Ramen Eggs (Ajitsuke Tamago). Perfect soft-boiled eggs marinated in a delicious soy marinade made of simple ingredients. So easy to make!
These umami-rich eggs are so easy to make and are the perfect topping to your ramen noodles or in rice bowls! Or simply on their own as a tasty snack for protein!
This ramen egg recipe is so incredibly easy to make at home you'll be laughing! You can say goodbye to spending money on these at your favorite ramen shops because you can now make them in the comfort of your own kitchen. This delicious ramen egg is one of my absolute favorites in ramen soup! I also love to prepare these eggs in advance for meal preparation or as a great snack! My husband is a big fan of them.
What are Ramen Eggs or Ajitsuke Tamago?
Ramen eggs (aka Ajitsuke Tamago or Ajitama in Japanese), soy sauce eggs or shoyu eggs are simply Japanese soft-boiled eggs marinated in a rich soy sauce. After they are boiled, they are then cooled in a bowl of iced water. Then cracked and peeled and soaked in a simple marinade which usually contains soy sauce, water or sake, mirin, and sugar. The marinating time takes about 24 hours for a caramel brown color in the egg white.
Your local Japanese ramen restaurant will serve these delicious eggs on top of a bowl of ramen or as a side dish. The outer layer of the egg white is colored brown, thanks to the soy sauce mixture. However, the center of the egg is an orange-yellow egg yolk. Typically, it's a runny yolk and it tastes incredible with your hot bowl of ramen due to its umami taste. Japanese restaurants will serve them sliced open for presentation.
These eggs are very popular among Japanese people for good reason! Each Japanese household will have different ways of making them to serve with their bowls of ramen or on top of rice. But I'm sharing the best way to make them for most home cooks!
Minimal Ingredients & Easy Recipe
This is the perfect ramen egg recipe! You'll be surprised at minimal the ingredients are! Soy eggs only require 6 ingredients (with two optional ones to help make the peeling process easier). In addition, the cooking process is very quick and only takes less than 10 minutes if we're counting preparation time. The marinating time takes about 24 hours, but I recommend making them the night before! These quick ramen eggs really come together in a pinch if you plan accordingly!
Not a fan of Soft-Boiled Ramen Eggs?
Also, if you're not a fan of soft boiled eggs, you can boil the eggs for longer for hard-boiled eggs (about 10-12 minutes). The ramen egg marinade tastes great both soft and hard boiled eggs! However, my personal preference, especially with homemade ramen, is a soft boiled egg. There is nothing like that delicious taste of jammy yolks oozing out of that salty egg white! YUM!
Ingredients
You'll need the below ingredients for this ramen egg recipe. Please scroll down to the below recipe card for exact measurements.
Note: Most Asian grocers will carry these ingredients. You may find some at your select grocery store or online, like on Amazon.
- Large fresh eggs: room temperature eggs are ideal to avoid any possible cracking of the eggshells. When a cold eggshell meets hot boiling water, this can cause the eggshell to crack in the pot of water.
- Tip: if you forget to bring your eggs to room temperature, the easiest way is run them under hot to warm water until the shell is room temperature.
- Tip: Source fresh eggs and avoid using older eggs as they won't taste as great.
- Tip: If you want a bright orange runny egg yolk, a great way is to use eggs with omega 3s from healthy happy hens! That's what I use.
- The ideal cooking time for soft boiled eggs is 6 minutes so set a timer! For hard-boiled eggs, it's 10 minutes.
Soy sauce marinade:
- Regular soy sauce: just your all-purpose soy sauce. Not light soy sauce or dark soy sauce, however you could use a combination of these two and please add to your own taste. As light soy sauce is saltier than all purpose soy sauce and dark soy sauce is less salty than all purpose.
- Mirin: A Japanese sweet rice wine commonly used in Japanese cooking.
- Cold water: to help dilute the soy sauce or it'll be super salty.
- Sugar: or brown sugar to help balance out the salty flavors in the rich sauce
Optional:
- White vinegar, for boiling the eggs & to help make the peeling process easier.
- Salt, for boiling the eggs & to help make the peeling process easier.
How to make Ramen Eggs
Scroll down to the below full recipe card for more detailed instructions:
In a mason jar or small air-tight container, combine marinade ingredients. Set aside.
In a small pot with enough water, add vinegar and salt. Boil water over high heat.
(If needed, bring cold eggs to room temperature by running them under warm to hot water until the shell is not cold)
Once water reaches boiling point, carefully lower room temperature eggs. Reduce to medium high heat for a rolling boil.
Soft boil eggs for 6 minutes, uncovered. For hard-boiled eggs, boil for 10 minutes. Meanwhile prepare an ice water bath in a large bowl.
Transfer cooked eggs into bowl of ice water. Let them sit in the ice bath until the eggs have cooled down completely.
Gently crack and peel eggs.
Carefully place cooked eggs into soy sauce marinade.
Tip: Place a small square of plastic wrap on top of the eggs to help submerge them deeper into the marinade. Cover the container with a lid.
Marinate overnight or for 24 hours for best results. To enjoy: slice them open with a sharp chef knife by slicing them down the middle.
Storage
These eggs will last up to 3 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. By day 4, I would be cautious to consume, as the recipe requires a 24-hour marinating time which already counts as day 1.
FAQ
How can I bring my ramen eggs to the next level?
There are many ways to level up your ramen eggs and it all comes down to what you add into the marinade. Feel free to add any of the following optional extras:
- minced garlic
- bonito flakes for a deeper umami taste
- grated ginger
- green onions
- sesame seeds
- chili oil
What can I serve ramen eggs with?
Here are some ways you can serve ramen eggs:
- hot soup ramen
- instant ramen noodles
- other hot soup noodles
- hot steamed rice
- soup
- toast
- avocado toast for a more western approach!
- Green salad
- diced up and tossed into a creamy potato salad.
- as a snack on their own
Can I make this gluten free?
Yes, substitute the soy sauce with a gluten-free soy sauce. Tamari sauce or coconut aminos may work well too but please add to taste. Naturally mirin and the other ingredients are gluten free.
How to achieve perfectly peeled eggs?
First thing, make sure your eggs are room temperature. I share how to make them room temperature by simply running cold eggs under warm tap water until the shell is not cold. This prevents them from cracking in the hot bubbling water.
Secondly, I highly recommend adding vinegar and salt to the boiling water. This makes the peeling process much easier!
Thirdly, use the back of the spoon to gently tap the shell until it breaks and peel from the rounder side (or less pointy side of the egg). Peeling from the less pointy side is suggested because there is extra air between the egg and the eggshell. Creating space for you to peel the shells away without piercing the egg white. Then gently use the tip of the spoon to pry away the shells.
Other Egg recipes you may enjoy!
If you enjoyed my ramen egg recipe, please check out these other recipes:
- Korean Marinated Eggs
- Chinese Soy Marinated Eggs
- Chinese Tea Eggs
- Chinese Tomato Egg Stir Fry
- Egg Fried Rice
- Korean Egg Butter Rice
Easy Ramen Eggs
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar for boiling eggs to make peeling process easier (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt for boiling eggs to make peeling process easier (optional)
Soy Sauce Marinade
- ¼ cup regular soy sauce (not dark soy sauce)
- ¼ cup mirin
- ¼ cup cold water
- 2 teaspoon white granulated sugar or sub with brown sugar
Instructions
- In a mason jar or small air-tight container, combine Soy Sauce Marinade ingredients as listed. Set aside.
- In a small pot with enough water, add vinegar and salt. Boil water over high heat.
- Once water reaches boiling point, carefully lower room temperature eggs. (Tip: bring cold eggs to room temperature by running them under warm to hot water until the shell is not cold).
- Reduce to medium high heat for a rolling boil. Set a timer and soft boil eggs for 6 minutes, uncovered. For hard-boiled eggs, boil for 10 minutes. Meanwhile prepare an ice water bath in a large bowl.
- Transfer cooked eggs into bowl of ice water. Let them sit in the ice bath until the eggs have cooled down completely.
- Gently crack and peel eggs.
- Carefully place cooked eggs into soy sauce marinade. Tip: Place a small square of plastic wrap on top of the eggs to help submerge them deeper into the marinade. Cover the container with a lid.
- Marinate overnight or for 24 hours. To enjoy: slice them open with a sharp chef knife by slicing them down the middle.
Did you enjoy my recipe?