Soft scrambled eggs stir-fried with tender tomatoes in a sweet, tangy and savory sauce! This easy 10-minute Chinese tomato egg stir-fry is made with minimal ingredients. A comforting, healthy and affordable main dish best served over rice.
Jump to:
My version of this classic Chinese dish features scrambled eggs and tomatoes cooked in a tangy, sweet and savory sauce. It's delicious and hits the spot!
Tomato and egg is a very common and humble dish from Northern China. Ask any Chinese family and they will each have their own version of it! It's a beloved dish as it's so comforting.
My mother often made this egg dish for our family of five! Sometimes, she would swap the eggs with beef (click here for the recipe). It was a fast and simple meal idea for her to cook and it kept our bellies full!
My favorite part is when the tangy sauce glosses over the plain rice and it's like a whole meal in itself!
Why you'll love this recipe:
- easily and quickly made in just 10-minutes in one-pan!
- cooked with simple and minimal ingredients!
- great for busy weeknights.
- fantastic for large families.
- can be made in advance for meal preparation.
- restaurant-quality!
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Ripe Tomatoes: I highly recommend using Roma, Plum, or Vine tomatoes or any sweet medium tomatoes with a thin and vibrant red skin. Or substitute with large tomatoes and peel away any thick skin. Avoid using small or tiny tomatoes, like cherry or grape tomatoes.
- Large Eggs
- Green Onions
- Water: cold or room temperature.
- Sesame Oil: or substitute with sesame seeds.
- Neutral Cooking Oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil or coconut oil.
Sauce
- Ketchup:Â for that tangy and sweet taste.
- Cornstarch: or substitute with potato starch or tapioca starch.
- White Granulated Sugar:Â or substitute with cane sugar. Do not skip as it balances the tartness in the sauce!
- Salt
- Shaoxing Wine (optional): a Chinese rice cooking wine available at Asian grocers. Or substitute with dry sherry or dry white wine.
- Ginger: or substitute with ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger powder.
- Water: cold or room temperature.
Note: Most Asian grocery stores will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients.
Expert Tips
- Use fully ripe, vibrant, sweet tomatoes with a thin skin for best taste. I recommend using Roma, Plum or Vine tomatoes as they're sweeter.
- Beat the eggs until smooth until there are no egg whites, about 30 seconds.
- Use a large non-stick pan for easy cooking and cleanup.
- Don't overcook the eggs as they will cook later in the sauce. Only cook them until they've taken shape but are still glossy looking.
- Cook the tomatoes skin-side down so the skin can cook faster.
- Don't overcook the tomatoes or they will release too much water diluting the sauce. Only cook for 2-3 minutes or until the skin softens and peels.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make Chinese Tomato Egg Stir Fry:
- In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients as listed above and set aside.
- In a separate medium-sized bowl, crack the eggs into it and add sesame oil. Beat the egg mixture until smooth, for 30 seconds and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon / 15 ml vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan on medium heat. Add the egg mixture and scramble them until they take shape but are still moist. Break up the scrambled eggs into large chunks. Remove from the pan.
- Add the remaining oil into the pan. Sauté the white part of the green onions for 5 seconds. Add the chopped tomatoes and water. Cook tomatoes for 2-3 minutes or until softened and the skin begins to peel away.
- Pour the sauce mixture over tomatoes and simmer to thicken, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the cooked eggs and gently fold them into the sauce and tomatoes. Remove the pan from the heat source. Garnish with the remaining green onions. Serve and enjoy with steamed rice or noodles!
Storage & Reheating
- Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes or reheat on the stovetop until hot throughout.
- Freezer friendly? I don't recommend freezing tomato egg stir-fry as the eggs will taste rubbery.
Pairing Suggestions
Chinese tomato egg stir-fry serves well with:
- plain white rice or plain noodles.
- starters like egg rolls, crab rangoons, egg drop soup, or hot and sour soup.
- fried rice, chow mein, or lo mein.
- cooked vegetables like bok choy, spicy garlic bok choy, choy sum, gai lan, garlic green beans or stir fried snow pea leaves.
- protein dishes like Cashew Chicken, Beef Mushroom Stir Fry, Mongolian Beef, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Soy Garlic Tofu, Chinese Braised Tofu and more!
FAQ
Chinese tomato egg stir-fry can be up to 4 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes or reheat on the stovetop until hot throughout.
Feel free to add in more protein like ground or thinly sliced beef, pork, or chicken. I recommend cooking the meat after cooking the eggs, then remove and set aside and add it in after the sauce has thickened.
To make this dish gluten-free, omit the Shaoxing wine completely. Ketchup and sesame oil are generally gluten-free, but it's always best to check the ingredient label for cross-contamination during manufacturing.
📖 Recipe
Easy 10-min. Chinese Tomato Egg Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- 4 medium ripe tomatoes Roma, Plum or Vine tomatoes recommended, chopped into quarters
- 6 large eggs
- 1 green onion finely chopped and divided into white & green parts
- ¼ cup water cold
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1.5 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral tasting oil
Sauce
- 3 tablespoon ketchup
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch or tapioca starch / potato starch
- 2 teaspoon white granulated sugar or cane sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry (optional)
- ½ teaspoon ginger thinly sliced
- ½ cup water cold
Serve with:
- white rice cooked
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients as listed above and set aside.
- In a separate medium-sized bowl, crack the eggs into it and add sesame oil. Beat the egg mixture until smooth, for 30 seconds and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon / 15 ml vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan on medium heat. Add the egg mixture and scramble them until they take shape but are still moist. Break up the scrambled eggs into large chunks. Remove from the pan.
- Add the remaining oil into the pan. Sauté the white part of the green onions for 5 seconds.Â
- Add the chopped tomatoes and water. Cook tomatoes for 2-3 minutes or until softened and the skin begins to peel away.
- Pour the sauce mixture over tomatoes and simmer to thicken, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the cooked eggs and gently fold them into the sauce and tomatoes. Remove the pan from the heat source. Garnish with the remaining green onions. Serve and enjoy with steamed rice or noodles!
Deb F
Delicious! Added a little black pepper but otherwise followed recipe to a tee.
Christie Lai
Thanks for making my recipe and glad you enjoyed, Deb!
Ted
yummy. needed more seasoning for my taste
Christie Lai
Thanks for making my recipe and for leaving this positive review!
M
I make this a lot now… my in-house take out! Love it!
Christie Lai
Haha this comment cracked me up in the best way possible! Thank you so much for making my recipe, M!
Shireen
I have always wondered how the eggs in this dish taste so silky smooth and now I know! Thanks to you Christie this is a much loved recipe in our family 💞
Christie Lai
Thanks so much for making my recipe, Shireen! Happy to hear that you enjoyed it and glad I could share this one with your family 🙂
Ananda
I have made this dish frequently and come to really love it. It is absolutely delicious and so easy to whip up!
Christie Lai
This makes me super happy to read, thank you so much for making it so often! Have a lovely day!
Mary Ann Wolfe
Loved, loved this recipe. Sesame oil added special flavor.
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe! So glad you enjoyed it!
GTPONY
I peel and cook the tomatoes with a crushed clove of garlic, then add sauce ingredients and set aside... cook the eggs half done, add back tomatoes and sauce, heat through, shut off before fully done as it keeps cooking. Garnish with green onions.
Sandra
This was so good! We bought a 1/2 bushel of tomatoes and was looking for recipes other than sauce to use up some of the tomatoes. My family ate this up and this dish will definitely become part of our regular rotation!
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe and for sharing your kind review, Sandra! I'm so happy your family enjoyed it and glad it will be apart of your rotation 🙂
Collin Chin
I was looking for a tomato & eggs recipe today and came upon yours. It looks easy to prepare. I always wondered what are the other ingredients that goes into this dish. I hope to try it tonight.
christieathome
I hope you enjoy my recipe, Colin!
Jojo
Can i use canned tomato puree instead of fresh tomato?
christieathome
I wouldn't recommend that as a substitute as I'm afraid the tomato puree may be too overpowering over fresh tomatoes.
Maria
Really easy and delicious! My only adjustment was adding a tablespoon of siracha in place of a tablespoon of ketchup. I've made this sans siracha before and it's still great but would definitely recommend a little chilli sauce for a kick.
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe! Glad you enjoyed it!
jaclyn
I made it!!! and it was delicious! Easy to make, quick and delicious. I posted it on my blog with your name and web on it. Thanks for the recipe!
christieathome
Thanks for making my recipe and I appreciate you providing a backlink to my website.
Laura Rybak
This is just so easy and delicious. My boyfriend said it was just like he remembered from his childhood. Thank you!
christieathome
Awesome! Thanks for making my recipe, Laura! Happy it could bring back childhood memories for your boyfriend.