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Fish, East Asian

Crab tenshinhan with rice

Crab tenshinhan is a fluffy omelet filled with crab and mushrooms, served over rice and topped with a sweet savory sauce. It serves 4, takes 25 minutes, is easy to make, and costs about €4.60 per person. The key to success is cooking the eggs fast and pulling them off while still a bit runny, so they stay soft.

A big fluffy crab omelet sitting on rice and topped with a glossy sauce, a Chinese Japanese dish that kids love.

Crab tenshinhan with rice
Total time
25 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€4.60
Calories per person
640 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Crab tenshinhan is a big, golden omelet, soft in the middle, packed with crab meat, mushrooms, and green peas. Served over a bowl of hot rice and topped with a glossy soy and rice vinegar sauce, it balances slightly crisp edges with a tender center. It's a generous Chinese Japanese dish, far from the thin everyday omelet.

This is the kind of dinner that saves a busy weeknight without cutting corners on flavor. Kids love the soft texture and the lightly sweet sauce, while adults appreciate how fast it comes together and the subtle brininess of the crab. It also works well for a low key Sunday dinner when you want a full meal without spending the whole evening in the kitchen.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Canned crab meat 2 can
  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Sugaroften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Rice vinegaroften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Cornstarchoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Neutral oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Eggs 8

Fruits and vegetables

  • White mushrooms 150 g
  • Scallions 3

Frozen foods

  • Frozen peas 100 g

Allergens Eggs, Shellfish, Soy, Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Cook the rice in salted water, then drain it and divide it among four bowls. 11 min

    Warm, slightly sticky rice holds the omelet in place.

  2. Make the sauce by heating 1 cup of water with the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, and peas, then thicken it with the cornstarch mixed with a little water. 4 min

    It should coat the back of a spoon, not too thin and not too thick.

  3. Thinly slice the mushrooms and scallions, then mix them with the flaked crab meat.

    Press the crab meat to drain it well, otherwise the omelet turns watery.

  4. Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt and fold in the filling.

    A splash of soy sauce in the eggs adds flavor.

  5. Cook the omelet in two batches in very hot oil, folding it over, about two minutes each. 5 min

    Use a 24 cm skillet for a thick, golden omelet.

  6. Place one omelet on each bowl of rice and spoon the sauce over the top.

    Slide the omelet off the pan in one smooth motion so it doesn't break.

Our tips to get it right

  • Press the crab meat firmly to drain it before mixing it into the eggs, otherwise the omelet releases water as it cooks.
  • Pour the beaten eggs into the hot oil all at once so they puff up and gain volume right from the start.
  • Make the sauce before cooking the eggs, it holds fine while waiting, but the omelet needs to be served right out of the pan.

The variations

  • Swap the crab for roughly chopped peeled shrimp, for an equally quick version.
  • For a vegetarian version, skip the crab and add crumbled firm tofu along with the mushrooms.
  • For kids in a hurry, serve the omelet plain without the mushroom filling, just the peas and a drizzle of sauce.

What to serve it with

  • A light miso soup
  • Pickled cucumbers in vinegar
  • Warm unsweetened green tea

Storage

Store the omelet and the sauce separately in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in a sealed container. Reheat the omelet gently in a skillet or in the microwave so it stays soft. This dish doesn't freeze well, since the eggs change texture once thawed.

Questions about this dish

Can you use fresh crab instead of canned crab meat?

Yes, use cooked fresh crab meat, well drained, in the same amount. It tastes more delicate, but check that it doesn't release too much water before mixing it into the eggs.

Can you make the sauce ahead of time?

Yes, the sauce can be made up to a day ahead and gently reheated before serving. Keep it in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Why should the omelet still be a bit runny when it comes off the heat?

The eggs keep cooking from the heat of the rice and sauce once they're in the bowl. Overcooking them in the pan makes the omelet dry and less tender by the time you serve it.

How do you adapt this dish for a kid who doesn't like mushrooms?

Simply replace the white mushrooms with the same amount of peas or grated carrots. The soft texture of the omelet stays exactly the same.

How long does it take to make a crab tenshinhan with rice?

Count 25 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a crab tenshinhan with rice?

About 640 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a crab tenshinhan with rice cost?

About €4.60 per serving, or €18.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains eggs, shellfish, soy, gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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