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These fakeaway recipes are perfect for those nights when you fancy all the deliciousness of a takeaway, but want to make it at home! From sticky, crispy Chinese chicken and fragrant Indian curries to homemade fish and chips, there are plenty of family favourites to choose from. I love a good Friday-night fakeaway, especially when we can mix and match a few dishes and get everyone stuck in. A big bowl of curry with fluffy pilau rice, or crispy chicken with all the Chinese takeaway-style sides – yes please!
“We would never buy a pack from the supermarket again; these are even better than the toast we enjoy from our local takeaway!”
I do love a good takeaway, but there’s something really satisfying about recreating our favourite dishes at home. Especially when you can make a few different things, pop everything in the middle of the table and let everyone help themselves!
Over the years, Chris and I have made A LOT of fakeaway recipes for Kitchen Sanctuary. From our much-loved crispy sesame chicken and sweet and sour chicken to a proper chicken madras with homemade chapatis, these are the kinds of dishes we love cooking and eating as a family.
Every recipe on Kitchen Sanctuary is tested multiple times before we share it, and getting those takeaway-style flavours and textures just right is always important to me. Whether it’s making sure the chicken stays lovely and crispy, the curry sauce is rich and full of flavour, or the fried rice isn’t sticky, it’s those little details that make all the difference.
I’ve brought together some of our favourites here, including Chinese and Indian fakeaways, British and Irish chippy classics. Some are quick enough for a midweek dinner, while others are perfect for a Friday-night feast.
Whether you’re craving a spicy curry, sticky stir-fry chicken or good ole’ fish and chips, we’ve got some great recipes for you.
Why These Fakeaway Recipes Work
There’s a reason we keep coming back to these homemade takeaway favourites!
Big, bold flavours: From sticky, sweet Chinese sauces to rich, warming Indian curries, there’s no compromising on taste.
Family favourites: Plenty of familiar dishes that everyone can get excited about.
Easy to mix and match: Make one main dish or put together a proper takeaway-style feast with all the sides.
Something for every occasion: Quick midweek dinners, air fryer favourites and a few special-occasion dishes when you fancy going all out.
Tried-and-tested recipes: Full recipe instructions, tips and helpful advice to get the best results at home.
Right then, what are we ordering… I mean cooking? 😁
Sticky sauces, crispy chicken, sizzling stir-fries and plenty of fried rice! These homemade Chinese fakeaway recipes are some of my favourites when we’re craving those big takeaway flavours.
I love being able to recreate those classic Chinese takeaway dishes at home, especially when we can make a few different things and share them around the table. And let’s be honest, you can never have too much of that lovely sticky sauce!
4.93 from 282 votes
Sticky Chinese Pork Belly
Sticky Chinese Belly Pork – Slow-cooked until meltingly tender and then finished with a sticky chilli glaze.
This is how you make perfect homemade Chinese-style beef in black bean sauce. Use my homemade black bean sauce recipe, or store-bought, and you'll have a delicious stir fry, full of umami flavour.
This is my homemade crispy sweet and sour chicken recipe with a sweet and tangy sauce made from scratch using store cupboard ingredients! Ready in 25 minutes.
How about these Oven Baked Asian Ribs with Crispy Onions for Chinese New Year? Slow cooked in the oven until tender, then brushed with a sticky marinade and finished with crispy onions!
Crispy Sesame Chicken with a Sticky Asian Sauce – tastier than that naughty takeaway and super simple to make. Sweet, salty, crispy, sticky and a little bit spicy – it covers all the bases for one of these meals that everyone polishes off. Its a real family favourite!
My Copycat Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken is a deliciously spicy stir fry with lots of chunky veggies and chicken, coated in a rich, tasty homemade sauce!
Love a good curry night? From creamy chicken tikka masala to a spicy madras, these Indian takeaway-inspired favourites are perfect for making at home. Don’t forget the rice and chapatis for mopping up all that lovely sauce!
4.91 from 43 votes
Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe
Chicken Tikka Masala – tender chunks of marinated chargrilled chicken in a creamy mild sauce with garlic, ginger and spices. Kids and adults alike love this dish.
This butter chicken is a lovely mild curry with plenty of sauce to soak into the rice! A little bit of up front prep is all you need, then you can cook this dish in less than 30 minutes.
This vegetarian curry uses chunks of creamy paneer in a fragrant butter-style curry sauce. It’s mild enough for the whole family to enjoy, but you can spice up the paneer curry recipe with the addition of some fresh chillies if you like it hotter.
Rich, aromatic, and layered with the deep flavours of the spices together with the rich lamb this lamb rogan josh is a comforting classic curry. This step-by-step, easy to follow recipe will guide you to creating a curry that’s both impressive and delicious.
You can’t beat a proper chippy tea, can you? From golden battered fish and chunky chips to juicy kebabs and the brilliantly moreish Irish spice bag, these UK and Irish fakeaway recipes are perfect for a Friday-night treat.
Living by the sea, I’m never far from the tempting smell of freshly cooked chips! I love being able to recreate those takeaway favourites at home, complete with plenty of salt and vinegar, mushy peas and a generous helping of curry sauce.
5 from 3 votes
Beer Battered Fish
Beer Battered Fish – Beautiful, tender, creamy white fish in the crispiest golden batter. This chip-shop style fish is ridiculously tasty, and surprisingly easy to make yourself at home.
Make Chicken Doner Kebabs at home! Tender, spiced, marinated chicken cooked until lightly charred, then sliced thinly and served in warm flatbreads with all the toppings.
Chip shop-style chips (or chippy chips) are a British classic. Very lightly golden thick chips with a slightly crispy exterior and a soft, fluffy interior.
This is how we make cheesy smash burgers on our BBQ flat top or flat griddle. Thin-yet-juicy, double cheeseburgers with that perfect crust, special sauce and all the fixings!
Sometimes the sides are just as good as the main event! Whether it’s a big bowl of egg fried rice, crispy salt and pepper chips or warm naan for mopping up all that lovely curry sauce, these homemade takeaway sides are perfect for turning dinner into a proper fakeaway feast.
I always find that making an extra side or two makes the whole meal feel that little bit more special.
4.89 from 34 votes
Egg Fried Rice Recipe
A quick recipe for takeaway-style egg fried rice with loads of flavour! Great for serving up as part of a homemade Chinese fakeaway.
Crispy prawn toast is infinitely better when it’s homemade. Top slices of bread with a simple whizzed up prawn mixture, coat in sesame seeds and fry to golden perfection. You can have these ready in less than 20 minutes!
A quick and easy recipe for warm, soft, lightly charred chapati. Ready in 40 minutes, I love to make these whilst my curry is bubbling away. The perfect vessel for mopping up that curry sauce.
Love your air fryer? These air fryer fakeaway recipes are brilliant for recreating some of those crispy takeaway favourites at home, without needing to deep-fry everything.
I’ve had so much fun developing air fryer versions of some of our most popular dishes. Getting that lovely crispy coating and keeping the chicken juicy is always the goal, and these recipes really deliver on flavour.
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Air Fryer Chicken Tikka Recipe
Air Fryer Chicken Tikka – Tender, juicy chicken marinated in a rich tikka paste and air fried until golden and perfectly charred at the edges. All finished off with simple coriander garlic butter!
Air Fryer Sesame Chicken – crispy chicken pieces cooked in the air fryer and served in a simple sticky-soy-sesame sauce. A quick and easy dinner that cooks in less than 20 minutes.
My favourite dish from the Chinese takeaway made in the air fryer! Crispy strips of beef with little slivers on onion in a tangy spicy sauce. It's ready in 25 minutes!
Chicken, peppers and onions cooked in a creamy coconut curry sauce – this easy curry is made completely in the air fryer. It's all ready in less than 30 minutes!
Craving that perfectly crispy Japanese fried chicken? This Air Fryer Chicken Karaage is the answer! Marinated chicken thigh pieces, coated in potato starch, and air-fried to golden perfection—no deep fryer needed.
It’s not all about Chinese and Indian takeaways! There are so many other delicious dishes to recreate at home. From spicy Korean fried chicken and fragrant Thai curries to crispy Japanese katsu and juicy peri peri chicken, these homemade takeaway favourites are perfect when you fancy something a little different.
4.89 from 18 votes
Thai Green Chicken Curry Recipe
My deliciously rich and aromatic Thai Green Chicken Curry with homemade curry paste. Make it mild or spicy with a vibrant creamy sauce.
Crispy chicken cutlets in a mild curry sauce with carrots, potato and onion. This classic Japanese Katsu curry uses curry blocks for speed and simplicity.
Have I missed your favourite takeaway dish? Let me know in the comments below! I’m always looking for new fakeaway recipes to try, and I’d love to know what you’d like to see me recreate next. Who knows, your favourite might be the next recipe I make!
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Welcome to Kitchen Sanctuary
Hi, I’m Nicky, bestselling author, award-winning recipe creator and food photographer. I love to cook comforting, delicious and easy recipes and share them with you.
Hi again from Thailand Nicky.
Thanks for the above recipes, a few I am going to try.
you asked about our favourites, and one that immediately comes to mind is in the 80’s I used to have an Indian takeaway on a Saturday night…..Lamb Dhansak. I have tried so many recipes, yet non have created that BIR style recipe I enjoyed so much.
Thanks again
Dennis
What an amazing site. I’ve already noted you slow cooker spicy beef curry – can’t wait to get going. You were recommended to me by my daughter, and I have to say I love your fakeaway folder!! Wish I’d found you before. Sensible layout, clear instructions and mouthwatering photography. Thank you.
These recipes look fantastic, cant wait to try them.
I have a severe allergy to coconut, do you think that the chicken satay with peanut chilli sauce would work just as well using almond milk.
Kind regards Shirley
We do have a whole section on Currys https://www.kitchensanctuary.com/category/curries/ but we don’t have a dhansak yet. We do have one in the works which will be coming out in August once we have had some more time to test and perfect it 🙂
Thank you Nicky. We are day 11 in lockdown and meal ideas needed boosting. What is so good is I have all ingredients in my pantry/freezer. My daughter has groceries delivered to us so we have no need to go out. Wishing you and yours well and safe in this terrible time.
Hi again from Thailand Nicky.
Thanks for the above recipes, a few I am going to try.
you asked about our favourites, and one that immediately comes to mind is in the 80’s I used to have an Indian takeaway on a Saturday night…..Lamb Dhansak. I have tried so many recipes, yet non have created that BIR style recipe I enjoyed so much.
Thanks again
Dennis
Wow what a selection can’t wait, I’ve got your book and it’s great.
What an amazing site. I’ve already noted you slow cooker spicy beef curry – can’t wait to get going. You were recommended to me by my daughter, and I have to say I love your fakeaway folder!! Wish I’d found you before. Sensible layout, clear instructions and mouthwatering photography. Thank you.
Hi Christine
These recipes look fantastic, cant wait to try them.
I have a severe allergy to coconut, do you think that the chicken satay with peanut chilli sauce would work just as well using almond milk.
Kind regards Shirley
Hi Shirley, I haven’t tried it, but I think almond milk would work – or double/heavy cream.
Do you do dhansak curry?
Hi Christine,
We do have a whole section on Currys https://www.kitchensanctuary.com/category/curries/ but we don’t have a dhansak yet. We do have one in the works which will be coming out in August once we have had some more time to test and perfect it 🙂
Thanks
Chris
Thank you Nicky. We are day 11 in lockdown and meal ideas needed boosting. What is so good is I have all ingredients in my pantry/freezer. My daughter has groceries delivered to us so we have no need to go out. Wishing you and yours well and safe in this terrible time.
Thanks so much Lynne,
Nicky and I are so glad that you can get hold of ingredients and our site is giving you some recipe inspiration 🙂
Thanks again and stay safe,
Chris & Nicky