Lightly sweet yet savory, Tamagoyaki (Japanese Rolled Omelette) is flavored with dashi stock and makes a delightful Japanese breakfast or side dish for your bento lunches.
Tamagoyaki (卵焼き or 玉子焼き) is a sweetened Japanese omelette that resembles mini bars of golden pillows. With a slightly sweet taste and custardy texture, tamagoyaki is well-loved amongst Japanese children and adults alike. You’ve most likely tasted the rolled eggs as part of a Japanese-style breakfast or as a side dish in a bento (Japanese lunch box) or atop sushi. Let’s learn how to make tamagoyaki today!
Table of contents
What is Tamagoyaki?
In Japanese, tamago means egg and yaki means grill, so tamagoyaki literally translates to ‘grilled egg’. This classic dish is made by rolling together thin omelettes in a frying pan, folding them into a layered log, and then sliced into pillows. It has a light sweet taste, thanks to flavoring the egg mixture with mirin, sugar, and dashi.
The rolled egg can look deceivingly difficult to make because of the artful presentation, but it’s not an impossible task for home cooks like you and me.
In fact, it is a staple in Japanese home cooking. We love the eggy goodness so much that we even invest in a special pan just for making tamagoyaki at home! My children adore tamagoyaki so I make it regularly for their bento box.
How to Make Tamagoyaki
To make a basic tamagoyaki, you first beat the eggs just like you would with a regular American-style omelette. Then season the whisked eggs with sugar, mirin, soy sauce, and a pinch of salt before pouring a thin layer of the egg mixture into a pan to cook. Once the bottom of the egg mixture is set, roll it up in multiple thin layers until the egg looks like a thick log. Finally, shape the egg and slice it into thick pieces for serving.
The great thing about making Japanese rolled omelette at home is that you have the flexibility to experiment and be creative with the shapes and fillings. You can also add other ingredients such as seaweed, cheese, veggies, salmon flakes (picture above), and meat into tamagoyaki to change up the flavors.
The recipe that I am sharing today is called Dashimaki Tamago (だし巻き玉子) because of the addition of dashi. It’s fluffy, moist, and deeply flavorful.
Helpful Tips on Making the Best Tamagoyaki at Home
Tamagoyaki might require some practice to get right, but it’s something you will get better at each time you cook it. Here are a few helpful tips:
- The ratio of dashi to eggs – When we add dashi into the egg mixture, it enhances the overall flavor and texture, but the liquid does make the cooking trickier. I used 3 tablespoons of dashi to make it easier for everyone to try. As a rule of thumb, 1 tablespoon of dashi per egg is a good ratio, but you can definitely add more once you’re better at it.
- Do not worry about the first few rolls. The inner rolls do not need to be neat at all, as you will keep rolling more layers on top. The first few rolls are the center of the tamagoyaki, so even if the layers are not perfectly lined up, do not worry!
- Do not skip oiling the pan. I know you want to use less oil. Me, too! However, make sure you coat the pan with oil very well. You don’t want your egg mixture to stick to the pan – even for a non-stick pan.
- Wait till the pan is completely heated up. Test the temperature of the pan with a small amount of the egg mixture. You need to see the egg sizzle to confirm the pan is hot enough.
- Don’t turn off the heat; instead, move the pan away from the heat source. Keep your heat at medium at all times. We need to quickly roll up the thin omelette layer before it’s completely cooked, so there is no time to adjust the heat. The best way to control the heat is to move the pan closer and away from the stove.
It’s also important to find the right ratio of each seasoning, creating a balance between sweet and savory. If you like, adjust the amount of sugar and salt until it suits your taste.
Tamagoyaki Pan
A typical Japanese kitchen has one set of tamagoyaki pan because we commonly enjoy the rolled omelette for breakfast and bento. It’s either square or rectangular so the tamagoyaki will turn into a rectangular shape easily.
I used to use a non-stick T-fal Tamagoyaki pan (right on the picture below) but I switched to a 15 cm (roughly 6 inches) copper tamagoyaki pan (Silver Arrow/Endo Shoji brand) and I love it. Both of my tamagoyaki pans were purchased at TokyuHands in Japan.
I personally recommend the copper tamagoyaki pan (nickel coating inside). The copper transfers heat so easily, and my egg never sticks to the pan (you will still need to grease the pan). The pan is very light that you can move the pan easily while cooking.
Can I Use Round Frying Pan for Tamagoyaki?
My answer is yes! You don’t need a special tamagoyaki pan as long as you are not aiming for the classic shape. A tamagoyaki pan definitely helps to make the rolled omelette into a nice thick rectangular log; but a round frying pan will work just fine. You will see both methods demonstrated in my cooking video and the step-by-step pictures in the recipe below.
I recommend using a 9 or 10-inch non-stick frying pan for a thicker tamagoyaki. In the recipe below, I used my 12-inch pan which works as well.
As you can see with the result, it will be flatter when your frying pan is bigger. If you only have a 12-inch pan, you can solve the issue by doubling the recipe. If you don’t mind the shape too much, then don’t worry about it.
Now, if you’re concerned about non-stick coating, I recommend using a carbon steel pan. However, please remember that you will need to control the amount of heat by lifting the pan from the stove and a heavy skillet would be challenging.
I’ve tried using stainless-steel or cast-iron frying pan for tamagoyaki, but without adding a lot of oil, I haven’t been successful. Since I don’t like my tamagoyaki too oily, I steer away from using stainless steel or cast iron. For most of my cooking, I refrain from using non-stick cookware, but it is easier to make tamagoyaki with a non-stick pan.
Easy Tamagoyaki for Beginners
If you’re a beginner cook or prefer to take a shortcut, you can try my Quick & Easy Tamagoyaki recipe which takes only 3 minutes to make! It’s perfect to make just one tamagoyaki for your meal or bento box.
Differences Between Tamagoyaki, Atsuyaki Tamago, and Dashimaki Tamago
There are actually a few versions of tamagoyaki in Japanese cuisine, which can be confusing.
In general, you can find atsuyaki tamago (厚焼き玉子) and dashimaki tamago (だし巻き卵). Each variation uses slightly different ingredients, varying ratios of seasonings, and cooking methods, but sometimes the names are interchangeable.
When Japanese people say tamagoyaki, it typically refers to rolled egg or rolled omelette in broad term. Atsuyaki tamago refers to a thick grilled omelette, but we usually just call it tamagoyaki. The texture of astuyaki tamago is firm and dense, and it’s much easier to make.
On the other hand, dashimaki tamago (出し巻き卵) refers to rolled egg which includes dashi (Japanese soup stock). In the Kanto region (Tokyo area), dashimaki is also called tamagoyaki. However, in the Kansai region (Osaka area), these two rolled eggs are considered totally separate dishes. The main difference lies in the use of dashi, which results in a much more refined, juicy, silky, and flavorful rolled egg. At high-end sushi restaurants, they use an even higher amount of dashi and sugar and sometimes by mixing seafood into the egg mixture. You’d get a really flavorful and elegant egg dish that is served toward the end of a sushi course.
Compared to astuyaki tamago, dashimaki tamago is a lot softer due to the higher liquid content in the egg mixture. You can easily tell both versions of tamagoyaki apart by the textures and flavors, but both are delicious in their own way.
More Tamago (Egg) Recipes
- Onsen Tamago (Japanese Hot Spring Eggs)
- Hanjuku Tamago (Perfect Soft-Boiled Eggs)
- Omurice (Japanese Omelette Rice)
- Tamago Sando (Japanese Egg Sandwich)
- Ajitsuke Tamago (Ramen Egg)
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Tamagoyaki (Japanese Rolled Omelette)
Video
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell)
For the Seasonings
- 3 Tbsp dashi (Japanese soup stock) (use standard Awase Dashi, dashi packet or powder, or Vegan Dashi)
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp soy sauce (use GF soy sauce for gluten-free)
- 1 tsp mirin
- 2 pinches Diamond Crystal kosher salt
For Cooking
- 2 Tbsp neutral oil
- 1½ sheets nori (dried laver seaweed) (optional; see Method 2 below)
For the Garnish
- 3 oz daikon radish (1 inch, 2.5 cm; use the sweeter, greenish part near the top of the radish)
- soy sauce (use GF soy sauce for gluten-free)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- In a bowl, gently whisk 3 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell). It‘s best to “cut“ the eggs with chopsticks in a zig-zag motion; do not overmix.
- In another bowl, combine the seasonings: 3 Tbsp dashi (Japanese soup stock), 2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp mirin, and 2 pinches Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Mix well.
- Pour the seasonings mixture into the eggs and whisk gently to combine. Then, pour the mixture into a measuring cup with a spout and handle so that it‘ll be easier to pour into the frying pan. Next, I‘ll show you how to make your omelette in either a tamagoyaki pan or a round frying pan.
(Method 1) To Cook in a Tamagoyaki Pan
- Heat the pan over medium heat. Then, dip a folded paper towel in 2 Tbsp neutral oil and apply a thin layer of oil to the pan. To check if the pan is hot enough, put a drop of the egg mixture in the pan. When you hear a sizzling sound, the pan is ready.
- Pour a thin layer of the egg mixture into the pan, quickly tilting the pan so that the egg mixture coats the entire cooking surface.
- Poke any air bubbles to release the air. After the bottom of the egg has set but is still soft on top, start rolling the egg into a log shape from one side to the other, starting from the far side of the pan and rolling toward the pan handle.
- Move the rolled omelette to the far side of the pan where you started to roll, and apply more oil to the pan with a paper towel, even under the omelette.
- Pour in a thin layer of the egg mixture to just cover the bottom of the pan again. Make sure to lift the omelette to spread the mixture underneath.
- When the new layer of egg has set and is still soft on top, start rolling it from one side to the other.
- Move the rolled omelette to the side where you started to roll and apply more oil to the pan with a paper towel, even under the omelette.
- Pour in a thin layer of the egg mixture to just cover the bottom of the pan again. Make sure to lift the omelette to spread the mixture underneath.
- When the new layer of egg has set and is still soft on top, start rolling it from one side to the other.
- Repeat the process. This is now the third round.
- This is the fourth round. Pour in more egg mixture and make sure it thinly coats the bottom of the pan, including under the rolled omelette.
- Continue rolling it into a log shape. Tip: Control the temperature of the pan by lifting the frying pan rather than adjusting the stove heat. If the heat is too weak, the egg will stick to the frying pan, so be careful.
- This is the fifth round.
- This is the sixth and final round.
- You can brown the omelette a little bit.
- Remove it from the pan and place the omelette on a bamboo sushi mat. While it’s still hot, roll up the omelette in the bamboo mat to help set its shape. Let it stand for 5 minutes.
(Method 2) To Cook in a Round Frying Pan
- Heat the pan over medium heat. Then, dip a folded paper towel in 2 Tbsp neutral oil and apply a thin layer of oil to the pan. To check if the pan is hot enough, put a drop of the egg mixture in the pan. When you hear a sizzling sound, the pan is ready. Then, pour a thin layer of the egg mixture into the pan, quickly tilting the pan so that the egg mixture coats the entire cooking surface.
- Poke any air bubbles to release the air. After the bottom of the egg has set but is still soft on top, start rolling the egg into a log shape from one side to the other, starting from the far side of the pan and rolling toward the pan handle. Here, I added ½ sheet of nori (optional) to my omelette and then rolled.
- Move the rolled omelette to the far side of the pan where you started to roll and apply more oil to the pan with a paper towel, even under the omelette. Pour in a thin layer of the egg mixture to just cover the bottom of the pan again. Make sure to lift the omelette to spread the mixture underneath.
- When the new layer of egg has set and is still soft on top, start rolling it from one side to the other. This is optional, but I placed another layer of ½ nori sheet on top before rolling.
- Move the rolled omelette to the far side of the pan where you started to roll and apply more oil to the pan with a paper towel, even under the omelette. Then pour in a thin layer of the egg mixture to just cover the bottom of the pan again. Make sure to lift the omelette to spread the mixture underneath.
- When the new layer of egg has set and is still soft on top, start rolling it from one side to the other. I placed another ½ sheet of nori here before rolling. Continue until you’ve used all of the egg mixture.
- Remove it from the pan and place the omelette on a bamboo sushi mat. While it’s still hot, roll up the omelette in the bamboo mat to help set its shape. Let it stand for 5 minutes.
To Serve
- Slice the omelette into ½-inch (1-cm) pieces.
- Peel and grate 3 oz daikon radish. Gently squeeze the water out and place in a small dish or bowl. Pour soy sauce over the grated daikon and serve on the side with the Tamagoyaki.
To Store
- You can put the Tamagoyaki in an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator or microwave.
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in March 2012. The video and new photos were added in January 2016. The post content was updated in August 2019.
Where would you get the Dashi, and Mirin, or even the Daikon radish.. Would it be at the Asian Market? or would you have to order it online somewhere?
Hi Kelsey! Japanese supermarkets and most of Asian grocery stores (Korean/Chinese) sell dashi (“Hondashi” dashi powder), mirin, and daikon radish. I’m not sure where you’re from, but these days American grocery stores (in California) sell mirin and daikon radish. You can make dashi (Japanese stock) from scratch, but it’s a bit more time consuming if you are going to make just this dish. If I make dashi from scratch, I’d make a lot and make miso soup out of it too. 🙂 Hope this helps. I’ll share the link for dashi below:
https://www.justonecookbook.com/recipes/how-to-make-dashi/
Yes, thank you! I really appreciate it.
^^ eheh you omelette looks yummy but whenever i make it it starts to unwrap a little when i cut it(well also because i don’t use dashi stock because in pakistan dashi stock is not available and also mirin is also not available because in our religion anything containing alcohol is forbidden and considered Haram) so any suggestions? ^^
Hi Abdul! I think you cook the egg a little too much before you start rolling. When the bottom is set and top is still soft, start rolling. That way, the soft part will act like glue and layers will stay in shape. You can omit dashi and mirin 🙂
Nami, Thank you for the wonderful recipe’s. I always wondered how they did that with the egg, and also the katsu don is one of my favorites. I lived in Japan for a few years and loved the food. Thanks again’
Happy Holidays…
Hi Roxanne! Thank you so much for your comment! I’m happy to hear you enjoy Japanese food. 🙂 Thank you for following my blog!
Just a small correction. It should be 卵焼き not 玉子焼き.
Hi Fobos3! I actually spent some time to research on this topic before publishing this post as I wasn’t sure which is correct – as I see both kanji. So this is what I found after my research.
卵 is used for uncooked egg such as 生卵 (raw egg). 卵 can be used for all kinds of eggs, not necessarily chicken eggs.
玉子 is used when the chicken egg is cooked. Therefore, it’s more commonly used as 玉子焼き in Japan.
Hope that helps! 🙂
Nami, I made several now and my husband Kohei says they are just perfect! Thank you for your wonderful instructions
Yay, Christina! So happy to hear he liked your tamagoyaki. ^_^ Good job making this, as it’s not always easy to make! 😉
I made this once but I need more practice. I let this cook a little too much before I rolled and my husband said it needs to be more fluffy so I’m giving this a few more tries so I can get it right. Rolling with the chopsticks was pretty easy though. 🙂
Hi Christina! I’ve been making this since when I was in high school (20 years ago!) and I still don’t make it perfectly all the time. 😉 Good luck practicing! 🙂
Hi Nami-san. I have always wanted to wonder how we can roll the omelette. And thanks to you and your instructions, i can make it. It was not a big success (it tasted nice but didn’t looked as beautiful as yours), but it kinda make me feel proud to be able to try something new :). Thank you very much for your recipes and instructions. Keep up the good work!!!
Hi Gaaratorii! Thank you for trying this recipe! Don’t worry – I practice a lot when I first started to make tamagoyaki, and I’ve been making this since I was a teenager. So it’s not like I could make it in one trial. 🙂 I think mine is not perfect considering I have been making this for YEARS… =P Good luck, and thanks for your kind words!
I tried making Tamagoyaki before and always without success UNTIL NOW!!! Your instructions and recipe were so easy to follow and the result was AMAZING! So scrumptious! Not all my layers were pale yellow like in your lovely pics. I will keep practising! 🙂 Thank you! Marianna
Hi Marianna! Yaaaay! So happy your Tamagoyaki was successful! Keep practicing and you will be a lot more comfortable with each step and will know the tricks. Try to lift up your pan while cooking so that your pan will not become too hot. It’s easier to control the location of your pan (I mean by lifting up) than changing the heat. Hope this helps. 🙂 Thanks for writing, Marianna!
This is a great recipe. works perfectly in my small omelette pan. the dashi is the key.
Thank you!
Thank you Jason! 🙂
What is the brand of the tamagoyaki pan you’re using? They sell some in Japan Town where I’m from, but I don’t think they’re good quality. I’d like to buy one online but I have no idea of knowing whether they’re okay or not.
I use a T-Fal brand Tamagoyaki pan (I put the Japanese amazon link in the recipe). I’ve bought 2 tamagoyaki pan here but both of them weren’t that great. Maybe if I put more oil…that might have helped but I didn’t want to… You can use a regular non-stick frying pan too, but you need more eggs and you need to cut off the edge more to make it square shape (but I don’t mind that part for home use). Hope this helps!
First attempt didn’t turn out that great. Tastes all right but doesn’t look like the picture lol. I didn’t have a tamagoyaki pan so used a loaf tin and a pair of vice grips for a handle worked a treat but the high sides made flipping it difficult.
Hi Matt! Thank you so much for trying this recipe. I’ve been making tamagoyaki from high school and I still struggle to make a picture perfect (most of time it’s just alright).
I’m not sure about using a loaf tin and I recommend you to use a regular (round) frying pan. It has to be non-stick. Also, until you get used to the technique, you can make tamagoyaki easier without dashi stock. Dashi stock makes the egg mixture thinner and it’s more difficult to roll. You can add a bit of dashi stock (or even little bit of water) to thin out the mixture, but thicker egg mixture will be definitely easier to handle. You can start adding more dashi stock once you are used to it. Hope this helps. 🙂
Thank you for this recipe, the video made it quite easy, although the rolling will take a few more times to master
Hi Otis! It was hard to explain in words, so I thought the video might be more helpful. I’ve been making tamagoyaki for years, yet I still have hard time making a perfect one when I don’t make it for a while. 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!
Dear Nami,
I’m making tamagoyaki for a presentation at my school. The only problem is, I can’t find any mirin, OR mirin-style substitute! Do you have any suggestions for a NON-ALCOHOLIC substitute for mirin?
The chef-in-training,
Crystal
Hi Crystal! You can replace mirin with sugar. Tamagoyaki has sweet flavor, so you need to add sugar. 🙂
I have an older, more shallow tamagoyaki pan and it is sticking so I’m using a regular skillet but the one you have looks very nice. I’m in SF and looked for the pan in your photo at several Asian/Japanese stores but only found the one I already have. Do they sell the deep non-stick one you are using in the U.S.?
Hi Jane,
I have seen the kind you have. If you put a lot of oil and still stick to it, probably not a good pan. Make sure to put oil when pan is nicely heated, not when it’s cold.
My mom brought my pan (T-Fal) from Japan… I found it here: http://en.bentoandco.com/products/tamagoyaki-pan-japanese-omelet
Forgot how much it was sold in Japan but its not like $10-20 for sure.
Did you check Mitsuwa in San Jose?
From the website, do you recommend the Sanjo or Aka? Which brand is your pan?
I checked the site and I don’t see any T-Fal pan on this site anymore… Mine is T-Fal brand. I have never heard or used both brands so I’m not sure… seems a bit pricy for non-famous brand (and I think this site is a bit overpriced). 🙁
nami,i was wondering about making this and putting a sheet of nori over the flat omelet each time before rolling it up. Do you think this could work, meaning, do you think you would have nice clean black lines when you cut it into slices? I’m sure the nori will soften as it sits in the warm moist roll, but i don’t really care about that. I was thinking of doing this for the nori flavor and for the eye appeal. But what do you think? Thanks much,nami.
Hi Mindy! Yes, it will work. Nori is one of common ingredient that we put in between. My mom has put spinach etc in between too. Nori will be rectangular swirl inside the egg. Good luck! 🙂