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 Needed
- Eggs: large ones
- Vegetables: bell pepper, celery, mushrooms, onion, bean sprouts, and green onions
- Seasonings: kosher salt and white pepper (or black pepper)
- Chicken:
- Oil: vegetable or canola, and sesame oil
- Chicken broth: low sodium is best
- Soy sauce: low sodium
- Brown sugar: just a touch, substitute mirin
- Cornstarch: for thickening the gravy
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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Sarah
Enjoyed this for breakfast this morning and started my day off right! Turned out light, fluffy and delicious; easily, a new favorite recipe!
Eliza
The flavors of this Egg Foo Young are amazing! Much better than takeout, and my whole family loves this recipe!
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much. Eliza!
Carol Bryan
I plan on trying this recipe as soon as the mung beans get sprouted. Sounds so good and also simple to make. We used to have a dish in a chinese restaurant, but I don’t know how to spell it. It sounds like Sum Sue Don. Do you have a recipe for it? thanks so much.
Beth Pierce
I hope you enjoy the Egg Foo Young! I am sorry, but I am not familiar with that dish.
Don Eret
What about using Chinese cooking wine instead of broth?
Beth Pierce
That would be too much Chinese cooking wine.
Peggy
Veggie Egg Foo Young is what I always order from our local Chinese restaurants. Tonight was my first attempt at making it myself. Your recipe is easy to follow and it turned out better than my last restaurant experience, especially the gravy was excellent. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Peggy! So glad that you liked it!
Kathryn
Delicious! I’ve tried Egg foo young before and been disappointed, but this was so good! I only know one restaurant that has anything I like nearly as well. Thanks so much for publishing this!
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Kathryn! So glad that you loved it!
Cindy
I ordered egg foo young from a Chinese restaurant and the gravy they gave me was like a beef gravy for a Loco Moco. I looked online for a new gravy recipe and found yours. It was amazing! Will definitely make again
Beth Pierce
Thanks Cindy! I am so glad that you liked it!
Charles
Yum. Great recipe. Thanks for posting. I’ll make extra gravy next time, because I could drink it! So delish!
Beth Pierce
LOL! Thanks Charles! So glad that you liked it!
Rachel
I made the recipe using 3/4 pound raw shrimp. Cooked the shrimp, cooled and chopped. Did not have celery so added 1 c. grated carrot and 1/2 of green pepper. I doubled the sauce recipe. Used my own stock. Will make this again. Thank you for this recipe.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Rachel! So glad that you liked it and were able to improvise with what you had and what you like.
Earl Barrett
My first time making egg foo Yung But i order it all the time from a local restaurant called Ho’s they had the best but now I will put your recipe against Ho’s any time Now I fell like a Chinese chef !!! Thanks for the recipe, and i did use Worcestershire sauce and a little soy sauce.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Earl! That is so sweet of you! So glad that you like the Egg Foo Yung! My husband just loves this recipe.
Cynthia
In the video it shows worcestershire sauce but it is not noted in the recipe above?
Beth Pierce
I removed it because of complaints of it not being in Egg Foo Young gravy. It is 1 tablespoon if you would like to add it.
Ellen Woodruff
It was better than expected. The SAUCE….yummy! I flipped mine for another minute and loved the vegetables’ crunch.
Thanks for republishing.
Beth Pierce
My pleasure Ellen! So glad that you liked it!!
Jacqueline
I’ve seem that on the menu and never actually realised it was an omelette! Huh! Looks yummy!
Jen Reilly
Looking forward to enjoying this for breakfast tomorrow; looks amazing and definitely too good to pass up!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Jen! Enjoy!!
Biana
Looks amazing! I love making restaurant dishes myself, will be trying it soon.
Chenée
Egg foo young is my FAVORITE! I can’t wait to make this!