This Egg foo Young Recipe, also known as egg fu yung, is a delicious light, airy Chinese omelet filled with red pepper, celery, mushrooms, onions, bean sprouts, scallions, and chicken smothered in a flavorful, tangy, and savory brown gravy that will leave you licking your plate.
It is one of our favorite breakfast recipes and always a hit with friends and family, and it tastes even better than your local Chinese restaurants. My family loves Asian cuisine or anything with an Asian flair. This recipe, Chicken Fried Rice, Sesame Chicken, and Shrimp Fried Rice are just a few of our favorites.
Do you like eggs? We love them! If you have never tried Egg Foo Young, then you really must give this a try. It is fabulous. What is not to love about fluffy eggs filled with onions, mushrooms, celery, bean sprouts, and chicken and topped with the most incredible gravy? This wonderful recipe works well for breakfast or dinner! If you like this recipe, try steak and eggs, baked eggs, and hashbrowns casserole.
What is Egg Foo Young?
It is a fluffy Chinese omelet shaped like a pancake filled with finely chopped vegetables and meat or seafood. Traditionally, it is served smothered with a soy sauce-based tangy gravy. You can skip the gravy and make a St. Paul Sandwich. Serve the omelet between two slices of white bread with mayonnaise, onion, lettuce, tomato, and pickles. Either way, you can’t go wrong, as both are delicious.
Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Eggs: large ones
- Seasonings: kosher salt and white pepper (or black pepper)
- Chicken: any cooked diced chicken will work. Leftover rotisserie chicken works well.
- Oil: vegetable or canola, and sesame oil
- Chicken broth: preferably low-sodium
- Soy sauce: low sodium is best
- Brown sugar: Just a touch; you can substitute it with mirin. Mirin is sweetened sake. You can substitute sake or dry sherry mixed with 1-2 teaspoons of sugar.
How To Make Egg Foo Young
This is just the summary version of the recipe. See the recipe card below for ingredients and complete instructions.
Combine the beaten eggs, red pepper, celery, mushrooms, onions, bean sprouts, half of the scallions, salt, white pepper, and chicken in a large bowl. Mix gently to combine. Set that bowl aside for a few minutes while making the gravy.
In a small saucepan or frying pan over low heat, stir together the chicken broth, light soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and sesame oil. In a bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water. Slowly whisk the cornstarch slurry into the saucepan. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens and bubbles.
Meanwhile, heat a nonstick skillet with 1/2 tablespoon of canola oil over medium heat. Pour approximately 1/2 cup of the egg mixture into the hot skillet and fry until golden brown on the bottom. Carefully flip and brown the other side. Move to a plate, cover, and keep warm. Repeat until all the egg mixture is gone. Serve warm with the chicken soy sauce gravy and sprinkle with the rest of the scallions.
Do you have to serve it with gravy?
Egg foo young is traditionally served with gravy. However, there is an equally delicious recipe for this Chinese omelette that does not include gravy. The Chicken St. Paul is a cooked Egg Foo Young omelet served between two slices of bread with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onions. It is equally delicious, and the kids love them.
Can you swap vegetables and meat?
Oh yes, you most certainly can! In fact, this is the super fun part of the recipe! You can adjust the flavors to your liking or to what vegetables or meat you have in your fridge.
- Veggies – red or green bell peppers, onions, celery, broccoli, zucchini, carrots, water chestnuts, peas, bean sprouts, cabbage
- Meats – chicken, ham, crispy cooked bacon, roast pork, beef
- Seafood – shrimp, crab meat, smoked salmon
Storage
Store leftover egg foo young in an airtight container for up to 3 days. For best results, store the gravy separately. Reheat the egg foo young and gravy in the microwave at reduced power for 30-second increments until warm. Pour the warm gravy over the omelet.
More Egg Recipes
Egg Foo Young
Ingredients
Egg Foo Young
- 8 large eggs lightly beaten
- ½ red bell pepper finely chopped
- 1 stalk celery sliced thin
- ½ cup mushrooms finely chopped
- ½ onion finely chopped
- ½ cup chopped fresh bean sprouts
- 4 green onions chopped green & white parts
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 cup cooked chicken finely diced I use rotisserie chicken
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
Egg Foo Young Gravy
- 1 ¼ cups chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- In a large bowl with the beaten eggs, add the red pepper, celery, mushrooms, onions, bean sprouts, half the green onions, salt, white pepper, and chicken.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, combine chicken broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and sesame oil. In a bowl, blend cornstarch and water. Slowly whisk the cornstarch slurry into the saucepan. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens and bubbles.
- Heat a nonstick skillet with 1/2 tablespoon of canola oil over medium heat. Add approximately 1/2 cup of the egg mixture and cook until lightly browned on the bottom. Flip and brown the other side. Plate and keep warm. Repeat until all the batter is gone.
- Serve warm with the gravy and sprinkle with the rest of the green onions.
Video
Notes
- Bean sprouts are getting more difficult to find. The recipe is delicious, with or without them.
- Other vegetables to use are zucchini and snow peas, but saute them in a little olive oil before adding them to the egg mixture.
- Store leftover egg foo young in an airtight container for up to 3 days. For best results, store the gravy separately. Reheat the egg foo young and gravy in the microwave at reduced power for 30-second increments until warm. Pour the warm gravy over the omelet.
Nutrition
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Lori
Love this recipe easy and healthy. It was great thank you so much for sharing this.
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Lori!