Miso scrambled eggs (Japanese-style)

Miso scrambled eggs are a delicious way to add umami to your breakfast routine. While this miso egg recipe is inspired by Japanese dishes like tamagoyaki and tamago sando, it’s much easier to make at home with just four ingredients.

Spoon the custardy eggs onto a bowl of steamed white rice or buttered sourdough toast. And enjoy it for breakfast, or bulk it up with stir-fried vegetables for dinner (or don’t).

To be honest, I often whip up a two-egg portion of miso eggs for an indulgent yet wholesome afternoon snack. It really is that good!

Why you’ll love miso eggs

It took my savoury brain a moment to get used to the idea of sugar in scrambled eggs, but I’m so glad it did. These custardy, flavourful eggs make me deliriously happy.

And I think you’ll love it too:

• It’s ridiculously easy: Each ingredient plays a role in achieving perfectly seasoned, soft and custardy eggs. But technique-wise, this recipe could not be easier. Use a nonstick pan over low heat, and you’ll get perfect results every time.
• It’s versatile: Enjoy the miso scrambled eggs for breakfast or dinner, spooned over steamed white rice or toasted bread. You can get creative and add toppings and side dishes to bulk up the meal.
• It’s seriously delicious: Yes, I know. I’m going on about this. But the nutty sesame oil, umami miso and touch of sweetness create a flavour profile greater than the sum of its humble parts.

What are miso scrambled eggs?

When we think of iconic Japanese egg dishes, tamagoyaki and tamago sando jump to mind immediately – at least for me.

Tamagoyaki is a sweet-yet-savoury Japanese rolled omelette with a light and airy texture, often served over sushi rice and dipped in soy sauce.

And tamago sando is a Japanese egg sandwich of hard-boiled egg laced with kewpie mayo stuck between two slices of soft Japanese milk bread.

Both are delightful and utterly irresistible to an egg lover like me.

So, where do miso scrambled eggs come in? 

This soft scrambled miso egg recipe is not an authentic Japanese recipe. But it’s slightly sweet – like a typical Japanese egg dish, but requires no complicated rolling technique. The miso paste delivers our favourite Japanese umami flavour profile in one simple ingredient, and you can have it on the table in under five minutes.

Convinced? Let’s start cooking Japanese-inspired scrambled eggs!

Ingredients and substitutes

These Japanese-style scrambled eggs have an ultra-creamy texture and gorgeous umami flavour. And you’ll only need a handful of simple ingredients to achieve this at home.

• Eggs: I typically use large pasture-reared eggs (sometimes extra-large). The quality of the eggs makes a difference in such a simple recipe. But, as always, use the eggs you prefer.
• Miso paste: White miso paste (shiro miso) is a mild and slightly sweet miso. You can find it in most grocery stores. But you can also use red miso paste for a more intensely savoury flavour. Or try a miso paste substitute if you’ve run out.
• Sugar: I use normal white sugar for a touch of sweetness. The result won’t be intensely sweet, but it adds that sweetness we associate with classic Japanese egg dishes. It also creates a beautiful glossy texture and helps to keep the eggs from curdling (due to acidic miso paste). I don’t recommend skipping it.
• Sesame oil: Toasted sesame oil has a strong nutty flavour, and a little goes a long way. Untoasted sesame oil makes a boring substitute flavour-wise. I recommend using butter as cooking fat if you don’t have toasted sesame oil.
• Shichimi togarashi: This Japanese blend of seven spices (Japanese 7-spice) includes chilli peppers, orange peel, seaweed, sesame seeds and more. If you don’t have (or like) shichimi togarashi, you can finish the dish with a generous grind of black pepper. 

Serve Japanese scrambled eggs on rice as part of a traditional breakfast. Or spoon it over toasted sourdough. See more serving suggestions and topping ideas for your miso eggs.

How to make miso scrambled eggs

This Japanese-style scrambled eggs recipe is umami flavour-packed and ready in minutes. It’s also super easy to make.

Step 1: Crack the eggs into a medium bowl. Add the white sugar and whisk until the eggs are smooth and no egg white streaks remain.

Step 2: Mix the miso paste and water in a separate small bowl. Add the miso water to the egg mixture and whisk until combined.

Tip: I use a teaspoon of white miso paste for every two large eggs mixed with an equal amount of cold water. It makes the miso egg recipe super easy to scale.

Step 3: Add the toasted sesame oil to a cold nonstick frying pan, then place it over low heat. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and stir using a silicone spatula to mix the oil and eggs.

Step 4: Let the eggs sit until the bottom begins to set and you see faint steam rising from the eggs – about two minutes. Then use the spatula to fold the almost-set eggs from the outer edge of the pan to the centre. Gently stir, or swirl the pan, to coat the cooked curds with uncooked egg and repeat. The cooking time will vary depending on your heat source, pan size, and recipe size – it takes me about four minutes from start to finish to scramble four eggs in a 10-inch nonstick skillet.

Serve the miso scrambled eggs immediately – sprinkled with a tiny pinch of Japanese 7-spice.

Serving suggestions

Miso scrambled eggs and rice are a great way to enjoy a quick version of a traditional Japanese breakfast.

But it’s also a wonderful weeknight dinner. And, when I’m after an indulgent yet wholesome afternoon snack, I make a two-egg scramble with miso and savour it in tiny bites.

To serve it on rice: Japanese scrambled eggs and rice make the perfect quick-and-easy breakfast, lunch or dinner (preferably white medium-, short-grain or sushi rice – see how to cook stovetop sushi rice or instant pot sushi rice). The savoury, umami flavour and creaminess of the soft scrambled eggs pair perfectly with a simple bowl of white rice.

Serve it with a drizzle of sweet and fruity okonomiyaki sauce (or simply soy sauce) and roasted seaweed. Or bulk up the meal with an easy side dish of stir-fried shiitake mushrooms, bok choy or spinach.