What better way to ring in the Chinese New Year than with some Asian-inspired crockpot recipes your whole family will love? From textbook takeout dishes like beef with broccoli to recipes that spin classic Asian flavors in a fun way — Asian chicken nachos, anyone? — we've got something for every family to enjoy this Lunar New Year.
Read through for 12 slow-cooker recipes that will make you want to put down the takeout menu, pronto (not forever though, we're not monsters).
Asian BBQ Lil' Smokies
Elevate the everyday (seriously, why every single day, kid?) hot dog with this recipe for "lil' smokies [1]," which consists of hot dogs dipped in a delicious Asian BBQ sauce.
Sweet Soy Sauce Shredded Chicken
Scoop a pile of this juicy, shredded chicken [2] with its sticky and sweet soy sauce over a plate of rice to fill up little bellies.
Asian Chicken Nachos
What kid doesn't love eating nachos — they get to use their hands and are typically full of cheese. Change up your nacho routine for the New Year with this recipe for Asian chicken nachos [3].
Orange Beef
This beef dish [4] is perfect to serve over their favorite rice or noodles.
Shredded Chicken Noodle Stir Fry
Stir-fry meals are one of the easiest ways to sneak extra veggies into your picky child's [5] meal, and this chicken stir fry [6] is a great place to start!
Pork Lettuce Wraps
Bring the fun of making lettuce wraps in the restaurant to your family's table with these kid-friendly pork lettuce wraps [7] that add a bit of green to their plate, and can be eaten using their hands (win).
Beef With Broccoli
This beef with broccoli dish [8] may just look better than the stuff that comes in the plastic takeout containers (maybe).
Honey Sriracha Chicken
This sweet and spicy chicken dish [9] has only a few ingredients, but it's so good that your kids will go back for seconds (and thirds).
Chinese Pulled Beef
Omit the peppers for a kid-friendly version of this pulled beef [10] (but if you can get your kids to eat peppers, please tell us how). Serve over spiralized zucchini noodles [11] to get an extra serving of veggies onto their plate!
Sweet and Spicy Asian Noodles
Imitate the sweet and spicy sauce from your local takeout with this noodle dish [12] that is drenched in the stuff. Yummy.
Crispy Chinese Shredded Chicken
This juice, crunchy Chinese chicken [13] is going to be your new go-to poultry dish and your kiddo's new favorite.
Asian Chicken Bowls
These chicken bowls [14] can be made spicy or mild, and can include rice, noodles, or pretty much any type of veggie. Follow the recipe, or follow your kid's palate (we fear we may have to do the latter).