Have you ever tried egg salad sandwiches from Japanese convenience stores? If not, well you’re missing out. These beloved meals called tamago sando is simplicity at its best. The egg salad has an ultra-creamy consistency with richness and slightly tangy flavor thanks to the use of Japanese mayo. Combined with traditional Japanese milk bread called shokupan, that’s fluffy and slightly sweet. Sounds amazing right? What makes it even better is that it only takes 15 minutes to make!

🗾What is Tamago Sando?

Tamago means "egg" and sando is short for "sandwich" (Japanese pronunciation is san-doh-itchi). Therefore it literally translates to "egg sandwich". It's a simple yet very satisfying quick meal that can be found at every conbini (Japanese convenience store) as well a many cafes and coffee shops.

🍞Key Ingredients

The simplicity of tamago sando is what makes it truly appealing. There are three crucial ingredients which will help make your sandwich taste just like the ones in Japan.

• Eggs: Use high-quality eggs. Eggs in Japan tend to be of the highest quality due to the very strict guidelines in production. The yolk is much more vibrant and isn't as runny as some eggs over here in the States. That's why you'll see a lot of Japanese cuisine using raw eggs (ex. tamago-kake-gohan, sukiyaki, etc). I like to use large, organic, pasture-raised eggs.
• Shokupan: Japanese milk bread. Shokupan has a slightly sweet and super fluffy texture. It's the most ideal bread for tamago sando however it's not the easiest to find. Look for them at Japanese bakeries or you can find similar style bread at Asian or French bakeries such as Tous Les Jours.
• Japanese Mayo: This is an absolute must. Japanese mayo uses only the egg yolk, giving it a richer, custard-like texture. Kewpie is the most popular brand, but other options like Kenko work well, too. Do not use American mayo if you're trying to recreate authentic tamago sandos.

Jump to:

• 🗾What is Tamago Sando?
• 🍞Key Ingredients
• 🥚Ingredients
• 👩‍🍳Preparation
• 🥪Assembling the Sandwich
• 🥓Customize Your Sandwich
• 🪄Tips and Tricks
• ✍️Final Thoughts
• 🤔Common Questions

🥚Ingredients

Main Ingredients:

• Eggs (large): 4
• Japanese Mayo: 3 tablespoon (42g)
• Milk: 2 teaspoon (10ml)
• Salt: ¼ teaspoon (1.5g)
• Black pepper: to taste
• Japanese Shokupan (milkbread): 4 slices
• Butter (spreadable)

Optional Ingredient:

• Sugar: ¼ teaspoon (1.5g)

You can add some sugar if you like your egg salad on the sweeter side. I personally prefer mine without but you can try it both ways and see which one you enjoy better.

👩‍🍳Preparation

1. Boil the Eggs

Start by making hard-boiled eggs:

• Place the eggs in a pot and cover them with water.
• Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
• Let the eggs cook for 10-12 minutes.
• Once done, transfer the eggs to an ice bath to cool. After they’ve cooled, peel the shells off.

Pro Tip: Poke a tiny hole in the rounded end of each egg with a needle or paper clip before boiling. This helps release air and makes peeling easier.

2. Prepare the Egg Salad

• Place the peeled eggs in a medium bowl and mash them with a fork. Focus on breaking up the whites more than the yolks, as the yolks will crumble naturally.
• Add Japanese mayo, milk, salt, and pepper to taste.
• Mix everything together until you reach your desired texture. You can make it chunkier or creamier, depending on your preference.

3. Prepare the Bread

• Slice your bread into four even pieces (if it's not pre-sliced).
• Traditional Option: Spread butter on the inside of the bread where the egg salad will go.
• Crispy Upgrade: I'm a sucker for crispy textures and I love to butter toast all my sandwiches. Though it's not traditional, I enjoy my tamago sando with a slight toast. To do this, spread butter on the outside of the bread and pan-fry it for a golden-brown, crispy texture. Heat a pan over medium heat, place the bread butter-side down, and press gently with a spatula until golden.

🥪Assembling the Sandwich

• Spread the egg salad onto one slice of bread.
• Top it with another slice to create the sandwich. Apply gentle pressure to compress it slightly.
• For a traditional presentation, cut off the crusts and slice it in rectangles or diagonally into triangles. You can also feel free to leave the crusts on if you prefer.

🥓Customize Your Sandwich

The beauty of tamago sando is it's simplicity, however that doesn't mean you can't add other items. Here are some of my favorite additions that you can experiment with.

• Bacon, need I say anymore?
• Ham to boost the protein.
• Lettuce for a refreshing twist.
• Tomatoes for flavor and color.
• Spicy mayo to give it a kick.

🪄Tips and Tricks

• Use high quality ingredients. Since the recipe has very few ingredients, the quality of those ingredients matters tremendously.
• Poke a tiny hole in the egg (rounded end) prior to boiling to help make the peeling process easier.
• Not traditional but pan frying the bread with butter gives it a nice crispy, toasted exterior.

✍️Final Thoughts

Tamago sando is the perfect marriage of simplicity and comfort, and making it at home is super easy. So next time you're looking for a quick meal or even a potluck option, give it a try. This might just become your new favorite staple sandwich. Enjoy!

🤔Common Questions