Chinese Thanksgiving Menu

Better Homes & Gardens

This Chinese Thanksgiving menu offers the best of both worlds. On one hand, you have classic Thanksgiving recipes like turkey, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin. On the other hand, you have your favorite Chinese food recipes, such as dumplings, and flavors like sesame, hoisin, and ginger. You don't need a fortune cookie to know that this Chinese Thanksgiving menu is going to be delicious. Who knows: Maybe Chinese Thanksgiving dishes will become the new tradition at your house!

Chinese Thanksgiving Recipes

Branch out from the same old roast turkey and pumpkin pie with these six Chinese Thanksgiving dinner recipes:

See photos and learn more about each of these Chinese-inspired recipes, below.

Check out these classic Thanksgiving recipes for Turkey Day.

This make-ahead dumpling recipe kicks off your meal and shows off your bamboo steamer to Thanksgiving guests alongside your other Chinese side dishes.
This make-ahead dumpling recipe kicks off your meal and shows off your bamboo steamer to Thanksgiving guests alongside your other Chinese side dishes.

One of our favorite authentic Chinese recipes, dumplings taste best when enjoyed fresh out of the steamer. But you don't have to go to a Chinese restaurant for Thanksgiving to enjoy them. Go the DIY route—it's worth the effort! Plus, since they're homemade, you can easily customize both the filling and the dipping sauce to get your ideal bite. Whether you want pork, chicken, turkey, or beef, these savory sesame-flavor dumplings will satisfy your cravings. You'll enjoy eating and creating these delicious bites!

Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare the dumplings up to a week in advance and freeze. Steam directly out of the freezer (no separate thawing step required) 10 to 12 minutes to cook the filling.

Get the recipe: Soup Dumplings

Your best green bean casserole has nothing on this zesty Thanksgiving side, packed with popular Chinese ingredients like napa cabbage, peanuts, and fish sauce.
Your best green bean casserole has nothing on this zesty Thanksgiving side, packed with popular Chinese ingredients like napa cabbage, peanuts, and fish sauce.

Move over, classic coleslaw. This Zesty Green Bean Slaw has more of the crunch you crave with cabbage, peanuts, and pepper. Add in tasty green beans, some cilantro, garlic, lime juice, and more, and you've got a vegetable side dish that can't be beaten. This is sure to be your freshest Thanksgiving green bean recipe yet, and it'll outshine all of your other turkey dinner sides.

Ingredient Info: Don't be afraid of fish sauce! The condiment lends a pleasant salty quality to the slaw dressing. Look for it in your supermarket's Asian cuisine aisle, and if you can't find it (or don't enjoy the anchovy-like flavor), feel free to use soy sauce instead.

Get the recipe: Zesty Green Bean Slaw

Shiitake mushrooms will put a new, tasty spin on traditional mashed potatoes this year, and will help them fit right in to your Chinese Thanksgiving dinner.
Shiitake mushrooms will put a new, tasty spin on traditional mashed potatoes this year, and will help them fit right in to your Chinese Thanksgiving dinner.

If buttery mashed potatoes have always been your favorite Thanksgiving side dish, wait until you try this upgraded version. The potatoes are extra fluffy and flavorful thanks to yogurt, butter, and green onion, but the real secret to scrumptious success comes from the shiitake mushroom gravy. Starring earthy Asian mushrooms, rich cream, and plenty of savory seasonings, this gravy is an unexpected and exceptional topping for mashed potatoes. Whether you're hosting a Chinese Thanksgiving meal or not, be sure to add this to your list of Thanksgiving recipe ideas!

Tip: For the fluffiest mashed potatoes, stick with Russet (aka Idaho or baking potatoes) since they are low in moisture and cook to a fluffy consistency.

Get the recipe: Mashed Potatoes with Shiitake Mushroom Gravy

Try these other tasty Thanksgiving side dishes.

Cooking a Thanksgiving turkey has never been easier! The trick to making this Chinese turkey is slow-cooking turkey breast tenderloins instead of roasting a whole bird.
Cooking a Thanksgiving turkey has never been easier! The trick to making this Chinese turkey is slow-cooking turkey breast tenderloins instead of roasting a whole bird.

If you thought you'd have to give up turkey to enjoy Chinese food for Thanksgiving dinner, think again! This easy turkey recipe allows you to get your fix in an entrée that fits your Chinese Thanksgiving menu. The turkey breast is topped with a sauce made with soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, garlic, and more. Extra flavor and the finishing touches come from a sprinkling of sesame seeds and green onion. Oh, and did we mention this Thanksgiving dish can be made in the slow cooker AND it takes only 20 minutes of prep? Easiest. Turkey. Ever.

Get the recipe: Sesame Turkey

You can easily make Thanksgiving sweet potatoes fit into your Chinese menu by roasting them in a sweet and savory honey-hoisin sauce, and topping with green onions and cashews.
You can easily make Thanksgiving sweet potatoes fit into your Chinese menu by roasting them in a sweet and savory honey-hoisin sauce, and topping with green onions and cashews.

Yes, you can include sweet potatoes on your list of Thanksgiving side dishes, even if you're serving up a Chinese Thanksgiving dinner. Try this sweet and salty side dish as long as you don't mind skipping the marshmallow-topped casserole variety. Brush hoisin sauce, honey, olive oil, and salt over the potato halves. Once they've roasted to tender perfection, add some more of this tasty mixture and lime juice. Finally, serve the potatoes with cashews, green onions, and lime wedges for your new favorite way to eat sweet potatoes.

Get the recipe: Honey-Hoisin Sweet Potatoes

Adding ground ginger to the filling and using a gingersnap-graham cracker crust transforms traditional pumpkin pie just enough to help it fit in on your Chinese Thanksgiving menu.
Adding ground ginger to the filling and using a gingersnap-graham cracker crust transforms traditional pumpkin pie just enough to help it fit in on your Chinese Thanksgiving menu.

This delicious recipe is proof that meringue isn't reserved for lemons and spring. This dessert is all autumn, with a hint of Chinese-inspired flavors thanks to the ground ginger in the filling. From the pretty peaks of the meringue to the hints of harvest throughout the pie, you'll thoroughly enjoy every bite of this dessert. Thanksgiving pumpkin pie recipes will never be the same!

Get the recipe: Ginger Pumpkin Meringue Pie

Find your Thanksgiving menu for this year's dinner!