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Ramen eggs marinated in soy sauce cut in half to reveal soft boiled eggs with runny yolks.
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5 from 505 votes

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 Time3 minutes
Cook Time7 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Chinese, Japanese, Korean
Servings: 6
Calories: 81kcal

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