What Is Egg Foo Young?
Egg foo young is a Chinese-American dish made from beaten eggs mixed with bean sprouts, scallions, and often diced meat or shrimp, fried into a flat patty and served with a savory brown gravy poured over the top.
More detail
The dish is built like a loose omelet rather than a folded one. Eggs are whisked with shredded vegetables (bean sprouts are the classic base, along with onion, celery, or water chestnuts) and a protein like barbecued pork, shrimp, or chicken, then ladled into a hot, oiled pan or wok in individual portions. Each patty is fried until the edges turn crisp and lacy while the center stays tender, then flipped once to set the second side. The gravy, usually built from chicken or vegetable stock, soy sauce, and a cornstarch slurry, is made separately and poured over the finished patties right before serving.
Where it's used
Egg foo young developed among Chinese immigrant cooks in the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s, adapting egg-based dishes for American diners and ingredients that were locally available, like canned bean sprouts and inexpensive cuts of meat. It became a mainstay of Chinese-American takeout menus, typically listed alongside chop suey and chow mein, and is usually served with steamed white rice to soak up the gravy.
Substitutes
If bean sprouts aren't available, thinly shredded cabbage or julienned carrots can stand in for texture, though the result will taste sweeter and less crisp at the edges.
FAQ
Is egg foo young the same as an omelet?
They're related but not identical. An omelet is typically folded around a filling, while egg foo young is a flatter, patty-shaped fritter that's fried on both sides and served open-faced under gravy.
What gives egg foo young gravy its color and flavor?
The gravy gets its brown color and savory depth from soy sauce and stock, thickened with a cornstarch and water slurry until it turns glossy and coats the back of a spoon.
Can egg foo young be made without meat?
Yes, vegetable-only versions using bean sprouts, mushrooms, and scallions are common and are sometimes labeled 'vegetable egg foo young' on takeout menus.
Why do the edges of egg foo young turn crispy?
The patties are fried in a shallow layer of hot oil, so the thin edges cook faster and crisp up while the thicker center stays soft, similar to how a lacy fried egg forms crisp edges.