Japanese Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Omurice
An omelette made with fried rice, usually topped with ketchup.
Contains common allergens
In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.
Good to know
- Ready in under 30 minutes
Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: 30-minute meals
Instructions
6 steps- 1
Heat neutral oil in a skillet. Sauté the chopped onions until soft, then add the diced chicken and cook until no longer pink (about 4 minutes).
- 2
Add the cold day-old rice to the skillet, using a spatula to break up any clumps. Sauté until warmed through.
- 3
Stir in 2 tablespoons of ketchup and a pinch of salt, tossing the rice until every grain is evenly coated in a bright red hue. Remove the chicken rice from the pan and wipe the pan clean.
- 4
In a small bowl, whisk the eggs vigorously with a pinch of salt until perfectly smooth with no visible egg whites.
- 5
Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat. Pour in the eggs, stirring rapidly with chopsticks for 10 seconds to create small curds, then let it set into a thin, soft, bright yellow omelette (the top should remain slightly runny).
- 6
Spoon the hot chicken rice into the center of the omelette in an oval shape. Carefully fold both edges of the egg over the rice. Place a plate upside down over the skillet and quickly flip to invert the perfect oval omurice onto the plate. Top with a final squiggle of ketchup.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
74/100
Good fit for most families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving495
Calories
18 g
Protein
78 g
Carbs
11 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
Omurice, ketchup-seasoned fried rice wrapped in a soft omelette, is a beloved yoshoku invention from early-20th-century Tokyo diners. Cheerful and a little nostalgic, it is comfort food children and adults both ask for, finished with a signature squiggle of ketchup.
Listahan note
This version uses day-old rice for the right texture and keeps the omelette soft and barely set, so it drapes over the rice rather than turning to a firm pancake.
Technique cues
- Use cold, day-old rice; fresh rice steams and clumps, while day-old grains fry up separate and coat evenly in ketchup.
- Cook the omelette fast and pull it while the top is still slightly runny; carryover heat finishes it soft.
- Toss the rice until every grain is evenly red before adding salt, so the ketchup flavor is uniform.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Make the ketchup rice first and keep it warm, then cook each omelette to order.
- Make-ahead
- The ketchup rice can be made ahead and reheated; cook the omelette fresh for the soft texture.
- Leftover move
- Leftover ketchup rice is great on its own, or stuff it into a toasted sandwich.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Wipe the pan between the rice and the omelette so the egg stays clean and bright yellow.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
Day-old cooked rice
The filling base
Purpose: Dried-out grains fry separate and absorb the ketchup without going mushy.
Handling: Break up clumps with a spatula as it warms.
Adaptation: Fresh rice can work if spread out and cooled first.
Eggs
The wrapper
Purpose: A soft, smooth omelette is the signature drape over the rice.
Handling: Whisk smooth with no streaks and cook fast in butter.
Adaptation: There is no real substitute for the egg wrapper.
Chicken breast
Savory protein
Purpose: Small diced chicken adds substance to the fried rice.
Handling: Cook with the onion until no longer pink before the rice.
Adaptation: Ham, shrimp, or just vegetables all work.
Ketchup
The defining seasoning
Purpose: Ketchup gives both the rice its color and flavor and the omelette its finishing squiggle.
Handling: Toss most into the rice; reserve a little for the top.
Adaptation: A demi-glace or curry topping is a popular grown-up alternative to ketchup on top.
Butter
Richness for the egg
Purpose: Butter gives the omelette its tender texture and flavor.
Handling: Melt over medium heat just before the eggs go in.
Adaptation: A neutral oil works for a dairy-free omelette, with slightly less richness.
Technique notes
- Day-old rice is not a suggestion; fresh rice makes a gummy, clumpy filling.
- Pull the omelette while the surface is still glossy and slightly runny; it sets as you fold and flip it.
- Invert the omelette onto the plate with a quick flip of a covering plate for the classic neat oval.
Ingredient swaps
- Dairy-free option
- Cook the omelette in neutral oil instead of butter.
- Vegetarian direction
- Skip the chicken and load the rice with peas, corn, carrot, and onion.
- Grown-up topping
- Top with a spoon of demi-glace or Japanese curry instead of ketchup for a richer version.
Serve alongside
- Simple green salad
- Consomme or clear soup
- Quick pickles
- Corn soup
- Iced tea
- Barley tea
- Sparkling water
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Best eaten fresh; the soft omelette does not hold well.
- Refrigerate leftover ketchup rice up to 3 days and make a fresh omelette when reheating.
- Do not freeze the assembled dish; freeze plain ketchup rice up to 1 month instead.
Equipment
- Nonstick skillet
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Plate for inverting the omelette
Make this household-aware
Listahan Pro checks this recipe against your household's allergens, finds pantry-aware swaps, builds the shopping list, and helps you plan the week around it.
Plan it in Listahan
Add Omurice to your week, check it against your household's allergens, and build the shopping list automatically.
More Japanese recipes
Japanese Lens Verified Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Agedashi Tofu
Lightly fried tofu dusted in potato starch and served in a warm dashi-soy-mirin broth, topped with grated daikon and bonito flakes, a classic Japanese izakaya starter.
Japanese Lens Verified Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Katsu Curry
A Japanese recipe: Katsu Curry.
Japanese Lens Verified Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Chicken Teriyaki
Enjoy tender, juicy chicken glazed in a deeply flavorful, glossy sweet soy sauce, perfectly caramelized to sticky perfection.