Japanese Ketchup Fried Rice Omelette (Omurice)

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A Japanese diner classic built for kids: buttery ketchup fried rice with tender chicken and sweet peas and carrots, wrapped in a soft, just-set omelette. Nothing spicy, nothing chewy, and everything tastes familiar — plus there's an extra squiggle of ketchup on top. It comes together in one skillet with pantry staples and leftover rice.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp butter, divided
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 350 g boneless chicken thighs or breast, cut into 1 cm pieces
• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
• 5 tbsp tomato ketchup, plus more for serving
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 4 cups cooked short-grain rice, cold (day-old is best)
• 1/2 tsp salt

• 6 large eggs
• 3 tbsp milk

Instructions

1. Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the milk and a pinch of the salt, and beat with a fork until completely smooth and uniform in colour. Set aside. Break up any clumps in the cold rice with your fingers so it will stir-fry evenly.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes until softened but not browned. Add the chicken and the remaining salt and cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring, until the pieces are white all the way through.
3. Stir in the frozen peas and carrots and cook 2 minutes until hot. Push everything to one side, add the ketchup and soy sauce to the empty side of the pan, and let the ketchup sizzle for 1 minute (this cooks off its raw tang), then stir it through the chicken.
4. Add the rice and 1 tablespoon of the butter. Stir and press with the back of your spoon for 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat until every grain is orange and the rice is steaming hot. Scoop onto a plate in 4 equal mounds and set aside. Wipe the skillet clean.
5. Melt 1 teaspoon of the remaining butter in the skillet over medium-low heat. Pour in one quarter of the egg mixture (about 1/2 cup), swirl to cover the base, and cook 1 to 2 minutes until the bottom is set and the top is just barely moist. Slide one mound of rice onto one half of the omelette, fold the bare half over it, then tip it out onto a plate seam-side down.
6. Repeat with the remaining butter, egg and rice to make 4 omelettes. Squeeze a zigzag of ketchup over each and serve right away while the eggs are soft.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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