Egg Foo Young – terrific quick dinner idea!
I know most of us think of omelettes as a breakfast thing and no matter how often I endorse it for dinner, I feel like it will never stick. But trust the Chinese to come up with a way to plant omelettes firmly in the dinner rotation!!
What is Egg Foo Young?
Egg Foo Young is a Chinese omelette – egg mixed with vegetables and usually some type of protein (prawns / shrimp or pork are common) then smothered in a Chinese stir fry sauce. It is believed to have originally been created by Chineses Chefs in America as a way to use up leftovers, so it’s not strictly authentic though there are similar dishes in China. The fillings vary as much as the name, which is sometimes spelled egg foo yung, egg fu yung or egg foo yong. Kind of like the many spelling variations we see for San Choy Bow (Chinese Lettuce Cups)! “Egg Foo Young is a recipe invented to use up leftovers. So don’t get too hung up if you don’t have all the vegetables – in fact, you SHOULD use what you have!” Egg Foo Young appears on Chinese menus in some countries simply as “omelette”. Sometimes they are smaller, like I’ve made them, and sometimes as large as dinner plates!
How to make Egg Foo Young
To make Egg Foo Young, your Add Ins of choice (pork, shrimp and vegetables) are mixed directly into whisked eggs then cooked just like a normal omelette in a skillet. It’s served with a Chinese brown sauce which is a simple 4 ingredients sauce that takes just a few minutes to make. 2 cups of Add Ins for every 6 eggs. Add Ins being cooked proteins, raw shrimp/prawns, fish, mince/ground meat and vegetables. Prawn/shrimp and pork are the two most common versions on restaurant menus so I’m sharing both of these today. Any raw vegetables that are finely chopped enough to cook through in a few minutes in the omelette are ideal here. If using vegetables that will take longer to cook, for example, diced zucchini, then sauté first in a little oil and perhaps garlic for extra flavour, then add to the batter. Egg Foo Young is a Westernised version of a Chinese dish, much like many Chinese takeout favourites like Chow Mein and Beef and Broccoli. In China, there are stuffed omelettes but it’s not doused in a thick brown gravy like Egg Foo Young, they are usually just drizzled with soy sauce. Egg Foo Young is one of the healthiest Chinese takeout meals if made at home! While restaurants tend to cook the omelettes in a LOT of oil, when made at home it’s a low fat, high protein, low carb dinner option. Load it up with extra nutrition by topping it with a handful of extra vegetables like fresh bean sprouts, as pictured. And before you ask – YES the Egg Foo Young Sauce can be made with Charlie*. 🙂 Directions are in Note 1 of the recipe! – Nagi x
- Charlie is my standby All Purpose Chinese Stir Fry Sauce. Simple to make, lasts for weeks, just add water!
Egg Foo YoungWatch how to make it
In the video, I made a half batch of each pork and prawn/shrimp Egg Foo Young. Originally published July 2018. Updated with new step photos and writing tidied up. No change to recipe!
More Chinese Takeout Favorites
Fried RiceSpring RollsCashew ChickenKung Pao ChickenBeef and BroccoliChar Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)See all Chinese Takeout Recipes
Life of Dozer
Move cushions. Cover armchair with sheet. Get him settled. Tuck in current favourite toys. Now – Prince Dozer. Is there anything I can get you? A tea perhaps?😂
