25 Best Orange Chicken Sides

Pumpkin Seafood Rice

Chinese Pumpkin Rice

This Chinese Pumpkin rice is a super easy and flavorful rice cooker recipe: the soft pumpkin cubes melt in your mouth, contrasting with the firm bite of the white rice grains. Moreover, it only takes 10 minutes to prepare and the rest of the work is up to your rice cooker!

Click here for the rice cooker recipe.

Thai Fried Rice

Surprised to see a Thai recipe on this list?

It's actually MUCH easier to fry rice Thai style than to do it the Chinese way, as the Thai seasoning is so flavorful, it'll mask bad stir-frying skills! (Chinese fried rice has to be done over HIGH heat to taste good.)

Thai Basil Fried Rice (Vegetarian) (20 min)

This Vegan/ Vegetarian Thai Basil Fried Rice is a deliciously easy dish on the dinner table in under 20 minutes. It's the ultimate Asian comfort food: sweet, salty, savory, and budget-friendly! (Not including rice cooking time, if not using leftover rice.)

Click here for the spicy Thai fried rice recipe.

Pandan Rice

Pandan Rice

2 easy Pandan Rice recipes: I show you how to cook a fragrant white rice or a pandan-flavored, olive-green, creamy rice using 2-3 simple ingredients.

Click here for the southeast asian rice recipe.

Fried Rice

Personally, I wouldn't go with something as strongly flavoured as Kimchi Fried rice but a more neutral Egg Fried Rice with Soy Sauce or Yang Zhou Fried Rice (扬州炒饭), paired with these easy rice side dishes, would go really well with orange chicken!

The savory fried rice with the sweet and sour chicken is the perfect balance of flavors and textures!

Stir-fried Rice Noodles

Singapore Fried Vermicelli (Bihun Goreng)

Singapore Fried Vermicelli, also known as Bihun Goreng, is delicious, easy to cook and quick to make in under 30 minutes. Using only simple ingredients (no chicken broth needed), it's a complete meal in itself. It's also cheap enough that some hawker centres (street food stalls) in Singapore sell it for only S$2/ US$1.50!

Click here for the Economic Noodles Recipe.

Singapore Noodles

Shrimp Mei Fun (Fried Rice Noodles)

Shrimp Mei Fun is an easy Stir Fried Thin Rice Noodles Dish. Packed with shrimp and vegetables, it's a complete meal with fibre and protein that cam be made in under 30 minutes!

Click here for the classic Chinese takeaway recipe.

Sesame Noodles

Sesame noodles is a 15-minute tasty side dish that is typically served cold. Coated in a savory, sometimes spicy, sesame sauce, it's a great make-ahead side for a Chinese feast! (Just add red pepper flakes if you want more heat!)

Note: if you want to go more multi-culture, Korean cold noodles is another good meal prep side dish.

Thai Noodles Salad

Thai Vermicelli Noodle Salad with Abalone

Tangy, sweet, spicy, and savory, this light Thai Vermicelli with Abalone Salad is a great make-ahead recipe for your Chinese New Year 2023 celebration dinner. It can even be a no-cook recipe, and is the perfect dish for beginner home chefs!

Click here for the Thai cold noodle recipe.

Spaghetti Kee Mao

Easy Drunken Noodles Recipe (Spaghetti)

This easy Drunken Noodles recipe, also known as Drunkard Noodles recipe (Pad Kee Mao), uses readily available ingredients, such as spaghetti and canned tuna, but also shares the steps and ingredients to make an authentic version. It's a deliciously quick weeknight dinner, on the dinner table in under 30 minutes! (Despite the name, there is no alcohol in the recipe- the spicy noodles do taste amazing with a cold beer though!)

Click here for the Drunken Spaghetti recipe.

Lo Mein

Vegetable or Shrimp Lo Mein is an easy 20-minute noodle takeout recipe.

If you want a neutral flavor, just omit the matcha powder!

Easy Matcha Buns (1-rise Mantou)

An easy matcha bun (Chinese mantou bao) recipe which only requires 1 proof (1 rise), along with a mantou FAQ section on how to use a metal steamer (instead of the traditional bamboo steamer) and why your naturally vegan matcha buns aren't smooth.

Click here for the mantou bao recipe.

ABC Soup

Chinese ABC Soup recipe

This will sound corny but ABC Soup is as easy as ABC to make! A staple in most Chinese households, it's the ultimate affordable and nutritious comfort food that is perfect on a rainy day. (I have tested it with a bouillon cube, broth made with a whole chicken, pork ribs, pork bones etc.)

Click here for this traditional Malaysian Chinese soup recipe.

Wonton Soup

If you're vegan, I have a vegan version of Orange Chicken and more Chinese vegan recipes here! Delicious with fried garlic slices on top!

Tip: wonton goes superbly with home pickled green chilies!

Easy Vegan Wonton Soup for Colds

Done in 20 minute vegan Chinese wonton soup that tastes as good as the traditional version. Gluten-free and made without commercially bought stock/ bouillon cube OR hours of making homemade stock! A great flu fighter thanks to the ginger and garlic!

Click here for the vegan Chinese soup recipe.

Cabbage Soup

Easy Chinese Cabbage Soup Recipe (20 minutes)

This easy and quick Chinese Cabbage Soup is a nutritious dish on the dinner table in 20 minutes (unlike other Asian soups which typically take forever to cook!) Moreover, you can get the ingredients at your regular store without having to go to the Asian market (just substitute the goji berries with carrots.) I also show you how to make a light version for a family dinner in summer and a heartier one for winter.

Click here for the Napa Cabbage Soup recipe.

Egg Drop Soup

Corn Egg Drop Soup (10-min)

Corn Egg Drop Soup is an easy but delicious Chinese soup that only takes 10 minutes to cook! Made with only simple ingredients that you can find in a regular grocery store, but so much better than takeout!

Click here for the classic Chinese takeout soup recipe.

Chinese Pumpkin Soup

Chinese Pumpkin Soup with Carrots

A deliciously savory dish, this Chinese Pumpkin Soup with carrots is also very nutritious and really easy to make in a few simple steps! (Basically, cut + steam!)

Click here for the Chinese Soup recipe.

Hot and Sour Soup

This easy, vegan version of hot and sour soup (酸辣汤) requires only a few ingredients!

If you want more protein, try some of these easy Chinese pork recipes. My favorite is this 5-ingredient spare ribs recipe that is fingerlicking good!

EASY 12345 Chinese Ribs (5-ingredients)

These Chinese Spare Ribs are delicious, finger-licking Asian-style pork spare ribs that are as simple to cook as 12345 (a mnemonic device that will also help you recall the recipe.) Using only the Asian pantry staples of wine, dark soy sauce, vinegar and sugar to braise the meat, with only a few minutes of active cooking, this is the best easy sticky Chinese Spare Ribs for a lazy food lover.

Click here for the braised pork recipe.

Scallion Pancakes

Taiwanese green onion pancake recipe (Cong you bing)

Taiwanese green onion pancake (Cong you bing), also known as Chinese scallion pancake, is a delicious savoury street snack that is easy to batch make and freeze.

Click here for the Chinese spring onion pancake recipe.

Crab Rangoon

The tangy orange sauce is a great way to brighten the heavy cream cheese filling of this classic American Chinese appetizer fried wontons. If you don't love crab, try these easy but delicious Asian appetisers!

Egg Rolls

These Shrimp Egg Rolls are a freezer-friendly, tasty side dish with a crispy exterior and flavorful filling. It's the perfect no-hassle side as you can make them in advance!

Spring Rolls

A lighter alternative to egg rolls, Springs Rolls or 春卷 are filled with fresh vegetables such as carrots and radish, and also pair well with orange chicken. Dip them in the orange chicken sauce!

Pickled Cucumbers

A burst of acid helps to brighten many Chinese dishes, and is a great palate cleanser!

Asian Quick Pickled Cucumbers (5-min)

These easy and delicious Asian Quick Pickled Cucumbers are ready in 5 minutes, and make a great cooling side dish in summer! (I show you how to make 2 versions: 1 that can be immediately after tossing in the brine (the 5-min recipe) and a 2nd that has a milder flavor and needs to pickle for 15- 30 minutes.)

Click here for the Asian pickled vegetables recipe.

Mango Tomato Salad

Mango Cucumber Salad (Asian)

This Mango Cucumber Salad (Asian recipe) is a light and refreshing side dish full of tropical flavor. Quick and easy, it's a sweet, savory and crunchy recipe perfect for camping or a summer barbecue. Plus, unlike many salads, there is no sour cream or olive oil used, so it's healthier and less heavy!

Click here for the mango salad recipe.

Cucumber Salad

Cold cucumber salad recipe

The easy Chinese cold cucumber salad recipe is delicious and full of spicy flavor. Best of all, it only requires 4-ingredients and takes 5-10 minutes to make. 

Click here for the Chinese Cucumber salad recipe.

Steamed Vegetables

Steamed veggies are a classic side dish that can go with just about anything! Think steamed broccoli, green beans, snow peas, carrots, and bok choy to add color, texture, and flavor to the meal.

Soy Mushrooms

Ok, mushrooms are technically not a veg, but you know what I mean- they're good for you! So good, you should check out this list of easy Asian mushroom side dishes!

Quick Eryngii Mushrooms (3-ingredients)

A 25-minute, easy to make and delicious eryngii mushroom recipe. These have a nice meaty texture which make them great meat substitutes for vegan meals.

Click here for the easy soy butter mushroom recipe.