Rechao (traditional Chinese: 熱炒; simplified Chinese: 热炒) is a style of Taiwanese cuisine that uses a wok to stir fry food. Rechao combines the Chinese characters for "hot" (Chinese: 熱) and "stir-fry" (Chinese: 炒) and is the Mandarin pronunciation for those characters. It is also known as kuaichao (Chinese: 快炒), which literally means "fast stir-fry". Rechao eateries have been compared to Cantonese-style dim sum eateries, the Japanese bar izakaya, British pubs, Hong Kong's dai pai dong, and night markets in Taiwan.

Rechao restaurants built a significant foothold in Taipei in the 1970s. Originally offering seafood from the nearby port city of Keelung, they later expanded their menu options. During the Taiwan Economic Miracle in the 1980s, the strong economy kept people focused on their jobs and working into the evening. As they finished their work for the day, these workers sought inexpensive and fast food choices. Seafood restaurant owners capitalized on this by converting their businesses into affordable rechao eateries. The modern version of the rechao restaurant emerged in the 1980s once heavy-duty burners operated by gas became available. The struggling economy in the 2000s induced people to avoid fine dining restaurants in favor of cheap options like rechao restaurants, causing a surge in their popularity. Despite their widespread appeal in Taiwan, rechao restaurants remain relatively unknown internationally.

Rechao eateries have simple decor, typically featuring plastic stools and short tables for seating. People of various social backgrounds dine at the venues, which provide a casual atmosphere for them to unwind and connect. Meals can last for several hours, as copious amounts of beer—frequently from the Taiwan Beer brand—is drunk. Rechao menu items are influenced by numerous cultures including Fujianese, Japanese, Korean, Sichuanese, Southeast Asian, and Taiwanese. Dishes contain large helpings of oil and salt which complement beer.

The phrase rechao (Chinese: 熱炒) combines the Chinese characters for "hot" (Chinese: 熱) and "stir-fry" (Chinese: 炒) and is the Mandarin pronunciation for those characters. It is employed as a verb and a noun. The name comes from how the food is cooked at a high temperature to exterminate bacteria. Rechao is also known as kuaichao (Chinese: 快炒), which literally means "fast stir-fry". It alludes to how the restaurants attempt to cook and present the dish to customers as swiftly as possible.

During the 1970s, rechao eateries established a strong presence in Taipei. Its initial dishes were made of seafood transported from Keelung, a port city situated 30 km (19 mi) from Taipei. The seafood restaurants had fish tanks containing recently procured fish that chefs used to prepare dishes. Rechao restaurants were born as the seafood restaurants began to gradually broaden their menu options. In the midst of the Taiwan Economic Miracle in the 1980s, Taiwan had undergone significant urbanization. As the booming economy kept people busy with work, more street vendors began serving stir-fry dishes. White-collar workers who worked into the evening started seeking inexpensive, fast, and adaptable food options. They frequently chose to dine out for all three of their daily meals and sought budget-friendly spots where they could socialize at the end of the workday. Viewing this as a business opportunity, seafood restaurant owners converted their establishments into inexpensive rechao eateries. The restaurants had air conditioning and decor and allowed customers to sit inside or outside. After heavy-duty burners operated by gas became available in Taiwan in the 1980s, the contemporary version of rechao emerged. Rechao restaurants surged in popularity during the 1990s as employees who had finished their workday sought to relax.

At the start of 1990, the Taiwan Stock Exchange hit a record high. By 2000, the market had dropped substantially owing to international conflicts and the bursting of the dot-com bubble. The poor economic conditions caused people to avoid costly fine dining places which closed down as inexpensive dining options emerged. Taiwan's streets—particularly along Chang'an East Road in Taipei's Zhongshan District—started displaying signs like "NT$100 Live Seafood" (Chinese: 一百活海鮮), "$99 Rechao" (Chinese: 九十九快炒), and "$100 Rechao" (Chinese: 百元熱炒). Restaurant owners in Taipei benefited from their proximity to the nearby Keelung Fish Market—Taiwan's largest fish market—that was fewer than 30 minutes away by car. As they advertised "$100 Live Seafood", they drove in the middle of the night to the fish markets to procure fresh seafood. This allowed the businesses to minimize both procurement and delivery expenses. Another reason for the popularity of rechao restaurants was that urban dwellers considered them to be a haven where they could vent their frustrations after facing constant stress from higher-ups at work. The rechao restaurants offered unlimited free white rice and clear pricing, making customers feel at ease when placing their order. Streets often had multiple rechao restaurants next to each other, which established a vibrant ambiance.

The food writer Clarissa Wei stated that she spent 1.5 years delving into Taiwanese culinary traditions for her cookbook and found that typically infrequent attention is paid to rechao beyond a cursory reference. That is because Taiwan is commonly categorized as having night market food and beef noodle soup, she said. Outside of Taiwan, rechao restaurants have not gained traction. The most recent migration of people from Taiwan happened during the 1980s. This was prior to the rise of rechao, which is why Overseas Taiwanese largely are unfamiliar with it. Wei, the writer, said that the fact that rechao is not widely known makes sense also because Taiwanese cuisine seldom receives attention. When it is referenced, rechao typically is grouped broadly with Chinese cuisine. The rechao dining experience has expanded outside of Taiwan. The rechao restaurant 886 began operations in 2018 in New York City's Lower Manhattan.

Rechao restaurants operate separately from Taiwan's night markets, which do not feature them. The Rough Guides called rechao restaurants "a real Taipei institution". Tainan has large rechao eateries that may occupy the sidewalks. Northern Taiwan has a high concentration of rechao restaurants, though they are widespread across nearly all of the island's significant locales. Chris Horton of The Nikkei called rechao eateries "among the best places" for trying out Taiwanese cuisine. He said they represent a more modest yet truly representative Taiwanese meal compared to Michelin-rated dining establishments. Taipei Medical University professor of food history Kuo Chung-Hao said, "Rechao food is the food of the people." Food writer Clarissa Wei called rechao restaurants "hot, fast, and noisy. Glorious". Ami Barnes of Travel in Taiwan found rechao eateries to play a crucial function in the culinary scene of Taiwan and are "unpretentious [and] sociable".