Chinese-American · main

Egg Foo Young with Chicken

Egg Foo Young with Chicken reads umami 7.0, salinity 5.6 and richness 5.4 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Chinese-American main, about 27 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 7.8 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 2.2 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 1.0 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.5 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.5 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 3.1 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.0 · Salinity 5.6 · Richness 5.4 · Nutty 3.5 · Herbaceous 2.9 · Funk & Ferment 2.8 · Sweetness 2.2 · Allium 1.7 · Earthy 1.4 · Sourness 1.0 · Bitterness 0.8 · Warm Spice 0.6 · Heat 0.6

What's in it (15)

• boneless chicken — 340 g
• vegetable oil — 54 g
• white mushrooms — 113 g
• scallions — 400 g
• bean sprouts — 227 g
• eggs — 600 g
• dark sesame oil — 5 g
• salt — 4 g
• white pepper — 1 g
• low-salt chicken broth — 237 g
• soy sauce — 30 g
• oyster sauce — 15 g
• cornstarch — 15 g
• white rice — 532 g
• water — 30 g

Time & effort: about 27 min (22 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 155.8 kcal, 9 g protein, 5.3 g fat, 18.2 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Season the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until lightly browned at the edges and cooked through to 165°F, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Add 1 tablespoon more of the oil to the same skillet, then add the mushrooms and the sliced scallion whites; cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms release their liquid and turn golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the bean sprouts and toss just until wilted, about 1 minute.
3. Scrape the vegetables into the bowl with the chicken and let cool for 5 minutes so they don't scramble the eggs.
4. In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs with the sesame oil, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the white pepper until smooth.
5. Stir the cooled chicken and vegetables into the whisked eggs along with the scallion greens.
6. Whisk the chicken broth, soy sauce, and oyster sauce together in a small saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat, 2 to 3 minutes. In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water until smooth, then whisk it into the simmering broth. Cook, whisking, until the gravy thickens and turns glossy, about 1 minute; remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
7. Wipe out the skillet and set it over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil. Ladle in a generous 3/4 cup of the egg mixture per patty, 1 to 2 patties at a time, spreading each gently into a 5-inch round. Cook until the edges look set and the underside is deep golden, 3 to 4 minutes.
8. Flip each patty and cook until just set in the center and golden on the second side, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining egg mixture, adding the last tablespoon of oil to the skillet as needed, to make 6 patties total.
9. Divide the rice among plates, top with the egg foo young patties, and spoon the warm gravy generously over top. Serve at once.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Egg Fried Rice (蛋炒饭) — Chinese
• Egg Drop Fried Rice with Chicken — Chinese-American
• Lasagna al Forno — Italian
• Vegetable Lasagna — Italian
• Chicken Fried Rice — Chinese-American

Keep reading: what umami, salinity, richness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.