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.

I’ve been experimenting with making ramen these past couple years, attempting to make everything from scratch so that one day I could assemble myself a master bowl of ramen…

These eggs were one of the first components I ever learned and they’re incredibly tasty and so simple to prepare. Boil a couple eggs, prepare the soy marinade, and soak the peeled eggs in that marinade overnight.

I feel like people tend to overcomplicate this recipe, but trust me it’s easier than you think.

What are Ramen Eggs?

Ramen eggs are also known as ajitsuke tamago or simply ajitama. They’re Japanese soft-boiled eggs marinated in a sweet and savory soy marinade.

You’ll find these commonly placed on top of ramen (my favorite part!), but you could also simply enjoy them on top of rice, salads, or even sandwiches.

Initially when the eggs are boiled, the yolks tend to be runny, but the magic happens when you let them sit in the marinade overnight.

The high salt content from the soy sauce draws water out from the yolk, causing it to firm up slightly (resulting in a jammy consistency) and concentrate its fatty flavors. The marination process also allows the sauce to permeate the egg, seasoning it throughout!

Cooking Time for 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 since too high of a heat will crack your eggs from the rolling boil.

If your eggs are coming from room temperature, boil them for 6 to 6.5 minutes instead for that similar egg texture.

Ingredients and Substitutions

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.

• Substitutes: Quick replacements include dry sherry or standard cooking wine, with just a little extra sugar to account for the sweetness of the mirin. Rice wine vinegar is never a good substitute for mirin, the two flavor profiles are entirely different!

Sake: Also known as Japanese rice wine, this adds a slight aroma and layer of flavor to our marinade.

• Substitutes: 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.

• Substitutes: 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

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, gently lower the eggs. Turn down the heat to medium-high and boil for 7 minutes for a soft-boiled yolk consistency.

Transfer the boiled eggs into a bowl filled with ice cold water to cool down completely.

Meanwhile in a sauce pot, combine together the soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. Bring this mixture to a boil, then let simmer for 1 minute, stirring well to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

Peel your cooled, boiled eggs and transfer to a container of your choice. Pour in the cooled soy marinade, then place a paper towel or plastic wrap on top to fully submerge the eggs.

Let the eggs marinate for at least 8 hours to overnight.

Cooking Tips

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!

Don’t forget the ice bath: Once the egg has reached your desired doneness, immediately plunge the eggs into a bowl of ice cold water. Doing so immediately stops the cooking process and it also prevents any grey bands from forming between the yolk.

Avoid over-marinating your eggs: Contrary to belief -longer marination does not necessarily mean better flavor. In fact, it can be detrimental. Since these eggs are soaked in a salt-heavy marinade, this not only flavors the egg throughout, but it also changes the egg’s texture to become more custardy and jammy. Marinating for too long, however, 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