Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival Recipes

Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, when the moon is at its roundest and brightest. In Chinese culture it is a harvest holiday and a reunion holiday, second only to Chinese New Year. The round moon stands for a whole family gathered at one table, so the food we cook and the shapes we serve all point back to togetherness.

I grew up celebrating this night in Beijing, sharing mooncakes with my family under the moon while the grown-ups drank tea and the kids stayed up too late. My mom always cut the mooncakes into small wedges so everyone at the table got a taste of each filling. Now I cook this holiday in the US for my husband and my son, and homemade is the only way I can put the flavors of home in front of them. I hope you find a few dishes here that bring your own table together this year.

Why I Love These Recipes

• A table that means reunion: I plan this menu around whole cuts of meat and fish, because a whole duck, a whole fish, and a whole chicken all stand for wholeness and family unity. These recipes are for home cooks who want a festive table that means something beyond dinner.
• Mooncakes worth the work: The mooncake is the one food no Mid-Autumn table can skip, and making them at home lets me choose the filling my family likes best. I included a baked red bean version, a no-bake snow skin version, and an easier mochi for anyone who wants the flavors without the mold.
• Pantry staples you must have: Most of these dishes I make with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, ginger, scallion, sesame, and red bean paste. Keep those on hand and you can cook most of this menu without a second grocery run.
• A menu you can cook ahead: The braises and cold dishes are happy to sit and wait, so I make them a day early and save the quick stir fries for the last few minutes. That way I am at the table with everyone instead of stuck at the stove.

Appetizers

I like to start a Mid-Autumn meal with cold dishes that can wait on the table while the mains finish. They wake up the appetite, add color, and take the pressure off the stove during the busiest part of the night.

Wood Ear Mushroom Salad (凉拌木耳)

I picked this wood ear mushroom salad because it is the cold starter I make first, and it takes just 30 minutes. The crunchy texture is a nice contrast to the richer braised dishes that follow. It is a light plate I want at the front of a heavy holiday meal.

Rehydrated wood ear mushrooms give the salad its amazing snappy crunchy bite. Chinkiang vinegar brings a tangy sharpness that wakes up the whole dish. Toasted Sichuan peppercorn adds a tingling warmth over the top that I absolutely enjoy.

I serve this chilled, straight from the fridge most of the time. Because it holds well, I make it ahead and cross one dish off my list early. It is a nice starter that lets the mains be the stars.

Salt and Pepper Shrimp (椒盐虾)

Salt and pepper shrimp is my hot appetizer for the night, crisp and ready in 20 minutes. If you would rather have another fried starter, my Cantonese chicken egg rolls work here too. I like something crisp and shareable to pass around while the duck rests.

You must know that a light cornstarch coating is what gives the shrimp their crisp shell after a quick fry. White pepper is the seasoning that defines the dish with its savory heat. Lastly, the garlic and fresh chile finish it with fragrance and a little color.

I bring these out hot and let everyone grab them with their fingers. They are gone pretty quickly all the time, so I fry them last and walk them straight to the table. Nobody waits politely for shrimp like this!

Chinese Spinach Salad with Peanuts (老醋菠菜花生)

This spinach and peanut salad is the fastest recipe in the collection at 15 minutes, and it is one of my favorite ways to add greens to a rich table. It is cool, tangy, and refreshing next to all the braised meat. I love making it whenever the menu needs a fresh flavor.

Blanched spinach is the tender base that takes on the dressing well. Chinkiang vinegar gives the aged savory tang that names the dish in Chinese. I add salted roasted peanuts for the crunch that makes every bite more interesting.

I serve this cold as a starter or a side, and it is another one I make ahead. A few minutes of work gives me a dish that balances the whole table. Simple and honest, exactly what a big meal needs right?.

Main Dishes

The main dishes are the heart of a Mid-Autumn table, and I choose whole cuts on purpose. A whole duck, a whole fish, and a whole chicken each stand for family unity and abundance, so I like to serve them intact and let everyone share.

Chinese Roast Duck (烤鸭)

Chinese roast duck is the centerpiece I plan the whole reunion around, with lacquered skin and tender meat. Most of the process is hands-off drying and marinating before the duck ever goes into the oven. For an easier bird, my beer duck braises on the stovetop in a fraction of the time.

A whole Pekin duck is the right choice here for its fat and its crisp-roasting skin. A rub of five spice powder and red fermented tofu seasons the meat from the inside. A honey and Chinese red vinegar glaze is what turns the skin dark, glossy, and crisp. Exactly how I like it!

I carve this at the table so everyone watches the skin crackle under the knife. My husband claims the first slices every year, and I have stopped fighting him for them. I personally like serving it with plum sauce or a ginger scallion sauce on the side.

Chinese Braised Whole Fish (红烧鱼)

A whole fish is non negotiable on my Mid-Autumn table because the word for fish sounds like the word for surplus, a wish for abundance in the year ahead. This braised version is on the table in just 30 minutes. If you prefer a lighter, cleaner style, my Chinese steamed fish is the one I turn to.

I love how a whole branzino, dusted with cornstarch and seared, stay intact through the braise. Light and dark soy sauce give the sauce its savory depth and warm color. Ginger and scallion season the fish and keep the flavor fresh.

I serve the fish whole, head and tail intact, because a complete fish stands for a good beginning and end to the year. It goes to the center of the table for everyone to share. A spoonful of the sauce over rice is how I finish my own bowl. So good!

White Cut Chicken (白切鸡)

White cut chicken is the dish I make when I want the pure flavor of a whole bird, which stands for completeness at a reunion meal. This one takes about 4 hours 30 minutes, most of it poaching and cooling rather than active work. For a heartier autumn option, my braised chicken with mushroom is a delicious saucy alternative.

I typically use a whole chicken under 3 pounds poaches up tender and silky with almost no seasoning in the pot. A ginger and scallion sauce is what turns the plain chicken into something people fight over. A little sesame oil rounds out that dipping sauce.

I chop the chicken into pieces and serve it cold with the ginger scallion sauce on the side, the way my mom always did. Each member of my family dips their own, so the flavor stays fresh bite to bite.

Hong Shao Rou (Red Braised Pork, 红烧肉)

Hong shao rou is my rich centerpiece pork, cubes of belly braised until glossy and tender in about 2 hours 10 minutes. It is the celebratory dish I want when the table calls for something indulgent. For a roasted pork instead, my char siu covers that craving.

Pork belly is the only cut I use for this, with its layers of fat and meat that turn silky in the braise. Caramelized sugar and Shaoxing wine give the sauce its sweet and savory base. Light and dark soy sauce with star anise round out the nice color and warm spice.

I serve this over steamed rice so the sauce has somewhere to go. My son will happily eat a bowl of rice just to have the sauce on it, chili free of course. I can tell you that it is the dish my family remembers long after the plates are cleared.

Sides

Sides are where I balance a table that is heavy on meat, so I add a soup, a chewy stir fry, and a green vegetable. The ones below are my absolute favorites:

Lotus Root Soup With Pork Ribs (排骨莲藕汤)

Lotus root soup is my choice for the soup course, since lotus root is at its best in the fall and its rings look pretty in the bowl. It simmers in about 1 hour 50 minutes into something warm and restorative. It is the comforting pot I want on a cool holiday evening.

Lotus root gives the soup its starchy tender bite that softens as it simmers. I love how the pork spare ribs make the broth savory and full-bodied and raw peanuts and shiitake mushrooms add depth and a little sweetness to the pot.

I ladle this into bowls as the warm course between the richer plates. My mom made a version of this every autumn, and the smell of it on the stove takes me straight back to her kitchen. It is a nourishing dish in the middle of a festive meal. I highly recommend it!

Rice Cake Stir Fry (炒年糕, Chao Nian Gao)

Rice cake stir fry earns its place on my menu because nian gao means a higher year, a wish for growth and good fortune. It comes together in just 25 minutes for a chewy satisfying side. It is festive, filling, and a little playful all at once.

Sliced rice cakes give the dish its chewy springy texture that takes on the sauce. Chicken and baby bok choy add protein and a fresh green bite I love. Oyster sauce and soy sauce coat everything in a savory glossy glaze.

I serve this as a hearty side, though you can eat like a small meal on its own. My son loves the chewy texture and picks the rice cakes out one by one. It is the dish that makes the table look abundant without much effort.

Chinese Winter Melon Soup with Meatballs (冬瓜丸子汤)

This winter melon and meatball soup is a light clear option that balances the richer dishes, and it is ready in 25 minutes. The round meatballs are a small nod to the reunion theme of the night. It is the comforting bowl I always want on a full menu.

Winter melon turns soft and almost translucent as it simmers, with a mild flavor that takes on the broth. Obsessed with this! Tender pork meatballs, rolled round, give the soup its substance and its symbolism. Chicken stock, ginger, and cilantro keep the whole bowl fresh and fragrant.

I serve this alongside the heavier mains so the table has something light to return to. Trust me, a clear soup between rich bites resets the palate. I highly recommend it!

Chinese Garlic Green Beans

Chinese garlic green beans are my quick green vegetable, blistered and savory in just 22 minutes. Every big meal needs a simple vegetable right? And this is the one I make the most.

I simply use green beans blistered in a hot pan take on a lightly charred tender-crisp texture. Plenty of garlic and ginger give the dish its savory fragrance and a splash of Shaoxing wine and soy sauce ties the seasoning together.

I cook these last, while the braised dishes rest and the rice finishes. They go from pan to table in minutes, so the green stays vivid. A humble side like this is what makes the rest of the menu shine.

Mooncakes and Desserts

No Mid-Autumn Festival is complete without mooncakes, so I saved the sweets for last. I like to bake a batch or two a few days ahead, then serve them cut into wedges with tea while we watch the moon.

Red Bean Mooncake (红豆沙月饼)

This red bean mooncake is my must-have for the holiday, a Cantonese style pastry with a smooth filling and a lacquered top. To make this one take around 4 hours, since the dough needs resting and the mooncakes need a short bake and rest. For a different filling, my traditional mooncake uses a toasted black sesame center instead.

Homemade red bean paste is the smooth, sweet heart of each mooncake. A golden syrup and kansui dough is what make the crust its tender bite and glossy color.

I bake these a few days ahead so the crust has time to soften to the right texture. On the night itself, I cut each one into wedges and pass them around with tea, just like my mom did. Sharing a single mooncake around the table is the whole point of the night.

Snow Skin Mooncake with Custard Filling (冰皮月饼)

Snow skin mooncakes are the no-bake option I love for their soft, mochi-like shell and pastel colors. They take about 5 hours 30 minutes, mostly chilling time in the fridge. They are a modern take that always draws a crowd at my table.

A dough of glutinous rice flour, rice flour, and cornstarch makes the snow skin its soft, chewy texture. A custard of egg yolk, milk, and butter makes the filling smooth and creamy. Confectioners sugar keeps the whole thing tender and lightly sweet.

I serve these chilled, straight from the fridge, since the skin is at its best cold. My son reaches for the soft snow skin over the baked mooncakes every time. They are proof that a mooncake does not need an oven to belong on the table. So good!

Coconut Mochi (糯米滋, Lo Mai Chi)

Coconut mochi is my go-to sweet for anyone who finds mooncakes too fussy. These chewy little bites are rolled in coconut and come together with no mold and no oven required. Yes, you read that right! They’re what I make when I want something festive without turning it into a whole project. If you’re a busy mom like me, you know what I mean.

The key ingredient here is the glutinous rice flour which gives the mochi its chewy springy texture. Coconut milk in the dough and shredded coconut on the outside make the whole bite fragrant and a center of red bean paste ties it back to the flavors of the mooncakes.

I roll these by hand, which makes them a fun job to share with my son at the counter. We eat them the same night with tea while the moon comes up. Easy peasy, and a sweet way to end the meal.

Sticky Rice Cake with Red Bean Paste

Sticky rice cake with red bean paste is a chewy pan-fried sweet I make in just 40 minutes, and it is one of the easiest treats on this list. It has the same red bean flavor as the mooncakes without any of the work. For a similar pan-fried cake with a fall twist, my Chinese pumpkin cake uses pumpkin right in the dough. So yummy!

Same as the coconut mochi the glutinous rice flour is what I use to provide these cakes their soft chewy texture. This homemade sweet red bean paste version is much easier than the red bean paste mooncake filling and does not require special ingredient. White roasted sesame seeds on the outside add a nutty crunch and a pretty finish.

I pan-fry these until the outsides turn golden, then serve them warm. Most of my friends love eating them with their fingers while the centers are still soft. They are a quick cozy way to complete the dessert table when I have loved ones over. I can’t wait for you to make them!

How I Set My Mid-Autumn Table

You do not need to cook all 15 of these to celebrate well. Start with 1 whole main, 1 side, a soup, and a mooncake, then add more as the menu grows on you.

A few last notes from my own kitchen. Make the braises and cold dishes a day ahead so the holiday itself is calm, and save the quick stir fries for the final minutes at the stove. Bake your mooncakes several days early, because the crust needs that time to soften to the right texture.

Most of all, serve the meal family style and share the mooncakes cut into wedges, the way this holiday is meant to be enjoyed. I hope this collection gives your family a table worth gathering around under the full moon this year. If you make any of these, let me know how it goes in the comments below.