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An oval plate containing Omurice (Japanese Omelette Rice) drizzled with Japanese ketchup.

Omurice (Japanese Omelette Rice)

by Namiko Hirasawa Chen
Everyone's favorite Japanese comfort food! Savory ketchup chicken rice tucked into a soft, custardy omelette. Strain the eggs for the silkiest texture, then drape and shape. Ready in 30 minutes.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients

Servings: 2

For the Chicken Rice

  • 2 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice (1¾ cups, 330 g; day-old, preferably; see Notes)
  • 3 oz boneless, skinless chicken thigh
  • ¼ yellow onion (4 oz, 113 g)
  • 1 Tbsp green peas (cooked)
  • 5 Tbsp ketchup (plus more, for garnish; I use Kagome brand)
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (divided)
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp unsalted butter

For the Omelettes

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Before We Start...

  • Gather all the ingredients.
    Reheat day-old or frozen rice in the microwave until just warm. If using freshly cooked rice, spread it on a baking sheet to cool and let excess moisture evaporate.
    Flat lay of ingredients to make Omurice (Japanese Omelette Rice).

To Make Chicken Rice

  • Place ¼ yellow onion cut-side down. Make ¼-inch horizontal cuts toward the root, then vertical cuts, and finally slice crosswise for an even dice. Mince finely into ⅛-inch (3-mm) pieces, rocking your knife through the pieces for a finer mince.
    Three images show hands chopping an onion for omurice: slicing it in half, cutting vertical slices, then dicing into small pieces on a wooden cutting board.
  • Angle your knife back and slice 3 oz boneless, skinless chicken thigh along the grain into ½-inch (1.5 cm) strips.
    Slice the strips into ½-inch (1.5 cm) square pieces.
    Nami's Tip: This sogigiri technique creates even, thin pieces with more surface area so the chicken cooks faster and absorbs more flavor.
    Two images side by side show hands slicing raw chicken breast into small pieces on a dark cutting board with a large kitchen knife, preparing the meat for omurice.
  • Heat 1 Tbsp unsalted butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent and tender.
    Two images: onions being added to a pan with melted butter on the left, then being stirred with a spatula while sautéing on the right—the perfect first steps for making savory omurice.
  • Add the chicken and season it with ¼ tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook until no longer pink.
    Three-step collage: diced onions and raw chicken added to a skillet for omurice, seasoned, then cooked together until browned.
  • Reduce the heat slightly. Add 5 Tbsp ketchup and 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce. Stir until the excess moisture evaporates.
    Nami's Tip: Cooking out the moisture keeps the rice from turning mushy.
    Two images show hands adding soy sauce and ketchup to cooked chicken and onions in a skillet, then stirring the ingredients together while cooking on a stovetop—preparing the classic filling for omurice.
  • Add 2 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice. Break up clumps using a cutting motion with your spatula.
    Two side-by-side photos show cooked chicken in red sauce in a skillet, rice being added, and then the mixture being stirred together with a spatula to make omurice-inspired fried rice.
  • Season with ¼ tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper.
    Two photos of hands seasoning minced meat in a skillet for omurice; one hand sprinkles salt from a small dish, and the other grinds pepper over the orange-red meat mixture while it cooks on the stovetop.
  • Add 1 Tbsp green peas and toss until warmed through. Remove from the heat.
    Divide the rice into 3 portions. Use 2 portions for this recipe and freeze the rest for later.
    Nami's Tip: Shape each portion into an oval using the side of a small bowl and a spatula before placing it on the omelette.
    A hand adds green peas to red fried rice in a pan, reminiscent of the classic omurice filling, and in the next frame, more rice is poured into the same pan.

To Make the Omelette

  • Make one omurice at a time. Crack 2 large eggs into a small bowl. Beat in a zigzag motion, cutting through the whites instead of whisking. Add ¼ tsp salt, stir to combine, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer.
    Nami's Tip: Straining removes the chalazae—the stringy white bands attached to the yolks—for a uniform, silky-smooth texture.
    Three-panel image: whisking egg yolks in a bowl, adding sugar to beaten yolks, then pouring the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into another bowl on a wooden surface—techniques commonly used when preparing a silky omurice omelet.
  • Prepare the damp cloth on the counter for cooling the pan later.
    Heat 1 Tbsp unsalted butter in the pan over medium heat and coat the surface well.
    Test if the pan is hot with a drop of egg mixture—if it sizzles, the pan is ready. Pour in the eggs.
    Three-panel image: butter melting in a skillet, butter fully melted while being stirred, and beaten eggs—perfect for omurice—being poured into the hot skillet.
  • Stir the eggs quickly in a spiral motion with cooking chopsticks while shaking the pan.
    Tilt to spread the uncooked egg around the edges. The curds should be soft, creamy, and custardy.
    Stop once the eggs are half-cooked, then level the curds so there are no lumps or holes.
    Nami's Tip: Cooking chopsticks form smaller, more even curds than a silicone spatula.
    Three side-by-side images show eggs being gently stirred and cooked in a nonstick skillet, gradually turning from liquid to soft, creamy scrambled eggs reminiscent of the delicate texture found in Japanese omurice.

To Wrap the Chicken Rice

  • Place 1 portion of chicken rice in the center of the omelette. Extend it slightly to the sides and shape it into a football shape, without disturbing the omelette. Turn off the heat.
    A frying pan with beaten eggs cooking for omurice, topped with tomato fried rice being placed and shaped using chopsticks.
  • Set the pan on the damp cloth to cool. Tilt the pan away from you and fold the near side of the omelette over the rice. Slide the omelette to the far edge of the pan. Wrap the far side of the omelette over the rice.
    Nami's Tip: The damp cloth keeps the omelette from browning as you wrap the rice, for a more beautiful finish.
    A two-panel image shows a spatula folding an omurice omelette filled with fried rice and green peas in a black skillet on a stovetop.
  • Tilt a plate against the edge of the pan. Flip the pan over and transfer the omelette onto the plate, seam side down.
    A two-panel image: left, a hand slides a rice-filled omurice from a pan onto a plate; right, the finished omurice rests neatly on a white, scalloped plate atop a wooden surface.

To Shape and Serve

  • Shape the omurice into an oval shape with a paper towel and your hands. Top with a dollop of ketchup or drizzle it in a zigzag pattern.
    Left: Hands covering an omurice omelette with a paper towel. Right: A finished omurice topped with ketchup, served on a plate with herbs on a wooden table next to a red checkered napkin and a fork.

To Store

  • Keep leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

Notes

Ingredients
    • Rice: Use day-old cooked rice from the fridge—its drier grain stay separate in the pan. Reheat in the microwave until room temperature or slightly warm; frozen rice works the same way. If using freshly cooked rice, spread it on a baking sheet to cool completely and let excess moisture evaporate.
    • Cooking Japanese rice: 1 rice cooker cup (180 ml, ¾ US cup, 150 g) of uncooked Japanese short-grain rice yields about 2 servings (1¾ US cups, 330 g) cooked. See my recipes for rice cooker, stovetop, Instant Pot, and donabe.
    • Ketchup: I highly recommend Japanese Kagome ketchup for authentic flavor.
    • Midnight Diner Tomato Ketchup Sauce: Whisk 3 Tbsp ketchup, 3 Tbsp tomato paste, and 2 Tbsp water in a saucepan and simmer until combined.
Variations
  • Swap protein. Use bacon, ham, chashu pork, shrimp, or baked tofu instead of chicken thigh—or skip the protein altogether.
  • Add vegetables. Stir in diced carrots, sliced mushrooms, edamame, or sliced green onions/scallions.
  • Change the chicken rice seasonings. Try soy sauce, salt and pepper, curry powder, or garlic in place of ketchup.
  • Swap the sauce. Top the finished omelette with Demi-Glace, Hayashi Rice sauce, Japanese curry sauce, or a creamy bechamel sauce instead of ketchup.
  • Add the toppings. Serve with Hamburger Steak (Hambagu), Ebi Fry, Croquettes, or shredded cheese.
  • Go hands-off. Make the chicken rice in a rice cooker with my Rice Cooker Ketchup Rice recipe—same great taste, less effort.
  • Make Midnight Diner version. See the section below.

Nutrition

Calories: 609kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 37g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 21g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 268mg, Sodium: 607mg, Potassium: 439mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 2914IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 254mg, Iron: 4mg

The nutrition facts shown are generated by an online calculator and are estimates only. Please consult a professional nutritionist for specific dietary needs.

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