There's a lot more to Chinese appetizers than simply egg rolls and they're just great.
Some of the best Chinese appetizers that we will cover include fresh cucumber salads and fluffy steamed buns and you should try it no matter what.
Some of the best Chinese appetizers that we will cover include fresh cucumber salads and fluffy steamed buns and you should try it no matter what.
15 Best Chinese Starters
With your handmade dumplings or noodles, any of these beautiful 17 Chinese appetizers would look fantastic. Let's get this party started!
1. Spring Rolls in Cantonese Style
We don't cook spring rolls nearly as often as we should. When you think about it, they're rather straightforward. You'll only need a few finely sliced vegetables and perhaps some meat.
And, because you can buy pre-made wrappers, half the effort is already done!
Cabbage and carrots are a must-have in each spring roll, but you may get creative with the rest.
I've prepared them with mutton, shrimp, mushrooms, and just a ton of vegetables. Whatever filling you select, they'll fly off the plate once they're nice and crisp. Serve with a variety of dipping sauces on the side.
2. Chinese Sticky Baked Chicken Wings
I could never get my chicken wings to have the same sticky finish as those served in restaurants, no matter how hard I tried.
That's because I'm impatient and don't baste, I've discovered!
These Chicken are marinated in a delicious marinade and then covered in the ideal sticky glaze.
They're garlicky, spicy, and sweet, and they're everything a platter of wings should be.
So, if it says to baste, make sure you baste! These wings should be baked for 45-50 minutes, and you should baste them at least twice for the finest results.
3. Chicken Lettuce Wraps
These lettuce wraps are one of my favorites since they have a lot of flavors but are still quite light.
That implies I won't be overly stuffed after my main course and dessert.
You'll note that many of these recipes appear to contain a long list of ingredients. True, however many of the recipes share a lot of the same components.
So, if you buy sriracha, soy, peanut oil, hoisin, and rice vinegar all at once, you'll be able to cook a variety of foods over the following several weeks.
4. Crab Rangoon
Crabmeat, cream cheese, and garlic sauce are used to make this easy snack.
After that, the creamy mixture is wrapped in a wonton wrapper and cooked till golden brown.
Before adding the crab meat, whisk together the cream cheese, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce until smooth. It'll stay thick that way.
Although we prefer real crab meat from the deli, most recipes call for imitation crab meat. We've also tried it with cooked shrimp, and it's delicious.
5. Salad with Okra and Black Vinegar
If you've never had okra before, we recommend starting with fried okra. The fact is that this famous vegetable has a slimy texture that takes some time to get used to.
This simple salad is a terrific way to eat okra if you enjoy the texture.
The idea is to blanch the okra for only a minute before putting it in cold water to stop it from cooking any further.
Serve the black vinegar mixture as a dip with chopped peanuts and chilis on top of the okra.
6. Salad Wood Ear Mushrooms
Wood ear mushrooms are a special kind of fungus with a mild flavor that is particularly popular in China.
You'll need to soak and prepare them before eating them because they're usually bought dry.
The dark mushrooms look pretty impressive when served on a platter with chilis, and they make a great side dish.
7. Soft Fluffy Chinese Steamed Buns
These steamed buns are light and fluffy and super easy to recreate at home. There are no crazy ingredients or long proofing times.
All you’ll need is flour, yeast, sugar, oil, salt, and milk.
The dough will come together quite fast in the mixer, and once it’s portioned, it needs to rest once and almost double in size.
To get the smoothest finish, be sure to leave the buns in the steamer for a few minutes after you switch the heat off.
This will allow them to gently cool down, rather than shocking them by taking the lid straight off.
8. Chinese Style Potato Salad
It really shouldn’t be too surprising that this dish is so good. It’s potato, garlic, salt, and chili oil. What’s not to love?
You might be surprised, though, to see that there’s no mayo in this recipe. Instead, it’s a simple mix of potato with chili-infused oil.
When cutting your potatoes, be sure to cut them as evenly as you can, so they will all cook together. And try not to overcook the potato, or it will turn to mush.
9. Egg Rolls
What’s the difference between egg rolls and spring rolls? Spring rolls tend to be thinner and crisp, whereas egg rolls have a thicker crunchy shell.
Many of the fillings are similar – cabbage, carrots, pork – and they get wrapped up in the same way.
Both can be fried, but egg rolls are usually deep-fried, which gives them that bubbly texture.
10. 5-Minute Zucchini Salad
Much like the okra salad, this dish is pretty simple. By not going overboard with lots of extras, the veg is really able to shine and take center stage.
The best way to eat Zucchini is when it’s fresh, there’s nothing more satisfying.
The zucchini needs to boil for just a few minutes to soften, and then it gets covered with a wonderful dressing and some hot chili oil.
11. Easy Chinese Cucumber Salad
Taking the humble cucumber and turning it into the kind of dish you’ll reach for again and again is no small thing.
But you won’t believe how easily this recipe comes together.
Again, you’ll see many of the same ingredients, from rice vinegar to garlic and sesame oil.
To put this dish together, you’ll just need to mix the dressing and pour over the crushed and sliced cucumber.
Just remember not to add the dressing until you’re ready to serve. This will prevent too much liquid from escaping the cucumber as it sits.
12. Chinese Zucchini Pancakes
These lovely light pancakes are great for breakfast, as a snack, or as a small start to the meal.
They use zucchini, shallots, and five-spice, and are best served with the tangy dipping sauce.
In most of the recipes, you’ll see for zucchini pancakes, they will tell you to grate and drain the vegetable.
This releases any excess moisture and stops the pancake from becoming soggy.
But in this recipe, you’ll leave the moisture in and make the batter nice and thick.
As the moisture is released, it will thin out the batter, so you can pour and fry them.
13. Chinese Cabbage Salad
I’ve always enjoyed cabbage. Whether it’s sauteed in butter, boiled, or cut fresh for coleslaw, I love the texture and flavor.
Plus, it’s pretty cheap and goes a long way.
If you’re a fan of coleslaw, you’ll probably really enjoy this simple salad.
Chopped peanuts will add a different kind of crunch, and the toasted seeds and noodles will give some lovely crisp texture.
14. Chinese Sliced Tofu Salad
To answer your question, no, this is not just a salad with slices of tofu.
Slice tofu is dense, like extra-firm tofu, and is cut from thin sheets so it looks like noodles. Chances are, you can find it at your local Asian market.
To make the tofu, add it to a pot of boiling water for just a few seconds before draining and rinsing under cold water.
When you’re ready to serve the salad, toss the tofu with carrot, cucumber sticks, and the dressing.
15. Gai Lan Recipe with Oyster Sauce (Chinese Broccoli)
Chinese broccoli is a leafy green vegetable that is a cross between broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage.
It has a similar look to broccoli rabe and has a slightly bitter taste.
You’ll need to trim the ends of the stalks and wash the leaves thoroughly before cooking.
If you see that it’s stringy when you cut the stalk, the broccoli is old and likely won’t taste great.
To cook Chinese broccoli, fry it in garlic and ginger-infused oil before adding some stock, and letting it steam until tender.
16. Vegetable Potstickers
Potstickers are a lot like dumplings. The difference between the two is in how they’re cooked, as potstickers tend to be steamed and fried to give a lovely crunchy side.
These meat-less potstickers are the perfect addition to any table, but especially if you’re looking to eat less meat.
Between the mushrooms and the crisp water chestnuts, you won’t miss the meat.
17. Scallion Pancakes
If you only make one thing from this list, I really hope it’s this recipe.
Scallion pancakes take a little bit of love, but the incredible scallion-flavored pancake is so worth it.
To get the best finish, you’ll need to make and mold the dough into balls before rolling them flat and then rolling into little logs.
Next, turn the dough into a spiral and roll once more into your pancake.
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