Fluffy Japanese Omurice Like a Tokyo Café
This classic Japanese Omurice recipe features fluffy soft eggs enveloping flavorful ketchup-fried rice cooked with tender chicken and vegetables. A harmonious blend of savory and sweet, this comforting dish is simple to prepare and perfect for an impressive yet easy meal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients
Scale
Rice and Chicken Mixture
- 1 1/2 cup warm cooked rice
- 4 oz chicken thigh, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1/4 onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 green bell pepper, finely chopped
- 2 tsp chicken bouillon powder
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Egg Mixture
- 4 eggs
- 1 tbsp milk
- 2 pinches of salt
Sauces and Fats
- 2 tsp butter (for cooking chicken and vegetables)
- 2 tsp butter (for sautéing ketchup)
- 4 tbsp ketchup
- 1/2 tbsp oil (for cooking eggs)
Instructions
- Prepare Chicken: Dice the chicken thighs into 1/2 inch cubes and season lightly with salt. Keep separate.
- Mix Eggs: Beat 2 eggs with half the milk and salt for each serving separately, ensuring smooth consistency. Set aside both mixtures separately for each serving.
- Cook Chicken: Heat 2 tsp butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the chicken cubes and cook for about 3 minutes until fully cooked and lightly browned.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add finely chopped onion to the pan, cook until soft. Then add chopped green bell pepper and chicken bouillon powder, cooking for 1 more minute to meld flavors.
- Add Butter and Ketchup: Stir in 2 tsp butter and 4 tbsp ketchup, sauté the mixture for 1 minute until glossy, which helps balance flavors and remove raw ketchup taste.
- Stir in Rice: Add the warm cooked rice to the pan and mix thoroughly to coat the rice with the ketchup mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Shape the rice into an oval mound and set aside.
- Cook Eggs: Clean the pan. Heat 1/2 tbsp oil over medium heat, pour in one serving of beaten eggs, and gently stir quickly with chopsticks or spatula to create soft curds until the eggs are just softly set.
- Assemble Omurice: Place the shaped oval rice mound in the center of the soft-cooked egg while still in the pan. Carefully fold the egg over the rice, tilt the pan, and slide the omurice seam side down onto a plate to maintain shape.
- Shape and Rest: Cover the plated omurice with a paper towel while hot to help shape and soften the egg. This allows the egg to set with a perfect fluffy texture.
- Serve: Drizzle additional ketchup over the omurice as desired and serve immediately while hot for the best taste.
Notes
- Chicken can be substituted with sausages or bacon; reduce ketchup if saltiness is a concern.
- Frying the ketchup until glossy softens its acidity and enriches flavor balance in the rice.
- Chicken bouillon powder is optional but adds depth and umami to the dish.
- Covering the omurice with a paper towel after folding helps shape the egg while hot; once cooled, the egg firms up.
- To make servings individually perfect, prepare egg mixtures separately and handle one at a time.