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)
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
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.
Thanks so much for this recipe, Nami! I had been preparing without dashi for a little while until my order of hon dashi came in, and it tasted fine. Now with the dashi added, it has the signature Japanese flavor that you just don’t get without it!
Hi Elyse! Awesome! Nami and JOC team are so happy to hear you enjoyed the dashi flavor in it!
Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback.😊
Hi! I followed your recipe but I didn’t liked it. I think the dashi amount is to excessive. All ingredients gone to waste!!! 🙁
Hi Aria! Thank you very much for trying this recipe.
We are sorry to hear that this recipe didn’t satisfy your taste.😔 Please feel free to adjust the dashi amount for your liking or try with Kombudashi. It has a more mild flavor.
You can also try other Tamagoyaki recipes on our website. It has many ways to make this dish.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/japanese-sweet-rolled-omelet/
https://www.justonecookbook.com/quick-and-easy-tamagoyaki/
We hope this helps!
I think she meant dashi stock which is the liquid. Did you by any chance used 3tbsp of instant dashi stock powder? That would be excessive
Hey Nami-san! I have been eating almost exclusively from your blog for the past 6 months and have loved everything so far! I’m learning so much about Japanese cuisine. Just wanted to do a quick shout-out. Also, do you have any tips for those of us that don’t normally cook with chopsticks? I’m having difficulty rolling the omelette in the tamagoyaki pan as it gets heavier with more layers added. I usually use chopsticks AND an omelette spatula to help. Everything comes out great after rolling it in the mat. However, I would really like to master the technique with chopsticks. C:
Hi Gina, Thank you very much for reading Nami’s blog and for your kind feedback!
Nami and JOC team are so happy to hear you loved every recipe you have tried so far and enjoying cooking Japanese cuisine.😊
To roll the Omelette, you can try using a fork and Omelette spatula or tongs like this one may help; https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000CDVD8?ref=exp_justonecookbook_dp_vv_d.
We hope this helps!
Namiko San,
I made my very first Tamagoyaki with nori in my new Tamagoyaki pan! Delicious!
Thank you, thank you! Domo arigato gozeimasuta! Have an image, but couldn’t include it.
Itadakimas!
Seigyoku
Hi Ildiko, Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback!
Nami and JOC team are happy to hear your first Tamagoyaki turned out delicious! Yay👏🏻
Please share your photo on Instagram using the hashtag “#justonecookbook” so we can see your photo! We can’t wait to see it!😃
Hi Nami, if i make this Tamagoyaki and have some leftover. Can i keep in freezer or fridge? Do I need to reheat the Tamagoyaki when I want to pack into Bento?
Hi Rina, Thank you very much for trying this recipe! Yes, you can freeze it, and it can be packed directly into a bento box (no reheat). Here is the post link where Nami shares the tips on how to freeze food for Bento. https://www.justonecookbook.com/basic-freezing-techniques/
We hope this is helpful.
Just wanted to make my first comment, although I’ve been a long time reader.
Today I made this recipe with my daughter for her Japanese class’ bento project and it turned out great!
This year I’ve made so many of your osechi recipes for the first time making a Japanese New Year’s meal since my mom (who’ve always made it all my life) was unable to, and it was a resounding success.
Thanks for your work. These recipes are delicious and a great resource!
Hi Akiko, Thank you for your love and support!!! We are so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe with your daughter, and although you made Osechi this year!👏🏻 Thank you very much for your kind feedback.
Had never made tamagoyaki before trying this recipe. When I mixed the eggs and seasoning, it did not look like the recipe’s photos – the mixture looked too watery and brown. I added an additional 3 eggs and it still looked fairly brown. I went ahead and cooked it, but when I tasted the tamagoyaki, it was much too salty (and I like salty). This made me believe the 3 *tablespoons* of dashi was probably meant to be just 3 *teaspoons*. Tried out the recipe again with just 3 tsps of dashi and it tasted great.
Hi Joy,
First of all, thank you very much for trying this recipe!
What kind of dashi did you use? If you made your own dashi, it shouldn’t be salty. If you happen to use packaged dashi, some of them contain other ingredients and taste salty sometimes. So please feel free to adjust the salt level for your liking.
We hope this helps!
Hi
If I were to use dashi granules, how many tsp of the dashi granules shd I use? Yvonne
Hi Yvonne,
The all the dashi granules had the ratio to make it to Dashi. So please follow the package instruction and use the dashi in this recipe to avoid overwhelming the flavor.
We hope this helps!
Dear Nami,
Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe. I still need to practice the heating of the pan and rolling the egg, but the taste was very nice thanks to your recipe 😀
Best wishes,
Pascal
Hi Pascal,
Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback! We are happy to hear you enjoyed this Tamagoyaki.
Don’t worry about the rolling technic too much. You get better and better every time you make one. We did practice a lot too!😁
Wonderful goods from you, man. I’ve bear in mind your stuff prior to and you are simply extremely magnificent.
I actually like what you’ve received here, certainly like what you are saying
and the way in which you say it. You are making it entertaining and you still
take care of to stay it wise. I cant wait to
read much more from you. That is actually a tremendous web site.
Hi, Nami,
Where do you buy your whisk when you are making tamago? Thanks.
Nancy
Hi Nancy! This is the one I use: https://amzn.to/3h3TmnU
Hello. I just made this for the first time and Im surprised how well it turned given my lack of cooking prowess. Decided to make it on a whim so I was lacking some ingredients; Substituted white whine for the mirin and water for the dashi (out of chicken stock which is what I would have used otherwise). The texture came out really good as well as the flavor but it was a bit too sweet. Should I reduce the amount of sugar i use in the future or will using the regular ingredients and not substitutes cut the sweetness on its own?
Hi Raymond! Thank you so much for your kind feedback. Honestly, feel free to adjust the seasoning. There is this “traditional” dashi flavor to Tamagoyaki, but if you don’t mind not having it, then seasoning is up to you. 🙂 Tamagoyaki is always on the sweeter side because it’s in a bento box, it’s served as a side, or with alcohol at Izakaya… so there is a particular style that’s preferred in Japan. So feel free to adjust. 🙂
Just watched‘Midnight Diner’ season one episode one.. Master made a sweet rolled omelet..
Hi EJ! We’ll be sharing it too. 🙂
Your recipe for tamagoyaki was very salty. I think the Dashi should be cut down to 1/8 tsp. Thank you
Hi Kiko! OMG, I’m afraid you used dashi POWDER instead of dashi (broth)? That would be way too much!!! Dashi is a broth, and one of the methods of making dashi is dashi powder.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/dashi-powder/
I do not use instant dashi powder in my recipe, but if I do, I usually say “dashi powder”. People can make dashi however they like; make from scratch (easy), dashi packet (my next favorite), or dashi powder (my least favorite).
To learn more about dashi, please click here: https://www.justonecookbook.com/how-to-make-dashi-jiru/
Hy I’m interested in your recipe book and I want to know how to cook that…
Hi Helen! I only have an e-cookbook, not a physical cookbook. I hope you enjoy Tamagoyaki recipe! 🙂