Chinese Tomato Egg Stir-Fry: Quick + Easy! (VIDEO)

Ingredients for Tomato Egg Stir Fry

This recipe requires less than 10 ingredients, mostly pantry staples, and just a tiny bit of technique!

What Kind of Tomatoes Should I Use?

I like using vine-ripe tomatoes but you can also use Roma tomatoes. You want to use tomatoes that have a thin skin (so it easily falls off while cooking), are vibrant in color, and is naturally sweet. If you are using tomatoes with a thick skin, peel them before cooking. Do not use cherry or grape tomatoes.

I was taught to cut the tomatoes into quarters. Quartered tomatoes are small enough to break down and create the delicious sauce-like consistency, but are still large enough to hold up against the scrambled eggs.

Ingredients

• Tomatoes – I used vine-ripe tomatoes; you can substitute with Roma.
• Eggs – I used large American eggs. If you are using small eggs, use 1 more (total of 5).
• Scallions or Green Onions
• Garlic
• Ginger
• kosher salt
• white pepper – I love white pepper and it’s used very commonly in Chinese cooking (another “secret ingredient” for cooking restaurant quality Chinese food at home). It has an earthier, less spicy flavor than black pepper. I recommend having some in your pantry but if you can’t find it, you can always substitute with black pepper.
• Sesame Oil
• Shaoxing Wine – This is one of my favorite Chinese pantry staples. It adds a depth of flavor and complexity to the sauce and truly one of my “secret ingredients” for making restaurant quality Chinese food. If you can’t find it, you can substitute with mirin, sherry, or even chicken broth.

Recipe Instructions for Chinese Tomato Egg Stir-Fry

1. Scramble (Half of) the Eggs

The first step of making Chinese Tomato Egg Stir-Fry is to soft scramble half of your beaten eggs. This is going to be one element of the contrasting texture of this dish.

Beat your eggs in a bowl. Heat 1 tbsp of oil over medium high heat in your wok or large pan; add in half of the beaten eggs. Remove once soft scrambled and set aside.

2. Sauté Aromatics and Simmer Tomatoes

In the same wok or pan, sauté the garlic and ginger for a few seconds until they become fragrant. Add your quartered tomatoes to cook; slightly crush them to help break them down. Continue cooking the tomatoes over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes until they are broken down and the mixture is slightly loose.

Don’t worry if the tomatoes looks too loose – once you add the remaining eggs and scallions, the dish will continue to thicken. You will also be adding a cornstarch surry to thicken the stir-fry. I personally like mine on the thicker side, with almost a gravy-like consistency.

3. Temper in the Remaining Egg

Once the tomatoes are broken down, add in the remaining half of your eggs. Stir gently to let the eggs set in the hot tomato mixture. This is a technique called tempering; pouring your beaten eggs into the hot tomatoes will cook the eggs into a silky texture. The color of your tomatoes should lighten as the eggs continue to cook. You’ll see the eggs ‘disperse’ into the tomatoes, similar to Egg Drop Soup.

Once the eggs have set into the tomatoes, add back the soft scrambled eggs and scallions; stir gently to combine.

At this point, the tomatoes and egg mixture should still look quite loose and watery; at this point, you’ll add your cornstarch slurry a few tablespoons at a time. Do not pour all of it in at one time! Continue simmering while adding the cornstarch slurry; you’ll see the tomatoes and eggs thicken to a gravy-like consistency.

Serve it over steamed white rice and enjoy!

Storage and Reheating

You can store leftover Chinese Tomato Egg Stir-Fry in an airtight container for up to 3- days in the refrigerator.

I prefer to reheat this quickly in a large pan over medium-high heat. You can also microwave it.

What to Serve with Chinese Tomato Egg Stir-Fry

I love eating this over a bowl of white rice and pairing it with other simple, savory Chinese dishes! Vegetable dishes like Garlic Bok Choy, Din Tai Fung Garlic Green Beans, Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce, and Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad would all go perfectly as a side dish! For my spicy-lovers, I can never resist drizzling some of my homemade Chinese Chili Oil on top!