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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.

Soft boiled ramen eggs (ajitama) marinated in soy sauce and cut in half to show runny, jammy yolk.

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 (ajitama) marinated in soy sauce cut in half and placed on top of a bowl of ramen noodles garnished with green onions and nori.

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.

Ramen eggs or soy sauce eggs marinated in a soy mirin mixture that's been cut in half to show jammy yolk.

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

Ingredients for ramen eggs with soy sauce and mirin marinade with text overlay.
  • 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.

Ramen eggs (ajitama) marinated in soy sauce cut in half and placed on top of a bowl of ramen noodles garnished with green onions and nori.

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.
Ramen eggs marinated in soy sauce with soft boiled yolk cut in half to show orange, runny yolk on a plate.

FAQ

How do you cook soft boiled eggs for ramen?

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.

How long do soy marinated eggs last?

I recommend consuming within 3 days of making them. Store them in the marinade in the fridge.

Can I reuse the soy egg marinade?

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!

Come find me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram! Share your recipes by tagging @drivemehungry. I love seeing your creations!

Thanks so much for stopping by! ? -Jamie


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Ramen eggs marinated in soy sauce cut in half to reveal soft boiled eggs with runny yolks.
5 from 549 votes
Servings: 6

Ramen Eggs – Soy Sauce Marinated Eggs

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 and is often served atop a bowl of ramen.
Prep: 3 minutes
Cook: 7 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
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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.
    Tapping an egg shell with the back of a spoon to crack the 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
    Soft boiled ramen eggs marinating in soy sauce and mirin in a plastic bag twisted closed..
  • Serve: Cut in half and place on top of ramen noodles or rice bowls. Enjoy!
    Ramen eggs (ajitama) marinated in soy sauce cut in half and placed on top of a bowl of ramen noodles garnished with green onions and nori.

Notes

  1. 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.
  2. 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. 
  3. 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.
  4. Storage – Store remaining eggs in the marinade for up to 3 days in the fridge.

Nutrition

Calories: 81kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 164mg, Sodium: 630mg, Potassium: 80mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 238IU, Calcium: 27mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

Jamie from Drive Me Hungry

Jamie

Hi there! I’m Jamie, enthusiastic eater and determined cook! I make is quick and easy recipes that still look amazing and taste delicious. Most of my recipes are perfect for weeknight meals as they're simple and easy to follow.

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Recipe Rating




120 Comments

  1. Allyssa says:

    5 stars
    Thank you so much for sharing this amazing ramen egg soy recipe! Will surely have this again! It’s really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!

    1. Jamie says:

      Aww thank you Allyssa! I’m glad you loved these ramen eggs!

  2. Heidy says:

    5 stars
    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

    1. Jamie says:

      Aww thank you so much Heidy! That makes me so happy. 🙂

  3. Jessie says:

    5 stars
    Amazing! It’s the perfect addition to top of any bowl of ramen!!

    1. Jamie says:

      Thanks Jessie! Can’t have ramen without ramen eggs!

  4. Chef and Steward says:

    5 stars
    This ramen egg was such a huge hit over the weekend that I had to return to share how lovely this recipe is.

    1. Jamie says:

      Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!

  5. Moop Brown says:

    5 stars
    These eggs are a great touch/addition to any ramen dish! Delicious!

    1. Jamie says:

      Thank you so much!

  6. Farrukh says:

    5 stars
    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!

    1. Jamie says:

      I’m so happy to hear that Farrukh! Yes mirin isn’t necessary to make delicious ramen eggs! 🙂

  7. Brianna says:

    5 stars
    That jammy egg is one of my favorite parts of getting ramen. These eggs came out perfectly.

    1. Jamie says:

      That’s great Brianna! Jammy eggs are my favorite part of ramen too!

  8. LaKita says:

    5 stars
    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!

    1. Jamie says:

      Yay I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for sharing!

  9. Linda says:

    5 stars
    Love this egg soy sauce recipe. So easy, flavorful, and I just can’t get enough of these eggs.

    1. Jamie says:

      Thanks Linda! So happy you liked these soy sauce eggs!

  10. Katie says:

    5 stars
    I love soft-boiled eggs so soy sauce flavored eggs sound delicious! I can’t wait to try these in ramen.

    1. Jamie says:

      Thanks Katie! Let me know how it turns out!

  11. Claudia Lamascolo says:

    5 stars
    Very flavorful eggs will make these again!

    1. Jamie says:

      Thanks for trying the recipe Claudia! Glad to hear you’ll be making these again! 🙂

  12. Jacq says:

    5 stars
    Interesting recipe, never seen these before. Love learning everything about traditional foods!

  13. K says:

    5 stars
    I made these a few times now and they are always so good and never last long because they are so tasty! I want to make a double batch next time and wondering if I can reuse the marinade?

    1. Jamie says:

      Thanks, K. I’m so glad they turned out well! I wouldn’t recommend reusing the marinade because it will dilute the flavor. But if you’d like to reuse it, please reboil the marinade and let it cool before using it. I hope that helps!

  14. Dan says:

    5 stars
    These are the best soy sauce eggs. I add a pinch of sugar and sometimes sliced jalapenos for spice. My family loves it.

    1. Jamie says:

      Thanks Dan! Great idea adding sugar and peppers!

  15. Marlynn says:

    5 stars
    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.

    1. Jamie says:

      Thank you Marlynn! So glad you enjoyed them!

  16. Maria says:

    5 stars
    will definitely try this once I crave for ramen again!

    1. Jamie says:

      Thanks Maria! It makes ramen so much better!

  17. Seanna Borrows says:

    5 stars
    Delicious recipe for ramen eggs! The clear instructions make this recipe a breeze.

    1. Jamie says:

      Thanks Seanna! So glad you found the instructions helpful!

  18. Tavo says:

    5 stars
    Sounds like a delicious recipe! I’ll make these today!

  19. Bella says:

    5 stars
    A flavorful and delicious way of enjoying some healthy protein.

    1. Jamie says:

      Yes it’s a great high protein snack!

  20. Biana says:

    5 stars
    These eggs are so simple to make and are so delicious! Perfect on top of a bowl of ramen.

    1. Jamie says:

      Thanks for sharing Biana!