Gyeran Mari (Korean Rolled Omelette). A delicious omelette made of eggs, ham, green onion and carrots fried into a thin layer and rolled into one. Perfect as a side dish for breakfast, dinner or lunch. Ready in 30 minutes.
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What is Gyeran Mari?
"Gyeran Mari" means "egg roll" in Korean translation. This Korean omelette is one of the most popular egg dishes in Korean cuisine especially in South Korea. Many Korean restaurants will serve Korean rolled egg omelets. Gyeran Mari is typically made of beaten eggs, sesame oil and other simple ingredients like carrots, bell peppers, ham, and green onions. Other filling options can include: cheese, spam, seaweed sheets, imitation crab meat, garlic chives and more!
This egg omelet is usually served as a delicious side dish or main dish with rice and other side dishes (or "banchans" in Korean) for a meal especially for breakfast. It's also a popular addition to lunch boxes since it can be served as bite size pieces and at room temperature.  The spirals of the egg are iconic to this popular Korean side dish as they're made with layers of eggs. You'll also spot thicker rolls or giant size versions of this egg omelet served as popular street food in Korea. ​
This is an easy recipe in Korean food. The cooking process is very simple as you're just mixing your raw egg mix with the ingredients and pouring a bit of the egg mixture into a large pan. Then using a rolling technique to create the first roll and adding more of the remaining mixture to continue adding to the roll. You won't need any special type of pan to make this. It's a very simple recipe and if it's your first time making it, all your need is a little bit of patience.Â
Ingredients
You will need the below gyeran mari ingredients. Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.Â
- Eggs: For gorgeous yellow yolks, opt for free-range or free-run eggs with Omega 3's.
- Green onions: aka spring onions or scallions. These offer a wonderful aroma and taste to the omelette. If you're not a fan of green onions, you can also replace with garlic chives too!
- Ham: This meat is optional but offers a delicious savory flavor. You can substitute with spam, imitation crab meat. Alternatively, if you're vegetarian you can replace with mozzarella cheese or omit completely.
- Carrot: The carrots lend a vibrant colour and contrast to the yellow eggs.
- Salt: A pinch of salt helps to bring out the flavors of the most important ingredients: egg, carrot and green onions. You can also flavor this Korean-style omelette with soy sauce if you wish.
- Sesame oil: This oil gives the omelet a nutty scent and taste!
- Neutral oil: any flavorless cooking oil like avocado oil, peanut oil, grapeseed oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. I would avoid using olive oil or coconut oil due to its heavier scent.
Optional: you can also season the egg mixture with a pinch of black pepper if you wish.
How to make Gyeran Mari
Make Egg Mixture
​In a large bowl or measuring cup with a lip, whisk eggs. Then add ham, carrots, green onions, sesame oil and salt. Whisk everything together.Â
Cook First Layer
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. If needed, gently evenly disperse filling ingredients with chopsticks.Â
Roll the First Layer
Fry for 2-3 minutes until top of the egg is cooked around the edges and the center is slightly wet but not runny. To test this, tilt your pan and if the egg is not running off of it, it's time to roll. 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 Omelet to Midpoint & Add More Mixture
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.
Allow that layer to fry for 2-3 minutes. Repeat the above process until you have depleted your batter. Carefully turn the roll on its side to seal in the remaining edge.
Slice Rolled Omelette
Transfer to a cutting board to slice into 0.75-inch-thick pieces. Serve and enjoy!
Storage & Reheating
This dish will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, microwave for 2-3 minutes or reheat on the stovetop in a pan on medium heat until hot.
Expert Tips
I am sharing some tips that I found useful when making this gyeran mari recipe:
- 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.
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 is not golden yellow?Â
A common reason for why your omelet is not golden yellow and possibly browned on the outside is cooking it over 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.Â
What to serve with gyeran mari?
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:
- Korean Spinach Side Dish
- Gamja Jorim
- Korean Cucumber Salad
- Potato Salad Korean Style
- Korean Bean Sprout Salad
- Korean Fish Cake Stir-Fry
📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy Gyeran Mari (Korean Rolled Omelette)
Ingredients
- 6 eggs beaten
- 2 green onion finely chopped
- â…” cups ham finely chopped
- 3 tablespoon carrot finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl or measuring cup with a lip, crack and beat eggs. Then add very finely chopped ham, carrots, green onions, sesame oil and salt. Whisk everything together until well combined.
- In a non-stick pan (approx. 10 inches wide) set on low-medium heat (level 3 on the dial), 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 evenly distributes across. If needed, gently evenly 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 moist but not runny. To test this, tilt your pan and if the egg is not running off of it, it's time to roll.
- With a spatula, loosen the edges and the bottom of the omelette, if possible.
- With two spatulas, fold the omelette about 1 inch towards the middle and gently pressing down. Continue to fold and roll until you reach halfway and stop.
- Carefully slide the rolled omelette back to the middle of your pan. Then pour a thin layer of 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.
- Allow that layer to fry for 2-3 minutes.
- Repeat the above process until you have depleted your batter. Carefully turn the roll on its side to seal in the remaining edge.
- Transfer to a cutting board to slice into 0.75-inch-thick pieces. Serve and enjoy!
Lani cristobal
I like the way you explain . Very clear to us cooking enthusiast. With that giving you 5 stars . Thank you for sharing your talent.
christieathome
Thank you so much Lani for this kind comment! I am so happy you enjoyed it 🙂 Have a lovely day!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
Your photos make the process of rolling the eggs so easy to understand... and the finished spirals of egg are crazy tantalizing!
Caleb - Never Ending Journeys
I love a good omelette, but have to admit I've never tried Gyeran Mari yet. It looks so flavorful and perfect for weekend brunch!