A pillowy soft sandwich with a rich, creamy, flavor-packed egg salad filling, this Japanese Egg Salad Sandwich is a classic that’s very popular in Japan. Very filling, yet very simple to make.
This Japanese egg sandwich, traditionally made with shokupan (Japanese milk bread), is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or lunch, and as a quick on-the-go meal!
What is tamago sando (Japanese egg sandwich)?
If there’s beauty in simplicity, then this egg salad sandwich is a beautiful thing. This Japanese egg sandwich has been making the rounds in the US, and when I came across this sandwich at Konbi in Los Angeles, I knew I had to make it at home.
Tamago sando essentially translates to egg sandwich. This shrimp katsu sando (ebi katsu) for example is another classic sandwich recipe.
This is a simple mayo egg sandwich that’s very common and popular in Japan, where they sell it at convenience stores like 7-Eleven. Since my husband and I love eggs for breakfast (sausage frittata, quiche lorraine, scrambled eggs, bacon and egg pie, breakfast egg muffins etc. are just a few of our favorites!) and egg salad, this is right up our alley!
I combine flavors from a classic Japanese egg sandwich and the Konbi egg salad sandwich here to make my own version of a homey, flavor-packed egg salad sandwich. Call it an upgraded mayo egg sandwich, if you will.
All you need to make this Japanese egg sandwich is,
- Hard-boiled egg
- Kewpie mayonnaise (Japanese mayonnaise) or regular American mayonnaise
- Scallions
- Salt and pepper
The Konbi egg salad sandwich adds a little mustard and a special “potato salad dressing” to their egg salad, which I left out in this recipe.
But I do love the flavor of mustard, so I incorporated that into this mayo egg sandwich. But you’re welcome to leave it out if you like, however.
What’s the difference between American and Japanese egg sandwich?
The tamago sando features an especially soft, light, fluffy milk bread (shokupan). And while I do like to add some spring onions (green parts) to my egg salad sandwich, the classic Japanese egg sandwich is made with just creamy egg filling. Beauty in simplicity.
The American version on the other hand quite routinely features other elements in the filling such as tomatoes, onions, lettuce, cheese, bacon etc. Plus, it typically uses white sandwich bread, which is not as fluffy as shokupan.
Kewpie mayo
Kewpie mayonnaise is the king of mayonnaises. It’s readily available at most Asian supermarkets, and it’s so freaking good! It’s creamier and richer in taste since it’s made with egg yolks. This makes it more yellow in color too.
Plus, it has MSG in it, which really amps up the flavor with a little sweet, savory, umami action.
What if I don’t have Japanese kewpie mayo, or don’t like to use MSG?
No worries. You can use regular mayo. While the flavor may not be as authentic and will be slightly different than with Japanese mayo, it’ll still be an amazing mayo egg sandwich!
Ingredients you’ll need
Here’s what you’ll need to make my Japanese egg sandwich recipe.
It’s not that different from the original Japanese version. I’m also sharing options for those who don’t have Japanese/kewpie mayonnaise (a key ingredient in the Japanese sandwich).
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Soft boiled eggs (for the center, but you can leave it out if you like)
- Mayonnaise (or kewpie mayonnaise)
- Salt and white pepper (and a touch of sugar, if using regular mayonnaise)
- Scallions
- Mustard
Super easy. Super tasty!
How to make Japanese egg sandwich (step by step overview)
Step one – Cook the eggs
First and most important step is cooking the eggs. For this mayo egg sandwich, you need two types of cooked egg.
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Soft-boiled eggs
For this, I like to bring a pot of water to a boil, and then cook all the eggs at the same time.
- Set the timer for 6.5 minutes for soft-boiled eggs.
- Set the timer for a further 4 minutes for hard-boiled eggs.
Keep all the eggs in cold running water to help them cool down quicker.
The eggs are ready to be handled as soon as they’ve cooled down. If you’re not making the sandwiches right away, you can keep the eggs in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Step two – Cut the eggs
The eggs need to be chopped into small pieces for the egg salad filling. There are several ways to do this.
- Food processor – I don’t like this option personally, because it’s easy to over-process the eggs and end up with a smooth paste instead. I prefer to have little egg white pieces / chunks in my egg salad for some texture.
- Fork – An easy way to crush the eggs.
- Knife – I like using the old fashioned way of chopping eggs.
- Egg slicer – Use the egg slicer to get evenly cut strips of eggs.
Usually, I use the knife. First, I slice the eggs thinly, in one direction. Then I lay the cut slices flat on my work surface and cut them again in one direction. Then I slice them across one more time (please see pictures below). This third cut is optional, however.
A more convenient way is to use an egg slicer (see pictures below). Konbi uses this method to chop their eggs and it makes life so much easier. This way you end up with evenly cut strips of hardboiled eggs.
Next, you can also peel the softboiled eggs and keep them aside until you’re ready to make the sandwiches.
Step three – Make the egg salad filling
Place the chopped eggs in a bowl. Mix with mayonnaise, sugar, salt, and white pepper, and stir until well mixed. Make sure you add the minimum amount of mayonnaise first, and then add more to the egg mixture as needed.
For the consistency and creaminess that I like, a total of 6 eggs only requires about 2 – 2 1/2 tbsp of mayonnaise.
I also like to finely chop the green parts of spring onions and add that to the salad as well. I usually add the green parts of 2 spring onions, but for the pictures in this post I added less (to make the eggs stand out more).
To store the egg salad filling – I like to make the egg salad filling the day before, and keep it in a bowl in the fridge, covered with a lid or plastic wrap.
Step four – Choose the bread
Shokupan (milk bread) is the traditional bread that is used to make Japanese egg salad sandwiches. This bread is also known as Japanese milk bread or Hokkaido milk bread. It’s a much fluffier and softer (and milkier) bread than white bread.
Unfortunately, I don’t have access to Shokupan bread where I live, unless I make it myself, of course. Which I do, quite often. But at other times, I use soft white sandwich bread that I can readily find in the supermarket.
You could also use a really soft, fluffy, buttery brioche bread instead too.
Step five – Prepare the egg salad sandwich
When you’re ready to make the Japanese egg sandwiches, have these ingredients ready.
- Bread slices
- Butter or mayonnaise (or kewpie mayo)
- Dijon mustard
- Extra salt
- Soft-boiled egg
- Egg salad filling
Cut the edges (crusts) off your bread slices. Or not. It’s up to you. Classic tamago sando is usually crustless, but it’s up to you. Sometimes I cut all the crusts off, sometimes just two (like I’ve done in these pictures above), sometimes I don’t at all.
Then spread a thin layer of dijon mustard on one slice, and a thin layer of butter or mayo (or kewpie) on the other slice.
Next, cut the soft-boiled eggs in half. The yolk should be nice and jammy, so it’s important to use a sharp knife. Sprinkle a little salt over the eggs.
Place the soft-boiled egg on the sandwich slice, in the middle, with the egg yolk down. I only add one half of the egg, right in the middle (mainly because the sandwich bread I use isn’t big enough for two egg halves). However, if you’d want to skip the soft-boiled egg in the middle, that’s fine too. It’ll still be a great mayo egg sandwich.
After the soft-boiled egg, it’s time to add the creamy filling on top and spread evenly around the soft-boiled egg. With a soft-boiled egg in the center, the egg salad filling can be thick and filling. However, without a soft-boiled egg in the middle, you can have a thinner spread of egg salad.
Finally, place the other slice of bread on top and use a sharp bread knife to cut the sandwich along the middle (i.e. through the middle of the soft-boiled egg and yolk).
And there you have it. A pillowy soft Japanese egg sandwich with a rich, creamy, flavor-packed egg salad filling! Beauty in simplicity.
Tips for the best Japanese egg sandwich
- Egg quality – You can use any type of egg that’s readily available to you. Farm fresh eggs will have a better taste, but supermarket eggs are great too! Fresh eggs are harder to peel though. So, use slightly older eggs that are about a week or two old. These are easier to peel when boiled. But avoid stale eggs. You can use a simple egg float test to tell if your eggs are fresh or not.
- Bread – Shokupan is traditional for this Japanese egg sando. This bread is soft, light, yet sturdy, and can hold the filling well. But if you can’t find shokupan (milk bread), you can also use my easy homemade white bread or brioche bread. Soft white bread from the supermarket also works, but use the thick sliced bread.
- Make it even creamier (and add more flavor) by adding softened cream cheese. I prefer to add a little extra kewpie mayo to really boost that creamy element.
- Adding butter (and mustard) – Don’t skip this step. Butter yields a lot of flavor and helps create a barrier between the filling and bread to keep it from getting soggy too fast. Mustard can be skipped if you like (it’s not a component of the traditional Japanese egg sandwich), but I personally love the flavor and subtle heat it adds.
- Wrap and chill – I like to eat or serve this sandwich right away, especially if the yolks are extra runny. But the flavor of the egg salad gets better when stored for a few hours in the fridge. You can also wrap the sandwich with plastic wrap or wax paper and let it chill for a few hours before eating, as well. So, it’s great as a tea time snack or picnic food!
Storage instructions
Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 4 days.
I don’t recommend freezing the sandwiches or the filling however, because the egg white pieces will change in texture.
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Equipment I use for this recipe
- Egg slicer – Makes it easier to slice the hard boiled eggs for the egg salad.
- Kitchen timer – I use a kitchen timer that is part of my cooking thermometer. It functions both as a timer and temperature measuring probe.
Recipe
Japanese Egg Sandwich (Mayo Egg Sandwich)
US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurements. Weight measurements are recommended for accurate results whenever available.
Common Measurement ConversionsEquipment:
- Egg Slicer
- Kitchen Timer
- Colander
Ingredients:
Cook the eggs (hard boiled and soft boiled eggs)
- 8 large eggs
Egg salad filling
- 6 hard boiled eggs large eggs
- 2 – 3 tbsp mayonnaise or kewpie mayonnaise is preferred
- ½ tsp sugar to taste
- Salt to taste
- White pepper to taste
- 2 spring onions green parts, chopped finely
Egg salad sandwich
- 8 slices thick white sandwich bread brioche bread or Shokupan
- Dijon mustard
- Butter or extra mayonnaise
- Extra salt for seasoning
- 2 soft boiled eggs
Instructions:
Cook the eggs
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, with the pot covered. When the water comes to a boil, gently lower the eggs into the water. Set one timer to 6 ½ minutes, and another timer for 10 ½ – 11 minutes.8 large eggs
- When the first timer goes off, remove 2 of the eggs and immediately plunge them in cold running water.
- When the second timer goes off, immediately plunge the remaining eggs in cold running water to cool them off. (Make sure to not mix up the soft boiled and hard boiled eggs).
- When the eggs are cool enough to be handled, carefully peel the soft boiled eggs and set aside for later. Peel the hard boiled eggs to make the egg salad filling (below).
Egg salad filling
- If you have an egg slicer, slice the eggs with the slicer in one direction, then turn the egg in 90° and re-slice. Place the sliced eggs in a bowl. Repeat with all 6 eggs.6 hard boiled eggs
- If you’re using a knife, slice the eggs thinly on a cutting board. Then slice them again into “batons”. If you prefer smaller pieces of egg, you can chop them further in the opposite direction (see images in the post). Repeat with all 6 eggs. Place the chopped eggs in the bowl.
- Add about 2 tbsp mayonnaise, a generous pinch of salt and white pepper, sugar and finely chopped green onions. Use a spoon to mix everything together. Add the extra 1 tbsp of mayonnaise (or more) if needed. Cover the bowl and keep in the fridge until you’re ready to make the sandwiches.2 – 3 tbsp mayonnaise, ½ tsp sugar, Salt, White pepper, 2 spring onions
Egg salad sandwiches
- Cut the 2 soft boiled eggs in half using a sharp knife. The yolks should be soft and jammy. Lightly season each of the halves with salt.2 soft boiled eggs, Extra salt for seasoning
- Take two slices of bread. Trim the edges off the bread slices. I only trim two opposite edges, but you can trim all four edges if you like.8 slices thick white sandwich bread
- Spread a thin layer of butter or mayo on one slice of bread, and another thin layer of dijon mustard on the other.Butter or extra mayonnaise, Dijon mustard
- Place one half soft boiled egg half in the middle of a bread slice, with the yolk side down.
- Spread a layer of egg salad filling around the egg half (up to the height of the soft boiled egg half).
- Place the other slice of bread on top.
- Slice the sandwich in half, making sure to slice through the egg half as well. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information:
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
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