The Wok: Chinese Scrambled Eggs With Tomato | Kenji's Cooking Show

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Get my books (including The Food Lab and my new book, The Wok) here: www.kenjilopez...
This recipe is similar to the one from my new book, The Wok: Recipes and Techniques.
Here's the Wang Gang video I mentioned: • 厨师长分享："番茄炒蛋"的6种做法，多种口味...
Here's a great article on scrambled eggs and tomato by my friend Francis Lam (paywall): www.nytimes.co...

[@UnCoolDad]

Dog: "he has that thing on his head. Treat time! 🐶"

[@higoodbye7545]

i never thought about the dogs recognizing that lol, they definitely do! or at least Shabu does lol

[@happyday8835]

I’m kinda jealous of his dogs getting to eat everything he cooks lol

[@ColtonWillhite]

🤣🤣

[@CountryDick]

Yeah! Socks are on.

[@regard321]

​@@happyday8835yooo can I get a bite- I mean, uh, bark bark? Woof?

[@Caiahar22]

I love that you're not super strict with ingredients and go "this is just what I had" for the tomatoes, and acknowledge substitutions in general and that not everyone wants to go out and buy one specific thing for a dish, it makes cooking a lot less intimidating! Often when I watch some cooking vids I end up going "I do not have these very specific ingredients and I don't know if I can substitute them"

[@CianMcsweeney]

Exactly, also it's extremely wasteful to buy ingredients specifically for each meal you prepare, you'll inevitably end up with a bunch of gone off food at the end of the week

[@luisa146]

You can make delicious stir fried dishes with anything you have left over! Don't be limited by recipes.

[@PriusMike88]

The most important thing you can do when you see a recipe without a specific ingredient is just cook the dish anyway. The food will still be edible and you might enjoy it the way it is, or you might not. For example I saw a cucumber and cream cheese sandwich recipe that used dill herb and chives. Dill is expensive and i can’t imagine id ever use chive outside of this recipe so i decided not to even try it. Then one day I just said screw it, I bought a cucumber, bought chive whipped cream cheese and some wheat bread and made the sandwich. I’ve never had dill. The sandwich was good the way it was and my taste buds weren’t telling me it needed anything additional. The takeaway .. if you’re missing an ingredient, don’t sweat it, take a breathe, relax, and make the dish with what you have. Then, at least you can say “I did it”. 😉

[@mechadsey]

If you learn about the role an ingredient plays in a receptive (saltiness,acid,sweetness,savory, etc) it can help guide what will make a good substitute.

[@susanzatorski8142]

Thank you. I saw this a few weeks ago on ATK .Made it for a quick dinner w/ rice.❤❤🎉I ate leftovers for breakfast .They sound like it's a staple food.How come I have never seen it in a Chinese restaurant? I will continue to look for it on menus.Also continue to cook it.I also substitute canned tomatoes.Cook off juice.

[@littlenikke4704]

Taking me back to my childhood, watching Yan Can Cook on PBS. He always said 'Hot wok, cold oil: Food won't stick'.

[@perrijohnson9627]

I loved watching Yan Can Cook. I learned how to smash garlic with a cleaver from him.

[@jepoyburner]

Request: I would actually like to see a mostly uncut video of you seasoning your wok. For a lot of people, including myself, the seasoning process is something that's intimidating to do that's why we shy away from cooking vessels that require seasoning.

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

That’s actually my next video. It takes only a few minutes.

[@zayvk2]

@@JKenjiLopezAlt I've also wanted to hear your nuisanced thoughts on how to treat seasoning, like I've heard that you shouldn't cook anything acidic like tomatoes in it or use soap but all of your stuff seems very well and evenly seasoned. If you can break down the science and misconceptions it would be great. I've been working on a carbon steel skillet and it's been doing well after some mishaps until I cooked something a little too hot (it was actually your delicious chickpea burgers) and got sticky oil droplets on the sides that I can't get rid of without scrubbing all of the surrounding seasoning off.

[@treyvolpe4232]

Could you also comment on how to restore a wok that's become too sticky? Be it improperly seasoned/sticky oil residue.

[@UHFAJonathan]

@@zayvk2 read his stuff about cast iron, pretty similar principle

[@elaineleblanc8616]

@@JKenjiLopezAlt Looking forward to that video as well. 🇨🇦

[@sbhopper8511]

Awesome. I liked how you discussed the wide-ranging love for tomatoes and eggs. Turkey and the Middle East are great places for it. There's the menemen, but there's also hard boiled eggs with fresh tomato. Other examples I'm too tired to recall. (I'll skip that cilantro.)

[@CianMcsweeney]

I've been eating this for breakfast every day this week, obsessed with it!

[@chinnithy7156]

Yeh I make these all the time and yes the secret sauce is ketchup. Reason? For me it gives the darker red color for the sauce and also vinegar in the ketchup kinda brightens up the flavor. It all depends on the tomato itself. Taste the tomato first and you’ll know how much sugar to add. Awesome recipe!

[@Meetthekiller7]

This brought back a ton of memories for me: my dad used to make this all the time, often with whatever leftovers/other foods we had with us like onions and/or pork belly. I haven’t thought about it for a long time, and now I’m definitely craving some again. Thanks for the recipe Kenji!

[@REDDAWNproject]

i was gonna say, this seemd like it would be perfect with some pork belly for the extra protein kick.

[@Garywinters89]

Sounds nasty

[@jinn194]

@@Garywinters89 who asked?

[@Garywinters89]

@@jinn194 who asked you to ask that?

[@jinn194]

@@Garywinters89 again, who asked?

[@Rukoy]

Literally had this yesterday 😂 I like to add some ginger to it too since it plays well with the tomatoes, and finish with the tiniest amount of sesame oil at the end. Thanks for the video!

[@absoledge]

Sesame oil at the end I was thinking the same thing!

[@robin212212]

ginger is definitely a good combo w/ tomatoes

[@cl_smoov5124]

Yes! Sesame oil at the end is key.

[@ybab-j]

good tip, i want to use ginger more

[@MelissaThompson432]

I probably would pair basil with tomato. Never thought of ginger. However, I usually use canned tomatoes because the flavor is more robust-- unless I have garden-ripe tomatoes, which was not on this year due to heat and drought....

[@joegolden5488]

I've been cooking this since you made it and it's just so great. I make it all the time now. It's so simple and so much flavour

[@nonsense1140]

I just found your channel yesterday and have been binging, so happy.

[@Stevie28]

To everyone never tasted this: Try it. It's so easy and unbelievable tasty. Haven't had it in quite a while so thannks for reminding Kenji. It's on this weeks mealplan now :D

[@WildChinoise]

One of my favorite dishes.. Also, I used to order it for lunch, NYC Chinatown, baxk in the 70s... FWIW, an Earlywood wooden Wok Spatula would be an insta buy for me.

[@Hellboy700]

by far one of my favorite breakfasts. thank you for showing a no nonsense version everyone can enjoy.

[@IceCreamTheatre]

The meal looks absolutely spectacular. Thank you for sharing this with us.

[@seathreepeeoo]

Tried it. I loved how easy it was to follow and how GOOD it turned out.. OMG so good!

[@TAYLORRYAY]

So good!! I worked at a Chinese restaurant and they would have this on the menu some weekends. I loved it but never really knew what it was. I love how simple and delicious it is!

[@Flo-ql1fs]

i´ve cooked it yesterday, that dish is truly amazing. love it.

[@argafro]

Holy smokes, just tried cooking this and it was a banger! Also it's super easy! Loved that 'little bit of these little bit of those' style recipes.

[@seanahmed9079]

That wok is absolutely beautiful!!

[@ravikaiwar257]

Awesome! Looks delicious!! I like your channel more than most other cooking shows as your kitchen (stove, utensils, gadgets, prep area) looks very down-to-earth, everyday kitchen. Nothing fancy! Love it!👏👍

[@ericz1254]

Hey Kenji! Have you ever tried a tomato-and-egg soup? My family (dad's from Sichuan) make a tomato and egg soup that leans into the savoriness of the tomato and augments it with a browned scrambled egg, ginger and a little bit of bone broth when available. It's my favorite way to have tomato and eggs.

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

I have not but that sounds awesome.

[@cz85]

I think this is a dish taught to millions of young kids in China as the first dish to cook because the ingredients are so simple and the dish it self is so forgiving. My mom always said that by learning cooking I put my self ahead of my fellow bachelors when it comes time to dating and she was right! My family typically uses scallion with the egg during the first fry on higher heat so we get some nice fragrant frying going on. My wife's family likes to add rice vinegar for an extra bit of acid and soy sauce for color. Probably tons of variety out there, thought the ketchup is new for me, will have to try it sometime.

[@itsjieyang]

I like that you're using a brand new wok for this!

[@Johbe1110]

Been cooking that recipe for a long time now, one of my favourite meals as a college student. I like your version, especially the fish sauce is a great addition I wasn't using. No idea if it's "authentic" or not, but over the years I found that I really like to add a little bit of sweet chili sauce at the end (just like ketchup).

[@gregorylu]

The use of ketchup is super good for getting that uber tomato flavor, especially when most people don't have access to fresh, ripe tomatoes (those supermarket tomatoes are bland af). My mom uses tomato paste instead of ketchup to reduce the sugar content in the dish, especially if you're already using about a teaspoon of sugar in the dish to sweeten it. She does it for her egg tomato soup as well as egg tomato sauce with noodles!

[@mrkingsudo]

This is one of my favorite recipes of all time. It's so simple, filling and delicious. Ill add one tablespoon of red hot gochujang when I add in the ketchup if I want it spicy. It's incredible!

[@slliner]

love the recent abundance of videos Kenji !

[@m.theresa1385]

Thanks for your details on prepping a new wok . I’m about to buy a new one (with a cover) and was dreading the seasoning process.

[@katl8825]

One of my favorite parts about this dish is how scalable it is/how easy it is to make 1 serving.

[@Vulpix298]

Just made this for dinner tonight, but with oyster sauce instead of fish sauce since that's all I had. absolutely delicious! thank you for introducing this to me, it'll be a regular!

[@rowanthayer3632]

I tried making these and they came out great! I have friends all over the globe and they confirmed egg/tomato is a super common pairing. Thanks for the video!

[@briankleiner9472]

Kenji, where could we get a cutting board as majestic as yours? I'm always in awe when I see it. Thanks!

[@22hmartin]

Such a simple dish but so divine, my mouth was watering watching this!

[@ManuelRamirez-ru6nq]

Gotta love this more regular posts, it's good to see you teach some easier/faster to cook recipes as well! :)

[@m.theresa1385]

I’ll give this a try today Kenji! I am lucky enough to have your Wok book and also the finished wok spatula (and a few other Wormwood goodies) so I’ll put them to good use. I’m really looking forward to this. Cheers!

[@gt120]

eggs, tomato, and garlic chives are the ingredients for my favorite type of vietnamese Canh!

[@urunclebwn]

My favourite Chinese homemade dish of all time! An absolute staple comfort food in my kitchen :)

[@doctor-goggles]

this is like the third time in a month I've had something in the fridge I didn't know what to do with (in this case, a few leftover tomatoes) and you've put out a video the very next day answering my question.

[@JohnHausser]

Nice job Kenji👍 Big fan of your channel since 2018 Cheers from San Diego California

[@JustOneAsbesto]

The wok is actually my preferred pan for making an omelette. You can make your omelette wide and thin or small and thicker, depending on how much you swirl it. If the sides are getting too thin you can just tilt the wok over on the burner and rotate it slowly. Or if you want it curdy but still soft in the middle you can let it pool in the bottom a bit. It works amazingly. And the sloped sides make it way easier to fold and slide onto a plate without tearing. Just scooch it up one side of the pan before folding, tilt the pan back and let gravity help you fold it. Also the thin metal of a wok and responsiveness to heat is great for eggs because they can overcook so easily. If you're cooking eggs in cast iron, and you put too much heat into all that metal, it can easily ruin your eggs.

[@marcuspalmisano3352]

I've been making the roman pastas in a wok for a while now. Just so easy to get the sauce to come together & coat everything. Plus I'm usually cooking for more than 2, so it's great for larger quantities.

[@duanehealing5965]

Looks great! What brought back memories for me wasn’t the food it was hearing the cuckoo clock in the background. It reminded me of my grandmother - thanks for that.

[@katejitsu]

I made this for my supper tonight and it was so good! Thanks for showing us how to make it! :)

[@Nosceteipsum166]

In my country when we want to eat asap we just fry a few eggs, put on some rice and then chop tomato. It's divine. I really don't know why people won't use tomato more often with rice and egg.

[@seafan6879]

The ketchup is the OG most authentic Chinese home cooking touch here. Chapeau. Lately I've been doing the egg part thai crispy style, as in one of your previous videos.

[@CrimsonCru]

like u toss the whole crispy omelette in the tomatoes? if so omg bruhhhhhhhh

[@jameshaulenbeek5931]

Wonderful! I like searing a thick slice of tomato (1/2" - 3/4"), top it with a fried egg. A little fresh thyme and black pepper...

[@arararamurloc]

Thank you for the video! This is one of my favorite dishes😋. When I cook this dish I usually cook my eggs a little more and put all seasoning into tomatoes, so when I put my eggs back they can absorb tomato juice and flavor.

[@thepsycholeech]

Delicious! I studied abroad in Beijing for a semester and this quickly turned into my favorite convenience store lunch :) make it every once in a while at home in the states and it always hits the spot! Thank you for sharing your version!

[@-tinyang6867]

It’s easy and tastes amazing. I got a ton of tomatoes delivered to me from a friend of my dad last month and made this 6 times in 3 days😋

[@-tinyang6867]

Me and my family do not use ketchup in it (we don’t always have ketchup in our kitchen), but I’ve seen recipes telling you to do it. I do prefer it without ketchup, but maybe it’s because the tomatoes I used were really good ones so they didn’t need it

[@thegrynne]

If you get a lot of ripe fresh tomato and are worried it will go bad, skin and chop them up, and saute it lightly in batches with a little salt and pinch of sugar. The quick fry will bring out the umami, and the resultant chunky tomato "sauce" can be kept in the freezer for months, and thawed as you need it.

[@felixthecat0371]

so cute how your dogs patiently wait for you to finish cooking

[@meatbeater159]

They're now basically pavlov'd and expect a treat when Kenji turns off his stove.

[@zennok]

Lol my GF made this around 3 days ago too. First time she made it and it was delicious

[@jennyhsueh77]

Yay, one of my all-time fav comfort food dishes!

[@ayeung06]

My Popo used to make this all the time when I was growing up. Really takes me back. I'll have to give this a try!

[@supernate223]

We love a good Kenji-lopez cooking video

[@MAXpaowers]

My mom been making this dish since I was a kid, bring back memories.

[@DecemberGift]

I just made this for breakfast, I wasn't sure how much of a difference the cornstarch would make, but sure enough, very silky, very fluffy. Delicious recipe, I'd give it a 9/10, so simple yet delicioua

[@ho.dynos1]

In my family's recipe we also tend to use cane sugar instead of regular white sugar! and ketchup is definitely a vital component of the dish!!

[@useazebra]

I love this dish. So easy to find in China. Nearly impossible to find in the US. Now I can make it at home. Thanks!

[@jw6451]

depends on which part of the US.. most of the ones in southern california have some variation. Also note this is a regional dish, not all regions of china make this as a common item.

[@cheng1991]

This is one of many Chinese people‘s first dish when they start learning how to cook, very easy, very tasty

[@BenedictNeoh]

My grandma makes these for me! I love em so much

[@sherry866]

Interesting !! Soon I'll have tomatoes grown from my garden by the hundreds. It's nice to have yet another new recipe to use them up !! Looks Amazing thanks 😁👍👍👍🇺🇸💖

[@Ckarimi851]

Kenji, I really enjoy your videos. You have opened myself and my family up to a much wider variety of cuisine. I also want to applaud you on your stance on Martin’s buns…stay strong brother ✊🏻

[@amonrah1788]

Simple an amazing! Thank you kenji.

[@LBellatrix]

In case anyone is wondering whether canned diced tomatoes (GASP) will work with this recipe…they absolutely do. Granted, mine had been cooling in a glass container in the fridge for a few days…still I erred on the side of using fewer tomatoes just in case and this still came out great. I added scallions, garlic and ginger to the tomatoes, and omitted the cilantro, but other than that I followed the recipe exactly, even down to the fish sauce and butter, which made me a little nervous but again it worked out. This is now going into regular rotation…thanks, Kenji! 😊

[@gilletteguy]

I just tried making this and, it honestly turned out pretty damn good, it's tasty and even looks great, keep it up!

[@gilletteguy]

@ᴊ.ᴋenjɪ ʟóᴘᴇᴢ-Aʟt ??

[@victoriango9443]

Made this last week thinking I had four eggs but I actually only had 2. Added half a package of tofu and it turned out delicious. I also like to add a little ginger.

[@AmirhoseinHerandy]

I was just thinking about what to make for breakfast :D Thank you Kenji

[@thegrynne]

My family (Shanghainese) never puts tomato sauce/ketchup in our 番茄炒蛋. We season our eggs with just some cooking wine or sake (to take out the "eggy" smell and enhance savouriness) and some salt. We pre-sautee chopped tomato in big batches and store it in the fridge and freezer, because we use it so often in dishes and soups, and because cooked tomato keeps for longer than fresh tomato, and this is also what we use in tomato fried eggs.

[@ShredST]

My theory is that the ketchup is added because tomatoes in American grocery stores are usually under-ripe.

[@andreb.thomas5926]

You're absolutely correct, Kenji. ...and I have it for breakfast several times a week. Chao. Retired Vietnam era veteran expatriate currently living in the Colombian Andes.

[@thedark1owns]

This is a big seller at the store. Great video Kenji!

[@meebybell]

Kenji I just made this with scallion oil and some basmati I cooked with cumin seeds and bay leaves and it was amaziing, topped with some crispy scallion, shallot and ginger

[@jackplantin9157]

One of my favorite dishes from my time in Beijing

[@Cheskaz]

Coming back a year later to thank you for introducing me to one of my staple meals

[@PigeonPaperbacks]

damn he's got that light mounted on his ceiling just for these videos???? what a king

[@Gogogoogle477]

Living in Australia we have a very "westernised" type of Chinese here. I first tried this dish 10 years ago when my Chinese roommate made it for me, its so simple but so delicious, you wont see it on any Chinese menus though. Has been a staple of mine ever since.

[@bpsitrep]

Just watched the scramble eggs video and saw this, consistency with the corn starch and butter. Going to make this for breakfast sometime this week.

[@CookinWithSquirrl]

I have my new wok and farmer's market eggs and tomatoes and this is now on my menu for today!

[@mugensamurai]

Eggs are cheap and tomatoes are abundant. Gotta do what you gotta do.

[@Lanuun]

Warms my cockles that I make it the same way by adding fish sauce to the eggs and ketchup to the tomatoes … that slurry and butter in the eggs trick is new to me and will definitely give it a go next time.

[@broscout618]

This is almost exactly how I cook mine as well with a splash of fish sauce. However I make my scrambled eggs more runny as the last process of throwing it back into the wok finishes the cooking process. If you want to make it fancier put lumps of crab with the scrambled eggs. I’ve also made this dish with mashed up shrimp head fat which is added to the tomatoes, strain out the shells of course

[@tcmr5775]

That looks so good, and it seems relatively healthy!

[@HeronCoyote1234]

12 yrs ago my bf was taking care of me after major surgery (he even took time off from work to stay with me). He’s a great cook, and said he was going to make Huevos pericos for me. When he described it, I was kinda meh. But, after eating them, wow! That’s my favorite way to make “fancy” eggs now.

[@MrMonkeyJuices]

I like the thumbnail format you've been using on your recent videos. Looks slick

[@cp1236]

I know you’re probably not going to see this Kenji but this is the best scrambled egg recipe ever. 😊

[@luisa146]

I learnt this recipe in a much less convenient way. Like I'd do the tomatoes first, then clean the pan, and do the eggs after, then join everything. But egg first seems much easier and I'll definitely try the tricks to make the eggs fluffier!

[@insertinconspicuousname2843]

Love that you brought up huevos pericos :) not many people know much about Colombian food

[@kaycem]

the dogs following the journey so closely is cracking me up. constant tap tap tap 😂

[@pqrstsma2011]

the curvature on every wok is going to be slightly different from each other, so it might not be possible to make the perfect 'wok spatula' unless you get it custom made to your wok. even so, woks tend to get banged up and exposed to high heat, so the same wok may change shape over time

[@dgdigital2659]

I'm looking to buy a new wok I would love to know where you got that new wok Kenji 👍

[@JT1698]

Hey Kenji, I was wondering if I meed to alter my gas stove somehow to properly cook with a wok (flat)? I can’t remove the top portion to get that rocket thruster-like flame I see in a lot of videos.

[@ethanf7558]

In 2014-15 I lived in Sichuan and ate this all the time. I had seen a few recipes online between then and now for this but those recipes never came out right - it was only after watching this that it all really came together; a combo of how you sequence, and adding ketchup + corn starch were the keys for me. It came out delicious and made me happy and nostalgic. I did find it funny that you mention in The Wok that this isn't a dish you'll find in a chinese restaurant...because I ordered it at several during my time in Sichuan! It wasn't a signature dish anywhere or anything, but it was as ubiquitous at hole-in-the-wall lunch spots as a cheeseburger is in the US.

[@killopatra_]

I had this dish during my time in china as well...and loved it. I believe Kenji means you won't find this on menus in western chinese restaurants. Which, while true, doesn't mean you can't ask for it and often if they have tomatoes (like for tomato and beef) they'll make it.

[@ZeroFate643]

Highly recommend Wang Gang's video on variations on Egg and Tomato, and his other videos on Chinese cooking. Very experienced chef who breaks down the key points of each recipe.

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

So do I. That’s why I mentioned it and linked to it.

[@amyqiu8137]

Jing Jing Asian market in Factoria has imported wooden wok spatulas for like $3 or something last I checked. It’s an already solved problem. 🙂 What isn’t a solved problem is finding a east-to-use wok that works well with a glass ceramic cooktop for my mom that doesn’t need to be replaced every 6 months. 😅

[@HirathaYT]

He’s mentioned the brand before a bunch of times, he really likes their work specifically, so the problem of “I want an *Earlywood* wok spatula” isn’t solved until there is one. :)

[@jyjyjyjy145]

Oh my god this is my favourite scrambled egg my mother always made me ♥️

[@azeriph12]

Hey Kenji, love your videos! Just wanted to know your thoughts on induction burners and if you would be able to make a video on then :)

[@Getsitdone]

Does the walk come with a GoPro setup? Thanks for your help!

[@gamertagpls6556]

I'm new to the whole cast iron/car on steel pans, but won't cooking tomatoes damage the seasoning a little? Is it just to little to care about and the maintenance seasoning will take care of it?

[@michaelciccone2194]

Nice video...! Greetings from Staten Island NY

[@phragin]

Request/theory crafting: How does one determine the best place to plan their kitchen space? Are there 'systems' people have invented to determine the best place to put common kitchen tasks given an arbitrary kitchen design? Lots of your personal placements make sense Kenji, because we've seen your workflow when cooking. But how would I adapt your workflow in my kitchen? Might make an interesting video one day. Thank you for the phenomenal content - from a (relative) neighbor.

[@MattDavisMD]

Man I’m so jealous of the color of your egg yolks. I’m in Southern California where I feel like it should be easy to find eggs like this but no matter where I go I can’t find them. I’ve tried so many farmers markets with no luck