Authentic Omurice Recipe Japan, Asia
JUMP TO RECIPEWe strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though
Introduction & history
Although it may seem like an improvisation at first glance, the Japanese rice dish omurice or omuraisu is actually a successful hybrid of Eastern and Western cuisine. It can be made from leftovers or from scratch; topped with fancy demi-glace or simple ketchup; filled with whatever vegetables found in the freezer, or a whole range of local ingredients. The one thing that is sure, however, is that it is tasty, satiable and ubiquitous, which makes it one of the most popular Japanese dishes of all times. The preparation starts with cooked short-grain rice, which can be prepared specifically for omurice or used from the day before. Then, finely chopped onions and other vegetables, such as carrots, cabbage, and peppers, are stir-fried in a skillet with some finely chopped chicken or other meat. The mixture is seasoned with salt, pepper, and tomato ketchup, and the cooked rice is then stirred in, so it absorbs all the flavors. The rice is then set aside and, often in the same pan,... Read more
Cooking tips
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eggs
The main rule of thumb when it comes to eggs for omurice is not to over-whisk them. It is enough to break the eggs into a bowl and gently stir them with chopsticks, so the egg yolks and the egg whites are just combined. Each portion, consisting of one or two eggs, is fried separately in hot vegetable oil. The technique suggests pouring the eggs onto a hot frying pan, stirring them gently with chopsticks,... Read more -
rice
Small, round grain, sushi rice is the best option for omurice because it absorbs the flavors perfectly. The rice can be freshly cooked or used as a leftover from the day before in which case, the clumps should be broken down gently using your fingers. -
meat
Typically, omurice is prepared with fresh chicken thighs which are cut into small, 1 to 1,5-cm pieces, and then stir-fried shortly with onions and vegetables. Some recipes suggest frying the chicken thigh skin first, so it releases its own flavorful fat; the skin is then removed and the main ingredients are stir-fried. The chicken can be replaced with ham or even spam — canned cooked meat. In some ... Read more -
sauce
Typically, homemade omurice is made with classic tomato ketchup, which is added to the rice during frying, and drizzled over the omelet before serving. Sometimes, ketchup can be accompanied with mayonnaise, most commonly of Kewpie brand which is slightly thinner than regular mayonnaise. This approach is common in small, neighborhood eateries, while more ambitious restaurants serve omurice with demi-... Read more -
serving
There are two ways to serve omurice. First, the ketchup fried rice with chicken can be placed into a special mold, so it takes shape. A fluffy folded omelet is then placed on top and sliced open, so it covers the rice completely, after which it is drizzled with sauce. Alternatively, the rice with chicken and other ingredients can be placed in the middle of the omelet during frying. The omelet is folded,... Read more
Recipe variations
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Authentic Osaka-Style Omurice
Ready in 1hThe following recipe explains how to make a traditional omurice the way it is done in the city of Osaka, using local products. This version of omurice is slightly more complicated than usual but gives a hearty, satiable dish. The amounts for the sauce will make enough for 10 servings, but the remaining sauce can be kept in a refrigerator for 1 month.
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Omurice with Pork and Okonomiyaki Sauce
Ready in 45minThe following is the recipe for omurice as prepared in the Ehime Prefecture, Japan, where they make it with pork and cabbage. Instead of ketchup, it uses sweet-savory okonomiyaki sauce, which is usually served with Japanese pancakes and gives an interesting twist to this omurice variation. Ao-nori algae, also known as green laver, are used for garnishing, as well as Kewpie mayonnaise — creamy Japanese mayonnaise made with rice vinegar.
Authentic Osaka-Style Omurice
PREP 20min
COOK 40min
READY IN 1h
The following recipe explains how to make a traditional omurice the way it is done in the city of Osaka, using local products. This version of omurice is slightly more complicated than usual but gives a hearty, satiable dish. The amounts for the sauce will make enough for 10 servings, but the remaining sauce can be kept in a refrigerator for 1 month.
Ingredients
Authentic Osaka-Style Omurice
FOR THE SAUCE
100 g onion
50 g carrot
50 g green pepper
a dash white wine
380 ml tomato juice
4 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 chicken stock cube
2 tbsp sugar
FOR THE ROUX
30 g butter
30 g wheat flour
or
20 g Hodatsu kudzu (Japanese arrowroot)
FOR THE OMURICE
500 g cooked rice
1 tbsp cooking oil
120 g chicken thighs
1 bunch pak choi (Chinese cabbage)
2 onions
2 raw shiitake
8 eggs
salt and pepper, to taste
tomato ketchup, to taste
SEASONING
1 tbsp white wine
6 ml soy sauce
9 ml Japanese rice wine
Preparation
Authentic Osaka-Style Omurice
Start with preparing the sauce. Peel the onions and the carrots, and remove the seeds from the peppers. Chop the vegetables into small pieces.
Sauté the vegetables shortly. Then, add white wine, tomato juice, tomato ketchup, chicken stock cube, and sugar.
Dissolve the kudzu in a little bit of water. Instead of kudzu, you can also thicken the vegetable sauce with a roux: simply melt the butter in a small saucepan, and stir in wheat flour. Fry the roux shortly, and set aside.
When the vegetable sauce starts boiling, add the roux or kudzu. This way, the sauce will become thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste – if the tomato juice is salted, adding salt may not be necessary. Set the sauce aside.
Now, prepare the omurice filling. Cut the chicken thighs into small, 1-cm cubes. Pre-boil pak choi. Chop the onions and the shiitake finely. Whisk the eggs. In a small bowl, mix the ingredients for seasoning (white wine, soy sauce, and rice wine).
In a large frying pan, warm up 1 tbsp of cooking oil and quickly fry the chicken. Drizzle with a little bit of whisked eggs – this will soak up excess liquid. Add shiitake and onion and stir-fry over medium heat. Stir in cooked rice, boiled pak choi, salt, pepper, and some of the seasoning sauce. Finally, add ketchup, stir again, and remove from heat.
Next, fry the eggs. Prepare another large frying pan and heat some cooking oil in it. Pour in whisked eggs – usually, two whisked eggs make one serving. Stir the eggs with chopsticks until they are halfway cooked. Then, put 1/4 of the filling into the middle of the omelet, flatten out, and turn off the heat.
Finally, fold the omurice: fold the sides of the omelet so they partially cover the filling. Tilt the frying pan and the serving plate, so they form a letter V. Slowly slide the omurice onto the plate, turning it over simultaneously.
Garnish with some vegetable sauce and serve.
Other Variations
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Omurice with Pork and Okonomiyaki Sauce
Ready in 45minThe following is the recipe for omurice as prepared in the Ehime Prefecture, Japan, where they make it with pork and cabbage. Instead of ketchup, it uses sweet-savory okonomiyaki sauce, which is usually served with Japanese pancakes and gives an interesting twist to this omurice variation. Ao-nori algae, also known as green laver, are used for garnishing, as well as Kewpie mayonnaise — creamy Japanese mayonnaise made with rice vinegar.
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