Ramen eggs are soy sauce marinated eggs that are soft boiled for a runny, jammy yolk. They're also called shoyu eggs, soy sauce eggs, or soy marinated eggs. In Japan they're called ajitama or ajitsuke tamago (味付け玉子) and are often served atop a bowl of ramen.
Ramen eggs are delicious soft boiled eggs that are marinated in a soy sauce and mirin mixture. No bowl of ramen is complete without these eggs in my opinion. They can have a soft, runny yolk, or a gelatinous jammy yolk according to your preference.
Ajitama has a savory, umami taste, and depending on how long they've been marinating for, they'll have a stronger soy sauce flavor.
Ramen eggs are also known as soy sauce eggs, soy marinated eggs, or shoyu eggs. In Japan they go by 'ajitama' which is a portmanteau of 'ajitsuke tamago' (味付け玉子) which translates to seasoned eggs.
These soy sauce eggs also make a great snack and can be added to salads, rice bowl, or other noodles. Ramen eggs are low carb, naturally keto friendly, and high in protein.
Ingredients
- Eggs - I used large eggs; cooking times are based on this size. Tip: Older eggs are easier to peel.
- Vinegar - Adding vinegar when boiling eggs softens the shell which makes it easier to peel.
- Mirin - This is a Japanese rice wine. Substitute with water or stock with a pinch of sugar and a few drops of vinegar.
How to Make Ramen Eggs - Soy Sauce Eggs
Soft Boiled Eggs:
Cold eggs: Boil for 7 minutes straight from the fridge. Starting with cold eggs protect the center yolk from over cooking.
Room temperature eggs: Allow the eggs to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes prior to cooking. Boil for 6 minutes. The egg shell is less likely to crack due to less variance in temperature.
Ice Bath: Prepare in advance and immediately transfer the eggs to an ice bath to stop further cooking.
Make Marinade:
Add the ingredients for the marinade in a plastic ziplock bag and place it in a bowl for stabilization. Gently add the eggs, then push out any extra air.
Twist and clip the bag closed to allow the marinade to completely cover the eggs. This allows you to make a smaller amount of marinade without any waste.
Soy sauce eggs can be used after 1 hour and up to 3 days later. Cut in half and serve atop a hot bowl of ramen. Enjoy!
Substitutions & Variations
- For ramen eggs made without mirin: Use water or stock with a pinch of sugar and a few drops of vinegar. Mirin is a Japanese rice wine that's slightly sweet and acidic with a low alcohol content. There are also non-alcoholic mirin available.
- Spices: Feel free to add a few slices of ginger or garlic to the marinade.
FAQ
For cold eggs directly from the fridge, boil for 7 minutes. For room temperature eggs, boil for 6 minutes. Immediately place them in an ice bath.
I recommend consuming within 3 days of making them. Store them in the marinade in the fridge.
If you'd like to reuse the marinade, I suggest boiling and cooling it first. But I recommend making a fresh batch of marinade for best flavor.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! Please share, rate, or comment below. I'd love to hear from you!
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Thanks so much for stopping by! 🧡 -Jamie
More recipes:
Ramen Eggs - Soy Sauce Marinated Eggs
☑ Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 1 Tablespoon vinegar - for easy peeling
Ramen Egg Marinade
- ½ cup water or stock
- 5 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 Tablespoons mirin - see Note 1 for substitutions
- 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce - (optional for deeper color)
Instructions
Soft Boil Eggs
- Soft boiled eggs: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add vinegar for easy peeling, then gently lower each egg into the pot. Set a timer for 6 minutes for room temperature eggs or 7 minutes for cold eggs from the refrigerator. See Note 2.Stir the eggs in one direction for the first 30 seconds for an even cross section.6 eggs, 1 Tablespoon vinegar
- Peel eggs: After the timer is up, place the eggs in an ice bath to stop cooking. Once cooled, crack the shell all over and carefully peel by inserting a spoon between the egg and shell.
Marinate Eggs
- Marinate eggs: Place a ziplock plastic bag in a small bowl or cup for stabilization. Then add the water or stock, soy sauce, mirin, and optional dark soy sauce to the plastic bag. Gently place the eggs inside the bag and squeeze the air out of the bag to ensure the eggs are covered in the marinade. Add more water or stock if needed. Twist and clip the bag closed. This allows for a smaller amount of marinade to cover the eggs without extra waste.Marinate in soy mirin mixture for up to 3 days in the fridge.½ cup water or stock, 5 Tablespoons soy sauce, 4 Tablespoons mirin, 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
- Serve: Cut in half and place on top of ramen noodles or rice bowls. Enjoy!
✎ Recipe Notes
- Mirin substitutions - Mirin is a Japanese rice wine that's slightly sweet and acidic. For a non-alcoholic substitute, use water or stock with a pinch of sugar and a few drops of vinegar. Otherwise replace with half sake and half water, with a pinch of sugar.
- Boiling eggs - Be sure to boil the eggs in a pot large enough to hold them in a single layer. If your pot is too small, the eggs will lower the temperature of the water too much and the whites won't set in time. Stir in one direction for first 30 seconds for an even cross section. Room temperature eggs should be left on the counter for 30 minutes prior to boiling.
- Marination time - Ramen eggs can be marinated in the fridge for up to 3 days. They can be enjoyed 1 hour after marinating but will taste best the next day.
- Storage - Store remaining eggs in the marinade for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools.
Claire
These eggs really are as perfect as they get! I had remembered loving them in Japan with my ramen, and have always wanted to recreate them at home. Thanks for the tip about cooking the eggs from cold to maintain that great yolk!
Jamie
Thank you Claire! I'm so glad you found the recipe helpful!
Jodi
Absolutely delicious! This is my go to ramen egg recipe! Thank you for sharing!
Jamie
That's so great to hear. Thank you Jodi!
Alison
So simple and delicious! I'm never making ramen without these eggs again!
Anita
These eggs are perfect and definitely a must have for ramen. 🙂
June
Ended up with a perfectly cooked egg with a jammy yolk. Added it to a rice bowl but will try with ramen next time.
Heather
First time making these soy sauce eggs..and they were so good. Made the ramen SO much better!
Jamie
Yay I'm so glad to hear that Heather! Yes it's a must have for ramen! 🙂
Heidy
I hadn't had shoyu eggs that were good in so long. I want to say since I was in California. Your shoyu eggs were perfect! I am happy I found you on Pinterest because I am making more of your recipes! Have a fabulous day!
Heidy
Jamie
Aww thank you so much Heidy! That makes me so happy. 🙂
Chef and Steward
This ramen egg was such a huge hit over the weekend that I had to return to share how lovely this recipe is.
Jamie
Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Farrukh Aziz
I made this for a potluck party, and it was awesome! I used the non-alchoholic substitute for mirin, yet the eggs were delicious! Thanks, Jamie!
Jamie
I'm so happy to hear that Farrukh! Yes mirin isn't necessary to make delicious ramen eggs! 🙂
Brianna
That jammy egg is one of my favorite parts of getting ramen. These eggs came out perfectly.
Jamie
That's great Brianna! Jammy eggs are my favorite part of ramen too!
LaKita
These ramen eggs are so perfect, flavorful, and delicious! I always wondered how the restaurants made them and this recipe is an exact copy. My at-home ramen will never be the same!
Jamie
Yay I'm so glad to hear that! Thanks for sharing!
Linda
Love this egg soy sauce recipe. So easy, flavorful, and I just can't get enough of these eggs.
Jamie
Thanks Linda! So happy you liked these soy sauce eggs!
Claudia Lamascolo
Very flavorful eggs will make these again!
Jamie
Thanks for trying the recipe Claudia! Glad to hear you'll be making these again! 🙂
Marlynn
These are so delicious with ramen! I added a little bit of garlic to the marinade, as you included in one of your suggestions, and it was so flavorful.
Jamie
Thank you Marlynn! So glad you enjoyed them!
Maria
will definitely try this once I crave for ramen again!
Tavo
Sounds like a delicious recipe! I'll make these today!