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Spinach and egg scramble with an Asian twist

Spinach and egg scramble is a delicious breakfast that only requires a few simple ingredients. It is one of my favorite quick and easy breakfast options.

This breakfast dish is a classic egg scramble with spinach with an Asian twist, flavored with light soy sauce and Maggi seasoning.

Spinach and egg stir-fry (苋菜炒蛋) is not commonly served during breakfast by the Chinese. Instead, it is more of a main dish for lunch and dinner. Therefore, I made some adaptations to turn it into a great breakfast meal.

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Easy spinach and egg scramble seasoned with light soy sauce and Maggi seasoning. Excellent for breakfast.

How to prepare spinach and egg scramble

I use the Chinese round red spinach (苋菜 xian cai) in this recipe. You can substitute it with other variants of spinach.

1. Prepare the spinach

I use Chinese red spinach, which is commonly available here. Unfortunately, the spinach usually contains dirt and sand, which I must wash thoroughly before cooking.

  1. Plug off the leaves. You can include the tender part of the stalk, should you prefer.
  2. Wash the fresh spinach leaves with water several times to remove the sand.
  3. Drain the spinach in a colander. It is easier to stir-fry the spinach when it is dry.
  4. Give the spinach a few rough chops to make the leaves smaller so that the leaves will cling to the egg mixture well during cooking. Otherwise, you can choose to choose the baby spinach,

2. Season the eggs

  1. Crack four eggs in a small mixing bowl.
  2. Add a teaspoon of cornstarch and a tablespoon of water, mix, then add to the eggs. The cornstarch helps create the smooth texture of the scrambled egg.
  3. Mix the eggs with the cornstarch mixture.
  4. Season the egg with salt and black pepper.
  5. Whisk the egg mixture until the salt and black pepper are well distributed

Now you have all the essential ingredients ready, i.e., the washed spinach and the eggs.

3. Stir-fry the spinach separately

  1. Rough chop two cloves of garlic.
  2. Heat some oil over medium heat in a large skillet or wok. You may use olive oil for preparing breakfast and peanut oil if it is for lunch and dinner. 
  3. Add the garlic to the oil over low heat and saute it until aromatic.
  4. Turn up the heat and place the spinach into the wok. Season the spinach with salt, black pepper, light soy sauce, and Maggi seasoning. You may need to add some water if it is too dry to stir-fry.
  5. Stir-fry the spinach until it begins to wilt. It will take roughly 2-3 minutes. Remove it from the wok.
Easy spinach and egg scramble seasoned with light soy sauce and Maggi seasoning. Excellent for breakfast.

4. Make the scrambled eggs with spinach

  1. Add 2 tbsp of oil into the wok, preferably a well-seasoned cast-iron wok that is non-stick. 
  2. When the oil is heated to medium, pour the egg mixture into the wok, and swirl the wok to spread it, forming a thin, soft layer. Once the egg at the bottom of the wok starts to set, push the newly formed egg layer to the edge and let the remaining egg liquid flow to the clean area of the wok. 
  3. When the egg is just short of setting completely, return the wilted spinach and give it a few quick stirs. This way will help to let the spinach adhere securely to the egg scramble. 
  4. Next, sprinkle some shredded parmesan cheese, goat cheese, or cheddar cheese on the eggs. You can add more if you prefer a cheesy scrambled egg. I only add a small amount so that the cheese will not overpower the flavor of the spinach.
  5. Add half a teaspoon of red pepper flakes (cayenne pepper flakes). I prefer only using a small amount to enhance the flavor but not to make it too spicy for breakfast.
  6. Continue mixing the eggs with the spinach until it achieves the desired doneness. I like to cook until the eggs are just set, but you can continue stir-frying it until thoroughly cooked.
  7. Dish out to enjoy this excellent breakfast dish.

Note:

  • Some people prefer to separate the egg whites from the yolk and use only the white for this recipe. The egg and spinach recipe is healthier this way but may not be practical as I need another recipe to use up the yolks. 
  • I do not use milk or heavy cream since there is soy sauce in the recipe, which I would think is not the best match when used together.
  • Serve this spinach scramble with some ham or sausage and bread for breakfast. The Chinese would prefer to treat it as one of the dishes shared during lunch and dinner.

Other egg dishes for you to try:

Here are some popular Chinese egg dishes hand-picked of you:

Yield: 3

Spinach and egg scramble

spinach and egg scramble recipe 3

Spinach and egg scramble is a delicious breakfast that only requires a few simple ingredients. It is one of my favorite quick and easy breakfast options.

This breakfast dish is a classic egg scramble with spinach with an Asian twist, flavored with light soy sauce and Maggi seasoning.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

Ingredients A

Ingredients B

  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp water
  • Ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp of salt

Ingredients C

Instructions

The spinach

  1. Plug off the leaves of the spinach.
  2. Wash the fresh spinach leaves with water several times to remove the sand.
  3. Drain the spinach in a colander.
  4. Give the spinach a few rough chops to make the leaves smaller.
  5. Saute the chopped garlic with oil until aromatic.
  6. Turn up the heat and place the spinach into the pan. Season it with salt, black pepper, light soy sauce, and Maggi seasoning. You may need to add some water if it is too dry to stir-fry.
  7. Stir-fry the spinach until it begins to wilt. It will take roughly 2-3 minutes. Remove it from the wok.

The egg mixture

  1. Crack four eggs in a small mixing bowl.
  2. Add a teaspoon of cornstarch and a tablespoon of water, mix, then add to the eggs. 
  3. Season the egg with salt and black pepper and mix thoroughly.
  4. Add 2 tbsp of oil into the wok. Pour the egg mixture into the wok, and swirl the wok to spread it, forming a thin, soft layer. 
  5. When all the egg is just short of setting completely, return the wilted spinach and give it a few quick stirs. 
  6. Next, sprinkle some shredded cheese and red chili flakes.
  7. Continue mixing the eggs with the spinach until it achieves the desired doneness. Serve.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

3

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 165Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 191mgSodium: 1379mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 3gSugar: 1gProtein: 11g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 31/5/2022

KP Kwan

Tuesday 31st of May 2022

Hi, this is KP Kwan. I am happy to see you in this comment area, as you have read through my recipe. I am glad to reply to any questions and comments as soon as possible.

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