Discover delicious, easy Chinese New Year appetizers to wow your guests! Quick and simple recipes perfect for festive celebrations.
Ready to ring in the Chinese New Year with style and flavor?
Whether you’re hosting a big celebration or just keeping it cozy at home, appetizers are the perfect way to get the party started.
From crispy bites to savory delights, these recipes are simple to make but guaranteed to impress.
No need to stress over complicated techniques – just delicious, festive food that’ll have everyone reaching for seconds.
So, check out these easy, crowd-pleasing appetizers and make this New Year one to remember!
Easy Chinese New Year Appetizers
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1. Pearl Balls or Chinese Sticky Rice Meatballs
Get The Full Recipe On The Foodie Takes Flight
Pearl Balls are meatballs coated in sticky rice, giving them a pearl-like look.
They’re hearty, easy to make, and perfect for Lunar New Year, celebrations, birthdays, or dim sum!
2. CRISPY STUFFED LOTUS ROOT WITH PORK (easy Chinese New Year appetizers)
Get The Full Recipe On The Woks of Life
We’ve been saving this crispy stuffed lotus root recipe for Chinese New Year!
These tasty fried meat sandwiches, made with lotus root stuffed with pork, are perfectly savory, crispy, and crunchy.
3. LUCKY MONEY BAG DUMPLING
Get The Full Recipe On Woon Heng
Money bags, or fortune bags, are dishes made to wish for exactly what the name suggests -fortune!
Their pouch-like shape resembles ancient money bags, symbolizing prosperity and good luck.
4. SAVORY TANG YUAN (easy Chinese New Year appetizers)
Get The Full Recipe On The Woks of Life
Savory Tang Yuan are sticky rice dumplings stuffed with pork, salted radish, and mushrooms – just right for celebrating Chinese New Year or the Lantern Festival.
5. Shanghai Shao Mai (Sticky Rice Dumplings)
Get The Full Recipe On Food 52
Shao Mai (or siu mai/shumai) usually conjures up images of pork dumplings with yellow wrappers, but there’s also a Shanghai version filled with sticky rice.
This vegan-friendly version swaps pork for mushrooms and bamboo shoots for extra umami.
6. CANTONESE SPRING ROLLS (easy Chinese New Year appetizers)
Get The Full Recipe On Auntie Emily
Cantonese Spring Rolls (廣東春捲) are one of many types of spring rolls in China, and they’re probably the most popular.
Fillings vary but often include cabbage, carrots, beansprouts, pork, chicken, shrimp, mushrooms, tofu, and more!
7. TURNIP CAKE (LO BAK GO)
Get The Full Recipe On Healthy Nibbles and Bits
Turnip cake (lo bak go in Cantonese) is a dim sum favorite with plenty of regional variations.
The most popular version you’ll see at dim sum spots is the southern Chinese-style lo bak go.
8. FRIED PRAWN CRACKERS FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR (easy Chinese New Year appetizers)
Get The Full Recipe On The Woks of Life
Fried prawn crackers, also known as shrimp chips, are a colorful must-have for Chinese New Year.
They puff up beautifully in hot oil, making them as fun to cook as they are to eat!
9. CHINESE SHRIMP CAKES
Get The Full Recipe On The Woks of Life
Shrimp cakes are a classic home-cooked dish, especially in China’s coastal cities where shrimp are abundant.
The secret to great shrimp cakes? Keeping that natural sweetness and crunch.
Funny enough, frozen shrimp work perfectly – they’re frozen at peak freshness, so you really can’t go wrong!
10. Extra-Flaky Scallion Pancakes (easy Chinese New Year appetizers)
Get The Full Recipe On The Kitchn
Scallion pancakes, a classic Shanghai street snack, have a crispy outside and flaky layers inside.
You’ll find them in most Chinese restaurants and even in the freezer section of Asian grocery stores.
While some versions are thicker and more filling, this recipe keeps them thin and crispy!
11. Chinese Dumplings (Jiaozi)
Get The Full Recipe On The Spruce Eats
Jiaozi is a classic Chinese dish, and every region has its own twist on it.
Fillings vary depending on the province or even the family – some use ground pork, others lamb, and there are plenty of veggie options too.
The wrappers differ as well, with Northern dumplings being thick and chewy, while Southern ones are typically thinner.
12. FRESH POPIAH AND POPIAH SKIN (FRESH SPRING ROLLS)
Get The Full Recipe On What to Cook Today
Popiah, or fresh spring rolls with jicama, are popular in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore).
They’re made with a soft, thin wheat flour skin, similar to a crepe, and filled with a savory mix of veggies like turnips, carrots, bean sprouts, and lettuce, often cooked in a flavorful sauce.
12 Quick and Easy Chinese New Year Appetizers
Ingredients
- Pearl Balls or Chinese Sticky Rice Meatballs
- CRISPY STUFFED LOTUS ROOT WITH PORK
- LUCKY MONEY BAG DUMPLING
- SAVORY TANG YUAN
- Shanghai Shao Mai (Sticky Rice Dumplings)
- CANTONESE SPRING ROLLS
- TURNIP CAKE (LO BAK GO)
- FRIED PRAWN CRACKERS FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR
- CHINESE SHRIMP CAKES
- Extra-Flaky Scallion Pancakes
- Chinese Dumplings (Jiaozi)
- FRESH POPIAH AND POPIAH SKIN (FRESH SPRING ROLLS)
Instructions
- Select your choice of easy Chinese New Year appetizers from the article.
- Click on the link to get the full recipes and instructions.
- Get ready to prep, cook, and enjoy!
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I love all of these delicious and easy Chinese New Year appetizers! Which ones will you try first? Please write your comments below!
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