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Omurice (Japanese Omelette Rice)

Name: Omurice (Japanese Omelette Rice)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 1/2 cup (70g) boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 cm pieces; 1/4 onion, diced small; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 2 cups (350g) cooked Japanese short grain rice; 3 1/2 tablespoons Japanese ketchup*; 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/8 teaspoon black pepper; 1 tablespoon (14g) butter; 4 eggs; 1/4 cup (60ml) milk; 2 teaspoons Japanese mayonnaise; 1 tablespoon (14g) butter

Feb 19, 2023 by Asha · This post may contain affiliate links · 50 Comments

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Omurice (オムライス) is an incredibly popular dish in Japan that features chicken fried rice flavoured with sweet and tangy Japanese ketchup and blanketed with a soft and fluffy omelette. The flavours are deliciously comforting and it's quick and easy to make - it only takes 20 minutes! Serve it with a side salad for a flavourful and satisfying meal.

A plate of omurice decorated with a swirl of ketchup.

Despite the presence of an omelette, omurice considered a lunch or dinnertime meal. It is popular with all ages. It is tasty and easy to make with simple, nutritious ingredients, and children love the flavour of the tomato ketchup. This famous dish is often cooked at home and it can also be found at Western-style restaurants.

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Ingredients
Substitutions
Variations
Instructions
Equipment
Storage
Tips for success
FAQ
📖 Recipe

An omurice with a piece of the omelette removed, revealing the ketchup chicken fried rice inside.

Pronounced 'omuraisu,' omu and raisu are derivatives of the Japanese pronunciation of the the French word omelette and the English word rice. Japanese omelette rice is a type of yōshoku (洋食), a sub-genre of Japanese cuisine that is influenced by food from the West. Yōshoku translates to 'Western-style food,' however, these dishes do not typically exist outside of Japan. The Western equivalent of this would be California rolls.

You should also try this creamy tomato chicken for another delicious example of a yōshoku dish. Or, try a tamago sando for another great Japanese food featuring eggs.

Ingredients

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts - Chicken breasts are better suited to omurice than chicken thighs. Just be careful to not overcook the pieces so that they don't turn out dry.
Cooked Japanese short grain rice - Preferably cooked the day before and stored, covered, in the refrigerator overnight. This technique is popular with rice for use in stir fries as it dries out the grains just enough to help them not stick together while stir frying.
Onion - For aromatics and flavour.
Vegetable oil - Or your favourite neutral oil.
Japanese ketchup - Japanese ketchup is much less sweet than the Western version. In fact, the flavour difference is significant enough that it cannot be used as a substitute. The most popular brand is Kagome.
Japanese mayonnaise - This is made from egg yolk rather than whole egg like the Western version, giving it a richer flavour, more golden colour, and a custard-like texture. It also uses higher quality vinegars than the western kind - apple cider or rice vinegar rather than distilled. The most popular brand is Kewpie.
Chicken bouillon powder
Sugar
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Butter
Eggs - Using eggs with a vibrant yellow yolk will give the omelette an extra lovely colour.
Milk

See the recipe card below for quantities.

Substitutions

Japanese mayonnaise - Normally I wouldn't recommend substituting this with Western-style mayonnaise as they are fairly different. However, because you use such a small amount and it is not a dominant flavour, it is fine in this omurice recipe.

Variations

Protein - Although chicken breast is traditionally used in Japanese omelette rice, you can replace it with your protein of choice. Other options include beef, shrimp, bacon, ham, spam, fried hot dogs, and tofu.
Vegetarian - To make a vegetarian omurice, replace the chicken bouillon with vegetable bouillon. And substitute the chicken with an equal amount of tofu or vegetables, such a mushrooms or bell peppers.
Different style of omelette - Traditionally, omurice consisted of a very thin omelette wrapped around the rice. These days the more popular versions are the luscious scrambled egg version (this one) or another style where the omelette is left runny inside and cut to spill over the rice. There is also the Korean street food version called 'tornado omurice,' where the omelette is given a whirlwind shape using chopsticks in the pan.
Add cheese - Mix some shredded cheese into the eggs before cooking the omelette.
Add vegetables - While adding more vegetables really isn't necessary for omurice, it can be a great way to use up pantry items or get extra vitamins into children. Some popular options are mushrooms, peas, carrots, zucchini, bell peppers, broccoli, green onion, edamame, or cabbage.
Different fried rice or sauce - Although ketchup-flavoured rice is the standard to use in Japanese omelette rice, you can use any kind of fried rice. Other versions include:
- Japanese curry (omukarei/オムカレー)
- Hayashi rice (omuhayashi/オムハヤシ)
- Meat sauce (omumeato/オムミート)
- Taco rice (omutako/オムタコ) - found in the Okinawa region
- White sauce
- Korean-style with demi-glace sauce
Noodles - The rice in omurice can be replaced with noodles, like in these versions with:
- Spaghetti (omusupa/オムスパ)
- Yakisoba (omusoba/オムソバ)

Instructions

Ketchup chicken rice

Prep by cutting the onion into a small dice and the chicken into small pieces about one centimetre.

Heat vegetable oil in a skillet on medium heat then sauté the chicken and onion together until the outside of the chicken whitens and the onion begins to turn translucent.

Chicken and onions cooking in a skillet.

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in the ketchup and chicken bouillon powder, followed by sugar, salt, and pepper, ensuing that they are well mixed in.

A skillet with chicken in a ketchup sauce.

As soon as the chicken has cooked through, melt the butter in the pan.

Butter melting into a skillet of chicken in ketchup sauce.

Add your cooked rice and mix, making sure to coat every grain of rice with sauce. Sauté until the rice gets a slightly glossy sheen, then remove it from the heat.

Ketchup chicken fried rice in a skillet.

Split the ketchup chicken rice evenly and pack it down into two small bowls. Place your serving plate upside down on top of the bowl.

A small bowl of ketchup chicken fried rice beside a serving plate.

Flip them both over together. When you remove the bowl, you will have a perfect dome of rice. But leave the bowl on top until the omelettes are ready to keep the rice warm.

Ketchup chicken fried rice formed into a dome on a plate.

Omelette

Note: You will be making each of the two omelettes separately, so these are the instructions for one omelette.

Crack two eggs into a small bowl and whisk them very well. Add 2 tablespoons of milk and 1 teaspoon of Japanese mayonnaise then mix well. Don't worry about little lumps of mayonnaise remaining. These will melt when the omelette is cooking.

A fork stirring eggs, milk, and mayonnaise in a bowl.

Note: You will want to use a small, non-stick frying pan. Preferably one with a bottom that is small enough to make the omelette just big enough to fully cover your ketchup chicken rice.

Heat the pan over high heat until it is very hot. Add a half tablespoon of butter and rotate the pan to coat it.

Immediately reduce the heat to low and pour in the egg mixture. Allow it to sit untouched for 5 seconds. Then you are going to use chopsticks to stir like crazy from the outside of the pan inwards, as much as you possibly can for just 10 seconds. The more you stir, the fluffier your omelette will be.

Let it set without touching it for another 10 seconds before removing the pan from the heat.

Use chopsticks to loosen the edges of the omelette from the pan. You're going to drape the omelette on top of your plated chicken rice, with the side that was touching the pan facing upwards.

An omelette blanketed over ketchup chicken fried rice.

Wipe the pan clean, then repeat the omelette making process for the other serving.

Finally, decorate your omurice with ketchup. Japanese ketchup comes in a squeeze bottle with a small tip that makes this easy. In fact, it's very popular to decorate Japanese omelette rice with cute messages or drawings.

A close up of Japanese omurice on a plate.

Equipment

To make omurice, you will need some small mixing bowls, chopsticks, a skillet, and a small, non-stick frying pan. Preferably one with a bottom that is small enough to make the omelette just big enough to fully cover your ketchup chicken rice.

Storage

Store leftover omurice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Tips for success

Be careful to not overcook the chicken. You want the pieces to be tender and not tough.
Leave the bowl-molds on top of the rice until you are ready to plate the omelettes. This will keep the fried rice warm.

A fork lifting a bite of ketchup chicken fried rice from an omurice.

FAQ

What is the origin of Omurice?

Japan was introduced to Western-style foods, such as omelettes, during the last quarter of the 19th century. Omurice is said to have originated at Renga-tei, a restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo around the turn of the 20th century. This was the first Western-style restaurant in Japan, opening in 1895. It is still open today.

Is omurice Japanese or Korean?

Omurice was created in Japan and later introduced to Korea during the Japanese occupation of Korea (1910-1945). It has since become a staple in Korea with some of their own variations, such as 'tornado omurice.'

How do you pronounce omurice?

O-mu-rai-su is pronounced 'o' as in 'over', 'mu' as in 'moot', 'rai' as in 'rye' but start the 'r' sound with the tip of your tongue touching roof of your mouth (this is not a native sound in English), and 'su' as in 'suit'.

What does omurice taste like?

Omurice (Japanese omelette rice) is made of chicken fried rice seasoned with sweet and tangy Japanese ketchup, which perfectly contrasts the pillowy blanket of scrambled egg omelette that rests on top. The primary flavours are ketchup, chicken, and egg.

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