This easy and classic recipe for egg foo young, aka “Chinese omelet”, is an easy dinner to lift your family out of the egg doldrums. Fast to make too. Ten minutes prep, ten minutes cook time.
On occasion, I must admit that my family gets bored with eggs despite how yummy they taste and the seemingly unlimited ways to prepare them.
When the egg doldrums strike at my house, whipping up egg foo yung for dinner is the answer.
Also called a Chinese omelet, egg foo yung is easy to make and mouth-wateringly delicious when prepared with quality ingredients.
It is an authentic Chinese dish originating in Shanghai.
American Chinese cuisine has modified it somewhat so that it is now basically known as an omelet with stir fry ingredients and meat served with a (usually fake) brown sauce or gravy.
The good news is that egg foo yung doesn’t really taste like an omelet when served with a quality brown sauce.
Thus, it is a great way to mix things up when egg boredom sets in.
While eggs cooked every which way are typical breakfast fare, egg foo yung is best served as the main course for dinner.
The key is to make sure the brown sauce is the highest quality possible.
I make the effort to source traditionally brewed soy sauce which adds enzymes and life to the rest of the meal which is entirely cooked.
If you are allergic to soy, you can use coconut aminos or this homemade soy sauce substitute instead.
I hope you enjoy this delicious yet simple Chinese-inspired meal!
Love Asian fare? Here are other dinner ideas to consider made with healthy, traditional ingredients.
- Shrimp fried rice with green beans. This video how-to shows you how to make it.
- Panang beef
- Indian chicken curry
- Teriyaki chicken
- Healthy ramen soup recipe
Egg Foo Yung
This easy and classic recipe for egg foo yung is sure to get your family out of the egg doldrums. Fast to make too. Ten minutes prep, ten minutes cook time.
Ingredients
- 4 eggs beaten, preferably pastured
- 2 Tbsp expeller pressed coconut oil or ghee
- 1/2 cup mung bean sprouts preferably organic
- 1/4 cup green onions chopped
- 1/4 cup green peppers chopped, preferably organic
- 1/4 cup mushrooms chopped
- 1/4 cup shrimp or pastured chicken cooked and chopped
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce use tamari if avoiding grains
- 1 Tbsp arrowroot flour optional
Instructions
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Chop the vegetables except for the bean sprouts.
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Stir fry all the veggies together for a few minutes in ghee or coconut oil to coax out the flavor.
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Beat eggs in a large bowl and then mix in your choice of chopped meat, stir fried veggies, and optional arrowroot powder (leave out if avoiding starch or on the GAPS diet).
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Fry the mixture as small pancakes in a hot pan coated with coconut oil.
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Serve with additional soy sauce if desired.
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Cool and refrigerate leftovers in a glass container with tight-fitting lid for up to 4 days.
I would use coconut aminos in place of tamari.
Sure that is fine. Some people are allergic to coconut. I personally prefer the taste of tamari.
Don’t beat eggs with beater. Use a fork and beat only till whites and yolks are well blended. Sponginess is caused by air beaten into eggs.
As a change to traditional chicken noodle soup, my family likes it when I make my regular homemade noodles cut quite small, and then just before we eat the soup I take one whole egg and one egg yolk, beat it up in a bowl and stir it (with a fork) into the simmering chicken soup. It comes out sorta like the egg drop soup you see in Oriental restaurants (I forgot what they call theirs). Great way to use eggs and it’s easier to mix the egg into the soup if the other noodles are small. Or you could just leave the regular noodles out all together. I suppose you could also do the egg drop thing with just chicken broth – might be something to consider when people are ill and don’t have much appetite but need the fortification of real, healthy foods.
Also, when I separate eggs, I am not fancy about it. I hold my hand over the sink (or a bowl if I want to save the white) and pour the egg out of the shell into my palm and slightly open my fingers to let the white run through, but keep the yolk. Then I plop the yolk into a bowl. Who the heck needs a bunch of fancy equipment? !
Sarah,
I buy San J brand of tamari but it doesn’t say unpasturized. Do you mind telling us the brand that is traditionally and unpasturized? Thanks for all your hard research and work you do for your family and actually “ours”. I trust completely everything you recommend so that is why I like details when you tell what you use. You are an inspiration to many families out there. I don’t know if you realize that. Now, if I could only get thin eating this way. I’m trying but have realized that I must give up the breads and sweets even if they are the healthier “oversion. Then I see you raw fudge recipe “highlighted” on this page. Oh Well!
Hi Teresa, here’s a link so you can see a picture of the bottle too: https://amzn.to/4kOJpgd
Great recipe. My family loves it.
is there a way to make this where the eggs are moist? My eggs tasted like and had the texture of sponges. 🙁 Thanks!
Maybe you had the heat too high?
Oh! I can sooo use this!!
What brand and where can I get unpasteurized traditionally fermented soy sauce?
Here you go: https://amzn.to/4kOJpgd
My kids love egg Foo Yung and think it is a gourmet dish 😀
Oh, ok, great! I just started using tamari. I thought there was more of a gravy, but I do have that on hand. Thanks!
I was thinking that too – like the one they have in the restaurants.