Japanese Eggs – Tamagoyaki Recipe (Rolled Omelettes)

If you just asked Google how to make “Japanese eggs”, my guess is you’re craving tamagoyaki, Japanese rolled omelettes. Mmm, MMM!

At first glance of the picture below, you might think it looks difficult to make. I promise you– with a little practice, this recipe is easy. Even if you don’t yet own a tamagoyaki pan, you can still make these eggs in a regular fry pan.

It’s the best Sunday morning breakfast. Or add a few pieces to your bento box to wow your colleagues at work. (Warning: you will be asked to share.)

Jump to the recipe

What are these Japanese-style eggs?

You might know tamagoyaki from your favorite sushi restaurant. This recipe is made the same way in a rectangular or square-shaped tamagoyaki pan. Except this at-home version of tamagoyaki is made with fillings. And it’s savory, not sweet.

Tamagoyaki is a Japanese-style rolled omelette. Tamago means egg and yaki means fried or grilled. I used to confuse tamago-yaki with “fried egg” in Japanese, which is medamayaki. 

Thin sheets of omelette are rolled up, layer by layer, inside a square or rectangular-shaped pan. Typically, they are are made slightly sweet with a fluffy, bouncy texture. It looks like a log or roll cake that’s sliced into cross-sections.

In Japan, you’ll typically find tamagoyaki as a staple at breakfast or as a side dish in a bento (lunch box). I often buy tamagoyaki at Tokyo Station as a healthy, low carb breakfast to eat on the shinkansen.

You can try out my favorite fillings or experiment with your own.

Is it your first time making Japanese eggs “Tamagoyaki”?

If it’s your first time rolling Japanese-style omelettes, it just takes some practice and patience.

If you’re still feeling some self-doubt, you may want to rewatch Karate Kid:

“First learn stand, then learn fly. Nature rule, Daniel-san, not mine.”- Mr. Miyagi

Even if your first attempt doesn’t turn out so pretty, it will still taste super oishi. Then, you can try again, and again, and again.

“Wax on, wax off. Wax on, wax off.” (Just use butter instead.)

I’m a visual learner. Watching a few “how to make tamagoyaki” videos on Youtube was the easiest way for me to learn.

Here’s a video I made on how to make basic tamagoyaki without fillings.

If you’re a beginner, this might be the best place to start.

Tamagoyaki Video Tutorials:

Here are some other videos that will help you learn the secret to making tamagoyaki:

 Just One Cookbook (How to make sweet tamagoyaki) Watch Nami-san to learn how to roll tamagoyaki with cooking chopsticks.

Cooking with Dog  (It’s what the title suggests) Watch this one if you want to learn how to cook tamagoyaki with your dog. Sorry, I couldn’t resist sharing this.

No Recipes (traditional tamagoyaki recipe) Marc shares some helpful tips on technique! 

Eugenie Kitchen (how to make tamagoyaki without the pan) Eugenie’s instructions in this video tutorial are clear and easy to follow. She used a round pan.

Maybe you aren’t as obsessed with tamagoyaki as I am, but I hope this helps.

Can I make tamagoyaki without the pan? 

You can start experimenting at home with a regular fry pan even if you don’t have a rectangular-shaped tamagoyaki pan.

Why wait?

If you try making these tamagoyaki in a regular fry pan, I would use a smaller pan so your layers of egg doesn’t spread out too wide.

I suspect if you used a large fry pan, the layers of egg may not become thick enough to hold the fillings. In that case, you may have to crack 1 or 2 more eggs to give it more bulk. The good thing about this solution is you’ll have leftovers for tomorrow. 

Even if you don’t own a small fry pan (10 inch), I would still give it a try!

Which tamagoyaki pan should I buy?

In my case, I loved tamagoyaki to begin with so I went out to buy a pan straight away. Since I’m in living in Japan, it’s easy to find one at any home/kitchen store like Tokyu Hands or a department store.

I got mine in Kappabashi “kitchen town” in Tokyo. It’s a steel pan, not non-stick. The real deal. When I first bought it, I “seasoned” the pan. I learned how to do this correctly from Youtube.

I don’t wash my tamagoyaki pan with soap. From what I’ve seen at restaurants in Japan, this is standard practice.

If you are not in Japan and looking to buy a pan online, I ordered a tamagoyaki pan for my mom from Amazon. She said she likes it. This is another very similar option (non-stick).

If you want to avoid using non-stick pans, there is this iron pan available on Amazon (more expensive).

Other Japanese food bloggers such as Just One Cookbook and Chopstick Chronicles recommend copper pans. This is a reasonably priced one on Amazon.

Tips on how to make the Best Tamagoyaki with Fillings   

1. If it’s your first time making tamagoyaki, I recommend that you initially go easy on adding dashi (not more than 2 tsp). The more liquid that you add to the egg mix, the harder it gets to roll up. Once your skill level improves, you can begin to experiment with adding a bit more for extra umami flavor.

2. Make sure your pan is well-greased (with butter or oil) before adding more egg mix for each new layer. If patches of the pan are not coated well enough with oil, the egg will stick, making it really challenging to roll up neatly. Saying this, be careful not to add too much butter or oil either– a thin coating is enough.

3. If it’s your very first time making tamagoyaki in your life, I suggest that you first make one or two plain tamagoyaki without fillings for practice. It took me a few times before I started to get the hang of rolling up the egg.

4. I typically see Japanese chefs roll tamagoyaki with long cooking chopsticks. Now that’s what I use. But in the beginning, I found it easier to use a wooden spatula.

5. As a beginner, I think it makes it much easier to cook your first few tamagoyaki on low heat. I find it makes it easier if I can take my time, especially when adding the filling. It also reduces the risk of burning one of the layers.

How to make Japanese Eggs – Tamagoyaki