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20-Min Pork Egg Foo Young Recipe
Pork Egg Foo Young is one of those comforting dishes that’s simple but really satisfying — fluffy eggs, savory pork, and crisp vegetables, all brought together with a rich brown sauce. You get those golden edges on the outside and a soft, tender center inside.
A lot of people know Egg Foo Young from Chinese restaurant menus, where it’s served as thick omelet patties with sauce poured over the top. But it’s actually much easier to make at home than it looks.
This version is pan-fried, so you still get that light crisp on the edges without needing to deep fry. And the whole dish comes together in about 20 minutes, which makes it great for a quick meal.
What Is Egg Foo Young?
Egg Foo Young is basically a Chinese-style omelet made with eggs, vegetables, and a protein like pork, chicken, or shrimp. Everything is mixed together, then cooked into thick patties and served with a savory brown sauce.
Most people know it as a Chinese-American dish, but it actually comes from a Cantonese dish called Fu Rong Dan (芙蓉蛋).
The Cantonese Roots of the Dish
Fu Rong Dan translates to “hibiscus egg,” which is a really nice way to describe it. The soft, fluffy omelet is meant to resemble the petals of a hibiscus flower.
In Cantonese cooking, it’s usually pan-fried and served on its own, without sauce. The focus is more on the texture of the eggs and the balance of the ingredients.
How Egg Foo Young Evolved
As Chinese immigrants opened restaurants in North America, a lot of dishes were adapted over time.
Egg Foo Young became a bit heartier — cooked into thicker patties and served with that familiar brown sauce on top. That version is what most people recognize today from takeout menus.
What Is Egg Foo Young Sauce?
The sauce is simple, but it really ties everything together.
It’s made from chicken stock, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and a little sesame oil. A starch slurry thickens it just enough so it turns smooth and glossy.
Once you pour it over the egg patties, it soaks in slightly and adds richness without making the dish heavy.
What Goes Into Egg Foo Young?
It’s a simple mix, but each ingredient plays a role.
Eggs
This is the base of the dish. They give Egg Foo Young that soft, fluffy texture.
Ground pork
Pork adds a deeper, savory flavor and works really well with the eggs.
Vegetables
Cabbage, carrots, scallions, and mung bean sprouts add freshness and a bit of crunch, which keeps the dish from feeling too soft.
Cornstarch slurry
Just a small amount helps the mixture hold together so the patties stay intact when cooking.
Step-by-Step: Let’s Cook
Serves: 2
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Step 1: Cook the pork
In a wok or pan over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Add the ground pork, a pinch of salt, and white pepper.
Stir-fry for about 3 minutes, breaking up the pork until fully cooked. Transfer the pork to a plate and let it cool slightly.
Tip: Browning the pork first develops a richer aroma and deeper flavor that enhances the egg foo young.
Step 2: Prepare the vegetables
Thinly slice the cabbage, shred the carrot, and cut the scallions.
Tip: If you want to save time, pre-shredded cabbage and carrots work perfectly for this recipe.
Step 3: Make the egg mixture
In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with the water to make a slurry.
In a larger bowl, crack the eggs and add the salt. Whisk until smooth, then stir in the slurry.
Add the cabbage, carrot, bean sprouts, scallions, and the cooked pork. Mix until everything is evenly combined.
Tip: The cornstarch slurry helps the omelet patties hold together and keeps the texture tender.
Step 4: Cook the egg foo young
In a wok or pan over medium heat, add about 1 tablespoon of cooking oil.
Scoop a ladle of the egg mixture into the pan and cook for about 2 minutes, until the bottom turns golden brown.
Flip and cook the other side for another 2 minutes, until fully set and lightly crisp.
Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining mixture.
Tip: Keep the heat at medium so the inside cooks through without burning the outside.
Step 5: Make the gravy-style brown sauce
In a small bowl, mix the tapioca starch with the water to make a slurry.
In a pot over medium heat, combine the chicken stock, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil. Stir and bring to a gentle simmer.
Tip: Tapioca starch gives the sauce a slightly shinier finish, but cornstarch works well as a substitute. Add the slurry slowly while stirring to keep the sauce smooth.
Step 6: Serve
Place the egg foo young patties on a plate and drizzle the gravy-style brown sauce over the top.
Serve warm with steamed rice.
20-Min Pork Egg Foo Young Recipe
Pork Egg Foo Young is a comforting Chinese-style omelet made with eggs, pork, and vegetables, served with a savory gravy-style brown sauce.
Ingredients
For the pork
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil, high-smoking-point oil such as avocado, grapeseed, or peanut
- ½ pound ground pork
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of white pepper
For the egg foo young
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or adjust to taste
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, for slurry
- 3 tablespoons water, for slurry
- 3 stalks scallions, chopped
- 1 cup cabbage, thinly sliced
- ½ large carrot, shredded
- 1 cup mung bean sprouts
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil, divided (high-smoking-point oil such as avocado, grapeseed, or peanut)
For the gravy-style brown sauce
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch, for slurry (or cornstarch)
- 3 tablespoons water, for slurry
Instructions
- To cook the pork, in a wok or pan over high heat, add the cooking oil, then add the ground pork, salt, and white pepper. Stir-fry for about 3 minutes until the pork is fully cooked. Transfer to a plate and allow it to cool slightly.
- To prepare the egg mixture, in a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with the water to make a slurry. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the salt, then stir in the slurry. Add the cabbage, carrot, bean sprouts, scallions, and the cooked pork, then mix well.
- To cook the egg foo young, in a wok or pan over medium heat, add about 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Ladle some of the egg mixture into the pan and cook for about 2 minutes until the bottom is golden brown. Flip and cook the other side for another 2 minutes until fully set. Remove and repeat with the remaining mixture.
- To make the gravy-style brown sauce, in a small bowl, mix the tapioca starch with the water to make a slurry. In a pot over medium heat, combine the chicken stock, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in the slurry and cook until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy.
- To serve, place the egg foo young patties on a plate and spoon the gravy-style brown sauce over the top.
Video
Notes
Brown the pork first: Browning the pork before adding it to the egg mixture develops a richer aroma and deeper flavor that enhances the egg foo young.
Use a cornstarch slurry in the eggs: Mixing a small amount of cornstarch and water into the eggs helps the patties hold together and creates a softer, more tender texture.
Cook over medium heat: Medium heat allows the egg foo young to cook through evenly while developing golden edges without burning the outside.
Don’t overcrowd the pan: Cook the patties in batches, so they have enough space to brown properly and hold their shape when flipped.
Tapioca starch for shine: Tapioca starch gives the gravy-style brown sauce a slightly shinier finish, but cornstarch works well as a substitute.
Protein swap: This recipe also works well with shrimp, chicken, or char siu instead of ground pork.