Tender, savory ground chicken and crunchy green scallions are the stars of this savory Vietnamese omelet. This fresh omelet is both healthy and extremely tasty.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Need a high protein lunch in ten minutes? Then this recipe is for you. In fact, this recipe would be a wonderful and quick breakfast, lunch, or dinner!
Vietnamese cuisine is 100% my favorite type of food. Just thinking about the flavors of fresh garlic, chili, herbs, and fish sauce makes my mouth water! Growing up in Boston, my neighborhood had a huge Vietnamese population. I remember clearly the local Vietnamese markets where we’d shop for fresh fish and Asian pantry staples for our home cooking. Today, one of my favorite things about Vietnamese food is that while it is incredibly flavor packed, it still manages to be light and refreshing.
Is This Recipe Healthy For You?
Yes, Vietnamese Omelet is healthy and importantly, an excellent source of protein! This recipe constitutes a super easy, healthy pregnancy breakfast, lunch, or dinner for a pregnant woman. Let’s take a closer look at the nutritional highlights of the main ingredients used in this pregnancy recipe.
Ground Chicken (Mince)
Chicken is an excellent source of animal protein. Your baby needs protein in order to grow properly. Protein is a key nutrient in any diet. Importantly, protein consumption promotes growth of baby’s fetal tissues, including her brain. Protein also supports an increasing blood supply in the pregnant woman. The expansion of blood volume in the pregnant woman plus the growth of maternal tissues requires ample amounts of protein.
Chicken meat, and poultry meats in general have a good overall nutritional profile and are beneficial to pregnant women, children, and elderly individuals alike. Not only is chicken a high nutritional value protein, it has high vitamin and mineral content but low fat content.
Other notable vitamins and minerals present in chicken are niacin, selenium, and phosphorous. The mineral phosphorous helps to build strong bones in developing baby. Phosphorous also supports proper bodily function including nerve function and movement. Note that the recommended amount of phosphorus uptake in pregnancy is similar to non-pregnant women. Deficiency of this mineral is rare, but if occurs may have symptoms such as anemia, myasthenia, bone pain, and rickets.
Eggs
Eggs are a superfood that should be part of every pregnant woman’s healthy eating plan (unless allergies preclude this). Healthful eggs offer a variety of vitamins and minerals, including choline, calcium, phosphorous, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins A and D.
With regards to choline, one large egg contains approximately 169 mg of choline. The human body can produce some choline but most of it comes from food consumption. Choline is imperative for the growing baby: It helps development of baby’s brain and spinal cord during pregnancy. When a pregnant woman consumes choline through diet during pregnancy, this nutrient helps to improve learning and memory in babies. Importantly, choline also supports the proper function of mama’s placenta, which ensures the proper supply of nutrients directly to baby. During pregnancy, the adequate choline intake level is 450 mg daily, through food sources.
Eggs offer omega-3 fatty acids which are also important during pregnancy. Consumption of these polyunsaturated fats during pregnancy is vitally important as they are critical building blocks of the fetal brain and retina. Furthermore, adequate consumption of omega-3 fatty acids by pregnant women lowers the risk of preterm birth and low birth weight in baby.
Avocado Oil
Avocado oil is a healthful oil, high in monounsaturated fatty acids. This oil is produced via a mechanical extraction which is similar to olive oil extraction. Prior to extracting the oil from the avocado flesh, the avocado pit (seed) and skin are removed. The flesh is ground into a paste from which the healthful avocado oil is extracted.
Importantly, avocados are replete with carotenoids. During the oil extraction process, these carotenoids are extracted into the oil. The most notable carotenoid present in avocado oil is lutein. Lutein has antioxidant properties and growing evidence suggests that maternal antioxidant intake is an important factor in reducing the risk for abnormal pregnancies and birth defects.
Ingredient Notes
To make Vietnamese Omelet, you will need:
3 eggs, beaten
1 green onion (scallion) stalk, chopped
½ cup ground chicken (mince) (115g)
¼ cup white onion, minced (30g)
1 teaspoon avocado or coconut oil
1 tablespoon fish sauce
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
How to Make Vietnamese Egg Omelet
Step 1: Prepare the Vegetables
Mince the white onion and thinly slice the green onion.
Step 2: Cook the Fillings
In a nonstick pan, heat the avocado oil for one minute over medium heat. Alternatively, coconut oil can be used. Add in the ground chicken (chicken mince) over medium heat, with the avocado oil, white onion, and ground black pepper. It’s important to use a quality, non-stick pan. With the aid of a bit of cooking fat, you can effortlessly flip the omelet in this type of pan.
Step 3: Whisk the Eggs
Beat the eggs with fish sauce in a separate bowl, using a quality whisk.
Step 4: Add Eggs to Pan
Once the chicken appears browned, push the meat and onions around until they lay flat and evenly distributed within the pan. Carefully pour in the egg mixture until all of the empty spaces are covered in the pan and you have a thin, even layer. Sprinkle the scallions across the top of the eggs ensuring they are evenly distributed.
Step 5: Flip Omelet
After one to two minutes, the edges of the omelet should appear firm, and the egg should appear set on the surface. Use a non-toxic, silicon spatula to gently flip the omelet over. This inexpensive pair of spatulas are made of silicon and are non-toxic. Once you flip the omelet over, allow it to cook for one additional minute over medium heat.
Step 6: Serve and Enjoy
Slide your golden brown omelet onto a plate, and dig in. So easy! This dish is absolutely delicious, in particular, the savory meat, fish sauce flavor, and scallion filling. In pregnancy, it’s always a great idea to start of the day with a home-cooked, protein rich meal, and this recipe certainly delivers on that.
Serving Suggestions
Vietnamese omelet is so delicious on its own, but is especially good alongside:
- Steamed fluffy brown rice
- Citrus fruit side salad
- Healthy cucumber and tomato salad
A simple side dipping sauce would also be a great accompaniment! In a small bowl, simply whisk together the following:
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
2 tablespoons of reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon of water
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
Can You Reheat an Omelette?
Yes, an omelet can be reheated, regardless of whether it has been stored in the fridge or the freezer! Refer to the following instructions.
- Refrigerator: Store this Vietnamese egg omelet in the fridge for up to three days, as long as it did not sit out for longer than an hour after cooking. Store it in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. These reusable Ziploc bags are food safe and take up very little room in the fridge.
- Reheat: Reheat the omelet on a microwave-safe plate in the microwave for 30 seconds up to 1 minute or until the omelet is hot.
- Freezer: Store this Vietnamese egg omelet in the freezer for up to three months, as long as it did not sit out for longer than one hour after cooking. Again, store the leftover omelet in an airtight container or Ziploc bag.
- Reheat: Reheat the omelet on a microwave-safe plate in the microwave for approximately 1 minute or until the omelet is hot.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I use ground pork in this recipe? Yes, absolutely, feel free to use ground pork. My preferred protein is chicken, but certainly, ground pork could be used in the same application. Pork is a more traditional filling for a Vietnamese omelette, and would still offer some protein. Other alternative proteins that would also work well include ground beef, turkey, or even shrimp (prawn)!
How can I make Vietnamese egg omelet spicy? To make Vietnamese egg omelet spicy, add some fresh spicy peppers! Finely slice up a Thai chili or jalapeno pepper and then sauté it in the pan along with the ground chicken. The added spiciness is a fantastic enhancement to the savory flavor of the fish sauce.
What are some other additions to this omelet recipe? Shredded carrots, sliced mushrooms, minced herbs (such as cilantro or chives), or even some chopped up cooked thin glass noodles or vermicelli noodles are great additions. Bean sprouts are another traditional, healthy ingredient that could also be used (just be sure that the bean sprouts are fully cooked along with the chicken before adding the egg to the pan). All of these ingredients would be easy additions to this Vietnamese omelette. Simply add in and cook your chosen additions along with the ground chicken.
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Vietnamese Omelet
Author:Ingredients
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup ground chicken (mince)
- 1/4 cup white onion, mince
- 1 green onion (scallion) stalk, coarsely chopped
- 1 tsp avocado or coconut oil
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a nonstick pan, heat the avocado oil for one minute over medium heat.
- Add in the ground chicken (chicken mince), white onion, and ground black pepper.
- Beat the eggs with the fish sauce in a separate, small bowl.
- Once the chicken is browned, push the meat and onions around until they lay flat and evenly distributed within the pan. Carefully pour in the egg mixture until all of the empty spaces are covered in the pan and you have a thin, even layer.
- Sprinkle the scallions over the top of the omelet.
- After one to two minutes, the edges of the omelet should appear firm, and the egg should appear set on the surface. Gently flip the omelet over.
- Cook for one additional minute over medium heat.
- Serve and enjoy!
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