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.
As always, everything thought out, nothing superfluous. perfect!
Hi Valters! Thank you so much for your kind comment! I’m so glad yours came out well! 🙂
I’m so glad I found this, my son asked for a “typical” Japanese breakfast ( although he’s not keen on miso). My only question is do you recommend chicken or duck eggs? I have an over abundance of both this time of year, and intend to try the recipe with each type. Thank you very much for sharing this recipe.
I have never tried this recipe with duck egg. If you can get the fresh eggs, your tamagoyaki must be so delicious!!! Hope you and your son enjoy this recipe!
Thank you for replying, and thank you so much for sharing your recipes. I’ve made your tamagoyaki recipe several times now and it’s always a hit. I’ve made it with both the duck and chicken eggs, and the duck eggs are our preference (when they’re laying). We are lucky enough to be able to raise both, so VERY fresh eggs are nearly always available.
Hi Katy! Wow I’m so jealous you get to enjoy fresh eggs! Must be so delicious! ????
I love this tutorial! I wonder, though, could you show how you make tamagoyaki in a rounded frying pan? I can’t get my hands on the square pan, but I’d still love to make the recipe.
Thanks for your request! Maybe I’ll make a YouTube video for it.
Is there anything I can replace dashi with or can I just omit it?
Hi Rrebecca! The real tamagoyaki has the dashi flavor, but if you don’t mind that it’s missing, you can omit it. 🙂 However, you might thin out by water a bit, if you want to make thin layers of tamagoyaki. Hope this helps, and enjoy! 🙂
I just put my kombu in water to soak. I’ll be making dashi later tonight and the Tamagoyaki tomorrow.
Thank you for the video. 🙂
Hi Bob! I hope you enjoy Tamagoyaki tomorrow! 🙂 So glad to hear you like the video!
Hi Nami,
I made my Tamagoyaki in a round pan and it worked great! All I can say it YUMMY! My wife is in the shower now and it is taking all of my will-power to save her a few pieces.
Because I used a round pan, my roll is not as thick as yours but is still delicious. Maybe I will double the recipe and make it bigger. You can’t go wrong with bigger, right? hahaha
Hi Bob! I’m so glad to know it came out well. When I use a round pan, I usually use a small one similar to tamagoyaki pan size. You can double the recipe as well! Hope your wife got to eat some piece. 😀
Hello! I was wondering if there’s a substitute to mirin! I am Muslim, so can’t add anything that has alcohol in dishes!
Hi Fatema! My suggestion is here: https://www.justonecookbook.com/pantry/mirin/
You can simply use water and sugar but please understand it’s not really the same. 🙂
I wonder if you could cook the mirin slightly to remove the alcohol, as it would all evaporate, leaving that yummy flavor behind.
Yes, I used to suggest that, but since we don’t know if alcohol is completely evaporated or not, they can’t or prefer not to use it. 🙂
Hi, I’d like to try out your recipe but first I’m looking for an omelette pan–I can see it would be a bit trickier with a normal round frying pan. They’re all over the internet but I need one that’s safe in the dishwasher, and none of them state either way. Is yours/do you know of any? Thanks–I will review the recipe when I’ve tried it!
Hi Alex! Mine is dishwasher safe, but this one is from Japan and costs a bit more than those I can find (at stores/internet) in the US. They are usually not dishwasher safe and not a very good quality product… I’d still use good quality non-stick round pan to make tamagoyaki. You really can do it. The both end gets rounded but it’s not that strange. For good tamagoyaki with many layers, the egg has to be thin. And to be able to make nice thin layer, I think a good non-stick pan helps so the egg doesn’t stick to it and you can make a very good layer each time. Hope this helps. 🙂
OMG it looks delicious.I have tried japanese omelette but the sweet one. I don’t have any clue which one was it but it was delicious and it was in square shape. Could you please let me know how much the Japanese pan cost you? It will be really helpful.
Thanks.
Hi Neha! Thank you! It’s about 3500 yen ($35) I remember. You can use the round pan as well. 🙂
Hi,
Nice and glad to have your recipe over the net. This is exiting to eat not only the look but also the taste. Mix salty sweety sour taiste. One of my favorite japanese food serves in breakfast. Just one question regarding steps number 4. Why do we need to strain mixture? What particles we illuminate in this steps? Thank you hope your response on my e-mail.
Thank you and more japanese recipe!
Sam
Hi Sam! Thank you so much for your kind comment! Straining helps to make the egg mixture smooth. I should have taken a picture of what looks after in the sieve. It’s an extra step, and sometimes I don’t do it (especially just for my family use) but this is a just refinement to make better tamagoyaki. Hope this helps.
I’ve been curious about tamagoyaki for a while, but I’m not a very good cook so I was a little intimidated. I was hungry though, and low on food, so I figured I’d give it a try.
Heh, I didn’t have any dashi or mirin (and I forgot the salt now that I look back, whoops) but this came out surprisingly good! I bet it’d be even better with a little practice and more ingredients. I’ll have to stop by the local asian market soon.
Thanks for the recipe and especially the pictures! They were a big help.
Hi Jaybee! Sorry for my late response. I’m glad to hear your tamagoyaki came out good! 🙂 Good looking tamagoyaki takes practice so don’t worry! I’m glad the step by step pictures were helpful. I appreciate your feedback. Thank you! xo
Nami! All of your recipes are so cool!I love to make eggs in the morning, I’m going to try this! My one concern is the sodium, I like cooking for my dad but he can’t have a lot of sodium in his diet. I know there is low sodium soy sauce, but I was wondering if that’s an issue in Japan as well as America, and if so what replaces the soy in the diet?
Hi Madi! Thank you so much for your kind words! You can completely avoid salt and soy sauce and it’ll be still okay. You can reduce the amount of mirin and sugar since there is no salty ingredients to balance out. Hope this helps. 🙂
on top of sushi… i might use this idea.. thank you very much!!!!
You’re very welcome! 🙂
Hi Nami,
I am making individual frozen meals for my mother, who lives alone. She is perfectly healthy but she no longer has the energy to cook a lot of food for herself. She loves tamagoyaki with hot gohan, something simple she can have for lunch or supper sometimes. Do you know if tamagoyaki can be frozen, and defrosted without getting mushy or watery?
Hi Linda! She must enjoy simple meal like gohan, miso soup, tamagoyaki, and salted salmon (I have recipes for all these :)). As I get older, I definitely prefer eating simple!
Anyway, yes, you can freeze tamagoyaki. IF you make this tamoagyaki, it includes dashi. After you defrost, dashi (liquid) may come out from tamagoyaki. It’s not a lot, but it won’t be completely dry. If you prefer tamagoyaki to be dry, then omit dashi. I use my Quick and Easy Tamagoyaki recipe (no dashi) and freeze them too. For me, the dashi from defrosted tamagoyaki doesn’t bother me. Oh, and it won’t get mushy or that watery. 🙂
Hope that helps.
I purchased the pan from Amazon it was really cute with th pink little rectangular pan I made tamago Yaki today I didn’t have Mirin so I used some white Muscato I used a little bit bouillon in place of the Dashi I use so shrimp although I should’ve chop that up and some chopped cilantro and soy of course sugar but it was pretty easy and it was really delicious and I’m glad I bought that pan and I’m glad that I read and watched your little tutorial thank you
Hi Tonya!
Wow! Thank you for trying this recipe!
We are so glad to hear it worked out great for you! Thank you for sharing your cooking experience with us!☺️
Where can I get this tamago pan? The one I have is very shallow and tends to stick.
Hi Jane! Mine is from Japan (T-fal brand – see the link in my recipe). I used to have inexpensive tamagoyaki pan and it was easy to stick too (unless I put more oil). If you have a nice non-stick round pan, that works too. You just need to cut off the ends (to make it rectangular) and need more egg mixture as the round frying pan is bigger than tamagoyaki pan. Hope that helps. 🙂
I made this for my Japanese in-laws and it was a hit! It came out beautifully and they all loved it! Tamagoyaki is one of my husband’s favorites, so I’ll be making this again. Thanks Nami for the delicious recipe and the easy to follow steps. My son loved watching me make it. I felt like such a pro after follow your step by step instructions. 🙂
Hi Esther! So happy to hear your in-laws liked it! 🙂 I’m also glad the step by step instructions were helpful too. Thank you very much for writing your feedback.