Quick & Easy Gyeran Mari (Korean Rolled Omelette)

Name: Quick & Easy Gyeran Mari (Korean Rolled Omelette)
Prep time: 7 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 6 large eggs (beaten); 2 green onion (finely chopped); 2/3 cups ham (finely chopped); 3 tbsp carrot (finely chopped); 1/4 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp sesame oil; 1/2 tsp vegetable oil (or any neutral oil)

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Gyeran Mari. A delicious Korean rolled omelette made of eggs, ham, green onion and carrots. This quick and easy omelette is great as a side dish for breakfast, dinner or lunch with rice and other sides. Ready with simple ingredients in little time!

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What is Gyeran Mari?
Ingredients & Substitutes
Expert Tips
Instructions
Storage
Pairing Suggestions
FAQ
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💬 Reviews

What is Gyeran Mari?

"Gyeran Mari" means "egg roll" in Korean and is typically made of beaten eggs, sesame oil, carrots, ham, and green onions. Other fillings can include: cheese, spam, seaweed sheets, crab meat, garlic chives and more!

This is one of the most popular egg dishes in Korean cuisine because it's served as one of many side dishes with rice or included in lunch boxes.

The spirals of the egg are iconic, as they're made with layers of eggs rolled into one. In South Korea, it's sold as street food and I've even seen mega versions of this dish.

The great thing about this recipe is it's easy enough to make at home and you don't need a special pan to make it.

Ingredients & Substitutes

Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.

Large Eggs: Tip: for yellow yolks, use eggs with Omega-3s!
Green onions: or also replace with garlic chives
Ham: or substitute with spam, imitation crab meat, shredded cheese or omit completely if you're vegetarian.
Carrot: these give the omelette color and fiber!
Salt: or substitute with a touch of soy sauce.
Sesame oil: for that nutty flavor!
Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil that has a low smoke point.

Expert Tips

Very finely chop the ham, green onion and carrots. If you chop it into big pieces, it will cause your omelette to break.
Whisk your omelette BEFORE you pour to ensure each layer has an equal amount of ingredients.
Avoid using excess oil. Lightly grease the pan with a paper towel for an even coating.
Use a non-stick pan or a square pan with a rubber spatula, if you have one to make rolling easier.
Cook eggs over low medium heat. This is one of the keys to making this omelette! Do not increase the heat past this level or you can burn the omelet.
Wait for the base and edge of the egg to solidify with the center being slightly wet, before you begin folding or it can break. It usually takes a full 2-3 minutes over medium-low heat.
Do not roll when the egg is still runny. It should be mostly solid. To test this, tilt your pan and if no egg, runs off it, it's time to flip.
Loosen the edges before rolling. This prevents breakage.
To slide the omelette to the midway point, use two spatulas to loosen the edges and help you move it carefully.
When pouring egg mixture, aim for the edge of the former omelette so the batter can stick to it.

Instructions

Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make gyeran mari:

Make Egg Mixture and Fry First Layer

In a large bowl or measuring cup with a lip, whisk eggs and mix in ham, carrots, green onions, sesame oil and salt.

Lightly grease the pan and on low heat pour a thin layer to create a pancake

In a non-stick pan on medium low heat (level 3 heat) lightly grease the bottom of the pan with oil by spreading it with a paper towel or brush. Once the pan is hot, whisk your egg batter again and pour just enough egg batter until a thin layer forms. Swirl the pan so the egg mixture reaches the edge of the pan and gently disperse filling ingredients with chopsticks. Fry for 2-3 minutes until top of the egg is cooked around the edges and the center is slightly wet but not runny.

Roll and Add More Egg Mixture

loosen the edges with a spatula and roll the omelette to the halfway point with a 1 inch thickness

With a spatula, loosen the edges and the bottom of the omelette, if possible. With two spatulas and from one end of the omelette, fold it about 1 inch forward gently pressing down. Continue to fold and roll until you reach halfway and stop.

slide the omelette to the midway point of the pan and fill the open space of the pan with another thin layer of the egg mixture so it adheres to the round side and repeat the folding process

Carefully slide the rolled omelette back to the middle of your pan. Then pour a thin layer of the egg mixture to cover the open space, aiming for the tail edge of the omelette so that new egg layer sticks to the former one. Do not fill the other side of the pan beyond the rolled part. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Repeat the above process until you have depleted your batter.

Slice Rolled Omelette

Transfer to a cutting board to slice into 0.75-inch-thick pieces. Serve and enjoy!

Storage

Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
Freezer friendly? I don't recommend freezing this Korean rolled omelette as it will make the eggs taste rubbery.

Pairing Suggestions

This Korean egg roll recipe is commonly eaten as a popular side dish with a bowl of rice and other Korean side dishes. Here are some suggestions:

FAQ

Why is my Korean omelet not cooked through?

Your omelet may not be cooked through because you rolled it too quickly while the center of the omelet was very wet. Therefore, it's important to allow the egg mixture to solidify about 80% of the way before you begin rolling.

Why is my Korean omelet not golden yellow?

A common reason for why your omelet is not golden yellow and possibly browned on the outside is cooking it past low-medium heat. Even medium heat is enough to cause the omelet to brown or worst, burn. Therefore, it's highly recommend to cook the eggs on low heat.

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