Ultimate Chinese Appetizers Recipes

These are some of the most popular Chinese appetizer recipes

Chinese New Year is all about a family reunion. Many people will invite the family and friends to spend time together in their home during the Chinese New Year period. So we decided to organize some of my favorite Chinese New Year appetizers and hopefully this well you to treat your friends and family with some delicious and easy to make classic Chinese New Year food.

  • 01 of 05

    Taiwanese Style Deep-Fried Prawn Rolls

    Taiwanese Style deep-fried Prawn rolls recipe, Liv Wan

    3 1/2 ounces (100g) fatty pork loin, cut into small cubes.

    24 prawns

    1 egg white

    2 slices ginger, finely chopped

    1 tablespoon finely chopped spring onion

    1 teaspoon potato starch or corn flour

    1 egg, beaten

    3 1/2 cups (850ml) cooking oil (for fry the prawn rolls) 

    1 teaspoon salt

    1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 

    1 tablespoon sesame oil 

    1/2 tablespoon castor sugar 


    1. Freeze the pork until it is hard on the outside but soft enough to cut through with a knife. Cut into small cubes. 
    2. Peel 12 Prawns and devein them. Rinse well and dry them with a kitchen towel. 
    3. Using a food processor, blend the pork with the peeled prawns until the mixture is fine and sticky. Set aside. 
    4. Boil a pot of water and blanch remaining prawns until they change color and are cooked. Peel the prawns and chop roughly. 
    5. Add the cooked prawns to the pork mixture together with the egg white, ginger, spring onion, and potato starch or cornflour. Mix well. 
    6. Add the seasoning and mix evenly. 
    7. Spoon 1/2 tablespoon filling onto the spring roll sheet. Brush the edges with beaten egg. 
    8. Fold two opposite corners of the spring roll sheet over to enclose the filling. over to enclose the filling. Twist the two ends to seal the roll. 
    9. Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat to about 325 F (160 C). Deep-fry the prawn rolls in batches until crisp and golden brown. Drain well. 
    10. Serve with Sweet chili sauce. 
  • 02 of 05

    Vegetarian Spring Rolls

    Vegetarian Spring Rolls recipe, Liv Wan

    1 spring onion
    2 bunches green bean noodles
    2 thin slices of ginger
    1 small size carrot
    3 slices dried bean curd
    6 dried shitake mushrooms
    4 1/4 ounces (120g) Chinese white chive (you can use pak choi or Chinese chive if you can find the white chive.)
    1 bag of spring roll pastry cut into ¼

    (This recipe can make 120 mini spring rolls)

    3 tablespoon soy sauce
    1 teaspoon sugar
    1 tablespoon sesame oil
    ¼ teaspoon white pepper powder
    ½ teaspoon salt


    1. Soften green bean noodles and dried shitake mushrooms by soaking it in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes. Chop green bean noodles and shitake mushrooms after soften.
    2. Chop spring onion, ginger really finely and grate the carrot.
    3. Chop Chinese white chive and dried tofu curds.
    4. Beaten 3 medium size eggs and use a little bit oil to fry the egg like crepes thin. After the egg is cook just julienne it.
    5. Heat up 1 tablespoon oil in a wok and stir-fry everything together and mix them nice and evenly. After it has mixed evenly add all the seasonings and keep stir-fry for another 20 seconds. Put it into a bowl or onto a plate to wait for it cool down a bit.
    6. Use spring roll pastry to wrap the filling we made as seen in the procedures photos. Use egg wash to stick the edges.
    7. Heat up 2 cups of oil and deep fry the spring rolls until it turned a golden color. Then, It’s ready to serve!

    * This recipe can make 120 vegetarian spring rolls.

  • 03 of 05

    Deep Fried Prawn Balls With Almond Flakes

    Deep fried prawn balls with almond flakes recipe, Liv Wan

    1 pound (380g) prawns, peeled
    4 1/4 ounces (120g) fatty pork or you can use pork belly
    2 1/2 ounces (75g) onion, finely chopped
    1 tablespoon of spring onions, finely chopped
    5 1/4 ounces (150g) almond flakes
    ½ tablespoon potato starch or corn flour
    1 egg white
    Oil for fried the prawn balls, 3 cups (800ml)

    ½ tablespoon potato starch or corn flour
    ½ tablespoon salt
    ½ teaspoon fish sauce
    ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper


    1. Use a food processor to process the fatty pork first. Process the pork until it looks like fine mince.
    2. Clean and dry the prawns with some kitchen napkins to make sure there is no excess water on the prawns.
    3. Boil some water in a saucepan and blanch the onions for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain the water. Place a couple sheets of kitchen napkins on a plate and place the onion on top of it. This will help you to remove any excess water from the onion.
    4. Finely mince the prawns with a knife by chopping it. This way will make sure the texture of the prawn balls tastes better. If you think it’s going to be too much hassle to chop by hand you could use a food processor to process the prawns as well.
    5. Place all the ingredients and seasonings into a mixing bowl. Use your hand to give it a very good mix. Mix your mixture the same direction all the time, i.e., clockwise or anti-clockwise this is entirely up to you. Mix the mixture for about 3 to 4 minutes. This method will make sure the almond prawn balls are cooked just enough to retain a firm but springy texture.
    6. Roughly chop the almond flakes and spread onto a plate. This way the almond is smaller and easier to stick to the prawn balls.
    7. Wet both hands with cold water and take a little bit of mixture and roll it into a ball. Repeat this procedure until all the mixture has been rolled into balls.
    8. Coat the prawn balls with almond flakes.
    9. Heat up the oil in a wok or deep pan and fry the prawn balls at the lowest heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Moving the prawn balls around gently will help the prawn balls keep a nice round shape. After 3 to 4 minutes turn the stove to the highest temperature and fry the balls until they turned to a nice golden color.

    * This recipe can make 13 to 14 deep fried prawn balls with almond flakes.

  • 04 of 05

    Chinese Fried Wontons

    Deep fried prawn balls with almond flakes recipe, Liv Wan

    1/2 pound (250g) prawns
    3 1/2 ounces (100g) pork shoulder meat, cut into small dices or you can just use slightly fatty pork mince
    3 spring onions, chopped fine, l2 thin slice ginger, roughly chop
    25 to 30 sheets of wonton pastry
    1-liter oil for frying the wonton

    1 teaspoon salt
    2 tablespoon soy sauce
    1 teaspoon rice wine
    ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
    ¼ teaspoon sesame oil


    1. Process half of the prawns, pork, ginger and all of the seasoning in a food processor.
    2. Roughly chop the other half of the prawn, add it into the step 1 mixture and add spring onion and mix them evenly. The roughly chop prawns will improve the texture of the filling.
    3. Put 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of the pastry and use your fingers to gently close the pastry tightly. You can brush a little bit of water on to help the pastry to stick. Place the wonton on a plate with a layer of thin plain flour on it. The flour can prevent the wonton sticking on the plate.
    4. Heat a wok or deep pan with oil to 180c and put the wontons into the wok and turn off the gas and let the wonton fry for 1 minute (this will ensure the wonton cooks through and ensures the outside doesn’t burn but the inside isn’t raw). Turn on the fire again to medium heat and fry the wonton until the wonton turns to a nice golden color. Please be very careful and gentle when you place the wonton into the hot oil.
    5. You can serve this dish with some sweet chili sauce or ketchup. 

    *This recipe makes 25 Chinese fried wontons.

    Continue to 5 of 5 below.
  • 05 of 05

    Chinese Style Deep Fried Chicken Wings

    Chinese style deep fried chicken wings recipe, Liv Wan

    15 to 18 chicken wings

    ½ cup light soy sauce
    2 pieces of fermented bean curbs
    ½ teaspoon sesame oil
    1 tablespoon rice wine
    1 spring onion, chop finely
    2 cloves garlic, chop finely
    2 pieces ginger, chop finely
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 tablespoon sugar
    A couple pinches of ground white pepper powder
    3 cups (800ml to 1 liter) of oil for frying the chicken wings


    1. Mix all the marination ingredients in a big bowl evenly and add the chicken wings. Use your hand to gently massage the chicken wings with the marinade to ensure the marinade covers the chicken wings evenly.
    2. Marinade the chicken wings for a minimum of 1 hour.
    3. Heat up the oil in a wok or deep pan to around 180c. If you have any excess marinade on the chicken be sure to gently brush this off with your hand before you put it in the oil.
    4. Deep fry the chicken wings until they have turned a golden brown color.
    5. You can serve this dish with some salad or simply just on its own. 

    *This Chinese style deep fried chicken wings recipe will serve 4 people.