This vegan omurice recipe is an egg-free twist on the classic Japanese dish of fried egg and fried rice. Thanks to mung beans, you get the same texture and flavor but keep things totally vegan and gluten-free!

What is Fluffy Omurice?

Omurice is a classic Japanese diner dish. It’s made of an omelette, or fried egg served on top of fried rice! The name “omurice” is a combination of “omelette” and “rice.” It is a comfort food dish that is often enjoyed for lunch or dinner.

Usually, it’s made with chicken fried rice that is typically seasoned with ketchup, giving it a slightly sweet and tangy flavor. The mixture is then wrapped in a thin layer of fluffy omelette, which is made by cooking beaten eggs in a pan and folding them around the rice. 

Then there’s always the iconic drizzle of ketchup or demi-glace sauce on top! Some variations of omurice may include additional toppings like cheese, green peas, or parsley. This is a well-known dish that has been popularized by anime.

What Makes This Recipe Great?

Nothing about this dish is very vegan-friendly. However, because I’ve been working on a Japanese omelette recipe, I HAD to make omurice. And I’m so glad I did! It’s delicious and so fun to join in the fluffy omurice craze with a tasty veganized version! 

For the fried rice base, I use all-veggie fried rice. There’s no ketchup because, personally, I’m not a huge fan of ketchup. Instead, I add lots of umami from mushrooms and veggies! If you love ketchup, feel free to add it to this recipe and on top for garnish! 

And for the egg, it’s all about my vegan omelette made with mung beans. It tastes and even looks like a real egg, but it’s totally plant-based. You are going to love this omurice recipe!

Ingredient Notes

In addition to the vegan omelet, here’s what you need to make this diner favourite omurice recipe:

• White rice. For the best-fried rice, use cooked, day-old short-grain rice.
• Shallot, scallions, and garlic for a nice flavor base.
• Carrots, snap peas, and shiitake mushrooms are my fried rice vegetables of choice. You can certainly use a different kind of mushroom if you like.
• Sesame oil for a nutty flavor.
• Soy sauce or tamari.
• Coconut sugar, or your preferred sweetener.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Begin by preparing your vegan egg mixture, cooking the omelette in a frying pan, and setting it aside.
2. In a wok or large pan over medium heat, heat neutral oil. Once hot, add carrots and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add shallot and green onion stems and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Finally, add garlic, snap peas, and shiitake mushrooms.
3. Break up the rice with your hands a little bit, then add it to the pan and gently break it down with a spatula. Add salt and cook for 1-2 minutes.
4. Whisk sesame oil, gluten-free soy sauce, and coconut sugar into the pan, and stir to distribute evenly. Taste and add additional seasoning as desired. Finish with black pepper and remove from heat.
5. To assemble your omurice, press your Japanese fried rice into a small bowl, so it’s nice and compact.
6. Lay an omelette on the plate, flip the small bowl onto the omelette, and lift to reveal a little dome-shaped rice mountain. Using your hands, gently press into more of a log shape, then roll your omelette. Flip so the seam side is face down on the plate.
7. Finish off the omurice recipe with a drizzle of ketchup, garnish with green onion tops, and enjoy.

Expert Tips

If you don’t have everything for this omurice recipe, no worries. It’s easy to make swaps, such as:

• Use a different mix of veggies for the fried rice. Try bell pepper, corn, green beans, or edamame.
• Swap the rice for a different cooked grain, such as quinoa.
• Sweeten with maple syrup or agave.
• Some people add chicken breast, bacon, or ham to this recipe. For extra protein, feel free to stir-fry some extra firm tofu to add to the dish. 

Serving Tips

Traditionally omurice is served by shaping the rice into a football shape and then wrapping the egg around it.

Other serving styles include a round dome-shaped rice mountain with the omelette simply laid on top. However, the vegan omelette is a little harder to work with. So I recommend rolling it together instead.

Tip: Make your omelette as thin as possible so it’s more flexible. 

Recipe FAQs

More Japanese Recipes

Nametake Recipe – Seasoned Japanese Mushrooms

Vegan Japanese Hot Pot – Nabemono 

Obachan’s Mushroom Kamameshi – Japanese Mixed Rice

If you make this recipe, be sure to let me know what you think with a comment below! Follow me on Instagram for more delicious recipes!