Partial to a Friday Night Takeout? Who isn't?! If it takes over 30 minutes to order, pick up (or wait for the delivery driver to arrive), we have news for you! Make your very own Chinese takeaway in your kitchen in even less time. These Chinese fakeaway recipes are our favourite: quick, crispy and less expensive than ordering in!
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What Is Fakeaway?
Fakeaway is a term used to describe a homemade version of a takeaway or fast food meal. It's a healthier and often less expensive alternative to ordering in or eating out at a restaurant. The idea behind a fakeaway is to replicate the taste and texture of a takeaway or fast food meal, but with fresher, healthier ingredients and lower calorie counts.
The term "fakeaway" is a combination of "fake" and "takaway," and it has become increasingly popular in recent years as people have become more health-conscious and interested in cooking at home. Fakeaway meals can include anything from pizza and burgers to stir-fry and curries, and there are countless recipes and variations available online.
By making your own fakeaway meals, you can control the quality and quantity of ingredients, as well as customise the meal to your own tastes and preferences.
Today, we are going to try to convince you that cooking Chinese at home is a great option if you are short on time, on a tight budget or just want to make your Chinese meal a little bit healthier! And you won't need any fancy equipment either: if you have a sharp knife and a large frying pan, you are good to go!
Why You Should Cook Chinese Fakeaways
In addition to making a feast in under half an hour, you will:
- Save a good amount of money.
- Be sure your dinner doesn't contain preservatives or flavour enhancers.
- Eat healthier by using less sugar, and salt and shallow-frying instead of deep frying.
- Have a tastier plate of food - cooking everything from scratch makes a big difference, believe us!
- Enjoy all the compliments from family and friends that you can take full credit for!
Top 11 Chinese Fakeaway Recipes
Are you ready to cook? Yes!!! Let's make the best fakeaway Chinese cuisine can offer!
1. Salt & Pepper Chicken
This Chinese Salt And Pepper Chicken recipe will stop you from ordering from your local restaurant in an instant! So easy to make, a lot less expensive, and quite a bit healthier, this chicken dish from the Orient does not compromise on flavour. Slightly crispy salty chicken with all the beautiful flavours of Chinese Five Spice and the heat of chilli peppers will leave nothing to be desired…
2. Crispy Chilli Beef
There aren't many things better than a spicy Crispy Chilli Beef dish on a bed of fluffy white rice. If this dish is your Chinese Restaurant favourite, you must try making it yourself. Seriously, ditch the takeaway and make this pan-fried beef steak with carrots, red pepper, ginger and garlic, sweet and spicy chilli sauce and white rice at home! You will definitely be impressed… Hands down our favourite Chinese takeaway recipe! The beef is extra crispy, thanks to an egg and cornflour coating!
3. Crispy Chilli Chicken
If you catch yourself reaching for the Chinese takeout menu, again and again, we have a wonderful recipe here for you that will come together in just over 30 minutes, and will definitely satisfy the craving for sweet, salty, slightly spicy and umami flavours that only Chinese cuisine can offer! We present to you the takeaway of the year - Crispy Chilli Chicken (that sometimes goes by the name of Shredded Crispy Chicken in Chilli Sauce)!
4. Chinese Style Lemon Chicken
If you always order Lemon Chicken at your local Chinese Restaurant, we have good news for you! We have a recipe that can be made quicker than the restaurant would deliver and at least half the cost! Ridiculously zingy, refreshingly citrusy sauce coating crispy chicken pieces, this Chinese Crispy Lemon Chicken is a flavour bomb that will not disappoint!
5. Kung Pao Tofu
Chinese takeout just got a lot cheaper and healthier! Kung Pao is one of our Chinese Restaurant favourites, and it's just so easy to make at home using simple ingredients! Whilst this dish works very well with chicken, we decided to go for an all-plant alternative! And we love it! Let us convince you with this recipe that once you taste this Crispy Kung Pao Tofu, you will see an otherwise bland tofu in a whole different light!
Fancy Chicken Kung Pao? No problem, it's delicious with small pieces of chicken breast, especially when they have a crispy cornflour coating and crunchy veg to go with it! Head to our Kung Pao Chicken recipe to learn more.
6. Crispy Honey Chicken
If you are looking for a quick, but extremely flavoursome dinner recipe, look no further! Our quick and easy Crispy Honey Chilli Chicken recipe comes together in under 20 minutes and is a real crowd-pleaser! Served on a bed of fluffy rice, this sticky, sweet and spicy fried chicken is a great substitute for a pricey takeaway, and you will make it quicker than your takeaway would have arrived! Equally delicious made with tofu if you are looking for a vegetarian option for Chinese fakeaway bowls!
7. Crispy BBQ Chicken Bao Buns
Sticky Crispy Chicken filling coated in sweet and salty Chinese BBQ sticky sauce… Fresh and crunchy Asian-style Cabbage Slaw… A light and fluffy steamed bao bun… Have we said enough to make your mouth water? Our absolute favourite appetizer (or even a main meal), these Sticky Crispy Chicken Bao Buns can be made completely from scratch! These are ridiculously delicious, so if you're looking for a bunch of compliments from your family or guests, go on and try these delicious chicken bao!
NOTE: This recipe will take longer than 30 minutes if you are making all elements from scratch, but it's totally worth it!
8. Chicken Manchurian
How about skipping a takeaway and making a lovely Indo-Chinese Chicken Manchurian instead? We promise you three things - it will taste better than any take-out dish, it will be a lot healthier (and lower in calories) and you will make it quicker than the delivery driver would have knocked on your door! Coated pieces of chicken covered in spicy sweet and sour sauce go perfectly well with both noodles and fluffy white rice! This recipe is a great way to taste both the Indian and Chinese flavours in one dish!
9. Delicious Chow Mein
We are absolutely in love with this Chicken Chow Mein recipe from Recipe Tin Eats! A delicious noodle dish with oyster sauce, plenty of veggies and succulent pieces of chicken!
10. Hong Sue Chicken
Discover a timeless culinary treasure, safeguarded by China for centuries - the exquisite Hong Sue Chicken. This delightful dish boasts an abundance of stir-fried vegetables, succulent mushrooms, and a delectable sweet and savoury sauce, making it a true gastronomic delight!
11. Sticky Crispy Chinese Pork Belly In A Slow Cooker
This Sticky Chinese Pork Belly recipe is not just a feast for the taste buds but also a testament to the wonders of slow cooking. In this easy recipe, we unveil the secret to achieving perfectly tender meat that practically melts in your mouth. Cooked in brown sugar, ginger, star anise and dark soy sauce, it infuses with the best of Asian flavours! Plus we crisp up the skin and glaze it with Chinese BBQ Sauce at the end!
Chinese Fakeaway Side Dishes
If you are wondering what to serve your Chinese Fakeaway with, here are a bunch of ideas for great side dishes:
- Salt and Pepper Chips
- Easy Tenderstem Broccoli Stir Fry With Oyster Sauce
- Sweet Potato
- White rice
- Prawn Crackers
- Stir Fry Chinese Crunchy Vegetables
- Tenderstem Broccoli
- Griddled Pak Choy (Bok Choi)
- Green Beans
- Homemade Chinese BBQ Sauce Recipe (Char Siu Sauce)
TOP SUGGESTION: Try Stir-Fried Chinese Pea Shoots (Dou Miao Recipe)! It's simple, but delicious pea shoots sauteed with garlic, seasoning and rice vinegar! A versatile side dish for any of the Chinese fakeaway ideas above!
Looking For Indian Fakeaway Recipes?
Had enough Chinese-style dishes? Is Indian takeaway one of your guilty pleasures? Enjoy a delicious dinner by making Indian-inspired delicious recipes next!
Dannii says
Lots of amazing choice. The chilli beef looks incredible.
James says
Hahaha, love this idea. Fakeaways are great because above all you said, cheaper, healthier, they are also fresher. This is gonna be a keeper cause I love chinese food and know it's fast to make but never really made anything so far. But with everything condensed in on place its a lot simpler. Thankyou for this.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
Our nearest takeaway is in the next village and it doesn't deliver, so making it at home is always best for us. Can't wait to try some of these as we love lemon chicken and there are some new ideas too.