Description
Egg Foo Young is a classic Chinese omelette loaded with bean sprouts, green onions, and your choice of pork or prawn filling. This savory dish is topped with a rich, flavorful gravy made from soy sauce, oyster sauce, and Chinese cooking wine, perfect for serving alongside steamed rice and vegetables. The recipe features a quick stovetop cooking method with an option to microwave the sauce for convenience.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce
- 4 tsp cornflour / corn starch
- 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce (or all purpose soy sauce)
- 2 tsp Oyster Sauce
- 1 tbsp Chinese Cooking Wine (shaoxing wine) or Mirin
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 cup / 250 ml water
- Dash of white pepper
Omelette
- 6 eggs
- 2 cups bean sprouts (eyeballed)
- 4 shallots/green onions, white part only, sliced
- Salt and white pepper (to taste)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (divided)
- 1 tsp sesame oil (divided)
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Filling (Choose One)
- 100 – 120g / 3.5 – 4 oz chopped raw small prawns/shrimp, peeled and deveined
- OR
- 100 – 120g / 3.5 – 4 oz ground/mince pork (or chicken, turkey, beef, or veal)
- 1/2 tsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp Oyster Sauce
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- Dash of sesame oil
Garnish
- Sesame seeds
- Sliced green onions
Instructions
- Prepare the Sauce: Mix cornflour and soy sauce in a bowl to dissolve. Add oyster sauce, Chinese cooking wine, sesame oil, water, and a dash of white pepper, stirring to combine.
- Cook the Sauce: Pour the sauce mixture into a saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 1 minute until the sauce thickens to a thin syrup consistency. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Microwave Option for Sauce: Alternatively, microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes, stir well, then microwave for another 1 1/2 minutes until thickened. Stir again to ensure even thickness.
- Prepare Pork Filling (if using): In a bowl, combine ground pork with 1/2 tsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp oyster sauce, 1/4 tsp sugar, and a dash of sesame oil. Mix thoroughly using a fork to evenly distribute the seasonings.
- Whisk Eggs: Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Add Omelette Ingredients: To the whisked eggs, add bean sprouts, sliced green onions, your choice of filling—either crumbled pork or whole prawns—along with salt and white pepper to taste. Mix gently but thoroughly to combine all ingredients.
- Heat Oil and Garlic: In a non-stick skillet over medium heat, add 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil and a drizzle of sesame oil. Add the finely chopped garlic and sauté quickly for about 10 seconds until fragrant, then push the garlic to the center of the skillet.
- Cook Omelette Batter: Ladle about 1/4 of the egg mixture into the skillet. Use a spatula to gently push the edges inward to form a roughly round shape.
- Cook First Side: Cook the omelette until the underside is light golden, approximately 1 1/2 minutes.
- Flip and Cook Second Side: Carefully flip the omelette and cook for an additional 1 minute. This time is sufficient to cook through any raw meat in the mixture.
- Repeat: Repeat the process with the remaining batter, making a total of 4 omelettes. Using two pans at once can speed up the cooking time.
- Serve: Slide the cooked omelette onto a plate, pour over some of the prepared sauce, and sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced green onions if desired.
- Optional Serving Suggestion: Serve Egg Foo Young with a side of steamed rice and steamed vegetables. For more sauce to accompany rice and veggies, double the sauce ingredients.
Notes
- The sauce thickens quickly; constant stirring prevents lumps.
- Light soy sauce is preferred for a milder flavor, but all-purpose soy sauce can be used as substitute.
- Chinese cooking wine (shaoxing wine) adds authentic flavor, but Mirin works if unavailable.
- Raw pork must be cooked fully in the omelette; if using other meats like chicken or turkey, ensure they are finely minced and cooked thoroughly.
- Using two pans simultaneously helps in speeding up making all four omelettes.
- Doubling the sauce provides ample gravy for rice and vegetables served alongside.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Chinese
Keywords: Egg Foo Young, Chinese omelette, Chinese recipe, pork omelette, prawn omelette, bean sprouts, savory omelette, Asian cuisine
