Tamagoyaki Recipe (Japanese Rolled Omelette)

Prep 5 mins | Cook 10 mins | Serves 1–2

Sliced golden-brown bread rolls arranged on a round beige ceramic plate, set on a white table under warm natural light.

Soft, layered and lightly sweet, tamagoyaki is the Japanese rolled omelette you'll find on breakfast tables and in bento boxes. It takes a little practice, but once you find the rhythm it becomes one of the easiest Japanese dishes to make at home.

Ingredients

3 eggs (size 7)
40 ml warm water
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp mirin
A little cornflour (optional, helps the omelette hold its shape and tear less)
A little neutral oil, for the pan
Grated daikon (white radish), to serve (optional)
A tamagoyaki pan, chopsticks and kitchen paper

How to make it

1. Mix the egg

Stir the sugar into the warm water until it dissolves. If you're using cornflour, stir it in until smooth. Add the eggs, soy sauce and mirin, and mix until even. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl for a smoother, more tender omelette.

To add egg to the pan, you can either scoop it in with a ladle or pour it straight from the bowl.

2. Oil the pan

Pour a little oil into the pan to coat it. Use kitchen paper to spread the oil evenly over the pan, then pour out any excess.

3. Keep the heat medium-low

Keep the heat on medium-low the whole time. If it feels too hot, lift the pan off the heat. To start, drip a little egg into the pan with your chopsticks to test the heat.

4. Pour the first layer and roll

Pour a thin layer of egg into the base of the pan. Lift the pan and roll the egg up. The first roll doesn't need to be neat, and it's fine if it bunches up. As you wrap more layers around it, the inside rolls up neatly.

Roll the egg down, oil the top of the pan, push the roll up to the top, oil the bottom, then pour in the egg. Repeat the same rhythm every time.

5. Add the second layer

Pour in another thin layer of egg and lift the pan. Lift the roll so the raw egg runs underneath.

A close-up of a hand using a spatula to fold a golden-yellow omelet in a black rectangular pan on a white stovetop, with steam rising from the cooking food.

Photo showing how to lift the egg with chopsticks to let the uncooked egg mixture flow underneath.

A close-up of a hand using metal tongs to lift a golden-yellow rolled omelet from a black rectangular pan on a white stovetop with black coil burners.

6. Repeat

Repeat until the egg is used up. Each time you pour, make sure the egg runs underneath the roll you've already made.

Some recipes tell you to add the egg in three portions, but we find that harder to control. Instead, pour in a thin layer and roll it up straight away. It's easier to handle, and the bottom of the egg is less likely to scorch.

A close-up of a hand using metal chopsticks to fold a golden-yellow omelet in a black square pan on a stovetop.

Tip: Use one hand to roll and the other to hold the pan. Lift and tilt the pan as you roll.

7. Shape

Finally, push the roll against the side of the pan to firm up the shape. If you have a bamboo sushi mat, you can also use it to roll the omelette into shape.

Let it cool slightly, then cut into pieces.