Japanese Scrambled Eggs

By Lee Jackson ↣ Published on: December 11, 2020

Last Updated: December 4th, 2024↣2 Comments↣

There’s something very special about Japanese scrambled eggs. They’re the perfect start to any day – silky soft and lightly sweet eggs on a bed of fluffy rice. Good morning, good afternoon, good day!

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A bowl of Japanese scrambled eggs over rice and garnished with rice seasoning and spring onions. Wooden chopsticks sit on the bowl.

Most breakfast times for me include an egg! Ever since I was a giant child, I've loved eggs - all ways, all shapes, all sizes! This simple Japanese dish is a sure-fire hit in the morning. A filling, fragrant treat.

For my Japanese scrambled eggs, I want to replicate the flavour of Tamagoyaki, a sweet and savoury egg. For a light sweetness I'll use a little mirin, a sweet Japanese cooking wine. To add aroma, a little sesame oil will work its magic and to add an umami saltiness, a teaspoon of light soy sauce. The resulting eggs are a perfect balance of flavour.

A bowl of Japanese scrambled eggs over rice and garnished with rice seasoning and spring onions.

What is a Tamago or Tamagoyaki bowl?

This tamago rice bowl is not a tamago bowl in the traditional sense, the 'tamago bowl' typically feature a raw egg, like this delight. This dish is inspired from one of my favourite sushi dishes, the tamagoyaki - a little pillow of sushi rice topped with a slice of sweet omelette and kept in place with a thin nori (seaweed) belt. They're the FIRST thing I grab from the sushi belt! That said, Tamago translates as 'egg' so, it actually IS a Tamago bowl.

Confused?

Me too.

Anyway! This is my take on the tamagoyaki omelette, as a scrambled egg over rice. Typically, if I'm eating this for breakfast I'll use leftover rice as I know I won't be cooking rice first thing in the morning! I'll generally cook extra rice with my evening meals and put the extra in the freezer for occasions such as this.

Why it works?

It's quick and easy - Making your Japanese style scrambled eggs is so quick and easy. Eggs are ready in seconds, so there's no fuss and no time to wait for this amazing little bowl of flavour.

The labelled ingredients for Japanese scrambled eggs.

Stuff You'll Need

There's not a lot to this delicious Japanese scrambled eggs. Here are the key flavours.

Eggs
Mirin - for a gentle sweetness
Salt
Light Soy Sauce - for more umami saltiness (don't use dark soy sauce as it will discolour the eggs)
Sesame oil - For that alluring Japanese nutty flavour
Spring onion - (green onion) for garnish
Rice seasoning (Furikake) - for garnish and a bit of magical nori seaweed flavour.

The how-to...

Making my Japanese scrambled eggs couldn't be easier. All you need to do is combine the eggs with soy, salt, mirin and a little of the sesame oil, then cook them gently in a pan with the remaining sesame oil. That's it!

All that's left to do is spoon them over some warm cooked rice and sprinkle over some finely sliced spring onion and a scattering of Japanese furikake rice seasoning.

A bowl of Japanese scrambled eggs over rice and garnished with rice seasoning and spring onions. Wooden chopsticks sit in the bowl.

Serving & Storage Suggestions

Serve hot. These eggs are best eaten right away, but you could refrigerate until needed and reheat gently until warm. However, the eggs will definitely lose some of their creamy quality, so I recommend cooking and eating right away.

This dish is not suitable for freezing.

Ready to get cooking?

This really is the best start to the day or a quick and easy lunch too. The whole thing can be ready in a matter of minutes, so it's a winner whenever. Just be sure to have some leftover rice to hand if you don't want to wait, over order rice with your next take out, or cook extra next time you're serving rice for dinner. Hope you enjoy the recipe!

More Japanese recipes

If you liked this Tamago rice bowl, then why not try one (or all) of my favourite Japanese recipes.

Any Questions? (FAQ)

Have a question about my Japanese Soft Scrambled Tamago Rice Bowl? Let me know in the comments.

What is Tamago?

Tamago, in Japanese cuisine, refers to a sweet and savory omelet typically made with eggs, sugar, and sometimes soy sauce. It is often used as a filling in sushi rolls, such as tamago nigiri, and is known for its slightly sweet taste and delicate texture.

What is Tamago scramble?

Tamago scramble uses all the key flavours of a regular tamago (see above) but creates a soft, creamy scrambled egg texture instead of a set omelette.

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