Soy Sauce Eggs are a quintessential ramen topping that you can make at home with just 4 simple ingredients and 5 minutes of prep. They'll be ready to enjoy in a few hours and are even better when marinated overnight.
What would a ramen bowl be without soft cooked egg halves bobbing around with their vibrant, runny yolks and soy sauce tinged whites? But don't limit these versatile eggs to just a soup topper. They're wonderful served over rice or noodles, atop stir fried vegetables or just on their own as a snack!
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Ingredients You Need to Make Soy Sauce Eggs
- Eggs: large or x-large eggs
- Water: ideally filtered
- Soy Sauce: ideally Japanese style soy sauce (shoyu)
- Mirin: or sake
- Ginger: fresh ginger root
To make Soy Sauce Eggs (Ajitsuke Tamago, "marinated half cooked egg" ), a traditional ramen component, you'll cook the eggs and prepare marinade separately before combining them. The eggs are best soft boiled, so the whites are cooked through and their runny yolks remain. Simmering the marinade ingredients separately allows the flavors to meld before adding the eggs.
How long do soy sauce eggs last?
Once you've added the soft boiled eggs to the marinade, they'll be ready to enjoy in a few hours. They're best when refrigerated overnight to allow the flavors to permeate, and the whites to firm up slightly while the yolk gets creamier. The longer they stay in the marinade, the stronger the flavor will become and, left too long, the eggs will become hard and rubbery. So plan on enjoying them within three days.
Build Your Perfect Bowl of Ramen
Soy Sauce Eggs
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons mirin
- 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh ginger root
Instructions
- Prepare an ice bath for the eggs.
- Add enough water to a medium saucepan to cover eggs and bring to boil; slowly lower eggs into boiling water to keep them from cracking (see recipe note). Reduce heat to simmer and cook 7 minutes; transfer eggs to ice bath.
- Meanwhile, combine water, soy sauce, mirin and ginger in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Carefully pour mixture into a glass quart jar; set aside to cool.
- When eggs are cool enough to handle, peel by gently tapping eggs all over on the counter or a cutting board, then rolling with your palm using gentle pressure. Starting from the bottom peel away shell and membrane. Rinse off any tiny shell fragments with cold water.
- Carefully lower peeled eggs into marinade; cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and ideally 1 day before serving. For the best flavor and texture, enjoy within 3 days.
Notes
- Or place the eggs in a steamer basket over boiling water in a medium saucepan. Cover and steam 7 minutes; transfer to ice bath and continue with recipe.
What can you use the marinade for after the eggs are done? It feels like a waste to just throw it away.
Hi Lena! You can reuse the marinade for one or two more batches of eggs.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I used apple cider vinegar w sugar as substitute to mirin. It taste good but i shall buy me a mirin soon and follow this instructions. Have you tried reusing the soy mixture for another batch of soft boiled eggs?
My pleasure, Jill! Great question. Yes, I've reused the marinade for a second batch and it worked just fine.
What can I use as Mirin substitute (non-alcoholic, it an allergy), or can I just leave it out?
Hi Connie! I'd substitute an equal amount of unseasoned rice vinegar (3 tablespoons) along with 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar.
My favorite part of the ramen bowl. (My son's too.) I've made tea eggs but I've never tried these. This has inspired me to do so! 🙂 ~Valentina
I'm so excited for you and your son to taste these, Valentina!
You've been on the ramen bowl kick lately! I love it! These soy sauce eggs sound fantastic, and I could definitely go for a batch. I love how you can prep a bunch at one time, too!
haha...you're right about that, David! It's such a fun cooking project to make a ramen bowl just the way you like it.
These eggs look terrific! I love the gorgeous vibrant egg yolks and this lovely brown-dyed exterior. Look forward to the recipes with these eggs.
Thanks, Ben! These eggs really are so flavorful and versatile.
They are so perfectly done!
Thanks Angie!