Taiwanese Dishes 

The recent cold weather is a welcome respite from the usual heat, but it also reminds us of the cool Taiwan air. In pre-pandemic times, Singaporeans would often take short getaways to Taipei or Jiu Fen, not only for the nicer temperatures but also for the amazing street food. Think XXL Chicken Cutlets, authentic Lu Rou Fan, or slurp-able Oyster Mee Sua. 

If you miss walking down Ximenting, we’ve got 6 Taiwanese recipes for you to try at home. They’re tasty, fun and simple to make. However, consider yourself warned: these might make you miss Taiwan even more!

1. Oyster Mee Sua 

By far the best Taiwan street food for cold weather, Oyster Mee Sua is well-known for its strong flavours and starchy broth. To get the savoury flavours, we use a simple mix of bonito flakes, dried cuttlefish and chicken stock in our recipe. 

In terms of ingredients, oysters are actually very easy to find in seafood markets in Singapore. While sashimi-grade fresh oysters will elevate the recipe, you can quickly get frozen ones from supermarkets like Fairprice for cheap. Add in some Mee Sua noodles, and you have your satisfying Taiwanese treat. 

Recipe: https://themeatmen.org/recipe-taiwanese-oyster-mee-sua/ 

Preparation Time: 1 hour 15 mins. Serves 8.

2. Taiwanese Three Cup Chicken 

The “three cups” in this dish literally refers to three different cups of sauces used in this flavourful dish — soy sauce, rice wine and sesame oil. With tender and crisp chicken cubes, this dish goes well with rice, dry noodles, or even on its own as a snack if you’re feeling up for it. 

You can also customise your own flavours to your liking by adding more chilli, Thai basil, or any of the three sauces. Or you can level up with Essence of Chicken, like we did here. Try it yourself, and thank us later. 

Recipe: https://themeatmen.org/taiwanese-3-cup-chicken/ 

Preparation Time: 25 mins. Serves 4.

3. Lu Rou Fan

If you’re looking for a hearty and delicious Taiwanese meal, this Lu Rou Fan recipe will both satiate your hunger and bring you back to the streets of Taiwan. In this recipe, the mix of pork belly and pork skin gives the dish its signature fatty mouthfeel, but feel free to switch up to leaner meat if you want.  

You can also swap out the traditional braised egg with the runny Ramen egg (recipe included!). The mix of the creamy egg yolk with the decadent sauce on warm rice is truly a match made in heaven. 

If you’re planning to cook this, do plan ahead — the simmering of the pork will take about 3 hours, and the best ramen eggs should be marinated overnight. The results are well worth it! 

Recipe: https://themeatmen.org/lu-rou-fan2/ 

Preparation Time: 4 hours. Serves 4.

4. Taiwanese XXL Fried Chicken Cutlet

An iconic staple in any Taiwanese night market, there’s a good reason why this snack has garnered so much attention. For one, the size of the chicken cutlets are huge, so get ready your biggest frying pan. The good news is that you don’t need a giant chicken to get the XXL size — our recipe simply uses a butterflied and flattened normal chicken breast. 

Apart from the tender chicken, don’t forget the other star of the dish, which is the chilli powder. Be as generous as you like! 

Recipe: https://themeatmen.org/recipe-xxl-fried-chicken-cutlet/ 

Preparation Time: 2 hours 30 mins. Serves 2.

5. Taiwanese Salt and Pepper Chicken 

A cross between the Three Cup Chicken and Chicken Cutlet recipes, this 15-minute dish hits the right notes for the best of both worlds. You get the crispiness and satisfaction of the Chicken Cutlet, but with the tenderness and bite-sized ease of Three Cup Chicken. 

The flavour doesn’t disappoint, either, with no less than 10 seasoning ingredients like ginger, chicken powder, rice wine and soy sauce. And of course, the salt and pepper that gives this dish its name. For the finishing touch, top with some basil leaves for an added freshness.

Recipe: https://themeatmen.org/taiwanese-salt-and-pepper-chicken/ 

Preparation Time: 15 minutes. Serves 2 to 4.

5. Soup Dumplings / Xiao Long Baos

Rounding up our list are soup dumplings also known as xiao long bao. While these originated in China, the soup dumplings are also wildly popular in Taiwan. With intricate steps of folding and steaming, this recipe is for intermediate to advanced cooks, or if you just want to try something new. 

With the right proportion of ingredients as listed in our recipe, you’ll end up with delicious dumplings filled with a rich and hearty soup. The flavours of the pork filling, both savoury and umami will keep you wanting more. Safe to say, one will not be enough! 

Taiwan food recipes

Whether it’s a simple snack or a meal, Taiwanese food has always proven to be delicious. While we wait to be able to travel to Taiwan again, bring some of the Taiwan fare to your home with these recipes. 

If you’ve tried to create any of these dishes, share some pictures or even cooking tips on our Facebook Cooking Community. We can’t wait to see your creations! 

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Some other recipes you might like: 

• Take a trip to MY with this Penang Char Kway Teow
• Bite into Korea with this Korean Grilled Pork Recipe
• How about Italy? With this Bolognese Pasta

P.S. We’ve got recipes for all your Singaporean and Asian favourites on our Youtube channel. Subscribe and share with your friends!

P.P.S. Can’t find a recipe you like? Drop us a comment or ping us on our socials. 

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