Our favourite Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year) recipes

In 2026, communities across the world will be celebrating Lunar New Year from 17 February. Commonly known as Chinese New Year, the annual celebration marks the beginning of the year according to the lunisolar calendar, and is celebrated over a number of days in countries such as China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore, as well as those diasporic communities in living Australia.

Lunar New Year involves visiting family and friends, paying respects to ancestors, giving (or if you’re lucky, receiving) packets of “lucky money”, and dining on banquet-style feasts. Whip up some noodles for long life, fry up some crisp spring rolls, or try Kylie Kwong’s twist on the Cantonese classic dish, sweet and sour pork. Plus, we have recipes for mango pancakes, festive trifles and Indonesian layer cake to end on a sweet note.

Here are our favourite Lunar New Year recipes for the Year of the Horse, from dumplings to whole fish, long noodles and desserts.

What are the lucky foods for Chinese New Year? Read our guide to the celebratory dishes eaten during Lunar New Year.

Our favourite recipes to cook for Lunar New Year 2026

One pan Fried rice with crab, egg and cucumber in cast iron wok with wooden-handle serving spoon

Best fried rice recipes for all occasions

A comfort food that makes the most of leftover ingredients; or a special, sophisticated dish in its own right. A fried rice recipe can do it all.

Mango pancakes with vanilla syrup

Mango pancakes are a colouful yum cha favourite that can be served as either a dessert or a decadent breakfast.

Ricky & Pinky’s steamed snapper with coriander and ginger

At Melbourne’s Ricky & Pinky, their steamed snapper is served with a Shaoxing wine-based Chinese broth spooned over. It’s incredibly aromatic.

Duck sang choi bau recipe by Alvin Quah

Cupped by a crisp lettuce leaf, a good duck sang choi bau recipe needs to be sweet, salty and crunchy.

Victor Liong’s three sliver salad

A classic, cooling dish from the northern regions of China.

Luke Nguyen’s Aunty 5’s rice cakes with tiger prawns and pork floss

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for Aunty 5’s rice cakes with tiger prawns and pork floss by Luke Nguyen.

Malaysian-style spicy roast chicken (Ayam percik)

A traditional Malaysian chicken recipe swimming in spicy gravy.

Bird's eye view of longevity noodles toped with two lobster halves

Southern rock lobster with Cantonese garlic butter and longevity noodles

Longevity noodles – or yi mein – are a staple at Chinese celebrations, from birthdays and weddings to Lunar New Year.

Flower Drum’s char siu pork with egg noodles (keong chung cha siu lo mein)

Quick, easy and very slurpable.

Thi Le’s Vietnamese spring rolls with mustard leaves and herbs

A textural filling of shredded taro, carrots and wood ear mushrooms equal these crisp, moreish parcels. Try stopping at one.

Recipe Collections

The 60 best Chinese recipes by top chefs and restaurants

Recipe Collections

Our best Asian dumpling recipes

Shopping

Le Creuset just launched its first-ever Lunar New Year collection

Recipe Collections

32 whole fish recipes for fish lovers

Bird's eye view of a Prosperity salad on a pink table

Prosperity salad (yusheng)

A Lunar New Year staple.

Kylie Kwong’s prawn dumplings with organic tamari and chilli dressing

Don’t underestimate that dressing – it’s a smoky, sweet, sour, spicy and salty hit that works wonder with the dumplings.

Victor Liong’s white-cut chicken, aromatic chilli oil and peanuts

“White-cut chicken, in my opinion, is one of the great Chinese techniques,” says Liong.

Tony Tan’s Chiu chow raw fish salad

A dish from China’s Chiu Chow community that makes the most of the top-shelf fresh fish.

Victor Liong’s cold silken tofu with peanuts, salted daikon, coriander and black vinegar

The Lee Ho Fook chef’s go-to dish for summer.

Cloud-ear salad with tofu and soy beans

An easy comfort dish to eat with rice or as part of a shared banquet with family and friends.

Mud crab with XO sauce recipe by Dan Hong

Dan Hong’s mud crab with XO sauce

Dan Hong shares his recipe for a stunning main course of crab stir-fried with Chinese flavours such as ginger, spring onion and XO sauce.

Lau’s Family Kitchen’s tangerine duck

It’s a three-part process to making the Melbourne restaurant’s duck dish, but the results are worth it.

Soy and ginger roast chicken

With Shaoxing wine for sweetness.

Lee Ho Fook’s steamed barramundi, chilli black beans and pickled mustard greens

Recipe for steamed barramundi, chilli black beans and pickled mustard greens by Victor Liong from Melbourne restaurant Lee Ho Fook.

Kylie Kwong’s sweet and sour pork with Davidson’s plum

The chef’s take on the Cantonese classic.

Cheong Liew’s pork hock and wood fungus

The yielding goodness of braised pork, the crunch and texture of wood fungus. This dish is the complete package.

Tony Tan’s braised pork belly with soy sauce

A cinch to prepare, and it tastes even better the day after it’s cooked.

Soy-roast duck with mandarin

Soy-roast duck with mandarin recipe – Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or large deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add duck breast-side down and cook, turning, until golden brown all over (5-6 minutes).

Shanghai-style chilled noodles

This sweet-and-sour noodle dish might look simple, but it packs a flavour punch.

Native ad body.

Sponsored by %%sponsor_name%%

Torta Pasqualina, an ideal fixture in an Easter lunch menu

Easter lunch ideas that go beyond roast lamb

A fillet of white fish on a plate with white sauce and potatoes. There is a mint green background.

35 quick and easy fish recipes

Native ad body.

Sponsored by %%sponsor_name%%

Swordfish and chorizo skewers with macadamia romesco

16 must-try swordfish recipes

Roast ocean trout with cucumber and preserved lemon salad

60 of our best fish recipes for Good Friday, Easter and beyond

Native ad body.

Sponsored by %%sponsor_name%%

Pan-fried barramundi with creamy Grenobloise sauce and colcannon

22 of the best barramundi recipes

Easter desserts version of hot cross buns by Dan Pepperell: hot cross cannoli.

Easter desserts that aren’t hot cross buns

Native ad body.

Sponsored by %%sponsor_name%%

A chocolate lamington cake is one of our favourite chocolate recipes for Easter

35 of our best chocolate recipes for Easter

Salted ricotta with zucchini and black garlic tart

40+ of our best zucchini recipes

Core essentials: the apple desserts you need for winter

Pronto pasta: Quick and easy pasta recipes you need this week

Our best Lunar New Year dessert recipes

The Gourmet Traveller Team

Gourmet Traveller is Australia’s trusted authority on food, travel and luxury lifestyle, bringing the latest news and trends to life through quality journalism, enticing recipes and evocative photography. For more than 55 years, it has been inspiring and informing Australians with the best in cooking, dining, travelling and shopping. Our critics bring the expertise of years of critical eating, drinking and writing to the table. Plus, as the country’s leading title in the luxury sector, Gourmet Traveller works closely with Australia’s leaders in the travel and hospitality industries to give our readers exclusive access. The Gourmet Traveller legacy is one of trust, prestige and relevance.

Our favourite recipes to cook for Lunar New Year 2026

Our best Lunar New Year dessert recipes

Related

Related stories

About your privacy

Related