Chop Suey

I like making Chop Suey because it gives me vegetables, meat, seafood, and sauce in one plate. This Chop Suey recipe has pork, chicken, shrimp, quail eggs, and a good mix of vegetables, so it feels complete once served with warm white rice. The simpler chicken and chicken liver version was the one I grew up eating, and that one is still good. This Chop Suey version takes a little more prep, but every spoonful gives you something different. The sauce is light and savory, just enough to bring everything together without covering up the taste and texture of the vegetables.

The chicken and chicken liver version is closer to the Chop Suey I remember from back home. This one is fuller because pork, chicken, shrimp, and quail eggs all go into the same wok. It takes more work, but the result feels more complete. If you want the chicken and liver style, my Super Tasty Chop Suey is closer to what I ate as a kid. For a quicker take, my Chopsuey Stir Fry skips the meat-simmer step. For pork only with extra sauce, see my Chopsuey with Quail Eggs. And if you want beef instead, my Beef Chop Suey uses marinated sirloin in the same method.

The key here is the order of cooking. Shrimp cooks fast, so it gets seared first and set aside. Pork and chicken go next with soy sauce and oyster sauce, then simmer until tender. The vegetables go in based on how long they need to cook. This keeps the cabbage soft but not mushy, while the snow peas still have a nice snap. The quail eggs and shrimp go back in at the end.

What is Chop Suey?

Chop Suey is a stir fried dish made with mixed vegetables, meat, seafood, and a light savory sauce. The name comes from the Cantonese term tsap seui, which refers to assorted pieces or mixed leftovers. The dish became popular through Chinese American cooking, where cooks used available meat and vegetables and cooked everything together in one wok.

Filipino cooks made Chop Suey fit our own tables. Our version is different from American Chop Suey, which usually has noodles, ground beef, and tomato sauce. Filipino Chop Suey is eaten with rice. The vegetables are the main part of the dish, the sauce is lighter, and quail eggs are often added. Some versions also use chicken liver because it gives the sauce a deeper taste. Some pair the meat with broccoli, which is what my chop suey with chicken and broccoli version does. People also mix up Chop Suey with chow mein, but they are not the same. Chop Suey is the vegetable and meat stir fry served over rice. Chow mein is built around fried noodles. If you want the noodle version, my Chicken Chow Mein covers that.

Chop Suey often shows up at fiestas, birthdays, and Sunday lunches. It helps balance the richer dishes on the table, but it also works well as a regular family dinner. The mix of vegetables, protein, and sauce makes the dish filling without making the meal feel too heavy.

Why This Chop Suey Recipe Works

This Chop Suey recipe works because each part gets cooked the right way before going back into the wok at the end.

• Sear the shrimp first. One minute per side, then set aside. The shrimp stays plump when it goes back into the sauce. If you cook it the whole time, it turns rubbery.
• Brown the meats before adding liquid. Pork and chicken hit the wok after the onion and garlic. Soy sauce and oyster sauce go in while the meats are still browning. Flavor gets into the meat instead of just sitting in the sauce.
• Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Thicker slices of pork and chicken need this step to turn tender. Paper-thin slices can skip it.
• Add vegetables by cooking time. Cauliflower and fresh baby corn go first because they need more heat. Bell peppers, thinly sliced carrots, and snow peas next. Cabbage last for three to five minutes. Each vegetable finishes at the right texture.
• Finish with a cornstarch slurry. Light and glossy, coats every piece. Skip it if you want a drier stir fry.

Ingredients

Protein Ingredients:

• Shrimp – Pan fried first to firm it up before it joins the sauce
• Pork – Sliced thin, cooks fast, gives the dish a richer base
• Boneless chicken breast – Sliced thin and cooked with the pork

Vegetable Ingredients:

• Cauliflower florets – Holds shape, gives a soft crunch
• Carrot – Sliced thin across so it cooks through
• Snow peas – Stays bright and crisp with a short toss
• Baby corn – Mild, slightly sweet, gives the dish color
• Red bell pepper – Sliced into squares for color and a sweet note
• Green bell pepper – Cuts through the sweetness of the red one
• Cabbage – Goes in last, wilts just enough

Sauce and Other Ingredients:

• Quail eggs – Boiled, peeled, added near the end
• Yellow onion – Sliced and sautéed to start the flavor base
• Garlic – Crushed and cooked with the onion
• Soy sauce – Seasons the meats and the sauce
• Oyster sauce – Adds depth and a slight sweetness that balances the soy
• Cornstarch – Diluted in water, thickens the sauce at the end
• Ground black pepper – Goes in near the end with the shrimp
• Cooking oil – For the shrimp and the aromatics. Peanut oil if you have it.

This Chop Suey moves fast once the pan is hot. I always slice the meats, cut the vegetables, boil the quail eggs, and mix the cornstarch slurry first. Then I cook.

1. Heat the cooking oil in a wok or large pan over medium-high heat.
2. Pan fry the shrimp for one minute per side, then remove and set aside.

No seasoning on the shrimp. The sear is just to firm it up so it holds together later.

1. Using the remaining oil, sauté the onion until it softens, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
2. Add the pork and chicken. Stir fry until light brown.

1. Pour in the soy sauce and oyster sauce. Stir to coat the meats.
2. Add the water, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

The covered simmer is what makes thicker slices tender. Skip it only if you sliced paper-thin.

1. Add the cauliflower and baby corn. Cook it for 2 minutes.
2. Add the carrot, bell peppers, snow peas, and cabbage. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes.

Keep the heat steady. Do not stir too often. The vegetables should soften, not steam down to mush.

1. Return the pan fried shrimp to the wok and add the ground black pepper.
2. Add the boiled quail eggs.

1. Add the cornstarch slurry. Toss to coat.
2. Transfer to a serving plate.

If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of water. Too thin, give it another minute on the heat.

What to Serve with Chop Suey

• Steamed white rice – The natural pair. The light sauce is built to coat rice.
• Yang Chow Fried Rice – A heavier rice option when you want a fuller plate without a second ulam.
• Sinangag – Garlic fried rice the next morning, with leftover Chop Suey on the side.
• Sweet and Sour Pork – A fried, tangy partner that contrasts the light vegetables.
• Crispy fried noodles – Top the Chop Suey over them. Add about half a cup of chicken broth after the vegetables so there is more sauce to soak in.

Storage

This Chop Suey keeps if you have leftovers, but the vegetables soften the longer it sits. Cool it down fast before storing.

• Refrigerator: Airtight container, up to 3 days. The vegetables lose some crunch but the flavor stays. I usually finish leftovers within two days because the cabbage and snow peas keep softening the longer they sit.
• Freezer: Not recommended. Cabbage, snow peas, and bell peppers turn watery once thawed. I tried it once and the texture was not worth the trouble.
• Reheating: Hot pan, medium heat, three to five minutes. Add a splash of water if the sauce tightened up too much. Microwave works if you have to, but it tends to overcook the vegetables. I always go for the pan when I have time because the leftovers come out closer to how they tasted the first night.

More Chop Suey Versions

• Pork Chop Suey – Pork only, no seafood or egg, fewer ingredients overall
• Special Chop Suey – A step-up version with chicken liver added for special occasions
• Scallop Chop Suey – Bay scallops in a chicken broth sauce, lighter on the stomach
• Squid Ball Chop Suey – A street-food angle with squid balls and chicken liver
• Crab and Corn Chopsuey – Crab and corn folded into a Knorr crab and corn soup base for a sweeter take

• Pork – Beef sirloin or extra chicken if you want it lighter
• Chicken breast – Boneless chicken thigh stays juicier
• Shrimp – Bay scallops or squid rings for a different seafood note
• Quail eggs – Halved hard boiled chicken eggs if quail eggs are not available
• Oyster sauce – Soy sauce plus a teaspoon of brown sugar gets close
• Snow peas – Sugar snap peas or green beans for similar crunch

Chop Suey is the dish I cook when I want one plate with everything on it. The version I grew up eating was simpler, but this one feels more complete because of the three proteins and the quail eggs. Watch the video above to see how the wok loo