Marcus Nilsson

View Recipe: Sichuan Beef Soup

Beef shank works beautifully for slow-cooked soups, breaking down during long simmering to render the aromatic broth super beefy.

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Kung Pao Chicken Tacos

Photo: Brian Woodcock

View Recipe: Kung Pao Chicken Tacos

Sweet-salty-spicy kung pao chicken is an American Chinese restaurant classic. Here, taking inspiration from those hip Korean taco trucks, we took a mixture usually served over rice and stuffed it into blistered tortillas.

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15 Chinese Recipes

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The Flavors of China

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Steamed Pork Buns

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Chinese Potstickers

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Stir-Fried Chinese Egg Noodles

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Chinese-Style Roast Pork (Char Sil)

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Chinese Noodle Salad with Sesame Dressing

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Chinese Chicken and Persimmon Lettuce Wraps

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Chinese Wide Noodles with Barbecue Pork and Dried Mushrooms

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Chinese-Style Stove-Top Pot Roast with Noodles

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Sweet and Sour Chicken

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Chicken Fried Rice

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Shrimp Fried Rice

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Lo Mein with Tofu

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Sichuan Beef Soup

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Kung Pao Chicken Tacos

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