Japanese Tamago Omelet

This highly-rated tamago recipe might seem challenging, but it's actually quite simple to make in your own kitchen!

What Is Tamago?

Tamago, also known as tamagoyaki, is a traditional Japanese rolled omelet. It’s made by layering and frying thin sheets of egg, then rolling them up into a log that’s sliced into rectangular pieces. The eggs are mixed with dashi, sugar, and mirin, giving the omelet a rich, subtly sweet flavor. Tamago is commonly served as a breakfast dish or used as a key ingredient in sushi.

Ingredients for Tamago

Here are the ingredients you'll need to prepare this tamago dish:

• Eggs: Four eggs will make about six servings. 
• Dashi stock: You can use store-bought dashi stock or make your own at home.
• Sugar: Sweeten things up with a tablespoon of white sugar. 
• Mirin: Mirin (Japanese sweet wine) adds a blend of sweetness and umami. 
• Soy sauce: Salty soy sauce lends savory flavor. 
• Oil: Use vegetable oil to cook the tamago in a skillet. 

How to Prepare Tamago

Below you'll find the complete, step-by-step recipe, but here's a quick overview of the process to make tamago at home:

1. Whisk the eggs and then mix in the other ingredients (excluding the oil).
2. Follow the detailed steps in Step 3 to cook and form the rolled omelet.
3. Slice the rolled omelet into six equal pieces to serve.

Tip from the recipe creator Pokerman11: It's ideal to use a tamago pan (5x7-inch square nonstick frying pan), but any small frying pan will do. Just keep in mind that your omelet won't have the classic square edges.

How to Store Tamago

Serve the tamago immediately or store it in the freezer for up to two weeks. To thaw, simply leave it in the refrigerator overnight.

Dinogo Community Tips and Praise

A Dinogo community member commented, “This recipe was fantastic! I didn’t have dashi, so I swapped it with chicken broth and a bit of seasoned rice vinegar. It turned out amazing.”

“So delicious and simple to make,” says NicholeB. “I used a round skillet, and it worked perfectly. It may not have looked as nice, but the flavor was amazing.”

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams

Ingredients List

• 4 eggs

• 1/4 cup prepared dashi stock

• 1 tablespoon white sugar

• 1 teaspoon mirin (Japanese sweet wine)

• 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil, or more as needed

Instructions

Prepare all the ingredients.

In a bowl, beat the eggs well. Then whisk in the dashi stock, sugar, mirin, and soy sauce until the sugar is fully dissolved. Lightly grease a nonstick skillet and heat it over medium heat.

Pour a thin layer of the egg mixture into the hot pan and swirl it around to evenly coat the surface. Cook until the bottom is firm but the top is still slightly runny, about 1 minute.

Next, use a spatula to lift one edge of the egg layer and begin rolling it up.

Move the omelet roll to one side of the skillet. Re-oil the pan and pour in another thin layer of egg, lifting the first roll slightly to let the egg flow beneath it.

Roll the first omelet into the new layer of egg and push the roll to the edge of the skillet, as before.

Repeat the process with the remaining egg mixture, adding more oil to the pan as needed.

Transfer the rolled omelet to a serving dish and cut it into 6 even pieces for serving.

Recipe Tips

Nutritional Details (per serving)