Egg Foo Yung with Sweet and Sour Sauce (Chinese Omelette)
Fluffy golden omelettes packed with beansprouts, mushrooms and spring onion, served with a tangy sweet and sour sauce.
Made with Sweet and sour sauce. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time25
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £2.08 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Cook the rice following the packet. Warm your ready made sweet and sour sauce (see the base recipe) in a small pan and keep it on a low heat.
- 2
Beat the eggs in a large bowl with the tamari and sesame oil. Stir in the beansprouts, mushrooms, spring onions and peas.
- 3
Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a non stick frying pan over a medium high heat.
- 4
Pour in one quarter of the mixture and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until set and golden underneath. Flip carefully and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until cooked through.
5 min - 5
Slide on to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining oil and mixture to make 4 omelettes.
- 6
Serve each omelette on a bed of rice with the warm sauce spooned over.
Tips
- Use a non stick pan and a fish slice to flip. If an omelette tears, patch it in the pan.
- Keep the heat at medium high. If too low the omelettes turn rubbery, too high and they burn outside.
- Add cooked prawns or diced char siu if you want a meaty version.
Storing and freezing
Best fresh. Keeps up to 1 day in the fridge, cooled within 1 hour. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through.
Questions
What is egg foo yung?
It is a Chinese-American omelette filled with vegetables and sometimes meat or prawns, usually served with a gravy or sauce. It is popular in British Chinese takeaways.
Can I make it egg free?
Not really, as the eggs are the point of the dish. For an egg free alternative, try the crispy tofu nuggets with sweet and sour dip instead.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Cook the omelettes, cool and keep them in the fridge for up to a day, then reheat in the oven at 180C for 10 minutes until steaming hot.
More made with sweet and sour sauce
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.