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By Chris Joe
5 from 6 votes
Jan 30, 2023, Updated Apr 01, 2024
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Ramen Eggs (Ajitsuke Tamago) are soft boiled eggs with a sweet, salty, and rich umami flavor. The yolk is perfectly soft and the flavors of the egg are SO delicious when topping your ramen, or any other way you want to eat them! Ramen Eggs are so simple and easy to make, requiring only 5 ingredients and just a few of my key tips. Keep reading and watch the video to learn how to make perfect Ramen Eggs everytime!
Watch the Ramen Eggs Recipe Video Below!
Table of Contents
- Watch the Ramen Eggs Recipe Video Below!
- Ingredients for Ramen Eggs (Ajitsuke Tamago)
- Recipe Instructions: Ramen Eggs
- Expert Tips for Mastering Ramen Eggs
- How to Store Ramen Eggs
- Ramen Eggs (Perfectly Jammy!) Recipe
Ingredients for Ramen Eggs (Ajitsuke Tamago)
Ramen Eggs are also called Ajitsuke Tamago in Japanese; some people also call them soy sauce eggs or shoyu eggs. They’re very simple to the super popular Korean Marinated Eggs but with less spice/ingredients.
Love eggs but don’t want the jammy middle? Try a rolled omelette like Korean Egg Roll! Feeling like soup? Make my super easy and fast Egg Drop Soup for the ultimate comfort dish.
You only need 5 ingredients to make perfect Ramen Eggs every time –
Eggs
- I use the eggs labeled “large”. Make sure you are using eggs of similar sizes so they are consistently marinated. If you are using smaller eggs, your Ramen Eggs will be ready faster.
- Bring them up to room temperature before gently placing them into the boiling water. This way the cook time will always be consistent. (Using cold eggs straight from the refrigerator will require another minute or so of cooking.)
Liquid Seasonings
- Distilled White Vinegar – I add distilled white vinegar to the water before boiling my eggs. Vinegar helps break down the egg shell, allowing the peeling to be a much easier process. Bonus tip – use a wide spoon to help guide the shell removal!
- Light Soy Sauce – This is “light” or “all-purpose” soy sauce – do not use “dark” soy sauce, as it is too thick and sweet for this recipe.
- Sake – I like using sake for Ramen Eggs because it adds an added layer of sweetness and complexity of flavor. If you don’t have sake or want to leave it out, you can use water.
- What type of Sake should I use?
- Any inexpensive, draft sake will work! You definitely don’t need to spend more than $10 on a bottle of sake for any recipe that calls for it. Hakutsuru is a brand I use that is widely available in western groceries – it usually sells for $5-6 a bottle for 300ml.
- What type of Sake should I use?
- Mirin – This is a sweet cooking wine that is used frequently in Korean and Japanese cooking. It provides a great balance to the soy sauce in this recipe.
- The recipe for Ramen Eggs has so few ingredients that I don’t recommend substituting; if possible, try to use mirin.
- If you don’t have mirin, you can substitute with rice vinegar but add 1 tsp of sugar, as rice vinegar does not have the sweetness of mirin.
- You can also substitute with 1/4 cup water + 1 tbsp honey mixed in
Recipe Instructions: Ramen Eggs
1. The 7-Minute Egg Boil
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add 2 tbsp of distilled white vinegar to the boiling water. The white vinegar will help soften the eggshell, making the eggs easier to peel once cooked.
Next, gently drop in your room temperature eggs (I recommend using a spider strainer or other similar tool) all at once to ensure even cooking. Set your timer for 7 minutes and let them cook over medium high heat!
If you want to be extra precise with a thermometer, ensure the water temperature is between 180F-200F and adjust the heat accordingly if the temperature falls out of this range.
2. Making the Egg Marinade
In a small saucepan, add light soy sauce, sake, and mirin and whisk together to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer for 2 minutes over medium high heat and then turn off the heat and let the marinade cool completely. That’s it – your Ramen Egg marinade is done!
3. Shock The Eggs in Ice Water!
Once the 7 minutes are up, remove the eggs from the pot and immediately shock them in ice water! This is a KEY step in making perfectly jammy Ramen Eggs. Shocking the eggs in ice water will stop them from cooking further. You do not want the eggs to continue cooking after the 7 minutes; otherwise, you will end up with hard-boiled eggs.
Let the eggs sit for a minute or until they are completely cool to the touch. Once cooled, you are ready to peel your eggs.
4. Submerge the Eggs
Once the eggs are peeled, it’s time to move onto the marinade! Prepare an air tight container to put your eggs in and make sure it is deep enough to submerge the eggs in the liquid.
Pour the marinade over the eggs in a container so your eggs are completely submerged. If you don’t have enough liquid to fully cover the eggs, place a paper towel or parchment paper over the eggs and press it into the marinade, then secure the lid. This will ensure all parts of the egg are covered. You need them to be completely submerged so each Ramen Egg will marinate evenly (you don’t want any white spots!)
Let your Ramen Eggs marinate overnight. Be sure to try these with my Chicken Ramen recipe!
PRO TIPS
Expert Tips for Mastering Ramen Eggs
Use Room Temperature Eggs
Consistency is key for making perfect Ramen Eggs every time – therefore, bring your eggs up to room temperature before cooking them. You can ensure they are at room temperature by taking them out of the refrigerator at least 30 min – 1 hour before cooking. If you are using cold, straight-from-the-refrigerator eggs, you will need to add another minute or so to your cooking time.
Add Vinegar into Your Boiling Water
I add distilled white vinegar to the water before boiling my eggs. Vinegar helps break down the egg shell, allowing the peeling to be a much easier process. You want your eggs to be peeled as smoothly as possible – otherwise, the raggedy texture will be highlighted after marinating.
Shock Your Eggs in an Ice Bath
Once the 7 minutes of cooking are up, remove the eggs from the pot and immediately shock them in ice water! This is a KEY step in making perfectly jammy Ramen Eggs. Shocking the eggs in ice water will stop them from cooking further. You do not want the eggs to continue cooking after the 7 minutes; otherwise, you will end up with hard-boiled eggs.
Cool Your Marinade
Make sure that the marinade is cooled completely prior to pouring it over the soft boiled eggs. This will ensure the eggs don’t overcook in the hot liquid. We only want to marinade the eggs and allow them to soak up that delicious marinade, not cook them further!
Submerge Your Eggs Completely in the Marinade
Prepare an air tight container to put your eggs in and make sure it is deep enough to submerge the eggs in the liquid. If you don’t have enough liquid to fully cover the eggs, place a paper towel or parchment paper over the eggs and press it into the marinade, then secure the lid. You need them to be completely submerged so each Ramen Egg will marinate evenly (you don’t want any white spots!)
How to Store Ramen Eggs
Keep your Ramen Eggs in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days. I recommend removing them from the marinade after 1-2 days to avoid them becoming too salty. (The Ramen Eggs never last too long in my house so I’ve never had this issue!)
If you tried this Ramen Eggs recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
5 from 6 votes
Ramen Eggs (Perfectly Jammy!)
By: Chris Joe
Servings: 4
Prep: 30 minutes mins
Cook: 10 minutes mins
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These simple but delicious Ramen eggs are a great compliment to a hearty, comforting bowl of ramen! This is how I get them to peel easily with a perfectly jammy center every time!
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tbsp distilled white vinegar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup mirin
- 1/4 cup sake
US Customary – Metric
Instructions
In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add 2 tbsp of vinegar. Gently place the eggs in the boiling water and simmer for 7 minutes over a gentle boil, keeping the water temperature between 180-200F.
Combine soy sauce, mirin, and sake in a medium saucepan. Simmer over medium high heat for 2 minutes and remove from the heat to let cool.
Shock the eggs in ice water until completely cooled and remove the shell.
In a bowl or container, place in the eggs and pour over the cooled marinade. Cover and place in the fridge overnight. Serve with your favorite ramen and enjoy!
Notes
KEY TIPS:
Use Room Temperature Eggs: Consistency is key for making perfect Ramen Eggs every time – therefore, bring your eggs up to room temperature before cooking them. You can ensure they are at room temperature by taking them out of the refrigerator at least 30 min – 1 hour before cooking. If you are using cold, straight-from-the-refrigerator eggs, you will need to add another minute or so to your cooking time.
Add Vinegar into Your Boiling Water: I add distilled white vinegar to the water before boiling my eggs. Vinegar helps break down the egg shell, allowing the peeling to be a much easier process. You want your eggs to be peeled as smoothly as possible – otherwise, the raggedy texture will be highlighted after marinating.
Shock Your Eggs in an Ice Bath: Once the 7 minutes of cooking are up, remove the eggs from the pot and immediately shock them in ice water! This is a KEY step in making perfectly jammy Ramen Eggs. Shocking the eggs in ice water will stop them from cooking further. You do not want the eggs to continue cooking after the 7 minutes; otherwise, you will end up with hard-boiled eggs.
Cool Your Marinade: Make sure that the marinade is cooled completely prior to pouring it over the soft boiled eggs. This will ensure the eggs don’t overcook in the hot liquid. We only want to marinade the eggs and allow them to soak up that delicious marinade, not cook them further!
Submerge Your Eggs Completely in the Marinade: Prepare an air tight container to put your eggs in and make sure it is deep enough to submerge the eggs in the liquid. If you don’t have enough liquid to fully cover the eggs, place a paper towel or parchment paper over the eggs and press it into the marinade, then secure the lid. You need them to be completely submerged so each Ramen Egg will marinate evenly (you don’t want any white spots!)
How to Store Ramen Eggs: Keep your Ramen Eggs in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days. I recommend removing them from the marinade after 1-2 days to avoid them becoming too salty. (The Ramen Eggs never last too long in my house so I’ve never had this issue!)
Nutrition
Calories: 115kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 7gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 164mgSodium: 1021mgPotassium: 95mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 238IUCalcium: 50mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Japanese
Tried this recipe?Mention @cj.eats_ or tag #cjeatsrecipes!
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5 Comments
Made this for my fam and they loved it!Reply
Thanks for the tips!!Reply
Made a whole bunch and stored them for a week and a half. Surprisingly still super delicious!Reply
How do you warm up the eggs if you stored them in the refrigerator without cooking the yolk more?
Reply
These are actually served cold! You can put them in broth and they will warm up nicely 🙂
Reply
