If you like Egg Foo Yung in restaurants, you need to try this low-carb Chicken Egg Foo Yung that’s a tasty version to make at home! And this is fun for a new way to use leftover chicken!

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Chicken Egg Foo Yung on serving plate with soy sauce dispenser and chopsticks

Years ago I went to Hong Kong and Beijing with my brother Rand, and it didn’t take long to realize that most of what we consider to be Chinese food in the U.S. is definitely Chinese-American food. I learned to love Egg Foo Yung at The Pagoda, a now-closed Chinese American Restaurant in Salt Lake with a Japanese name, and I remember eating it there with my parents as a reward for making the honor roll in high school.

Then in the early days of my blog I spotted a recipe for Chicken Egg Foo Yung at Fine Cooking and experimented with it. But through the years I’ve improvised a much easier (and do I dare say better?) version of Egg Foo Yung, so I’m updating the recipe.

The biggest change that makes it easier is using diced chicken to replace the step of cutting raw chicken into strips and quickly stir-frying it. When we tested the new version a few times to take photos, Kara and I both agreed that was a great improvement. And who doesn’t like having another good idea for using leftover chicken?

What ingredients do you need?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

What is Egg Foo Yung?

Egg Foo Yung is an omelet-type dish that’s found in many Asian cuisines, and it’s filled with the umami flavors that makes Asian food so good! This recipe is probably not an authentic recipe for Egg Foo Yung, but it’s definitely delicious.

What kind of mushrooms did we use?

We used thickly-sliced and cut in half brown Cremini (or Baby Bella) mushrooms for this recipe, but any mushrooms you prefer will be fine.

What if you don’t have peanut oil?

Peanut oil is the preferred oil for Asian stir fries, and it’s perfect for this recipe. But if you can’t have peanuts or don’t want to buy a special oil, any neutral-flavored oil that can be cooked at high heat will be fine.

Can you use a larger frying pan for the Egg Foo Yung?

It’s fairly important to use a 10 inch frying pan for this recipe so you can do the final step of putting a 12-inch plate over the frying pan and flipping it over so you have the browned bottom part of the Egg Foo Yung facing up.

Want more variations for Egg Foo Yung?

We switched the strips of stir-fried chicken for diced cooked chicken in this new-and-improved version. The recipe from Fine Cooking added red bell pepper strips, but I always preferred the version with just mushrooms. But the variations are endless for this recipe. You could use more chicken, switch out the chicken for shrimp, or leave out the chicken completely if you prefer and add any type of mild-flavored vegetable of your choice for a vegetarian option.

Chicken Egg Foo Yung process shots collage

How to Make Chicken Egg Foo Yung:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

  1. Cut up cooked chicken.
  2. Cut up mushrooms. We cut them in half and then made thick slices.
  3. Clean green onions, then slice white parts in longer pieces and green part into thin slices. 
  4. Whisk together oyster sauce, white vinegar, soy sauce and one teaspoon of the sesame oil. (Use gluten-free ingredients if needed.)
  5. Beat eggs with salt and pepper and whisk in the other teaspoon of sesame oil.
  6. Heat 1 T oil in a 10 inch non-stick frying pan and cook mushrooms about 3 minutes. Add the white parts of the green onions and cook 2-3 minutes longer. 
  7. Add diced chicken to the pan (to barely warm it) and turn off the heat.
  8. Let mushrooms and onions cool for 1-2 minutes, then stir chicken, green onions and mushrooms into the eggs.
  9. Wipe out the frying pan with a paper towel if needed, then add the other 2 T oil (or a bit less) and heat over high heat until the oil is starting to shimmer.
  10. Then add  egg mixture. Sides will puff up; immediately reduce heat to medium.
  11. Cook egg mixture on medium heat for 4-5 minutes, lifting up cooked part and tipping the pan so the uncooked egg can run under and cook.
  12. When eggs are starting to look firm, turn heat to low, press down the mixture so it’s relatively flat, and cook 2-3 minutes more. (The center will still look slightly wet. You can cover it with the lid for a couple of minutes if you want it more well done in the center.)
  13. When eggs are cooked, remove pan from the heat, put a plate over the top, put the handle facing away from you, hold the pan and plate with hot pads and turn it over so Egg Foo Yung is centered on the plate. (This is the hardest part, be brave!)
  14. Pour sauce mixture over the egg pancake, sprinkle with sliced green parts of green onion, and devour!

Chicken Egg Foo Yung ib serving plate, cropped image with soy sauce and chopsticks

More Asian-Inspired Recipes to Try:

Chicken Egg Foo Yung on serving plate with soy sauce dispenser and chopsticks
Yield: 4 servings

Chicken Egg Foo Yung

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

If you like Egg Foo Yung in restaurants, this Chicken Egg Foo Yung with mushrooms and chunks of chicken is a delicious low-carb version you can make at home.

Ingredients

  • 4 oz. diced cooked chicken (see notes)
  • 1 T soy sauce (see notes)
  • 2 tsp. Asian sesame oil, divided
  • 1 T Oyster Sauce (see notes)
  • 1 tsp. white vinegar
  • 6 large eggs, beaten
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 4 green onions
  • 3 T peanut oil, divided (see notes)
  • 4 oz. sliced mushrooms (see notes)

Instructions

  1. Cut up about 4 ounces of cooked chicken (or a bit more if you prefer a more substantial dish.)
  2. Cut up about four ounces of mushrooms. We cut them in half and then made thick slices.
  3. Clean green onions, then slice the white parts into longer pieces and cut green part into thin slices. Keep the white and green parts separate. 
  4. Whisk together oyster sauce, white vinegar, soy sauce and one teaspoon of the sesame oil. (Use gluten-free ingredients if needed.)
  5. Beat eggs with salt and pepper and whisk in the other teaspoon of sesame oil.
  6. Heat 1 T oil in a 10 inch non-stick frying pan and cook mushrooms about 3 minutes, until mushrooms are softened and give up some liquid.
  7. Add the white parts of the green onions and cook 2-3 minutes longer. 
  8. Add diced chicken to the pan (to barely warm it) and turn off the heat. Let mushrooms and onions cool for 1-2 minutes, then stir chicken, green onions and mushrooms into the eggs.
  9. Wipe out the frying pan with a paper towel if needed, then add the remaining 2 T oil and heat over high heat until the oil is just starting to shimmer. (You might not need quite that much oil, depending on your pan.)
  10. Then add the egg mixture. Sides will puff up just a bit; immediately reduce heat to medium.
  11. Cook egg mixture on medium heat for 4-5 minutes, lifting up the cooked parts and tipping the pan so the uncooked egg can run under and cook.
  12. When eggs are starting to look firm, turn heat to low, press down the mixture so it's relatively flat, and cook 2-3 minutes more. (The center will still look slightly wet. You can cover it with the lid for a couple of minutes if you want it more well done in the center.)
  13. When eggs are cooked, remove pan from the heat, put a plate over the top, put the handle facing away from you, hold the pan and plate with hot pads and turn it over so Egg Foo Yung is centered on the plate. (This is the hardest part, be brave!)
  14. Pour sauce mixture over the egg pancake, sprinkle with sliced green parts of green onion, and devour!

Notes

Four ounces of cooked chicken is just under one cup; you can increase the amount of chicken if you want a more substantial dish.

Be sure to use Gluten-Free Oyster Sauce (affiliate link) and Gluten-Free Soy Sauce (affiliate link) if needed.

If you don't have Peanut Oil (affiliate link) or can't use it, use a neutral flavored vegetable oil.

I used brown Cremini mushrooms for this recipe.

The first time I made this I had some leftovers which I kept in the fridge overnight, but I didn’t think it was that good reheated.

Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 298Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 306mgSodium: 618mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 18g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

square thumbnail image of Chicken Egg Foo Yung on serving plate

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Chicken Egg Foo Yung is a perfect main dish for low-carb and Keto diets, and for any phase of the original South Beach Diet. You can switch out the chicken and mushrooms for any low-carb protein or vegetables you prefer. Be sure to use Gluten-Free Oyster Sauce and Soy Sauce if you need it to be gluten-free.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Eggs Recipes to find more recipes like this one! Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pintereston Facebookon Instagramon TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This Egg Foo Yung recipe was first posted in 2010. Through the years I experimented and created a simpler version; the recipe was last updated in 2023.

Pinterest image of Chicken Egg Foo Yung

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