Shrimp Egg Foo Young is a fluffy egg mixture that is pan-fried with a medley of veggies and tender shrimp. It is served with rice cakes or on a bed of steamed rice with a brown sauce on the side. It is a satisfying meal as it combines the freshness of shellfish with all the comforting appeal of an egg dish!
I’ve talked previously about the concept of how some foods are truly global. Whether it is the samosa or empanada, or the various lamb soups and stews, some dishes are so fundamental that they pop up everywhere. One of those dishes is the Shrimp Egg Foo Young or Yung.
I have, of course, tried this dish here in the US, and I must admit that the Hong Kong version was better. At its worst, it’s an oily omelet soaked in soy-based starchy brown sauce stuffed with precooked shrimp and oversized, overcooked vegetables. The difference is both obvious and palpable. You may think that the Shrimp Egg Foo Young is a test of the chef, and you wouldn’t be wrong. But equally, I can assure you that it isn’t as hard as you think.
My husband recalls how the best rendition of this dish he had was in a small Malaysian town called Kajang, near Kuala Lumpur, over several years ago. Not only is this town famous for its satay, but my globetrotting husband also remains convinced that it has the best Shrimp Egg Foo Young, ever! I recall this anecdote because it speaks to the universality of this dish. It is one of those dishes that is emblematic of the Chinese diaspora over the last three centuries. This dish followed them everywhere.
Origin:
No one quite knows the origin of the Shrimp Egg Foo Young, although the choice of ingredients and the preparation method seem to indicate a Cantonese heritage. During one of our visits to Hong Kong, a friend of mine introduced me to a chef who specialized in this dish, and he called it Fu Yong Dan. This chef emphasized that the sprightliness of this dish was based on using exceptionally fresh ingredients and a quick fry under high heat. That brings us back to the ‘wok hei’ concept.
Difference between the Egg Foo Young and an omelet:
- Egg Foo Young is usually deep-fried whereas the omelet is lightly fried. I have pan-fried it to make it a healthier option.
- The fillings tend to be cooked with the eggs when deep-fried for the Egg Foo Young. On the other hand, chefs tend to precook their ingredients for an omelet because they are only lightly fried.
Health benefits of Shrimp Egg Foo Young:
- Eggs: Eggs are both versatile and healthy. Both egg whites and the yolk are rich in proteins, vitamins, and minerals. In fact, eggs are a source of the nine essential amino acids the body cannot produce.
- Eye Health: The egg yolk contains carotenes, which help prevent macular degeneration and cataracts contain vitamin A, which is necessary for good eyesight.
- Weight Management: As eggs are essentially ‘complete’ proteins, they tend to be more filling than fats or carbohydrates, thus helping to reduce calorie intake.
- Bones and clotting: One of the lesser-known vitamins, K helps to build bones and contains proteins that help with blood clot formation.
- Anti-cancer: According to various studies, members of the Allium family (garlic, etc.) have shown a correlation between their consumption and a reduction of risk for myeloma, gastric, lung, and prostate cancer.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Should I deep fry the Shrimp Egg Foo Young?
Although it is commonly deep-fried, you can flash fry this dish. It will nevertheless taste different, but it’s the same difference between deep-frying chicken and air-frying it. The key here is to ensure that the filling is fresh and cut into small pieces so that they can cook quickly. I like to partially precook the shrimp since I am not deep frying this dish. Apart from deep-frying, the basic construct of the quick flash method of cooking the Shrimp Egg Foo Young can be incredibly healthy.
2. Can I use leftovers?
Yes, you can use leftovers. In Hong Kong, they use bits of diced chicken, but if you plan on using shrimp, it’s better when it is fresh.
3. Is the brown sauce a must-have?
In parts of Asia, they use light soy sauce rather than a brown sauce. I’ve seen the brown sauce mostly in Europe, Australia, and North America.
4. What are the ingredients for the Shrimp Egg Foo Young brown sauce or gravy?
If you like the brown sauce, it is just a mixture of vegetable or shrimp stock, light soy sauce, sesame or chili oil, and cornstarch as a thickener.
If you’ve tried this recipe or have questions, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to share (below) your thoughts, comments, or any questions that you might have. And if you like my recipes, you could subscribe to my mailing list for the latest recipes that will be delivered to your inbox. From my pen to your table, Bon Appetit!
Ingredients:
For the Shrimp Egg Foo Young:
- Oil: peanut oil and sesame-chili oil
- Protein: shrimp and eggs; you can vary with shredded chicken
- Bean sprouts and broccoli florets (optional)
- Garnish: scallion or green onion and/or sesame seeds
For the brown sauce:
- Onion and bell pepper
- Chili-garlic paste: dried chili and garlic soaked and ground with water as needed to make a paste
- Thickener: quinoa flour; or cornstarch
- Sauce: soy sauce and hoisin sauce; substitute hoisin with oyster sauce
- Stock: vegetable; or shrimp stock or water
How to make the Shrimp Egg Foo Young:
- Heat peanut oil in a wok until shimmering. Add garlic and sauté for 10 seconds, and then sauté the shrimp for a minute. Then, quickly add the beansprouts, and scallions and turn off the heat. Remove the mixture and add it to the beaten eggs mixed with chili oil, pepper and salt.
2. Heat the same pan or a cast iron pan with peanut oil, and pour the egg mixture. Cook for 1-2 minutes on high heat. Then, gently flip over using a wide spatula and cook for a minute. Remove it, and place it on a plate and turn off the heat.
How to make the brown sauce:
- Heat a teaspoon of peanut oil in a saucepot and add the chili-garlic paste, onion and bell pepper. Sauté the ingredients for a minute.
2. Add the sauce mixture to the pot. Make the cornstarch or quinoa flour slurry by stirring it with vegetable stock or water. Gradually, drizzle the slurry into the sauce pot. Stir continuously while adding the slurry for 45 seconds or until the sauce mixture thickens. Turn off the heat.
- Serve the Shrimp Egg Foo Young with steamed rice or rice cakes and the brown sauce on top or on the side. Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.
1. The Shrimp Egg Foo Young is commonly deep-fried. I pan-fried them for a healthier option. If you wish to deep fry them, please ensure that the oil is hot, spoon the egg mixture, fry and flip over and drain with a slotted spoon. Deep-frying them takes a minute to get cooked.
2. Arrowroot powder is a healthy thickener and can be used as an alternative to corn starch. I have used quinoa flour.
3. To make it vegetarian, omit the shrimp and add more veggies such as diced or grated carrots, mushrooms, snow peas, and Chinese cabbage to the egg mixture.
4. When pan-frying, gently flip over the egg mixture once the top is almost done and not jiggly.
5. To get crispy edges, press down the sides of the egg mixture and add a little extra oil.
Serving suggestion:
I have served the Shrimp Egg Foo Young with rice cakes and brown sauce on the side. You could drizzle the sauce on top and serve on a bed of steamed rice.
Storage:
Shrimp Egg Foo Young must be consumed once it is cooked. It cannot be refrigerated or frozen. However, you can prepare the brown sauce and other ingredients one day in advance.
Other recipes with egg and shrimp that you might like:
Shrimp Egg Foo Young
Equipment
- pan or cast iron pan
Ingredients
For the Shrimp Egg Foo Young:
- 2 tbsp peanut oil
- 10 shrimp cleaned, chopped
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic minced or crushed
- ½ tsp salt
- 6 eggs
- ½ tsp chili sesame oil
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- ¾ cup broccoli optional, chopped
- 1 bunch scallions
For the brown sauce:
- 1 tsp chili-garlic paste
- 1 pearl onion chopped
- 1 bell pepper small, chopped
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 2 tbsp quinoa flour or cornstarch
- ¾ cup vegetable stock or water
- 1 tsp sesame seeds toasted, optional
Instructions
How to make the Shrimp Egg Foo Young:
- Prepare the ingredients. (Optionally, mix the deveined shrimp pieces with garlic and rice vinegar). Whisk the eggs with chili oil, salt and white pepper. Heat peanut oil in a wok until shimmering. Add garlic and sauté for 10 seconds, and then sauté the shrimp for a minute. Then, quickly add the beansprouts, and scallions and turn off the heat. Remove the mixture and add it to the beaten eggs mixed with chili oil, pepper and salt.
- Heat the same pan with peanut oil, and pour the egg mixture. Cook for 1-2 minutes on high heat. Then, gently flip over using a wide spatula and cook for a minute. Remove it, and place it on a plate and turn off the heat.
How to make the brown sauce:
- Heat a teaspoon of peanut oil in a saucepot and add the chili-garlic paste, onion and bell pepper. Sauté the ingredients for a minute.
- Add the sauce mixture to the pot. Make the cornstarch or quinoa flour slurry by stirring it with vegetable stock or water. Gradually, drizzle the slurry into the sauce pot. Stir continuously while adding the slurry for 45 seconds or until the sauce mixture thickens. Turn off the heat.
- Serve the Shrimp Egg Foo Young with steamed rice or rice cakes and the brown sauce on top or on the side.
Notes
- For added flavor, I like marinating shrimp for a few minutes in rice vinegar and garlic. Feel free to omit this step.
- Some times, I add finely chopped broccoli to the egg mixture.
Nutrition
I’m a college undergrad and I’ve been making this egg foo young every day now. Still not tired of it. Love it!
Thank you!
This is a really great quick weeknight dish!