Eggs can get a bad rap sometimes. They’re pigeon-holed into baked goods and breakfast and sometimes made to feel like a sad and frugal shortcut. But the humble egg can be a dinner or lunchtime star in its own right! This Salted Chili & Chinese Chive Frittata is a perfect example of how eggs can really shine.
With the last of the summer chives growing in the warm start to fall, I’m hurrying to enjoy this dish while I still can! In the middle of summer when our chive plants are going bonkers, we can go outside, cut huge swaths of chives and two weeks later, they’re replenished just like the grass on our lawn.
You might have already seen our Chinese Chives & Eggs recipe, which is a classic in its own right consisting of just eggs and chives. We grew up eating that dish often on busy weeknights.
This is a riff on that dish, made with salted Hunan chili peppers (duo jiao), which means it’s tasty tasty tasty, as well as an easy “one pot” dinner. It’s satisfying in a way that only comes from tons of salty umami deliciousness. These salted Hunan chili peppers are probably most famously put to use on delicious Hunan Steamed Fish with Salted Chilies and Tofu (Duo Jiao Yu).
Despite how simple it is, and how weird of a combo it may seem to be, this Salted Chili & Chinese Chive Frittata (you can also just scramble the eggs, as I often do when I’m in a hurry to eat) has become one of my all-time favorites. With a big bowl of rice, it’s pretty irresistible.
You’ll need
6 large eggs
⅛ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
¼ teaspoon sesame oil
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1½ cups chopped Chinese chives
¼ cup jarred Hunan chili peppers (or to taste––they are quite salty!)
First, beat the eggs, sugar, Shaoxing wine, white pepper, and sesame oil in a bowl. Heat a skillet (cast iron or non-stick works best) over medium-high heat with 5 tablespoons of oil.
Add the chives, and stir-fry until just wilted.
Add the Hunan chilies and distribute evenly.
Pour the eggs evenly over the mixture. If you’d like to just scramble the eggs, gently stir them until they’re just cooked, being careful not to break up the eggs too much.
If you are making a frittata, lower the heat to medium, and let the egg cook until mostly solidified.
When you are ready to flip your Chinese chive frittata, carefully slide it onto a plate, place the pan over the plate, and quickly flip the whole thing so the frittata flips out into the pan. Continue to cook until there’s no more runny egg, and serve! It’s a little tricky, but if you want that wow factor, say a prayer, and go for it!
- 6 large eggs
- ⅛ teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon sesame oil
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1½ cups chopped Chinese chives
- ¼ cup jarred hunan chili peppers (or to taste––they are quite salty!)
- First, beat the eggs, sugar, Shaoxing wine, white pepper, and sesame oil in a bowl. Heat a skillet (cast iron or non-stick works best) over medium-high heat with 5 tablespoons of oil.
- Add the chives, and stir-fry until just wilted. Add the hunan chilies and distribute evenly.
- Pour the eggs evenly over the mixture. If you’d like to just scramble the eggs, gently stir them until they’re just cooked, being careful not to break up the eggs too much.
- If you are making a frittata, lower the heat to medium, and let the egg cook until mostly solidified. When you are ready to flip the frittata, carefully slide it onto a plate, place the pan over the plate, and quickly flip the whole thing so the frittata flips out into the pan. Continue to cook until there’s no more runny egg, and serve! It’s a little tricky, but if you want that wow factor, say a prayer, and go for it!
ArtyJ says
I have a boatload of fresh red chilies and I’m looking for recipes. This looks awesome. Any way to make the sauce to emulate the jarred stuff?
Judy says
Hi Arty, this red chili is pickled. For your red chilies, it’s best to dry them in the sun and they will last for a couple of years.
Lina says
I can’t find any duojiao here, but I saw garlic chili sauce from Lee Kum Kee, which is supposed to be quite salty and seems to have bits of chili in it. Does anyone know if that could work, too?
Kaitlin says
Hi Lina, garlic chili sauce might be a bit too salty, but you could make the chive egg fritatta, and use that as a condiment if you can’t find duojiao!
James | Thyme to Mango says
Oooh, the colours of this frittata are so appetising, and I’m really intrigued about these duo jiao – how spicy are they? (I like it spicy ?)
Kaitlin says
Hi James, they’re not too spicy! Just enough to get plenty of good flavor without having to wipe your brow mid-meal heh
Jack says
Thanks for identifying Hunan salted chilies. I have eaten and read about Hunan slated chilies and seen that jar in Chinese markets but never knew that they were one in the same. If you are ever in HK check out Hunan Cafe in Wan Chai where Hunan chilies red and yellow take center stage.
Kaitlin says
Yay! Glad we could help clear up the confusion of the Chinese condiments aisle–it can be overwhelming!
Alan Sommerman says
Ever serve this at room temperature? It’s always nice to have at least one dish that doesn’t need attention at the last minute
Kaitlin says
Yes! It’s very nice even at room temperature :)
Jessica says
I thought a frittata could also be placed in the oven to bake for a short amount of time, instead of flipping? Would it be considered a different dish with this method?
Kaitlin says
Hi Jessica, you can do that, but we didn’t want the chives to get browned too much! But feel free to try it!