Omurice is a unique Japanese dish of fried rice in an omelet topped with ketchup.

The omurice origin story varies. One version says it was first served in a Western-style restaurant in Tokyo called Renga-Tei. Another says omurice started in an Osaka shop named Hokkyokusei and was served as a special meal for customers who regularly ate only omelets and white rice.

The dish has always consisted of ketchup and rice in an omelet, no matter where it was born.

Omurice gained popularity across Japan starting around 1930, has become a very popular menu item for diners of all ages, and has even prompted the opening of omurice specialty shops.

There are other creative ways to make omurice, like using white sauce or demiglace sauce instead of ketchup, but here we’ll introduce a basic omelet-on-ketchup-rice recipe.

Ingredients for omurice (*serves two)
・120g chicken breast
・1/4 onion
・Around 300g of rice (pre-cooked)
・4 eggs
・1 tablespoon milk
・20g butter
・1 tablespoon of white wine
・Some vegetable oil
・Salt and pepper
・4 tablespoons of ketchup
・Some ketchup (for topping)

How to make omurice

1. Cut the chicken breast into 1.5 cm squares and season with salt and pepper. Finely chop the onions.

2. Crack the eggs into a bowl, add 7.5cc of milk (1/2 tablespoon), salt, and pepper, then mix.

3. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the chicken breast. When the color of the meat changes, add the onions, and when they are tender, add white wine and continue frying.

4. When the white wine has evaporated, add salt and pepper and four tablespoons of ketchup, and fry for about 1 minute until the color of the ketchup turns deep orange. Add rice and stir-fry while breaking up the rice, then turn off the heat and pour the mixture on a plate.

5. Next, make the omelets. Heat 10g of butter in a frying pan over medium heat, turning the frying pan to spread the butter to the edges, and pour in half of the egg mixture.

Mix quickly and heat until half-cooked.

6. When the egg is half-cooked, remove it from the heat and slide it on top of the chicken and rice. Top with ketchup to your liking, and it’s done! Repeat for the second serving.

If you prepare the omelet with the consistency of scrambled eggs, you’ll be rewarded with beautiful omurice. Rather than wrapping the rice in the omelet, it’s easier to simply cover it, so even beginners can make this delicious dish!

Chef profile
Toshihiro Minami is the manager of the “Osaka Delicious” cooking studio. While working in another profession, he attended a school for working adults and changed careers, becoming a cooking class instructor. While serving as an instructor at Osaka Delicious, he has also developed recipes, assisted in cooking, and made TV appearances. In addition to Japanese food, he also teaches students how to cook a wide range of foods including Western and Chinese cuisine. See http://osakadelicious.jp/ for more!

English translation by Gabriel Wilkinson

Text by: Efeel

The information in this article is current as of October 2021.