Chinese Chives & Eggs Stir fry is a very simple, homey dish that you just don’t see in restaurants, and it’s so basic that anyone can make it. But it can also vary wildly from person to person.
When it comes to eggs, some like them runny and some like them cooked fully through. Oddly enough, I belong to the latter party. But when it comes to stir-fried eggs, consistency is everything. It’s also a good time to point out that this is not a breakfast item, but a dish for lunch or dinner to eat with rice.
Almost always, stir-fried eggs should be smooth and silky. Please remember the following four important factors to achieve that ultimate feathery texture:
- Oil helps to keep the eggs away from the hot searing metal of the wok, preventing them from getting overcooked.
- You must use medium to medium low heat––just enough heat to solidify the eggs.
- A little bit of sugar and water help keep the eggs fluffy when cooking.
- The technique is to stir and flip the egg mixture slowly. Once you see a thin bottom layer of egg starting to solidify, don’t wait too long to stir, or you’ll give the eggs a chance to harden and brown (which is what you don’t want)
Summer is a time for quick and easy dishes and this Chinese Chives & Eggs Stir Fry definitely fits the bill. Not to mention that I have loads of Chinese chives (also known as garlic chives) in my garden. Chives are a perennial. Once you put the seeds down in a pot or in your garden, they’ll grow like weeds. I cut them often and fertilize as well to help them grow thicker. The best part is, they come back year after year with no heavy lifting on your part.
If you’re looking for another quick stir-fried egg dish, check out our Shrimp with Eggs recipe. The cooking technique is largely the same. Remember, the texture you’re looking for is smooth and silky. You can do it!
You’ll need:
- 5 large eggs
- 1/8 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
- 4 teaspoons water
- 2 cups chopped Chinese chives/garlic chives
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
Crack the eggs into a large bowl, and add the sugar, salt, Shaoxing wine, white pepper, sesame oil and water.
Beat the eggs for a good 30 seconds until you see a layer of small bubbles floating on the surface of the beaten eggs. Mix in the Chinese chives and eggs until combined. Now you are ready to cook.
Heat a wok until it just starts to smoke, and then turn the heat down to medium low. Wait 10 seconds, and then add the oil. Coat the wok with oil using your spatula to swirl it around. The oil should be hot but not smoking when you add the egg mixture.
Once you pour the eggs into the wok…
Flip and stir them slowly with a spatula, being careful not to let the eggs brown or firm up too much.
Once the eggs are just cooked, they’re ready. Serve this Chinese chives & egg stir fry with rice!
You’ll enjoy the silky eggs and the sweet and flavorful chives in this Chinese chives & eggs dish!
Chinese Chives & Eggs Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 5 large eggs
- 1/8 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
- 4 teaspoons water
- 2 cups Chinese chives/garlic chives (chopped)
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
- Crack the eggs into a large bowl, and add the sugar, salt, Shaoxing wine, white pepper, sesame oil and water. Beat the eggs for a good 30 seconds until you see a layer of small bubbles floating on the surface of the beaten eggs. Mix in the chives until combined. Now you are ready to cook.
- Heat a wok until it just starts to smoke, and then turn the heat down to medium low. Wait 10 seconds, and then add the oil. Coat the wok with oil using your spatula to swirl it around. The oil should be hot but not smoking when you add the egg mixture.
- Once you pour the eggs into the wok, flip and stir them slowly with a spatula, being careful not to let the eggs brown or firm up too much. Once the eggs are just cooked, they’re ready. Serve!
Nutrition
Stephanie says
This brings me right back to summer evenings when we would harvest Chinese chives out of the garden for this specific dish! Perfect for lazy and quick dinners when it’s too hot to put too much effort into cooking but you still gotta put something on the table. I also slathered it with oyster sauce in my kid days.
Judy says
I know, Stephanie, this dish is beloved.
Sharon says
omg.. these are so tasty. even several days later they are light and fluffy. tastes better than my mom’s (shh)! don’t know how you do it.. feels so comforting to have it over some rice. thank you thank you thank you!
Judy says
Hi Sharon, the secret to cooking egg the Chinese way is lots of oil. If you like this dish and you can eat shrimp, you should really try our Shrimp and Egg Stir Fry. It’s one of my favorites. :-)
Qui says
Nice one! Love the crunchiness of the chives in the egg and the flavors the Shaoxing wine adds.
Judy says
So glad you enjoyed it.
Huacen says
Hi, thank you for the receipt. Can I use chives to substitute garlic chives? If so, should I add more garlic? Thank you!
Judy says
Hi Huacen, you can make the substitute and add more garlic :-)
chantal duvall says
Hi,
My Chinese maket sells garlic chives in big packages… Do they freeze well ?
Thanks for your wonderful blog, I now cook a lot with your recipes.
Judy says
Hi Chantal, garlic chives do not freeze well. You can use the leftover chives for pork and chive dumplings, or chive boxes. Once assembled, these items can be frozen!