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.)

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What are these Japanese-style eggs?

You might know tamagoyaki (rolled egg) 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.

What does tamagoyaki mean in Japanese?

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. 

Japanese people also call it dashimaki tamago, if it's seasoned with dashi stock. This makes it even harder to remember.

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.

UMM, WRONG JAPANESE EGGS? (READ THIS FIRST.)

1) If you were looking for soy-marinated ramen eggs, here is my recipe for ajitsuke tamago. They're also called ajitama or ajitamago for short.

2) In the bottom of this post, you'll also find information about eating raw eggs and soft-boiled egg called onsen tamago.

3) I will also go more into the quality of eggs in Japan in the FAQ section at the end of this post.

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 shape tamagoyaki pan.

Why wait?

If you try making these tamagoyaki in a regular 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!

If you live in Japan, you can even buy packaged tamagoyaki at convenience stores! Though for the home cooks, this is an easy recipe to add to your repertoire.

The recipe below is your Intro to Japanese Home Cooking 101.

The rolling technique takes some practice. Even without the special tamagoyaki pan, I want to encourage you to try!

Which special tamagoyaki pan should I buy?

In my case, I loved tamagoyaki to begin with so I went out to buy a rectangular 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 steel, not a non-stick pan. 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 a copper pan. 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 beaten eggs (egg white and egg yolk), 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 eggs 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

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1) What are Japanese eggs?

Eggs in Japan are eggs like anywhere else. Even so, you will likely taste a difference from the eggs in your home country.

When someone says "Japanese eggs" they may be likely referring to Japanese-style rolled omelettes, especially what's served at sushi restaurants around the world.

Not everyone can remember the word, including me. It took me years!

2) How are Japanese eggs different?

The difference is the high quality and hygienically produced eggs that can be eaten raw safely. The eggs I've eaten in Japan are better than eggs I've eaten anywhere else in the world.

Japanese eggs are also cooked in unique ways, not just fried or scrambled. I share some more Japanese egg recipes below.

3) What is special about Japanese eggs?

Farmers in Japan will feed their chickens special diets with ingredients other than soy and corn feed. These tailored-diets for chickens result in superior tasting eggs.

4) Why do Japanese put raw egg on rice?

I realize that are lots of people from other countries who are afraid of eating raw eggs because of salmonella. Others just find eating raw egg unappetizing or just plain gross.

It's important that Japan has high standards of cleanliness that make it relatively safe to eat raw egg. I wouldn't recommend eating raw egg in other countries, unless you know a farm that you trust.

Uncooked eggs are nutritious to eat. Cooking eggs causes oxidation. But even more than that reason, eating raw egg on top of warm rice is delicious. I love it!

5) What are some other Japanese eggs recipes?

Onsen tamago, omurice (fried rice wrapped inside a fluffy omelette), and my favorites, ajitamago, and tamago kake gohan (or TKG for short).

6) What are the best Japanese eggs?

There are some very high quality eggs available in Japan. Nagoya Cochin and Hinai-dori brand eggs from Akita are two of the most famous brands of top quality eggs in Japan. There are other farms as well that raise free range (jidori) chickens with special diet and care for the chickens.

7) What does tamagoyaki taste like?

Tamagoyaki tastes similar to a regular omelette. Except you'll notice an extra umami flavor from the added dashi soup stock and sweetness from added sugar.

8) What is the difference between tamago and tamagoyaki?

Tamago just means egg in Japanese. Tamagoyaki means Japanese rolled omelette, with or without fillings.

9) Why is tamagoyaki sweet?

Tamagoyaki is made with added sugar. Sweetness varies depending on the recipe. Savory tamagoyaki tend to have less sugar. The tamagoyaki served at sushi restaurants tends to be sweeter.

10) What are Japanese soft-boiled eggs called?

These are called onsen tamago, which translates directly into "hot springs egg". If you stay at a Japanese ryokan (inn) at a hot spring, this style of egg is often served with breakfast. Traditionally, these eggs were cooked slowly in hot spring water.

If you want to try making some, here is an easy to follow onsen tamago recipe.

Hanjuku tamago is also a soft-boiled egg. Unlike onsen tamago, hanjuku eggs have firm egg whites on the outside. Only the yolks are soft and creamy.

Hanjuku tamago is more or less the same as "ramen eggs" (ajitsuke tamago), except they aren't necessarily seasoned.

My other tamagoyaki recipes:

If you are looking for more inspiration and ideas for tamagoyaki fillings, you can check out these recipes too.

Ideas for tamagoyaki fillings

Western fusion tamagoyaki made with nuts and oatmeal