Chinese food can be a tasty adventure, but you need to be careful when choosing what to eat. Amid the delicious options, there are some culinary temptations that border on the healthiest Chinese food recipes. This culinary adventure is accompanied by a health warning and includes dishes like sweet and sticky General Tso’s chicken and crispy yet high-calorie spring rolls. Uncovering the mysteries underlying these seemingly harmless dishes is crucial as we descend into the depths of soy-drenched secrets and deep-fried delights. Come along for a taste investigation as we explore the guilty pleasures that might cause you to rethink what you order from the Chinese restaurant next time.
General Tso’s Chicken
General Tso’s chicken is one of my favorite dishes to order, but it’s rather unhealthy due to the battered and fried chicken, along with the sugar sauce it comes with. A typical order of General Tso’s chicken has 87.7 grams of fat, which isn’t good for your heart. It also has 62.1 grams of sugar, and your body should only have 50 grams per day at most.
General Tso’s Chicken
Ingredients
Method
- Season the chicken: Toss 1 1/2 lb chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
- Coat: Dip the chicken in 2 beaten eggs, then coat with 1/2 cup cornstarch.
- Fry: Heat 6 cups vegetable oil to 350°F. Fry the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes, until crisp and cooked through. Drain.
- Make the sauce: Mix 1/4 cup soy sauce, 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and 1/2 cup water.
- Cook the aromatics: Cook 3 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon ginger, and 6 dried red chiles in 1 teaspoon sesame oil for 30 seconds.
- Thicken: Add the sauce mixture and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until thickened.
- Toss: Add the fried chicken and toss until evenly coated.
- Serve: Top with 2 green onions and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds.
Fried Rice
Fried rice is another delicious dish on most Chinese menus that I love, but it adds a lot of extra calories and carbohydrates to your meal. One cup of fried rice from a restaurant usually has 43.2 grams of carbohydrates. While it does have some protein if you add meat or tofu, it’s still not the healthiest.
Fried Rice
Ingredients
Method
- Cook the eggs: Heat 1 tablespoon of the 3 tablespoons oil. Scramble 3 eggs for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove.
- Cook the vegetables: Heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add 1/2 onion, 1 cup peas and carrots, and 2 garlic cloves. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Fry the rice: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 4 cups chilled rice. Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Season: Add 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and 1/2 teaspoon white pepper.
- Combine: Return the 3 scrambled eggs and add 3 green onions. Toss for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Serve: Serve hot.
Lo Mein
Lo mein is another dish that adds extra unneeded calories and carbohydrates to your meal. The noodles used for this dish typically have white flour in them, which has close to no nutrients in it. The white flour creation process removes germ and bran, which are great nutrients for your body. Opting for noodles made with wheat is always better.
Lo Mein
Ingredients
Method
- Make the sauce: Mix 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper.
- Cook the noodles: Cook 12 oz lo mein noodles according to package directions. Drain.
- Cook the chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon of the 2 tablespoons oil. Cook 1 lb chicken for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove.
- Cook the vegetables: Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add 2 cups cabbage, 1 carrot, 1 bell pepper, 1 cup mushrooms, 2 garlic cloves, and 1 teaspoon ginger. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Combine: Add the noodles, chicken, sauce, and 3 green onions.
- Toss: Cook for 2 minutes, until hot and evenly coated.
- Serve: Serve hot.
Barbecue Spare Ribs
While barbecue spare ribs are slightly good for you at about 17 grams of protein per serving, they are sugary and fatty. This cut of meat usually comes from the pig’s belly region, where most of its fat sits. Fat is horrible for your arteries and heart health, making barbecue spare ribs another of the most unhealthy Chinese dishes.
Barbecue Spare Ribs
Ingredients
Method
- Make the marinade: Mix 1/3 cup hoisin, 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 3 tablespoons Shaoxing wine, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 3 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 teaspoon five-spice, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and 1/2 teaspoon white pepper.
- Marinate: Coat 3 lb ribs with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
- Prep: Heat the oven to 325°F. Place the ribs on a foil-lined baking sheet and reserve the marinade.
- Bake: Cover with foil and bake the 3 lb ribs for 1 1/2 hours.
- Glaze: Simmer the reserved marinade for 5 minutes. Brush it over the ribs.
- Caramelize: Increase the oven to 425°F and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, brushing once more.
- Serve: Top with 2 green onions and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds.
Crab Rangoon
Crab rangoon might not seem that bad because the wontons are usually quite small, but they’re still fried and contain a lot of fat. A single crab rangoon can have about 67 calories and 4.7 grams of fat. If you have too much fat in your diet, weight gain and heart disease are possible.
Crab Rangoon
Ingredients
Method
- Make the filling: Mix 8 oz cream cheese, 6 oz crab, 3 green onions, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Fill: Place about 2 teaspoons filling in the center of each of 24 wonton wrappers.
- Seal: Moisten the edges with 2 tablespoons water. Fold and pinch tightly.
- Heat the oil: Heat 6 cups vegetable oil to 350°F.
- Fry: Fry the wontons for 2 to 3 minutes, until crisp and golden.
- Drain: Transfer to paper towels or a wire rack.
- Serve: Serve hot with 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce.
Fried Egg Rolls
Many Chinese fried egg rolls are chock full of vegetables and meats, making you think that they probably aren’t that bad for your health. However, they do have quite a bit of fat, and a lot of it has to do with the fact that they get fried. Fried food can lead to type 2 diabetes, heart problems, and a shortened life if you eat them too often.
Fried Egg Rolls
Ingredients
Method
- Cook the pork: Brown 1 lb ground pork for 5 minutes. Drain excess fat.
- Add the vegetables: Add 2 cups cabbage, 1 cup carrots, 1 cup bean sprouts, 3 green onions, 2 garlic cloves, and 1 tablespoon ginger. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Season: Stir in 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper. Cool.
- Make the sealer: Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water.
- Fill: Place about 1/3 cup filling on each of 12 egg roll wrappers.
- Roll: Fold in the sides, roll tightly, and seal with the cornstarch mixture.
- Fry: Heat 6 cups vegetable oil to 350°F. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until crisp and golden.
- Drain: Transfer to paper towels or a wire rack.
- Serve: Serve hot with dipping sauce.
Fried Pork Dumplings
I love dumplings, and they’re always a go-to for me. The pork within the dumplings isn’t too much of a problem, but the dumpling shell itself might be. One dumpling has about 13 grams of protein but has 13 grams of carbohydrates and six grams of fat. The fatty oil they get fried in is also not the greatest for your heart. Enjoy them on occasion, but remember that they aren’t the healthiest choice.
Fried Pork Dumplings
Ingredients
Method
- Make the filling: Mix 1 lb pork, 2 cups cabbage, 3 green onions, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon ginger, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper.
- Fill: Place about 1 tablespoon pork filling in each of 30 dumpling wrappers.
- Seal: Moisten the wrapper edges with water, fold, and pinch tightly.
- Brown: Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Add the dumplings and cook for 2 minutes.
- Steam: Add 1/2 cup water, cover, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the pork reaches 160°F.
- Crisp: Remove the lid and cook for 2 minutes, until the bottoms are crisp.
- Make the sauce: Mix 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, and 1 teaspoon sesame oil.
- Serve: Serve the dumplings hot with the dipping sauce.
Sweet and Sour Chicken
While a serving of sweet and sour chicken has a high amount of protein, the sauce it’s in will provide your body with 19 grams of added sugar. That’s 38% of your recommended daily intake of sugar. Too much sugar in your diet can lead to the following: nutrition issues, weight gain, increased fat in your bloodstream, decaying teeth.
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Ingredients
Method
- Season the chicken: Toss 1 1/2 lb chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
- Coat: Dip the chicken in 2 beaten eggs, then coat with 1/2 cup cornstarch.
- Fry: Heat 6 cups vegetable oil to 350°F. Fry the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes, until crisp and cooked through.
- Make the sauce: Mix 1/2 cup pineapple juice, 1/3 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons soy sauce.
- Cook the vegetables: Stir-fry 1 red bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper, and 1/2 onion for 3 minutes.
- Thicken: Add the sauce. Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water, stir it in, and cook for 1 minute.
- Combine: Add the fried chicken and 1 cup pineapple chunks. Toss until coated.
- Serve: Serve hot.
Sweet and Sour Pork
Similar to the chicken, the sweet and sour pork provides you with a fair amount of protein to keep your body full. However, the sugar and fat content isn’t worth it. Pork tends to have more fat than chicken as well, so a serving of sweet and sour chicken will have about 34 grams of fat.
Sweet and Sour Pork
Ingredients
Method
- Season the pork: Toss 1 1/2 lb pork with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
- Coat: Dip the pork in 2 beaten eggs, then coat with 1/2 cup cornstarch.
- Fry: Heat 6 cups vegetable oil to 350°F. Fry the pork for 4 to 5 minutes, until crisp and cooked through. Drain.
- Make the sauce: Mix 1/2 cup pineapple juice, 1/3 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons soy sauce.
- Cook the vegetables: Stir-fry 1 red bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper, and 1/2 onion for 3 minutes.
- Thicken: Add the sauce. Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water, then stir it in and cook for 1 minute.
- Combine: Add the fried pork and 1 cup pineapple chunks. Toss until coated.
- Serve: Serve hot.
Orange Beef
Orange beef involves pieces of beef being deep-fried until golden, and then the pieces get tossed in a sugary sauce. Both of these processes aren’t good for your health. One cup of orange beef has about 38 grams of carbohydrates and 34 grams of fat. It’s also very high in sodium at 1,260 milligrams. The daily recommended sodium intake is less than 2,300 milligrams per day. Orange beef accounts for over 50% of your daily intake.
Orange Beef
Ingredients
Method
- Coat the beef: Toss 1 lb flank steak with 1/2 cup cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
- Fry: Heat 6 cups vegetable oil to 350°F. Fry the beef for 2 to 3 minutes, until crisp. Drain.
- Make the sauce: Mix 1/2 cup orange juice, 1 tablespoon zest, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes.
- Simmer: Cook the sauce for 3 to 4 minutes, until slightly thickened.
- Toss: Add the fried beef and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Toss until coated.
- Serve: Top with 2 green onions and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds.
Chow Fun
Chow fun typically consists of a stir fry of noodles, beef, and vegetables. This dish is slightly better for you due to the lower fat and sodium content compared to other dishes. However, it is a rather greasy dish because it gets stir-fried in oil. Depending on the restaurant’s sauce, it can also have a lot of calories.
Chow Fun
Ingredients
Method
- Marinate the beef: Mix 12 oz flank steak with 1 tablespoon of the 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Rest for 15 minutes.
- Make the sauce: Mix remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper.
- Cook the beef: Heat 1 tablespoon of the 3 tablespoons oil. Stir-fry the beef for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove.
- Cook the noodles: Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add 1 lb rice noodles and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the vegetables: Add 1/2 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 cup bean sprouts, and 3 green onions. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.
- Combine: Return the beef and add the sauce. Toss for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Serve: Serve hot.
Chow Mein
Chow mein uses noodles, which can hike up calories and carbohydrates. However, the sodium content makes it one of the worst foods for you, at about 1,000 grams per serving. High sodium diets can lead to high blood pressure, which puts your body at risk for strokes and heart disease.
Chow Mein
Ingredients
Method
- Make the sauce: Mix 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
- Cook the noodles: Cook 12 oz chow mein noodles according to package directions. Drain.
- Cook the chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon of the 2 tablespoons oil. Cook 1 lb chicken for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove.
- Cook the vegetables: Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add 2 cups cabbage, 1 carrot, 1/2 onion, 2 garlic cloves, and 1 teaspoon ginger. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Combine: Add the noodles, chicken, sauce, and 3 green onions.
- Toss: Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until the noodles are evenly coated.
- Serve: Serve hot.
Orange Chicken
I love this dish, but like the orange beef, the orange chicken dish includes deep-fried pieces of meat and a sugary sauce. This process leads to 23 grams of fat, 51 grams of carbohydrates, and 19 grams of sugar per one-ounce serving. The sodium is also on the higher side at 820 milligrams.
Orange Chicken
Ingredients
Method
- Coat the chicken: Mix 1/2 cup cornstarch, 1/2 cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Dip 1 1/2 lb chicken in 2 beaten eggs, then coat with flour mixture.
- Fry: Heat 6 cups vegetable oil to 350°F. Fry the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes, until crisp and cooked through. Drain.
- Make the sauce: Combine 3/4 cup orange juice, 1 tablespoon zest, 1/4 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes.
- Simmer: Cook the sauce for 3 minutes.
- Thicken: Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water. Stir into the sauce and cook for 1 minute.
- Toss: Add the fried chicken and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Toss until coated.
- Serve: Top with 2 green onions and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds.
As a Chinese, I never saw these dishes in real Chinese restaurants. I mean, these dishes are all Americanized versions. And, what the hell is the orange Beef, Chicken? General Tso’s Chicken, this dish, just look at the name, I know it’s so Americanized…
None of these dishes are actually Chinese, they’re just Americanized with only a few Chinese ingredients. Real Chinese food is often very healthy and packed with nutrients, and suggesting otherwise is super ignorant. Americans keep blaming their health mistakes on other cultures. “Chinese food is unhealthy” isn’t true, but the “Chinese” takeout is. How terrible.
Agreed, but this article is about dishes at chinese restaurants in America
Some of the most healthy ingredients ever found were developed by the Chinese. That’s why America is loaded with diabetes and heart problems. I love Chinese food. USDA Allows this to happen to American recipes, salt,salt,salt!!!!!