12 Lucky Chinese New Year Recipes For The Whole Family

Celebrating Chinese New Year is always a fun-filled family affair — not only can the little ones look forward to receiving "ang pao" or red envelopes filled with money; they must sure be looking forward to the celebratory feast that's meant to bring in prosperity and good fortune... or at least, their favorite Chinese dishes.

Aside from the quintessential tikoy, we've collated a list of savory recipes that are considered lucky to eat during your Chinese New Year celebrations!

Chinese Noodle Recipes for Longevity

Eating pancit or noodles on birthdays is a must — it's not uncommon for us to say we've got to eat pancit so that the celebrant enjoys a long life. It's the same for Chinese New Year: the long strands of the noodles symbolizes the long lives we wish our family and loved ones will enjoy.

1 Chinese Birthday Noodles Recipe

As its name suggests, this Chinese Birthday Noodles Recipe is normally served on birthdays, but it doubles as a prosperity or longevity noodle dish, too! It's umami-filled and has veggies like chicharo, carrots, and mushrooms as well as shrimp, which in and of itself is also considered a lucky food to eat during Chinese New Year.

Get this Chinese birthday noodles recipe on Yummy.ph.

2 Easy Chicken Chow Mein Recipe

If your family is more into stir-fries, then this Easy Chicken Chow Mein Recipe might be a better fit. It's made with chicken strips and julienned carrots and bellpeppers, while the bean sprouts add a welcome crunch. 

Get this easy chicken chow mein recipe on Yummy.ph.

Whole Fish Recipes for Prosperity and Good Health

When it comes to eating lucky food on Chinese New Year, it does matter whether your fish is served whole or not! Fish is considered a lucky food to eat because its Chinese name, "yu," has the same pronunciation as the Chinese word for prosperity. It also matters that it's whole because this symbolizes wellbeing and living a complete and abundant life.

3 Chinese-Style Steamed Tilapia Recipe

Steaming fish sounds intimidating, but it's actually one of the easiest ways to cook fish! This Chinese-Style Steamed Tilapia Recipe is quite budget-friendly, and it has a light but delicious flavor that even your pickiest eaters wil love.

Get this Chinese-Style steamed tilapia recipe on Yummy.ph.

4 Baked Whole Fish Recipe

No steamer? No problem! You can bake your whole fish instead. This Baked Whole Fish Recipe also features sliced oranges, which is another lucky food to eat during Chinese New Year. The citrus flavor of the orange adds a bright flavor to the otherwise already delicious fish. 

Get this baked whole fish recipe on Yummy.ph.

5 Ginger Soy Steamed Fish Recipe

This Ginger Soy Steamed Fish Recipe is a prime example of beauty in simplicity: the warm flavors of ginger and spring onions makes the fish taste fresher, while the lightly salty soy sauce based sauce adds umami to each bite.

Get this ginger soy steamed fish recipe on Yummy.ph.

Shrimp Recipes For Happiness

Shrimp and prawn dishes are considered lucky to eat during Chinese New Year because just like how the Chinese word for fish sounds like the Chinese word for prosperity, the Cantonese word for shrimp, "ha," sounds like laughter. 

6 Butter Garlic Prawns Recipe

It's okay if you switch up the prawns for shrimp in this Butter Garlic Prawn Recipe, because what makes this the star of the show is really the butter garlic sauce. Not only is it unbelieavably delicious especially when you're cooking with fresh prawn (or shrimp); it also cooks quite fast, too.

Get this butter garlic prawn recipe on Yummy.ph.

7 Honey Walnut Shrimp Recipe

It's not just luck that makes this Honey Walnut Shrimp Recipe irresistably yummy: it's the crunch of the walnuts and the balanced honey sauce! If you haven't the time to de-shell and devein shrimp, you can always opt for the already-prepped frozen shrimp at your local supermarket. What makes this extra "lucky" is that walnuts are also healthy for kids!

Get this on honey walnut shrimp recipe on Yummy.ph.

Dumplings and Spring Roll Recipes for Money and Prosperity

We really can't get enough of wishing for prosperity and wealth during Chinese New Year, and that's made evident by having two different kinds of food symbolize the same thing: money. Dumplings are considered lucky because their golden color and shape are similar to Chinese ingots, which used to be the main form of currency in China. Spring rolls are the same, except they bear a resemblance to gold bars, which truth be told, we'd all love to have at least a few of.

8 Pork and Shrimp Siomai

Nowadays, you can definitely buy pre-made siomai at your favorite supermarket — and there's no shame in that! However, if you're in the mood to make your own, or are looking for a fun cooking activity to do with your kids, this Pork and Shrimp Siomai Recipe is for you. Unlike traditional dumplings, getting the filling into the wrappers isn't very complilcated. Plus, you can steam or deep-fry these siomai; this recipe is very versatile. In fact, you can easily swap out the shrimp for mushrooms or more pork if anybody's allergic to it.

Get this on pork and shrimp siomai recipe on Yummy.ph.

9 Crispy Ham and Cheese Dumplings Recipe

This isn't the most traditional dumpling recipe, we admit. However, these Ham and Cheese Fried Dumplings Recipe is just perfect for our little picky eaters and kids-at-heart! It's a fun little twist to fried dumplings, and we don't see why it can't bring in good fortune when it's sure to make everyone who eats it just so happy.

Get this on crispy ham and cheese fried dumplings on Yummy.ph.

10 Chinese Fresh Lumpia Recipe

While this Fresh Lumpia Recipe isn't deep-fried to get the golden color that symbolizes money, it's still considered a lucky dish as it's chock-full of fresh vegetables. Having fresh veggies in the roll symbolizes the beginning of spring — a season of health and abundance.

Get this fresh lumpia recipe on Yummy.ph.

11 Easy Lumpiang Shanghai Recipe

Did you think we were going to end the list without adding in the classic, the quintessential, the all-important lumpiang shanghai? Of course not! Not only is this dish just downright delicious; it's a double-whammy of a lucky Chinese New Year dish because its shape is reminiscent of gold bars and it's also got shrimp in it, which symbolizes happiness.

Get this on easy lumpiang shanghai recipe on Yummy.ph.

12 Cheesy Pork and Shrimp Lumpia Recipe

This Cheese Pork and Shrimp Recipe is also twist to the traditional lumpiang Shanghai, but we highly recommend trying it as it's sure to be a hit with kids and cheese lovers alike. Make sure to get your preferred quickmelt cheese for the filling to get that satisfyingly oozy, cheesy bite!

Get this cheesy pork and shrimp recipe on Yummy.ph.

Not sure what to do with all the tikoy you're getting? Here's a handy list of delicious tikoy recipes you can try.