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.
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Ramen Eggs - Soy Sauce Marinated Eggs
☑ Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 1 Tablespoon vinegar - for easy peeling
Ramen Egg Marinade
- ¾ cup water or stock
- 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 Tablespoons mirin - see Note 1 for substitutions
- 1 teaspoon 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 air out of the bag to ensure the eggs are covered in the marinade. 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.¾ cup water or stock, 3 Tablespoons soy sauce, 3 Tablespoons mirin, 1 teaspoon 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.
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