Japanese Egg Salad Sandwich

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This simple but delicious Japanese Egg Salad Sandwich, also known as Tamago Sando, makes for the perfect breakfast, light lunch, or snack. A rich and creamy egg salad made with Japanese mayonnaise sandwiched between fluffy sliced bread, this egg salad sandwich is sure to leave you feeling satisfied.

An iconic convenient meal you find in Japanese convenience stores, this Japanese egg salad sandwich comes together in only a few simple steps. Unlike regular egg salad, this Japanese version uses Japanese mayo which is made with only egg yolks, making this egg salad even more rich, smooth, and creamy.

A stack of three Japanese egg salad sandwiches.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It comes together quickly and easily. One of my favourite methods of making hard and soft-boiled eggs is actually in an air fryer, so you don’t even have to turn on the stove to make this if you don’t want to!
It’s made with simple pantry ingredients that I almost always have in my kitchen, so it’s perfect for a last-minute meal.
You can enjoy this as a snack, for breakfast, or for lunch! It’s perfect for pretty much any meal.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients needed to make a Japanese egg salad sandwich.

eggs — this egg salad recipe requires hard-boiled eggs but I also like to add a soft-boiled egg to the center so there’s a variety of textures. You can make your eggs on the stove top, in an Instant Pot, or in an air fryer.
shallots — I like the extra bit of crunch and sweetness you get from some minced shallots. You can always skip it or add a bit of red onions.
sugar — to add a little bit of sweetness. It may seem odd to add sugar to eggs but it adds to the flavour. My Soboro Don (Ground Chicken Bowl) is another example where adding sugar to eggs leads to a delicious meal!
salt and white pepper — I like to use white pepper for this egg salad as the colour blends into the egg salad.
milk — whole milk helps make the texture of the egg salad more creamy.
Japanese mayo — I like to use Kewpie mayo as it makes for a creamier and richer egg salad. Again, Japanese mayo uses egg yolks for a richer and more savoury flavour.
bread — traditionally, milk bread (shokupan) is used as they’re sweet, soft, and pillowy. But if you cannot find or don’t want to make milk bread, you can use any soft white bread in its place!

How to Make Japanse Egg Salad Sandwiches

Set of two photos showing eggs in a bowl and then cut in half.

Make and peel your hard-boiled eggs.
Cut the eggs in half.

Set of two photos of a bowl of egg yolks and chopped egg whites.

Separate the egg whites and egg yolks.
Finely dice the egg whites and set them aside.

Set of two photos showing ingredients added to mashed yolks and mixed together.

Mash the egg yolks with a fork and add the shallots, sugar, salt, white pepper, and mayo. Mix until well combined and creamy.
Add the egg whites to the egg yolks and gently fold everything together.

Set of two photos showing cut eggs placed on a piece of

Optional: Cut a soft-boiled egg in half and place them cut side down on the bread.
Add half of the egg salad mixture to the slice of bread and place another slice on top. Cut in half before serving. Repeat with the second sandwich.

Multiple cut halves of Japanese egg salad sandwich.

Recipe Tips and Notes

You can wrap the sandwich up before cutting, so it’s easier to eat.
Traditionally, the crusts are not on the egg salad sandwiches but you can leave them on if you prefer.
For an even richer sandwich, you can add a layer of unsalted butter to the bread. The butter also acts as a barrier, so if you’re making this ahead of time for lunch later, the butter will keep the bread from getting soggy.
I recommend salting the egg salad to taste.
If you have time, you can cover the egg sandwich filling and place it in the fridge so the flavour has extra time to develop.
Due to the use of eggs, milk, and mayo, do not leave this sandwich out at room temperature for long.

Close up of a cut Japanese egg salad sandwich.

Make Ahead Tips

Meal prep: you can place the sandwiches in an airtight container for up to 2 days in the fridge. Skip cutting it until ready to enjoy. You can also store the egg salad in an airtight container on its own and assemble the sandwich when ready to enjoy.
Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing egg salad sandwiches.

Two halves of a Japanese egg salad sandwich in a bento box.

Can I mash the egg yolks and egg whites together?

While you can simply mash entire eggs in a bowl, I prefer to separate them so I can dice the egg whites finely. The egg whites are more evenly broken down that way.

Got Extra Eggs?

Got some extra eggs? Here are a few more egg-tastic recipes to try!