I'm Biggie: avid cook, speedy lunch packer, mom in San Francisco, & former expat fluent in Japanese. 
Microwaved thin egg sheets (usuyaki tamago)
Japanese recipes sometimes call for thin sheets of egg omelette (usuyaki tamago) as a garnish (think hiyashi chuka cold noodles, chirashi zushi scattered sushi, or little shapes cut out of the egg with cutters), or as a decorative wrapper for fried rice or little rice ball purses. Think of them as a low-carb alternative to flour-based wraps or nori, for those who don’t like the flavor of seaweed. I’ve made these egg sheets in frying pans before, but it takes practice and technique to turn out an attractive result. Unless I’m using a slick, perfectly non-stick pan just for eggs, my efforts are doomed to failure and I’m left looking at an ugly pile of egg scraps. Very frustrating. When I was browsing speed bento cookbooks in a Japanese-language bookstore recently, though, my friend Mami-chan volunteered that she whips up thin egg sheets on a plate in the microwave all the time for her son’s bento lunches. I was intrigued. Was there an easier, faster way to make thin egg sheets using the microwave oven?
I did some research into Japanese-language recipes and techniques, and found that there are some tricks to producing a good microwave version of this classic. Plate selection is crucial, and seasoning is key to making something tastier than just thin scrambled eggs. (Read on for the full recipe, tutorial, freezing instructions, and a review of microwave-safe plastic wraps.)
TIP: You can make these in advance and freeze them for a speedy shortcut on time-pressed mornings (freezing directions follow the recipe).
Microwaved thin egg sheets (usuyaki tamago)
- Makes two to three egg sheets, depending on the size of the plate
- If you’re interested in making the traditional version in a frying pan, there’s a good tutorial here at Just Hungry. Beware of expensive non-stick pans with textured surfaces, though — they don’t release as well as a cheap, slick pan reserved just for eggs. Save your All Clad for something else.
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp sugar
- dash of salt
- 1 Tb water or dashi bonito stock for added flavor (feel free to use instant hon dashi granules dissolved in water, or even chicken or vegetable stock)
- 1 tsp cornstarch, potato starch (katakuriko), tapioca starch or arrowroot starch (optional, but produces a sturdier egg sheet that is well suited to wrapping rice or other foods without tearing)
- 1 tsp vegetable oil (optional)
If you’re using cornstarch, dissolve it in the water or stock to form a slurry. Beat in the egg, sugar, salt and vegetable oil. To avoid white specks in the final product, pass the egg mixture through a sieve. I don’t bother, as you’ll see below.
Choose a perfectly flat microwave-safe plate, preferably with a rim to contain the egg. At this point, you can choose to either line the plate with plastic wrap or not. I found the egg was slightly easier to release and work with when it was cooked on plastic wrap, but if you have concerns about microwaving plastic wrap or cooking on it, skip ahead to the directions for cooking directly on the plate.
Ziploc and Saran say that all of their products are completely free of dioxins that could leach into food. From their FAQ: “You also should be aware that dioxins can be formed only when chlorine is combined with extremely high temperatures, such as 1,500°F, which even the most powerful consumer microwave ovens are unable to produce. Our Saran and Ziploc products can be used with confidence when label directions are followed. All Saran Wraps, Ziploc Containers and microwaveable Ziploc Brand bags meet the safety requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for temperatures associated with defrosting and reheating food in microwave ovens, as well as room, refrigerator, and freezer temperatures.” Cooking for Engineers also has an interesting article on microwave-safe containers and wraps.
GEAR: This seemed like the perfect opportunity to try out some Japanese plastic wrap made especially to withstand high heat (up to 150 deg. C, or 302 deg. F) and low temperatures (to -60 deg. C, or -75 deg. F). Daiso Japanese discount store (branches internationally) and Ichiban Kan (Japanese-style discount store in the SF Bay Area) both stock these for about US$1.50. These thicker specialty wraps are touted by the manufacturer as being safe for the microwave without leaching dioxins or other chemicals into the food (shown in the photo in the red box on the top and the yellow box on the very bottom, click on the photo for a larger annotated view). The wrap in the red box from Ichiban Kan is comprised of five layers: two polyethylene, two polypropylene, and one fatty acid ester in the middle for high temperatures. The wrap in the yellow box from Daiso is comprised of three layers: one polypropylene sandwiched between two layers of polyethylene. Also pictured is antibacterial vinyl chloride plastic wrap for maximum food safety (second from the top, from Daiso) and an additive-free polyethylene plastic wrap (third from the top, from Ichiban Kan) advertised as not leaching dioxins into food. All of these plastic wraps come with warnings to leave some space between the wrap and food when microwaving items high in fat or oil, as plastic has a high affinity for fat.
* * *
With Plastic Wrap:
Line the plate smoothly with a sheet of plastic wrap, and pour half of the egg mixture onto the plate (right on top of the plastic wrap).
Cook at your microwave oven’s equivalent of 500W to 600W for approximately one minute, or until the egg in the center of the plate is cooked through. My microwave oven is a 1200W model, so I reduced the power level to 50% to compensate. You may need to experiment with power levels and cooking times. If the center is still runny when you pull it out, return the plate to the microwave and cook it a little longer until the egg sets. Try not to overcook as this leads to rubbery eggs.
Once the egg has cooked, you should be able to slowly peel it from the plastic wrap. If you’re using the egg sheet as a wrapper, you may find it easier to keep the egg on the plastic wrap while moving it and shaping in order to avoid tears. If you’re going to julienne the egg to use in another dish, roll it into a cigar shape or fold into thirds, and cut into even strips.
* * *
Without Plastic Wrap:
Spray a clean, flat plate with vegetable oil cooking spray, or wipe the plate with a lightly oiled paper towel.
Pour half of the egg mixture onto the oiled plate and cook in the microwave according to the directions above.
This was a somewhat successful attempt, but you can see in the center where the egg had not set when I removed it, so I put it back in the microwave for another 20 seconds to finish cooking.
Depending on the plate you choose, you may see some curling around the edges where the egg meets the plate rim. The blue plate had a more pronounced angle to the rim, so it wasn’t the best plate for this (see the resulting curling below). The un-oiled plastic wrap seems to help the egg stay in place without curling.
Storage:
You can wrap and freeze the egg wrappers for a quick prep shortcut (use within a month for optimum quality), or refrigerate for a couple of days. To store a whole wrapper, you can either wrap it flat and stack, or roll it up on the plastic wrap as below. To store julienned egg strips, wrap small servings tightly in food wrap.
If freezing, place the wrapped egg into a plastic freezer container or freezer bag to avoid freezer burn. To use, let it defrost naturally in the refrigerator. Defrosting in the microwave risks overcooking and turning the egg rubbery — exercise caution if you decide to go this route. (NOTE: Hard-boiled eggs don’t do well in the freezer as they turn spongey, but you can wrap and freeze slices of tamagoyaki or frittata for more lunchtime shortcuts.)
FURTHER READING:
- Japanese rolled omelette (a.k.a. tamagoyaki or dashimaki tamago) (TUTORIAL)
- Shortcut tamagoyaki (Japanese omelette) (TUTORIAL)
- Shaped eggs using common ice cream sandwich molds (TUTORIAL)
- Fried quail eggs in a ladle (TUTORIAL)
- Pasta frittata using leftover pasta (TUTORIAL)
- Scrambled egg purses
- Stovetop mini frittata (RECIPE)
- Biggie’s list of top speed tips, tutorials and equipment reviews
March 19th, 2008 | Categories: eggs, freezing, glutenfree, lactose free, recipe, tips, tutorial or how to | 
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March 19th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
My god you are the smartest bento maker on the planet! I will so have to try this, I have the perfect plate in mind!
March 19th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Very awesome. Will need to get some better plates for this, however. Hehe!
March 19th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
I know what you mean about the overcooked eggs, I once tried making an omelet in the microwave. It ended in tears. ;_;
Still, I didn’t know you could freeze eggs. I’ll have to try that, since making tamagoyaki layers can be a pain.
March 19th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Thank you so much for this. I have tried this recipe in the pan a few times before and it only ended in failure and frustration. I am looking forward to trying this out.
March 19th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Love it! Thanks for this info! :0)
March 19th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Yay!! This is great, I can’t wait to try it! Thank you.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
I have never thought of this! When I make kimbap, I like to put egg in it and I hate having to make all these little thin egg omelets…I even have a square plate that would work perfectly!
DUH!!
March 19th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Wow, what a neat idea! I could see making a lot of interesting dishes from this, not just bento lunches.
March 20th, 2008 at 3:43 am
Thanks again - I was wondering how hard-boiled eggs would do in the freezer (easter eggs come to mind…). How do they do when you leave them inside the peel?
I just love the egg sheet idea, will definitely link back when I use it for the first time!
March 20th, 2008 at 4:29 am
I wonder if this could be used as a shortcut for omurice. I definitely want to try this out!
Thanks for the tutorial!
March 20th, 2008 at 5:49 am
@1 from Deanna: Ha ha, you’re too kind! I found it interesting to see how the egg behaved on different plates, with and without plastic wrap.
March 20th, 2008 at 5:51 am
@2 from Yvo: Oh darn, a reason to go shopping for kitchen stuff? Please hang in there and suffer stoically for your eggs, Yvo!
March 20th, 2008 at 5:55 am
@3 from Elli: The internet cafe near my son’s school where I hang out some days has a bad habit of making their breakfast egg sandwiches in the microwave. I don’t even have to ask how they made them — you can tell, because they’re overcooked and rubbery. It’s too bad, because I get hungry when I’m there and the food isn’t that good…
March 20th, 2008 at 5:59 am
@4 from Erica: Yeah, I’ve had the same experience with making these in a pan. My good frying pans mangle them as they’re not slick enough, but my cheapo egg pan does okay. I think I’m usually just too lazy to make them on the stovetop, though — microwave is a better match for me in the mornings.
March 20th, 2008 at 6:00 am
@5 from Mer: My pleasure, Mer!
March 20th, 2008 at 6:02 am
@6 from snappiness: I hope you get good results, snappiness! Fiddle with the cooking time and power level if it doesn’t turn out right the first time. It was worth it for me.
March 20th, 2008 at 6:04 am
@7 from Kim: Kimbap, of course! I knew there were other dishes where this would come in handy, thanks!
March 20th, 2008 at 6:06 am
@8 from Kitt: I could see this being a good low-carb alternative to flour wraps or tortillas, or even to nori in temaki sushi or rolled sushi for people who don’t like the taste of nori.
March 20th, 2008 at 6:07 am
@9 from jokergirl: Hard-boiled eggs don’t do well in the freezer, in the shell or out. They get spongey and unappetizing, so I’d skip it altogether in favor of usuyaki.
March 20th, 2008 at 6:09 am
@10 from Sile: It can absolutely be used as a shortcut for omuraisu, Sile! Check out the photo of the wrapped kimchi fried rice next to the ingredients, above.
March 20th, 2008 at 8:22 am
[...] for thin egg sheets (or usuyaki tamago) for speedy bentos check out one of my favorite bento blogs: Lunch In A Box for a microwave tip! [...]
March 20th, 2008 at 9:18 am
whenever I made mcmuffin type sandwiches I always microwaved my eggs in a coffee cup, but I had never thought of using a plate to make egg wraps. Thank you for the great idea.
March 20th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
[...] a tutorial by Biggie to give me a quick omelette, also known as a thin egg sheet, and packed some ketchup to go with it. Some crackers, and cream [...]
March 20th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
@22 from reece: My husband is big on microwaving eggs in ramekins to eat on English muffins or bagels in the morning, but somehow I haven’t gotten into the habit. I really like these microwave egg wraps, though — this morning I used one to make mini sushi (wrapped, sliced onigiri?) for Bug, and he was a big fan. Says he wants it for breakfast and as a snack, too (a kid can dream, right?).
March 20th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Way helpful Biggie!! Thank you! I’ve been having a heck of time with these in my regular pans and just gave up…time for another go I think.
March 20th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Great post, Biggie. I’m going to link this when I get my bento posting going. It’s a really good explanation!!!
March 22nd, 2008 at 8:21 am
@25 from Karmatir: Hope it works for you, Karmatir!
March 22nd, 2008 at 8:23 am
@26 from Namahottie: Thanks for the kind comment, Namahottie (and nice name, BTW!).
March 22nd, 2008 at 8:35 am
Just tried these for the heck of it and they do turn out quite easy. I used a corelle pasta bowl, and it was perfect. Nice and even throughout. DS is eating a chunk of cheese wrapped up in one as I type.
March 22nd, 2008 at 8:40 am
@29 from Brook: Woo hoo! Success!
March 22nd, 2008 at 9:15 pm
Thank you so much for the information about these egg wrap techniques! I use plastic wrap on my onigiri because I dislike nori, but this is a nice alternative! Maybe even a ketchup filled onigiri would be yummy with egg–might have to do that in my bento tomorrow. ^__^
March 23rd, 2008 at 8:06 am
@31 from dejikowaffo: My pleasure! Ketchup onigiri wrapped with egg sounds yummy — I look forward to the photos!
March 23rd, 2008 at 11:26 am
yey! ill try if not rubbery!
can’t wait to use some banana catsup!
March 24th, 2008 at 3:46 am
Great ideas! May I know how long can we keep this in the freezer?
March 24th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Very clear and concise instructions. I’ll be putting this info to good use, that’s for sure. Thanks for that Biggie!
March 25th, 2008 at 2:02 am
@33 from aJ: Ooh, I’d forgotten about banana catsup! Must pick up a bottle, thanks for reminding me.
March 25th, 2008 at 2:04 am
@34 from LZMommy: Use frozen wrappers within a month for optimum quality, and be sure to double-wrap them to prevent freezer burn.
March 25th, 2008 at 2:05 am
@35 from Ric: Thanks, Ric! Hope it works out for you.
March 25th, 2008 at 8:05 am
Thanks for the reply, appreciate it
March 25th, 2008 at 10:35 am
@39 from LZmommy: No problem! I would have liked to reply sooner, but yesterday was a bit crazy. I got something in my right eye and had a bad allergic reaction — had to go to the ophthalmologist and get many drugs. Blinking was painful and reading was difficult. But it’s much better now with the right medicine!
March 25th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Glad to hear that you are feeling better
March 27th, 2008 at 8:30 am
The problem with microwaving plastic is not just in dioxins. Soft plastics also contain phthalates, a group of plasticizing chemicals that cause birth defects and reproductive harm. I wrote a bog ol’ post about it on my blog here:
http://mistressmae.blogspot.com/2008/02/so-whats-phthalate.html
March 27th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
@42 from Brande: Thanks for the very informative links on phthalates, Brande! I guess making the egg sheets directly on plates is the better alternative, then.
March 31st, 2008 at 7:37 pm
I love your quick tips and how well you document everything! I have a daughter that doesn’t like the yolk of eggs though. Do you think just using the whites would work okay?
April 1st, 2008 at 9:58 pm
@44 from Candy: Egg whites should be fine, but I haven’t personally tested it out. Let us know how it works for you!
May 5th, 2008 at 5:13 am
[...] Microwaved thin egg sheets (usuyaki tamago) [...]
May 16th, 2008 at 4:15 am
That’s a good one! And it can be low calorie!
June 2nd, 2008 at 4:47 am
Thanks for the How-To. My attempts to make egg sheets using the cooktop have been messy - and unsuccessful.
This method worked great. The tips about adjusting the time/cooking level based on microwave power are spot on. After some practice, I used a deep glass dish. (none of my plates were good candidates.)
Worked like a charm. Thanks!
August 13th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
Ingenious!
I must try it out.
But, do you know what the approximate diameter of your plate was?
August 14th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
@49 from Joyc: The plate that worked was 10.75″ (27.5cm) across with the rim, with the flat inner portion 7.5″ (19cm) in diameter.
August 14th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
I have had my best success with a glass pie plate.
August 16th, 2008 at 11:05 am
@51 from linney: A glass pie plate sounds like a great option — flat, rimmed and microwave-safe. Good idea!
August 17th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
I think my microwave was too high because my egg puffed up immensely! It’s okay though because I was just trying it out as a snack. (I was going to wrap it around some thin sliced ham instead of using my low-carb wraps!) I’m pretty sure if I play around with the settings this will become a staple of my diet!! =)
August 18th, 2008 at 12:59 am
@53 from Ilsa: Yes, definitely play around with the microwave power settings and plate size. Low and slow will give you a nicer result.
August 19th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
It worked today!! I had to use a larger plate and some cooking spray instead of the plastic wrap, but it was perfect!!
December 19th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
[...] carrot kinpira, mini-burgers, salted salmon, rice with pickled plum inside, cherry tomatoes, egg, container of tonkatsu [...]
December 24th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
[...] Quick thin egg sheets (I saw one bento where someone used this to make a picachu (character from Pokemon) unbelievably cute!) [...]
September 1st, 2009 at 8:06 pm
[...] Here are some blogs with egg sheet tutorials: Microwaved thin egg sheets (usuyaki tamago) Japanese basics: thin omelette (usuyaki tamago) How to make an egg sheet var linkwithin_site_id = [...]
November 18th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
OMG!!!! IT WORKS!!! I tried yesterday!!! this is how they do in Japan?
January 25th, 2010 at 4:06 pm
[...] make the thin egg sheets I started from this recipe here. You should go read that and then come back here and I’ll point out the differences. For [...]
January 6th, 2012 at 11:26 am
I tried this and the eggs turned out great! The shape of it didn’t though. For some reason my eggs move away from the center creating a big hole. I’ve tried on a couple different types of plates and it just won’t work. Maybe it’s my mircowave? It’s a shame because I was looking forward to having egg wraps for my lunches.
February 1st, 2012 at 2:33 pm
[...] make flat eggs from a recipe i found on lunchinabox.net . I failed. I’m sure the recipe is perfect, but i have a less than talented microwave. What i [...]