Egg Foo Young

By Kay Chun

Updated May 29, 2024

Egg Foo Young
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
40 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(952)
Notes
Read community notes

These puffy fried egg omelets, which were created in the 1900s by Cantonese immigrant restaurateurs for American palates, are stuffed with meat and vegetables and smothered in a savory gravy. Typically deep-fried in woks to create the fluffy texture, shallow frying at home in a cast-iron skillet produces similar results; the high heat expands the eggs with steam, creating air pockets and crispy nooks during frying. A terrific way to use up leftovers, typical fillings include shrimp, ground pork or diced cooked ham and veggies such as mung bean sprouts, onions, carrots or scallions. Serve with cooked rice and steamed broccoli or green beans.

Learn: How to Make an Omelet

Learn: How to Cook Eggs

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

    For the Gravy

    • 1tablespoon neutral oil (such as vegetable or canola)
    • 1tablespoon minced garlic
    • 1½cups low-sodium chicken broth
    • 2tablespoons oyster sauce
    • 1tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
    • 2tablespoons cornstarch
    • ½teaspoon toasted sesame oil
    • Kosher salt and black pepper

    For the Omelets

    • Neutral oil (such as vegetable or canola), for shallow frying
    • 6large eggs
    • 6ounces medium cleaned shrimp, halved lengthwise and coarsely chopped
    • 1½cups (3 ounces) mung bean sprouts (or any combination of shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, finely chopped onions and thinly sliced scallions)
    • ¼cup finely chopped scallions, plus more for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

260 calories; 16 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 21 grams protein; 609 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the gravy: In a small saucepan, heat oil over medium-low. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the broth in a small bowl; add the remaining broth to the pan. Add oyster sauce and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Simmer briskly, stirring occasionally, until the flavors have melded and the sauce reduced to about 1 cup, about 10 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add cornstarch to the reserved broth and whisk until smooth, then add to the sauce. Cook, stirring, until thickened to a gravy consistency, about 1 minute longer. Stir in sesame oil and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

  3. Step 3

    Make the omelets: In a large (12-inch) cast-iron or nonstick skillet, heat ⅓ inch of oil over medium-high until an instant-read thermometer registers 325 to 350 degrees, 4 to 6 minutes. (The oil should be shimmering and a drop of the egg mixture in the oil should sizzle immediately.)

  4. Step 4

    When the oil is almost ready, combine eggs, shrimp, mung bean sprouts and scallions in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Using a fork, break the egg yolks and fold the mixture just until well incorporated. (Don’t overbeat or the eggs will spread too much during frying.)

  5. Step 5

    Using half of the batter, add 2 ladlefuls of the egg mixture to the oil to form 2 omelets. (They will bubble immediately.)

  6. Step 6

    Cook, basting the top with the hot oil, until golden underneath and just set, about 2 minutes. Flip, using tongs or a spatula and fork, and cook, basting with the oil, until golden on the second side and cooked through, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and season with salt. Repeat with the remaining egg mixture to form 2 more omelets.

  7. Step 7

    Arrange the omelets on plates and top with some of the gravy. Garnish with scallions and serve with the remaining sauce on the side.

Ratings

4 out of 5
952 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

Carol Solomon

years ago, in ,,,,Cleveland there was a Chinese restaurant named Ho Wah. They made a great egg foo young but it had an awesome gravy. It was dark brown and thick. Most gravies in recipes I have looked at are for a lite not thick gravy. Any one know or remember this gravy?

NM Cheryl

Should the shrimp be cooked prior to adding them to the egg mixture?

MDinNC

I made this for supper last night and it turned out beautifully. I was flying solo so I cut the recipe in half and added finely chopped onions and very thinly sliced mushrooms which I sauteed first then added them to the mix. I should have made a the full recipe of gravy because it was that good. I will definitely be making this again!

EastBayCook

Recipe calls for “cleaned shrimp”, which means raw shrimp, and does not specify to cook the shrimp before mixing with eggs. The chopped raw shrimp cooks at the same time as the eggs.

LuAnn

When I think that I can't absorb any more sections of the NYT's, another one grabs my daily attention. Thank you for another dish to add to the rotation.

Dawn

I own a cookbook by Craig Claiborne? of the NYTimes from gosh, 1980? and this is basically the same recipe. It's a favorite and have made it countless times; so much the page has a ton of spills on it. Always a sign of a good recipe. A combo of crispy fried bacon, cooked shrimp, and scallion is a favorite.

Bunny

I would say no. Because it is cut so small the three minutes of cooking time in the batter will be enough time to cook it without making it overcooked and chewy.

Buddy

I often also add thinly sliced onion and a few dried shiitakes to the egg mix. Also, you can keep the individual omelets warm in a warming oven until they are all finished.

polly

Carol Solomon- I remember Ho Wah. Great Egg Foo Young. I think this gravy should be pretty close to what they served us there.

Brian T.

Really appreciate this, particularly for the gravy recipe, and I can't wait to make it. Back in the '80s the Better Homes cookbook had a delicious, easy Egg Foo Young recipe with a marvelous rich and savory gravy but for some inexplicable reason it was dropped from later editions. Check out The Woks of Life website if this inspires you to make your favorite take-out dishes at home; and you might also enjoy Take Away, a moving book by Angel Hui about growing up in a Chinese restaurant family.

Lisa

How would you make this if you wanted to try the deep-fry wok method?

Slavin

Made this tonight, exactly as indicated. Wonderfully delicious, and I am an "order in Egg Foo Young" kinda guy. This is better than that. PS no need to cook the shrimp first. This was very very good.

FRS

To NM Cheryl: Yes, cook the shrimp but make sure not to over cook as shrimp will cook a bit more when added to the eggs.

Robin

This is the best of the Egg Foo Young recipes I have. Wonderful! Raw shrimp cooks fine; if it was precooked it would be rubbery in the final dish. This will be part of our regular rotation.

John Golden

I made this last night and it was delicious. What’s more it’s pretty easy to assemble. I had to read the recipe many times to understand the process. I used leftover pork roast that I ground up in the food processor. Essentially it’s a great way to use up leftover meats.

GGD

With respect to the shrimp, I've used frozen raw jumbo shrimp as well as cooked frozen cocktail shrimp defrosted for 3 minutes under cold running water. Both came out well as they are chopped into small pieces. This time I used TJ's sliced cabbage and it was excellent with green onions. This is as good if not better as any I have had in a Chinese restaurant!

Elizabeth

I was tired after work and forgot to thaw anything for dinner. This was very easy to make and came together quickly. I just did basic bean sprouts and eggs, and cooked it in the wok. Served it with a cucumber and shredded cabbage salad. Everyone loved it, especially the sauce. Easy and delicious.

Jacki

I sent a message thanking Kay for this recipe about a month ago. Somehow my notes never seem to get published -- maybe because I do not give my opinion for what is so much better. All I want to say is simple -- this is the best rendition of egg foo young I have ever tasted since I was 18 years old and that is a very long time ago. And I did work for the best Chinese chef in the East.

Andrea

I MADE THIS LAST NIGHT AS DIRECTED WITH SHRIMP, BUT LIMITED THE CORNSTARCH TO 1 TABLESPOON. THIS WAS INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS, ESPECIALLY AFTER A LONG DAY OF GARDENING.

C

Great recipe for using up leftover vegetables. So delicious!

orlando bloom

Perfect. Shrimp, eggs and sprouts all cooked perfectly at the same time

Name Suzanne H.

2 tablespoons of cornstarch made the gravy much too thick. Next time will use 1 tablespoon.

Name Suzanne H.

Really good. Will make again.

Vidge

Needed more shrimp but unsure if I was light handed or the receipt

Jacki

I worked in a Chinese restaurant while at university in the 70's and the owner made this after work around midnight for all us. This recipe took me back to his kitchen again. It is a perfect rendition of Bing's flavourful cooking. Thank you Kay Chun for reminding me of my old friend Bing in London Ontario so long ago.

Borbor

Fresh bean sprouts can be frustrating to find in non-urban areas. Sometimes the market will have them, mostly not. Rarely when you are actually planning to use them. An acceptable substitute is finely sliced long strips of cabbage, lightly sautéed. Gives the dish a similar texture as the bean sprouts and a pleasant taste as well.

P.D.M.

Could fish sauce be substituted for the oyster sauce? Thanks!

gravy tip

This was fluffy and delicious! My gravy came out very gelatinous. Maybe too much cornstarch or else from the homemade chicken stock. Tasty but might try to alter next time.

Donniestrise

Best recipe for this meal. Please use low-sodium soy sauce I used the regular. I can eat the omelet with no sauce

Lynne O.

Although I has numerous issues with the recipe, the flavor and texture are wonderful, and I'll definitely make this again, with some adjustments. There is too much sauce and it is too thick for my taste. I used a medium sized nonstick skillet and wasn't able to form patties - the eggs spread out and I ended up with a large, thin frittata-like patty. I just cut it into 4 wedges.

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