Hosting Taiwanese Grandma-Approved Family Dinner
It is a lot easier to host a Taiwanese Grandma-Approved family dinner than you think! It’s my grandma’s last night in Canada, so of course we had to cook up a feast for her goodbye dinner. Today, we’re making some of my best hosting recipes, as well as my grandma’s personal favorites. There’s 2 meat mains, 2 soups, and 2 veggie dishes for a balanced family-style meal that satisfied my entire family!
Home Cooked Goodbye Asian Family Dinner For Grandma
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to get invited to an Asian family dinner, let me bring you behind the scenes of what goes on in my kitchen whenever I have my family over. Food has always been how my family shows love, and i’m grateful for this summer that has been filled with so much love. Today is a little extra special, because this is my grandma’s final dinner in Canada before she flies back to Taiwan tomorrow. So obviously,I’m cooking a little bit of everything.
My grandma is an amazing chef herself. So, it definitely takes some skills to impress her. But, today’s dishes are all grandma-approved, and even requested! Since we’re eating family-style, Plus, I’m actually so proud to be cooking some of the recipes I learned from my grandma for her. I always like to have a few different proteins. We’ve got my crispy chicken breast and soy glazed pork belly, two of my FAVORITE dishes for hosting because you can prep almost everything ahead of time.
Along with the 2 mains, I made 2 different soups: a bright, tomato-based shrimp tofu stew, and a refreshingly light coconut chicken soup. Lastly, two veggies options: a cold cucumber tomato salad, and a quick zucchini stir-fry, which where incredibly quick to whip up right before dinner started. We finished the night with fruit, wine, cake, and one last night together on the balcony.
Taiwanese Crispy Chicken Breast
I’m making one of my favorite dishes for hosting today: Taiwanese Crispy Chicken Breast. This recipe is actually my grandma’s absolute crowd pleaser, and I’m so proud to be the one making it for her for a change. Honestly, I’m always surprised how juicy this chicken breast is. What’s even better, this is also an amazing prep-ahead recipe! Since you can keep the marinated chicken in the fridge for up to 3 days, I marinated this a day before and had plenty of time to prepare everything else.
- 3 large chicken breasts
- 2.5 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
- ½ tsp white pepper
- ½ cup tapioca starch for coating
- 3-4 tbsp oil for pan-frying
Korean Soy Glazed Pork Belly
This Korean Soy Glazed Pork Belly is a hosting dish that I love making again and again. In fact, I actually made it when we were hosting Dom’s grandma too! So, this might truly be a grandma-approved recipe! When I’m hosting a big group, I love to have more than one protein option on the table. This pork belly is always, and i mean ALWAYS, a hit. It’s also an easy hosting dish because you simply let it slow simmer while you prepare other things.
Coconut Chicken Soup
The real star of an Asian family dinner is always the soup, because in an Asian household, dinner just doesn’t feel complete without soup. Tonight I made this fresh coconut chicken soup. Since we have 2 meat-based mains that are hearty and satisfying, I added this light and healthy chicken soup to bring a warm, fragrant broth to the table. The subtle sweetness of the coconut adds another layer of flavor while giving everyone something light and comforting to sip between bites of the savory mains.
- 6-8 chicken drumsticks bone-in and skin-on
- 2 Small fresh coconuts
- 4-5 slices ginger divided
- 2 green onions
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns optional
- 4-6 dried jujubes aka red dates
- Unsweetened bottled coconut water if needed
- Salt to taste
Tofu Shrimp Ball Stew
My grandma specifically requested this Shrimp Ball and Tofu Stew, which I made for her SEVEN years ago. Somehow, she still remembers it to this day. So, of course this is a must-have for our going-away dinner. This soup is light, healthy, and packed with so much shrimp flavor. With two hearty, savory meat dishes, this bright, umami-packed tomato soup keeps the whole meal from getting too heavy. This is honestly such a quick recipe to make, it genuinely makes hosting dinner easier.
Shrimp Balls
- 1.5 lb Shrimp
- 1 tbsp Dashi Powder
- 1 tsp White Pepper
- 1 Egg White
- 2 tsp Corn Starch
Tomato Tofu Soup
- 1 pack silken tofu cubed
- 2 cups Water or dashi stock for tomato broth
- 3 Tomato
- Ketchup for tomato-based broth
Yuzu Tomato Cucumber Salad
For veggies, I made my refreshing Sesame Yuzu Cucumber and Tomato Salad. My original recipe uses only tomatoes, but this variation adds crisp cucumbers for extra freshness and crunch, which pairs especially well with the bright, citrusy yuzu dressing. As a no-cook dish, it’s an easy way to add another fresh, vibrant side to the table without any extra cooking. Simply chop, season, and mix! If you make this ahead of time, the veggies will also have some time to absorb all that delicious yuzu flavor.
- 1.5 tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1.5-2 tbsp kai dong Yuzu Sesame Dressing
- 2 tsp furikake seasoning
- chopped green onion garnish
Sauteed Garlic Zucchini
The garlic zucchini stir-fry is another super easy vegetable dish I made for dinner. We have the cold tomato cucumber salad, but it’s always nice to have a cooked veggie option as well. The zucchini cooks until soft and easy to eat, while garlic and oregano add plenty of flavor without making it heavy or complicated. It’s also so quick to prepare, it’s ready in no time. This is the perfect kind of simple but delicious dish to whip up, especially when there’s unexpected dinner guests.
- 6 medium zucchinis, sliced
- 6–8 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1–1½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper, optional
Cooking For A Crowd is Easier With My Hosting Guides
