Egg Foo Young: the easy recipe for a delectable Chinese omelet

Light and fluffy egg foo young is a savory, tasty Chinese omelet filled with vegetables and either pork or shrimp. This is a hearty protein-packed meal that you can enjoy any time of the day for a filling meal that will satisfy both your taste buds and your hunger.

You can add a variety of ingredients to customize your egg foo young. Use shrimp or minced pork, add your favorite raw vegetables, fry everything up and drizzle it in the thick, umami-rich egg foo young gravy. If you've been searching for a nutritious low-fat, low-carb dish that's loaded with flavor, try egg foo young.

What is Egg Foo Young?

Egg foo young is a delicious Chinese omelet. It was adapted from similar traditional Chinese dishes by Chinese cooks in the US, who were thought to have developed egg foo young as a way to use leftovers. It's different compared to a normal Western omelet due to its fillings and the fact it's cooked to a golden brown, which would be considered overcooked by Western standards.

Egg foo young is one of the healthiest items on a Chinese takeaway menu, thanks to the eggs, vegetables, and meat or shrimp. It's a high protein, low fat, low carb dish that's perfect if you're looking to boost your protein intake.

Egg Foo Young Ingredients

Eggs form the base of your egg food young – this is an omelet, after all! You'll also need bean sprouts, green onions, and other veggies you might want to add, plus either shrimp or pork. To season the omelet itself, you'll need white pepper, sesame oil, salt, and some garlic. For that mouthwatering gravy, you'll need a few special ingredients like Shaoxing cooking wine and oyster sauce. You'll also need soy sauce and cornflour to help thicken up the gravy.

How to Make Egg Foo Young

You can have your egg foo young on your plate and ready to eat in less than half an hour. Ready to get started? First off, whisk the cornflour and soy sauce to form a slurry. Stir in the oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, water, pepper, and sesame oil. Pour everything into a saucepan and let it simmer over medium heat, making sure to whisk constantly until it thickens. Take the saucepan off the heat and set it aside.

For the omelet, whisk the bean sprouts, green onions, prawns (or pork), pepper, and salt. Drizzle the vegetable oil and sesame oil into a large skillet. Add in the garlic and cook it until it becomes fragrant, then push it to the side of the pan. Pour in ¼ cup of the egg mixture and let it sizzle away until the bottom side is golden brown.

Once browned on one side, flip the omelet and cook it for another minute or so. Repeat with the remaining egg mixture. Plate the omelet, then pour a generous amount of the gravy over the top. Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onions and serve with a side of steamed or fried rice.

Tips for the Best Egg Foo Young

If you don't have Shaoxing wine, you can use mirin as a substitute. Mirin is sweeter and less salty than Shaoxing wine, so you may need to adjust the salt levels in the sauce.

If you want to use ground pork (or beef, chicken, or turkey) mix it with 1/2 teaspoon each of soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar, then cook it before mixing it into the eggs.

To bulk out your Chinese omelet, try adding fresh chopped cabbage, peppers, or other vegetables to the mix.

This recipe is naturally protein-packed and low carb. To make it completely keto-friendly, substitute xanthan gum for cornstarch, and opt for coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. You can also use less of the sauce and swap sweetener for sugar if you're using pork.

Serve your egg foo young with a side of rice and steamed vegetables.

You can easily double the sauce if you'd like to have extra to pour over the rice and vegetables.

How to Store Homemade Chinese Omelette

Egg foo young can be placed in an airtight container and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat it in a skillet for 5 to 7 minutes.

Instructions

Whisk the cornflour and soy sauce to combine. Whisk in oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, water, pepper, and sesame oil. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat and whisk constantly until it thickens, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and set to the side.

To make the omelet, whisk the bean sprouts, green onions, prawns or pork, pepper, and salt.

Heat the oils in a large skillet. Saute the garlic until fragrant, then push to the side. Pour in ¼ cup of the egg mixture. Cook until the bottom side is golden brown, then flip and cook for 1 minute more. Repeat with the remaining egg mixture.

Place the omelet on a plate. Pour the sauce over the top of the omelet. Garnish if desired, and serve with rice.