Ramen Eggs

My super easy Ramen Eggs, AKA Ajitsuke Tamago, are going to be your new addiction. Not only are they (obviously) perfect with ramen noodles, but they’re also great to munch on by themselves!

A few years back, we posted our recipe for Mayak Eggs, the trendy marinated boiled eggs from Korea. Ever since, we were hooked on marinating our eggs to give them a boost of flavor.

Ramen eggs are the Japanese version. They’re a bit simpler, requiring fewer ingredients than mayak eggs, but just as tasty.

In Japan, they’re known as ajitsuke tamago, which means “flavored eggs.” In addition to being a great topping for ramen, these marinated eggs can be a starter or side dish and are great to keep in the fridge for a quick ready to go snack.

Ingredients

• Eggs – I use large eggs for this recipe. If you use a different size, note that the cooking times will vary slightly.
• Soy sauce – Specifically Japanese style “shoyu” sauce. Don’t worry, you don’t need to go to a specialty Asian market. Kikkoman, which is in every supermarket in the world, is shoyu.
• Mirin – A sweet Asian cooking wine. It provides a good balance to the umami soy sauce.
• Dark soy sauce – This isn’t entirely necessary, you only use a relatively small amount, but it adds some extra color.
• Sugar – Basic white sugar.
• Water – To thin the marinade.

Notes on Boiling Eggs

1. I always start with room temperature eggs. I take them out of the fridge 30 minutes before boiling to prevent the shells from cracking due to temperature changes.
2. I make sure the pot is filled with enough water to fully cover the eggs.
3. A tip for peeling the eggs easily and seamlessly once cooked? Add a bit of salt and vinegar to your boiling water.
4. Once the water reaches a rolling boil, I gently lower the eggs in with a spoon or strainer, one by one, and then reduce the heat to simmer.
5. Boil according to your preference of boiled eggs:
   • 6 minutes for a little runny, jammy soft boiled eggs (recommended for ramen eggs).
   • 7 minutes for firmer soft boiled eggs.
   • 9-10 minutes for hard boiled eggs.
6. After boiling, I transfer them straight into a bucket of ice water to cool off quickly and stop the cooking process, then make sure they’re completely cooled (at least 15 minutes in the ice bath) before peeling.

How to Marinate and Store Ramen Eggs

Once the eggs are boiled, cooled and peeled, it’s just a matter of marinating them.

I simply whisk together the soy sauce, mirin, dark soy, sugar and water, then submerge the eggs in the marinade in a lidded container. Then I stick them in the fridge overnight to soak up all those flavors.

You can refrigerate the eggs for 3-4 days, but note that they will absorb more of the marinade over time, so you may wish to remove them from the marinade after a day or two. Experiment with different marinating durations to find your perfect sweet spot.

Serving Suggestions

I often enjoy these eggs on their own for an easy snack, or just with a bowl of rice. If I have leftover rice, it’s a very easy lunch option.

And, of course, ramen! Try them with our Miso Ramen, Spicy Ramen or Korean Inspired Ramen Soup.

You can also use them to give a flavor boost to other Asian dishes that feature boiled eggs like Laksa, Gado Gado, Arroz Caldo and Tteokbokki.

I always enjoy these simple marinated eggs, and I think you will too. They don’t take much effort, but the end result is so delicious.

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Ramen Eggs, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!

Ramen Eggs (Ajitsuke Tamago)

Yield: 6-8 eggs

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

My super easy Ramen Eggs are going to be your new addiction! Not only are they (obviously) perfect with ramen noodles, but they're also great to munch on by themselves!

Print

Ingredients

• 6-8 large eggs
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup mirin
• 1 cup water
• 1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp sugar

Instructions

1. Boil the eggs (see note for cook times). Place them immediately in ice water bucket or pan to stop them from further cooking.
2. Mix in all remaining ingredients in a bowl.
3. Peel the eggs and put them in a container (that has a lid to cover). Pour the marinade over the eggs. Cover with lid and refrigerate overnight.

Notes

1. I always start with room temperature eggs. I take them out of the fridge 30 minutes before boiling to prevent the shells from cracking due to temperature changes.
2. A tip for peeling the eggs easily and seamlessly once cooked? Add a bit of salt and vinegar to your boiling water.
3. How long to Boil?
   6 minutes for runny soft boiled eggs
   7 minutes for soft boiled eggs
   9-10 minutes for hard boiled eggs
4. You can refrigerate the eggs for 3-4 days, but note that they will absorb more of the marinade over time, so you may wish to remove them from the marinade after a day or two. Experiment with different marinating durations to find your perfect sweet spot.
5. Serve the eggs sliced in half as a topping for ramen or other Asian dishes that incorporate boiled eggs, along with some steamed rice, or own their own as a quick snack.

Nutrition Information

Yield 8 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 101Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 186mgSodium 620mgCarbohydrates 6gFiber 0gSugar 5gProtein 7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.