Egg Foo Young (Whole30, Keto)

My gluten-free Egg Foo Young recipe is a fantastic portable savory Whole30- and keto-friendly meal that can be eaten with your hands and made with leftover meat and veggies!

I knew that Melissa Joulwan’s awesome site featured a great recipe for Paleo Egg Foo Young, but to be perfectly honest, I didn’t really know what egg foo young was actually supposed to taste like. After all, I grew up with the understanding that no self-respecting Chinese person ever orders this dish at an authentic Chinese restaurant.

Henry, on the other hand, grew up in the kitchen of his parents’ Chinese restaurant in the 1970s, which served up all the Westernized dishes that many Americans know so well: pot stickers, chow mein, deep-fried wontons, sweet-and-sour pork. To him, egg foo young was just a childhood favorite.

I didn’t encounter egg foo young until after I met Henry in college, and he took me to visit his family’s restaurant. But as soon as I took my first bite of these savory egg patties, I knew I had to have the recipe.

What is Egg Foo Young?

Egg Foo Young is a Chinese American dish that was created when resourceful restaurant cooks served up pancake shaped omelets filled with random meat and vegetable scraps, often topped with a savory brown gravy. It can be filled with bean sprouts, water chestnuts, scallions, roast pork, shrimp, or ham.  There really isn’t a standard recipe because it was a leftover makeover!

What are some filling options?

Although this recipe uses diced ham and frozen spinach, you can add any cooked protein or veggies you have in the fridge or freezer! For example, some great protein options are leftover Paleo Char Siu, Kalua Pig, and diced cooked chicken. Any leafy green (fresh or frozen) works great in this recipe—just make sure you squeeze out any excess liquid if you are using thawed frozen greens.

Want to use leftover stir-fry as the filling? Chop it up into bite-sized pieces and use about 2 cups in place of the frozen spinach and ham.

Can you substitute the coconut flour?

For sure! You can make these paleo egg foo young pancakes coconut-free by using double the amount of cassava flour. Both versions taste great, but the coconut flour pancakes are lower carb than the ones made with cassava flour.

How do you store leftovers?

You can keep the leftover egg foo young pancakes in the fridge for up to four days or freeze them for up to four months. I reheat them by popping them in a toaster oven or an air fryer set at 375°F for 5 to 8 minutes or until heated through.

How to make Egg Foo Young

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut flour (or cassava flour), fish sauce, and apple cider vinegar until smooth.

Mix in the ham, spinach, scallions, cilantro, and baking soda, and some freshly ground black pepper.

Melt a tablespoon of ghee in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Use a large disher (3-tablespoon size) to plop the batter in the pan, and flatten the pancake to ½-inch thick with the back of a spoon. I can comfortably fit 3 pancakes in my 12-inch skillet at a time—don’t overcrowd them!

Fry without disturbing the patties for 2 minutes before flipping the pancakes over and cooking it on the other side for about 1 to 2 minutes more. The pancakes  are cooked through when the centers bounce back when you press down on them with your finger.

Repeat until you’re out of batter. As each pancake finishes cooking, transfer it to a wire rack to cool. Then, plate ’em up and serve!

I like these pancakes plain, but they’re also wonderful topped with Sriracha, Guacamole, Spicy Pineapple Salsa, or Mango Avocado Salsa.

Like my mini egg frittata muffins, these pancakes can be eaten sans utensils, and are totally adaptable to whatever fillings you have in the kitchen. Remember: there’s no such thing as an “authentic” egg foo young, so don’t be afraid to experiment!

Want to turn it into a St. Paul Sandwich? Click here for the recipe I made for Al Roker!