Ramen Eggs (Ajitsuke Tamago)

Ramen eggs are delicious Japanese-style eggs that are soft-boiled and marinated overnight. The jammy, custardy yolk are perfect on top of ramen or even just on its own.

Ingredients and Substitutions

*The Recipe Card below includes all the full measurements for these ingredients!

Large Eggs: Make sure you purchase eggs that are labeled “large”, since this recipe is based off of that size. You could also use smaller eggs, they will just cook faster and your ramen eggs will marinate a lot quicker as well (due to their lower surface area).

Soy Sauce: This is one of the key ingredients for the marinade. The high salt content of the soy sauce is what will transform the egg texture into a jammier consistency.

Mirin: This is a mildly sweet Japanese rice wine used in many traditional sauces and marinades. While classic mirin may be more difficult to find, you can more commonly purchase Aji Mirin in most Asian groceries. Quick replacements include dry sherry or standard cooking wine, with just a little extra sugar to account for the sweetness of the mirin.

Sake: Also known as Japanese rice wine, this adds a slight aroma and layer of flavor to our marinade. Sake can be substituted with any standard cooking wine or even water, for a non-alcoholic option.

Sugar: This will help to balance and offset the savory and salty flavors of the soy sauce. Feel free to add more or less, depending on your preference. You may use white or brown sugar interchangeably -the brown sugar version may taste slightly deeper due to the added molasses in the sugar.

Instructions

*The Recipe Card below includes all the full detailed instructions! 

1. Boil the eggs to your desired doneness. I like to go for 7 minutes for a soft-boiled yolk. Once boiled, transfer to a bowl filled with ice water to cool down.
2. In a sauce pot, heat together the soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. Once the sugar dissolves, remove from the heat and let cool completely.
3. Peel the boiled eggs and transfer to a container. Pour in the cooled soy marinade and let soak for at least 8 hours before eating.

Cooking Tips

Cooking time for the eggs: I find that the sweet spot for jammy, slightly runny egg yolks is about 7 minutes. For reference, that’s taking the eggs straight from the fridge (still cold) and then boiling them on medium-high. If your eggs are coming from room temperature, boil them for 6 to 6.5 minutes instead for that similar egg texture.

Gently stir your eggs in one direction while boiling: This motion helps to centre the egg yolks, leaving you with a perfect cross section when you slice the eggs in half!

Avoid over-marinating your eggs: Contrary to popular belief, longer marination does not necessarily mean better flavor. Since these eggs are soaked in a salt-heavy marinade it changes the egg’s texture to become more custardy and jammy. Marinating for too long can turn your eggs too salty and with an overly hard and chewy texture.

Place a paper towel on top of your eggs: If parts of the eggs won’t submerge themselves completely in the marinade, simply place a paper towel on top to soak up the sauce and to allow for even coverage. This also helps prevent any pale white spots on your ramen eggs due to not being in contact with the marinade.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

How long do ramen eggs keep?

To avoid overly salty eggs, I’d recommend removing the eggs from the marinade after about 24-48 hours of soaking. Afterwards, simply keep the eggs in an airtight container and consume within 3 days.

Can I reuse the leftover marinade?

Leftover marinade can be reused for most things such as ramen broth bases, sauces (for stir-fries, fried rice), or even marinades (e.g., chashu pork).

If you planned on using the marinade to make a second batch of ramen eggs, I would recommend boiling the marinade first for about 2 minutes and then letting it cool completely prior to reusing. This is because any traces of egg leaked into the marinade (from the previous batch) can cause spoilage to happen at a faster rate.

Do I need to reheat these?

Ramen eggs do not need to be reheated. They are commonly enjoyed cold or simply let to come at room temperature. If adding to your ramen or other soups, simply let the eggs warm up in the hot broth.

Can I customize my ramen eggs?

You 100% can. Add a couple teaspoons of chili flakes for spice, or possibly some dried mushroom or kombu (kelp) to boost the umami notes. You could also experiment with other spices such as garlic, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, etc.

Here’s some other egg recipes you might enjoy:

• Adobo Eggs
• Japanese Egg Sandwich (Tamago Sando)
• Chinese Egg Fried Rice
• Tomato Egg Stir Fry