31 Lunar New Year Recipes to Bring Luck and Prosperity

Celebrate the Year of the Dragon with dumplings, whole fish, noodles, and more.

By

Food & Wine Editors

Updated on February 6, 2024

Napa Cabbage Pockets with Tofu — Photo:
Charissa Fay / Food Styling by Nora Singley / Prop Styling by Maeve Sheridan

The Year of the Dragon starts February 10, when the Lunar New Year is celebrated in Chinese, Indonesian, Malaysian, Singaporean, South Korean, Taiwanese, Tibetan, and Vietnamese communities around the world. Lunar New Year, also called Spring Festival, is a time for friends and families to gather and feast on dishes that symbolize good luck and fortune for the year to come. From Longevity Noodles to Whole Fish Drizzled with Hot Ginger-Scallion Oil and Microwave Bánh Deo (Mochi Mooncakes), these recipes will help you curate a menu of Lunar New Year food to ring in the Year of the Dragon.

01 of 31

Lunar New Year Dumplings

Lunar New Year Dumplings — Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Plump and tender dumplings symbolize longevity and wealth. Lucky Chow producer Danielle Chang fills hers with a fragrant and flavorful blend of garlic, ginger, scallions, and Chinese chives bound with juicy ground pork. Store-bought wonton wrappers may be substituted for freshly made dough if needed.

02 of 31

Tteokguk (Korean Rice Cake Soup)

Korean Rice Cake Soup Recipe — Jennifer Causey

This Korean soup of chewy-soft rice cakes cooked in steaming translucent broth is a good-luck dish that carries symbolic significance. The white color of the rice cakes signifies purity, so the soup represents a way to start the year off fresh. Though the soup can be made with chicken, pork, pheasant, or seafood, these days it's typically made with beef.

03 of 31

Whole Fish Drizzled with Hot Ginger-Scallion Oil

Whole Fish Drizzled with Hot Ginger-Scallion Oil — Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

The Chinese word for fish (yu) sounds similar to the Chinese word most closely translated to "abundance," so for her Lunar New Year celebration, Danielle Chang serves fish to usher in prosperity and abundance.

04 of 31

Peking Duck

Peking duck — Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee

This delicious roast duck dish popularized in Beijing is known for crispy, intensely golden brown skin and tender meat. It traditionally takes days to prepare, but our version is ready in just over a day, with most of the time spent refrigerating the duck. The recipe gets plenty of flavor from soy sauce, honey, Chinese five spice, and hoisin sauce.

05 of 31

Napa Cabbage Pockets with Tofu

Napa Cabbage Pockets with Tofu — Charissa Fay / Food Styling by Nora Singley / Prop Styling by Maeve Sheridan

Stuffed with a medley of shiitake mushrooms, Chinese chives, and dried mung beans, these cabbage pockets are symbols of good fortune.

06 of 31

Mandarin Pancakes

Mandarin Pancakes — Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Shell Royster

These tender pancakes come together quickly, with just three ingredients. They have just the right amount of chew, making them perfect for eating with Peking duck or moo shu pork.

07 of 31

Pearl Balls

Pearl Balls — Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

These bite-size pork meatballs are rolled in sticky rice and steamed to perfection.

08 of 31

Galbi Jjim

Bowl of Galbi Jjim — Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

Chef Bill Kim braises beef short ribs in a spiced soy sauce mixture until they are tender, then serves them with plenty of broth over rice.

09 of 31

Microwave Bánh Deo (Mochi Mooncakes) with Black Sesame–Chocolate Filling

mochi mooncakes — Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Ali Ramee

Pastry chef Doris Hô-Kane of Ban Bè in Brooklyn uses a microwave to make both the chewy mochi skin and rich black sesame–chocolate filling of her beautiful Bánh Deo, which are a fun, festive project for Tết, the Vietnamese New Year celebration.

10 of 31

Sheng Jian Bao (Pan-Fried Pork Buns)

Sheng Jian Bao — Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

These Taiwanese pork buns are savory, pillowy, and crisp. The light, tender dough creates a fluffy bao that recipe developer Tiffany Chen says is one of her favorite breakfast dishes.

11 of 31

San Bei Ji (Three-Cup Chicken)

San Bei Ji — Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Shell Royster

The “three cups” refers to the heady amounts of rice wine, soy sauce, and sesame oil used to braise the chicken for this classic Taiwanese dish. These ingredients make the chicken extra tender and incredibly flavorful.

12 of 31

Putri Salju Pandan (Pandan-Flavored Indonesian "Snow White" Cookies)

Putri Salju Pandan (Pandan- Flavored âSnow Whiteâ Cookies) — Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

Pandan, a tropical plant with fragrant leaves that's a popular flavoring in Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia, imparts a vanilla-citrusy flavor and a naturally vivid green color to these melt-in-your-mouth cookies.

13 of 31

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup — Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Shell Royster

This classic soup gets its richness from meltingly tender braised beef, complemented by star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, and the classic aromatics of garlic, ginger, and scallions. Much of the appeal of this dish comes from using sliced, boneless beef shank, a cartilage-rich cut that becomes meltingly tender and full of contrasting textures when braised.

14 of 31

Pork Bakso Dumplings

Pork Bakso Dumplings — Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

An aromatic blend of ground coriander, ginger, and lemongrass pairs with umami-rich fish sauce to season these delicate pork dumplings. They're inspired by carts selling noodles in Indonesia; the wonton skin mimics the noodle while still paying homage to the springy, funky meatball and its slippery, rich broth.

15 of 31

Scallion Pancakes with Soy Dipping Sauce

Scallion Pancakes with Soy Dipping Sauce — Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Shell Royster

Chef Joanne Change uses pizza dough, which she says is ideal for replicating this popular Chinese snack. The pancakes cook in only three minutes, until the edges are crispy and the centers are chewy. Eat them hot, right out of the skillet.

16 of 31

Yin-Yang Tang Yuan (Sweet Sticky Rice Balls in Soup)

Yin-Yang Tang Yuan (Sweet Sticky Rice Balls in Soup) — Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

This soothing, sweet Chinese dessert soup of rice flour dough balls stuffed with black sesame seeds in a rock sugar–sweetened broth is typically served during reunions because the round rice balls symbolize harmony and togetherness. Lucky Chow producer Danielle Chang likes to make it as a sweet treat for her Lunar New Year celebration.

17 of 31

Longevity Noodles

Longevity Noodles — Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

This quick dish pairs light, umami-seasoned lo mein noodles with crunchy snow peas and water chestnuts. In Chinese culture, the custom of eating longevity noodles during Chinese New Year and celebrations such as birthdays and anniversaries dates back to the time of the Han dynasty. These noodles are thought to bring luck, prosperity, and, as their name suggests, a long life.

18 of 31

Chilled Sesame Noodles

bowl of Lucas Sin's chilled sesame noodles — Emily Kordovich

2021 F&W Best New Chef Lucas Sin has been serving these noodles at New York City's Junzi since it opened, a favorite thanks to a deeply flavorful, carefully layered sesame sauce made of pure sesame paste, aromatics, and fermented tofu. Finish the dish with chile oil and it's a classic — but not like one you've had before.

19 of 31

Lu Jitui (Braised Soy Sauce Chicken)

Lu Jitui — Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, garlic, and star anise give this cozy braised chicken tons of deep flavor to make a classic comfort dish often found in Taiwanese bento boxes. A touch of sugar balances the salty, savory soy and lends the dish a subtle sweetness.

20 of 31

Maple Root-Vegetable Stir-Fry with Sesame

Maple Root-Vegetable Stir-Fry with Sesame — © Con Poulos

In Korea, cooks typically create stir-fries with just one kind of vegetable — lotus root, say, or potatoes. Chef David Chang decided to break with tradition and stir-fry an assortment of vegetables, including Jerusalem artichokes and parsnips. Also unconventional is the maple syrup he adds to the dish; while there are maple trees all around South Korea, there is not much maple syrup.

21 of 31

Hakka Salt-Baked Chicken

Hakka-Style Salt-Baked Chicken — Greg DuPree

This whole chicken baked in hot salt is the most famous dish of Hakka, in southeast China. It emerges exceedingly juicy and not at all salty. It's served with bold dipping sauces, including a northern-style one made with plenty of fresh ginger.

22 of 31

Shochu Punch

Shochu Punch — Charissa Fay

This vibrant, citrusy make-ahead Shochu Punch features four distinct tastes — sweet, sour, spicy, and bitter — coming from the fruits, flowers, honey, and aromatics that fill the punch bowl. Danielle Chang serves it at her Lunar New Year celebration, where citrus fruits symbolize luck and fertility.

23 of 31

Chow Dau Miu (Garlicky Stir-Fried Pea Sprouts)

Chow Dau Miu (Garlicky Stir-Fried Pea Sprouts) — Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Around the Lunar New Year, green vegetables are a necessity because green is the color of money. This versatile recipe works with most tender leafy greens — including baby bok choy and choy sum (flowering cabbage) — so pick whatever looks best at the market. Once it's swirled into the garlic-scented oil, the fermented soybean paste adds a layer of savory pungency.

24 of 31

Ba Bao Fan (Eight-Treasure Rice)

Ba Bao Fan — Charissa Fay

Any variety of dried and candied fruits can decorate this lightly sweet sticky rice dessert, but using a lucky assortment of eight is traditional. The Chinese word for the number eight, ba, sounds similar to fa, which means prosperity and confers fortuitous meaning on the dessert.

25 of 31

Prosperity Toss Salad

Prosperity Salad — Charissa Fay

Each ingredient in this colorful composed salad has an auspicious meaning used to commemorate the Lunar New Year. Piles of cucumbers, taro root, and carrots are cut into noodle-like ribbons to represent longevity. Radishes, pomelos, and green vegetables like cucumbers are symbols of good fortune.

26 of 31

Yusheng

Yusheng — © Evi Abeler

Yusheng is a traditional raw fish salad served in Malaysia and Singapore, a communal ceremonial New Year's dish. The ingredients are placed individually on a serving platter, the salad is dressed, and then all the guests toss the salad up in the air with chopsticks. The higher the toss, the more prosperity in the coming year.

27 of 31

Moo Shu Pork

Moo Shu Pork — Greg DuPree

This iteration of the classic Chinese dish of stir-fried pork, egg, and mushrooms is served with a tangy peanut butter-hoisin sauce, which is the real star of the meal.

28 of 31

Singapore-Style Noodles with Roast Pork

Asian Noodles with Roast Pork — © Jonny Valiant

This traditional Singaporean dish is a savory mix of tasty noodles, Chinese broccoli, and pork. Add more vegetables if you prefer to make it heartier without additional meat.

29 of 31

Steamed Shrimp Dumplings with Chinese Chives

Steamed Shrimp Dumplings with Chinese Chives — © Abby Hocking

At the Manhattan outpost of the Michelin-starred dim sum house Tim Ho Wan, these shrimp dumplings are a top pick. Making the wrappers might take a little extra time, but it's simple to do and well worth the effort.

30 of 31

Shrimp and Pork Spring Rolls

Shrimp-and-Pork Spring Rolls — © Michael Turek

Designer Zang Toi's supremely crispy spring rolls are filled with a mix of marinated shrimp, ground pork, and a handful of colorful julienned vegetables, like carrot, jicama, and beans. The fried shallot rings add alluring flavor and crunch to the spring rolls, too, but they're optional. Toi even makes his own chile sauce to serve as an accompaniment.

31 of 31

Sambal Terung (Malaysian Roasted Eggplant with Chile Sauce)

Sambal Terung (Malaysian Roasted Eggplant with Chile Sauce) — © Russ Crandall

This Malaysian dish features roasted eggplant covered in sambal, made with chiles, bell peppers, shallots, garlic, and tomatoes. The sauce imparts the eggplant with deep, savory flavors as well as heat.

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