Name: Japanese Egg Sandwich (Tamago Sando)
Prep time: 19 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 29 min
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 2 slices soft white bread; 2 large eggs; 1 tablespoon Japanese mayonnaise; 2 teaspoons water; 1/8 teaspoon sugar; salt and pepper, to taste; butter, softened

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The Japanese egg sandwich, also known as tamago sando, features a rich and creamy egg salad of exceptional flavour, sandwiched between fluffy and pillowy soft slices of milk bread. Easy, comforting, and delicious - it is one of the most popular sandwiches in Japan and very commonly found at bakeries, convenience stores (konbini / コンビニ), and grocery stores countrywide.

Japanese egg sandwich on a flower-painted plate.

Tamago sando (卵サンド) translates to 'egg sandwich'. They are the Japanese equivalent of egg salad sandwiches. However, because of the ingredients used the sandwich has become uniquely Japanese in style and flavour. Because it keeps well overnight, this sandwich is great for making ahead for a convenient packed meal or kids school lunch.

I love enjoying mine with a chilled glass of royal milk tea, a popular Japanese beverage. For another delicious Japanese egg dish, I absolutely love omurice featuring ketchup chicken fried rice nestled under a fluffy omelette blanket.

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Ingredients
Substitutions
What else can you make with Japanese mayonnaise?
Instructions
Storage
Tips for Success
📖 Recipe

Overhead shot of Japanese egg sandwich on a flower-painted plate.

Ingredients

Japanese milk bread - (Shokupan / 食パン) This soft, plush, white bread is a key component in these sandwiches. It is milky, airy, a touch sweet, and has a pillowy soft texture. Because it is baked in a covered, square pan you do not lose much bread when you trim the crusts, making it ideal for sandwiches. You can find this bread at most Asian grocery stores. Slices should be cut about ½" (1 ¼ cm) thick.
Eggs - Eggs in Japan are high quality with great flavour and rich, often orange-ish yolks. If you are making this recipe outside of Japan, try to get quality, free-range eggs from a farmers' market. They are the highlight of this sandwich. Eggs that have been stored in your fridge for 4-5 days will be easier to peel than very fresh eggs.
Japanese mayonnaise - Kewpie is the most recognized brand. Unlike American mayonnaise, which uses whole eggs, this mayonnaise uses only egg yolks to give it a delightful rich and custardy mouth feel. It also uses a beautiful blend of vinegars (such as rice, apple cider, or red wine) rather than just white vinegar. The flavour is tangy, creamy, and a touch sweet.
Butter - Butter not only adds tasty, buttery flavour to the sandwich; it serves as a protective layer and moisture barrier between the egg salad and the bread, keeping the bread from getting moist for longer.
Sugar - This adds a touch of sweetness, making the flavour similar to those found some convenience stores. You can omit the sugar if you prefer.
Salt & Pepper - For seasoning. Make sure to taste test and adjust as desired.
Water

See the recipe card below for quantities.

Japanese mayonnaise

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Substitutions

Japanese milk bread - Substitute with another kind of soft, white bread that is fluffy and not overly sweet.
Japanese mayonnaise - Unfortunately, Japanese mayonnaise cannot be substituted with other kinds of mayonnaise in this recipe. The resulting sandwich simply will not taste the same.

What else can you make with Japanese mayonnaise?

Since you will need it for this recipe you might as well make some more delicious Japanese recipes with it! Here are a few other things you can make with this tasty ingredients:

Sesame sauce
Crab salad
Omurice
Fall persimmon salad
It's also great to use as a sandwich spread or for dipping french fries. Think of anywhere you would use regular mayonnaise and Kewpie will make it taste even better.

Instructions

Place eggs in a medium-sized pot and cover with a few centimetres of cold water. When the water comes to a boil, turn off the heat. Cover the pot and let the eggs cook for 10 minutes.

Immediately transfer the cooked eggs to an ice bath for 14 minutes to stop the cooking process and cool them down.

Peel the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks. On a cutting board, chop up the egg whites.

A fork mashing egg yolks in a white bowl.

In a small mixing bowl, use a fork to mash the egg yolks.

Add the egg whites, Japanese mayonnaise, water, sugar, salt, and pepper in with the yolks. Mix together until everything is well blended.

Use softened butter to butter two slices of bread.

Egg mixture centred in a pile on a buttered slice of bread.

Pile the egg mixture into the centre of a slice of bread to help prevent it from spilling out the sides.

Place the other slice of bread on top. If you are making this sandwich ahead of time, you may wish to wrap it in plastic wrap and store in the fridge with the crusts on.

When you are ready to enjoy, simply cut the crusts off of the sandwich and slice it in half.

Note: Making your tamago sando at least a little bit ahead will give the flavours time to blend and become even more wonderful. I like to wrap them and let them sit for 20 minutes before cutting and enjoying.

Storage

Wrap this Japanese egg sandwich in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. How long it will keep depends on the kind of bread that you used.

Because it is so tender, if you used Japanese milk bread you can keep these sandwiches for up to 2 days. If you used another kind of bread you should enjoy it by the next day or the bread will begin to dry out.

Close up of Japanese egg sandwich on a flower-painted plate.

Tips for Success

Use butter - Spreading butter on the bread does more than just add flavour. The layer of butter helps prevent the bread from pulling moisture out of the egg mixture and becoming soggy.
Taste test - Make sure to taste the egg salad filling as you make it and add more seasoning if desired.
Extra creamy - If you want to make you Japanese egg sandwich even creamier than it already is, you can add a small splash of milk or cream to the egg salad.

📖 Recipe