Tamagoyaki Recipe (Japanese rolled egg omelet)

Tamagoyaki is a sweet and savory rolled Japanese omelet. Tamagoyaki can be seen served for breakfast, in bento, or sushi restaurants. It is loved and commonly eaten in many Japanese households. This recipe will not only give you the tastiest tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled egg omelet) but also teach you the best technique for making it.

How to make tamagoyaki

If this is your first time attempting to make tamagoyaki, do not worry about perfecting it. Instead, focus on the process of making tamagoyaki. Tamagyaki requires a process of rolling thin layers of egg which takes a lot of patience and time. With practice, you will get quicker at making tamagoyaki as you will figure out the right temperature, thinness of the egg, timing, etc. But in the meantime, this tamagoyaki recipe and tips will give you a basic understanding of making the best tamagoyaki.

Tips on making the best tamagoyaki

• Mix egg mixture really well. Make sure the sugar and dashi powder are fully incorporated with the egg and the egg has no lumps. Sugar and dashi powder tend to sink to the bottom so mix before each pour. Otherwise the taste will not be even.
• Turn the heat on to LOW heat. Because of the high sugar content, tamagoyaki is prone to burning fast. You want to make sure the egg cooks before it burns. Adjust the heat accordingly.
• Envision making a scroll. A scroll is made from one long piece of paper that is rolled up. It is a similar concept to tamagoyaki. Tamagoyaki is made from thin layers of egg that are rolled up.
• Roll when the egg is 80% cooked. This allows the tamagoyaki to stick together when rolling. If it is fully cooked, the roll will not hold up and will fall apart or end up with gaps.
• Make sure to apply light pressure with each roll. Adding pressure to the roll will not only help the shape, but it will also help the to eggs stick together so it won’t fall apart.

Tamagoyaki recipe troubleshooting

• If you get some brown areas, then lower the heat so it doesn’t burn while the egg cooks.
• If you get a lot of gaps, then you are cooking the egg too much before rolling. You want the egg to be about 80% cooked so that when you roll, the egg will stick together. Make sure to also apply pressure as you roll. It will finish cooking by the time you finish.
• If the tamagoyaki rolls keep ripping when you roll, then you are either not cooking it enough or the egg layer is too thin.

Do I need all the ingredients?

The short answer is No. You can still make something similar to tamagoyaki without the seasonings. However, if you want it to taste as close to the real thing, then it is recommended to add in all the ingredients.

If you are vegetarian or do not have dashi powder, then you can omit it. Dashi powder is made from concentrated bonito flakes and dried sea kelp. It helps add umami to the tamagoyaki.

Some items mentioned in the recipe:

If there is a Japanese grocery store in your area, you will most likely be able to find these items there. You can also try an Asian grocery store or the Asian isle at a grocery store.