Japanese ramen eggs, or soy eggs, are perfectly soft boiled eggs marinated in a umami rich broth, the perfect topping for your next ramen bowl!
If I could have only one topping on my ramen bowl it would have to be a perfectly marinated ramen egg!
Of all the yummy ramen toppings, the ramen egg reigns supreme. No mystery there. Silky soft boiled eggs with that perfectly jammy yolk ~ steeped in a sweet/salty/umami marinade. Slicing one open and seeing that golden yolk burst forth is almost as fun as eating it!
We call them ramen eggs or soy eggs. In Japan they’re Shoyu Tamago (translates to soy sauce egg) or Ajitsuke Tamago (seasoned or flavored egg,) Ajitama for short. They’re sooooo good on a bowl of steaming ramen, and they’re super easy to make. I’ll show you how to soft boil the perfectly jammy egg, and then how to marinate it ~ easy peasy!
Let’s dig in
quick ramen eggs recipe ingredients
- eggs
- specifically large eggs, at room temperature.
ramen egg marinade
- soy sauce
- I use tamari soy sauce, but dark soy sauce is another great choice. It’s darker, thicker, and richer than regular soy sauce and will give your ramen eggs a deeper color more quickly.
- mirin
- sweet Japanese rice wine used for cooking.
- brown sugar
- sake (totally optional!)
- Sake is a Japanese alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice. It adds complexity to the marinade but you can leave it out ~ just increase the soy sauce and mirin.
how to make jammy ramen eggs, step by step
You’ll need a saucepan for boiling the eggs, a bowl for the ice bath, and a smaller bowl for the marinade.
step 1. Bring water to a boil & soft boil eggs
Use a slotted spoon to gently lower eggs into boiling water. Set a timer the minute your eggs enter the boiling water.
ramen eggs time chart
Runny: Cook the eggs for 6 minutes for a very runny yolk. This might be too soft for some people.
*Jammy: Cook for 6.5-7 minutes for the classic ramen egg experience. The yolk will be thick and creamy, but just set around the edges. This is what I do for the perfect ramen egg.
Slightly runny: Cook for 7-7.5 minutes for a yolk that’s more set, with just a hint of runnyness in the center.
Fully set: Go beyond 7.5 minutes for a completely cooked yolk. While not traditional for ramen eggs, this provides a different textural experience.
step 2. Plunge eggs into an ice bath & peel
The ice bath stops the cooking and cools them down so you can peel. Take a butter knife and tap sharply but gently all over the egg shell, creating a network of fine cracks. Place the egg under a stream of cool running water to gently remove the shell.
step 3. Marinate eggs
They only take a few hours to marinate, during which the umami flavors of the marinade soak into the outer layer of the soft eggs. Here’s a trick from Kenji Lopez-Alt : take a paper towel and place it over the top of the eggs so that the towel becomes saturated with marinade and that will keep marinade coating the floating tops. Note: if your marinade doesn’t mostly cover your eggs you can add more soy sauce, or even water to boost it. But be aware that water will dilute the flavors.
step 4. Slice and serve
Don’t slice your eggs until you are ready to enjoy as a snack or serve in a hot bowl of ramen ~ and be careful, that yummy yolk will spill out if they aren’t level! Unsliced they can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for a few days.
ramen eggs faqs
Can I make ramen eggs without mirin?
- Yes, combine equal parts water and sugar to replicate the sweetness and slight dilution that mirin provides.
Can I leave out the sake in the marinade?
- Yes, for sure. Use more mirin and soy sauce to replace it.
Can I use water in the marinade?
- That’s not recommended as it will dilute the flavors.
Can you reuse the marinade?
- No, I don’t recommend it because eggs release bacteria into the marinade and it can be a safety hazard. If you must reuse it you should heat it to a boil in a saucepan, and then let cool completely. Only reuse ramen egg marinade once.
Can I leave the eggs to marinate in the refrigerator overnight?
- You can leave them overnight in the refrigerator, but be aware of how marination time affects the eggs ~ a salty marinade actually firms up the yolks over time:
- 4-8 hours: This is a good standard timeframe for a balanced flavor and creamy yolk.
- Overnight (12-24 hours): This results in a stronger soy sauce flavor and a jammy yolk that’s set on the edges.
- More than 24 hours: While possible, it can dry out the yolk and make the flavor overly intense.
Can you marinate soy eggs at room temperature?
- While some do, I recommend refrigerating ~ eggs and marinades are both susceptible to bacterial growth, especially at room temperature. Trust me, you don’t want to get salmonella!
Ramen Eggs
Equipment
- saucepan
- small deep jar or bowl for marinating
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs* , at room temperature
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup mirin
- 1/3 cup sake (or substitute more soy and mirin)
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
Instructions
- Whisk together the marinade ingredients until the sugar dissolves. Pour it into a small deep bowl that will fit your 6 eggs and set aside.
- Bring a quart of water to a boil in a saucepan. Use a slotted spoon to gently lay each egg into the pan. Immediately set a timer for your preferred degree of doneness, see chart in the notes below.
- While the eggs are boiling prepare an ice bath or large bowl of very cold water.
- The instant the timer rings remove the eggs to the ice bath to stop the cooking and cool them down.
- Working with one egg at a time take a butter knife and gently but firmly tap it all around to make a fine network of cracks all over the egg. Peel under cool running water.
- Gently place the eggs into the marinade. Your goal is to have all sides of the eggs completely immersed, but that's sometimes difficult because they float to the surface. You can take a paper towel and place it over the top of the eggs so that the towel becomes saturated with marinade and that will keep marinade coating those floating tops. Note: if your marinade doesn't mostly cover your eggs you can add more soy sauce, or even water to boost it. But be aware that water will dilute the flavors.
- Refrigerate the eggs and allow them to marinate for 4-6 hours.
- Remove the eggs from the marinade. You can use them right away. Simply slice in half and snack on them, or add to your favorite noodle bowl.
- To store unused eggs pop them into a zip lock baggie or airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Thanks for the info on how to make ramen eggs. I would like to make it with the soup you have on the site. What’s the recipe for it or where on your website is it.
The ramen recipe is here.