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These super easy ramen eggs have custardy, jammy to slightly runny yolks and are soaked in a sweet, savory, umami-rich soy sauce marinade, perfect for a topping on ramen, and more!
Eggs are one of my all-time favorite ingredients and these ramen eggs are one of my obsessions. They’re perfectly jammy and packed with flavor. Plus, they only require pantry-staple ingredients and a simple method to prepare.
Table of contents
What are ramen eggs
Ramen eggs are also called shoyu eggs, soy sauce eggs, or soy-marinated eggs. In Japan they are called shoyu tamago, nitamago, ajitama, or ajitsuke tamago. They are flavorful soft-boiled eggs (they MUST have a jammy yolk) and are marinated in a sweet and savory, soy sauce-based marinade. When done right, the eggs absorb the marinade flavors and take on a deep brown color on the exterior. They’re creamy in the middle and packed with rich, umami-dense flavor, ready to take your ramen or miso ramen to the next level.
Watch how to make it!
What do you need
Rely on a few ingredients to prepare these aromatic marinated eggs.
- Eggs: I used large, room-temperature eggs that are similar in size.
- White vinegar: To add to the eggs while cooking for easier peeling.
- Salt: To add to the water – which is also meant to help with peeling.
For the Marinade:
- Soy Sauce: Dark soy sauce is best for its depth of flavor and deeper color.
- Aromatics: Use garlic and ginger for a robust and slightly hot flavor.
- Sugar: To balance the tangy and salty flavors and add a subtle sweetness.
- Mirin: It is a slightly sweet, acidic rice wine that adds a tangy, sweet flavor.
- Water: To bring the marinade to the correct consistency.
How to make ramen eggs
Prepare the marinade
First, peel and slice the ginger and smash or slice the garlic. Then, add them to a small saucepan along with the soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Heat the mixture over medium-low heat, often stirring, until the sugar dissolves, then for a further 1-2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the water. Remove the ginger and garlic with a strainer and set the liquid aside to cool.
There’s no need to discard the ginger/garlic. Instead, chop it up and use it within your ramen, stir-fries, and other recipes. If you leave them in the marinade, their flavor will become stronger over time and may throw off the flavor balance.
Cook soft-boiled eggs
Bring a large pot of water and the white vinegar to a boil. Once boiling, use a slotted spoon to carefully lower the eggs in the water. Then lower the heat to a simmer (bubbling but not causing the eggs to bounce about). Allow them to boil for exactly 7 minutes. Keep in mind that cooking times vary depending on the size of the eggs as well as your preference for their doneness.
Set a timer
Set a timer from when the first egg is submerged in the boiling water to ensure they aren’t overcooked. Boil for 6.5 minutes for a firm white with a runny yolk. 7 minutes for a firm white and a jammy/runny yolk, which is my favorite, as shown in the photos. If you use refrigerated eggs, you will need to add one minute to the cooking time.
Immediately after cooking, transfer the eggs to an ice bath (a bowl of iced water with ice). Leave them to sit for at least 8-10 minutes or until they’re entirely cooled. This step is important to maintain the jammy/runny yolk. If you don’t halt the cooking process, the residual heat will continue to cook the eggs.
Once cool, peel the eggs. Gently tap one side against a surface and then roll the egg back and forth over the counter to break up the shell. Then carefully peel them. Here are my top tips for peeling eggs if you need extra help.
Marinate the eggs
Transfer the boiled eggs to a glass container (I prefer a large jar, but a bowl will work, too). Cover them with the soy sauce mixture. It can help to place a little weight (a small coaster/plate) over the top to ensure any floating eggs still get soaked.
You can also use a Ziplock. First, place it in a bowl and add the eggs and marinade. Then push out all excess air. Clip the bag closed just above the eggs rather than at the “zip” top.
Leave the ramen eggs to marinate in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours (for a very subtle color/flavor) and up to 3 days. I find overnight is best.
Wet the knife before cutting ramen eggs to keep the yolk from sticking. Use a sharp knife with a straight edge. Remember to wash and wet it again after each egg.
Serve
Enjoy these Japanese soft-boiled eggs in a warm bowl of ramen, as a side dish with rice, in salads, over avocado toast, or enjoy the ramen eggs as a snack, lightly sprinkled with sesame seeds.
FAQs
You can store the soy-marinated eggs in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Allow them to marinate to your desired color and flavor, then move them to a clean airtight container so they don’t become too salty.
To warm a ramen egg for serving, slice it in half and add it directly to your ramen, where the heat of the broth will warm it. If you want it a little warmer still, briefly submerge it in boiling water for 10-15 seconds before slicing and adding it to your dish.
Technically yes, you can reuse the marinade for a further 1-2 batches, though many people report the flavor isn’t the same/as good. So it’s best practice to make a fresh batch. However, you could add the marinade to other recipes, like re-boiling it to enjoy with rice or stew.
More simple egg recipes
If you try this ramen egg recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
Super Easy Ramen Eggs
Ingredients
- 6 eggs large, room temperature
- 1 Tbsp white vinegar
- 4 cups water or more for boiling the eggs, make sure to cover them by at least 1 inch
Marinade
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 slices ginger
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar or regular sugar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce dark soy is best for deeper color and flavor
- 2 Tbsp mirin
- 1.5 cups water
Ice Bath
- 3-4 cups ice water a bowl of cold water with ice – needed to cool the eggs after cooking
Instructions
Prepare the marinade
- Peel and slice the ginger and smash or slice the garlic. Add them to a small saucepan along with the soy sauce, mirin, and sugar.
- Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves, then for a further 1-2 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat, add the water, remove the ginger and garlic with a strainer, and set the liquid aside to cool.There’s no need to discard the ginger/garlic. Instead, chop it up and use it within your ramen, stir-fries, and other recipes. If you leave them in the marinade, their flavor will become stronger over time and may throw off the flavor balance.
Boil the eggs
- Bring a large pot of water and the white vinegar to a boil.
- Once boiling, use a slotted spoon to carefully lower the eggs into the water. Lower the heat to a simmer (bubbling but not causing the eggs to bounce about) and allow them to boil for exactly 7 minutes.Set a timer from when the first egg is submerged in the boiling water to ensure they aren't overcooked. You can cook them +/- 1 minute depending on how runny or custardy you like them.
- Immediately after cooking, transfer the eggs to an ice bath (a bowl of cold water with ice) and leave them to sit for at least 8-10 minutes or until they’re entirely cooled.
- Once cool, peel the eggs by gently tapping one side against a surface and then rolling it back and forth over the counter to break up the shell. Then carefully peel them.
Marinate the eggs
- Transfer the boiled eggs to a glass container (I prefer a large jar, but a bowl will work, too). Cover them with the soy sauce mixture. It can help to place a little weight (a small coaster/plate) over the top to ensure any floating eggs still get soaked.
- Leave the eggs to marinate in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours (for a very subtle color/flavor) up to 3 days. I find overnight is best.Enjoy with ramen or as a snack.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
can I reuse the marinade the next day and add eggs I boiled?
Hi Audrey,
It’s better to make the marinate again for each new batch.
Better not reuse the marinade – I’ve done it once and destroyed a batch of eggs. They just went bad and didn’t really “soak” any juices from marinade. I guess the acidity, salt and/or flavor wasn’t there anymore? I don’t know, but it certainly didn’t work.
Thank you for your feedback. Indeed, it’s best to make a new batch.
Hi, I’ve tried several egg marinade recipes only to be disappointed by how salty or plain the eggs turned out to be. I didn’t give up until I found your recipe. It’s wonderful! The eggs tasted great whether I marinated them for a few hours or a few days. I was wondering if there was a specific reason why you take out the ginger and garlic after heating them up, because I usually just leave mine in
Hi Amy,
Thank you for your comment. Glad you’ve enjoyed the recipe.
No specific reason to remove the ginger and garlic besides thinking the marinade would become stronger over time. As long as you like the taste, feel free to leave them.
I just did this recipe today and I’m excited to taste the eggs tomorrow.
I wish that the yolks would be runny but I am concerned that they might be cooked hard because the eggs I used are rather tiny.
I also noticed that I didn’t hit the air pockets when I pierced the eggs but it turned out well. I’m just worried about my yolks. 😀
Thank you for your comment, Paul. I am glad you’ve tried this recipe. Hope the yolk turned out OK for you.
Bet they were tasty but took a bit to long to marinate.
Hi,
The eggs can be used in as little as 3 hours. Within 3 hours you get marinated, slightly colored eggs with a runny gooey yolk. You can of course keep marinating them further for more intense flavor and color. I hope this helps.
My eggs turned out undercooked in 6 minutes. The whites were too runny and fragile to peel them, so I’d go for six and a half minutes next time
Hi Victoria ,
Were the eggs at room temperature or from the fridge before boiling them? If you get directly from the fridge and put them right away to boil, it would be best to add an additional minute for cooking them.
Hey, thank you for the recipe! Very helpful. If you were to serve these with a hot meal, like ramen, how would you go about heating them back up without overcooking the yolk?
Hi Sam,
Thank you for your comment. You can either just add the egg to the hot ramen and it will warm up, or you can submerge it in boiling water for 10-15 seconds. I hope this helps.
Hey! Awesome flavor and love the easiness. I ran into a tad problem with my tiny poked hole at the top. My egg whites spewed out of the eggs for the first 4 minutes as if the hole was gigantic! (Twas micro indeed) Any suggestions on this?)
Hi Emily,
Maybe you could try using a small needle to make a small hole. This is only needed so that you don’t get the flattened end of the egg white. When there’s a hole, the air escapes and you get a smoother rounder end. I sometimes boil the eggs without pricking the shell and they are still great.
I hope this helps.
Great recipe! I’ve made 2 batches now. I prefer my eggs cooked at 7-8 minutes. The vinegar in the water made pealing eggs easy for the first time in my life. No missing chunks of egg! The second time I made this, I added 2 tbs saki and reduced the water to 1 cup. Best ramen egg recipe I’ve found to date. Thank you!
Thank you so much for sharing this, Brianna. I am so happy you enjoyed the recipe.
I will give your version a try 🙂
Hi! Just wondering, if I marinate the eggs for 3 days, are they still good up to 4 days later? Or should they be eaten sooner?
Hi Kat,
You can definitely marinate the eggs for 3 days but then they should be eaten faster. Depending on how soft-boiled or hard-boiled they are, you should consume them within a week (from when boiling them). I hope this helps and you make the recipe 🙂
Hi there, I just tried this recipe and everything was fine until it was time to peel. They were stuck to the egg shells and a lot of the whites broke off. I am still going to use them so there is still hope. But for next time are you suggesting I leave them in the water 30 – 60 seconds longer and that will make them easy to peel?
Hi Ed,
Thanks for your comment. Sorry to hear you had issues with peeling the eggs. I find that adding white vinegar to the boiling water helps for peeling them. And then yes, as you suggest, leaving them a little longer to cool should also help. 🙂
I was a little iffy about using this recipe, but the picture of your eggs told me otherwise. The marinade was awesome, the mirin really helped bring it up another level too.
I followed the soy and water amount, everything else I added to taste. The eggs were to runny when I made them the first time ( made them 3 times already), so I just used my own way for hard boiled eggs, 11 minutes from cold to boiling water. Vinegar did not help with peeling eggs, which was the hardest and most frustrating part of this recipe!
I also suggest boiling the marinade before using it to marinate eggs again.
I also took the leftover marinade to boil a stew of potatoes, carrots, chicken and onions. It was so good!
Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you for the notes! Sorry to hear that the vinegar trick didn’t work for you- but I’m glad they worked out in the end.
Ooh – I may have to try that tip of adding to a stew, it sounds delicious.
6 min was certainly not enough time to get the eggs cooked through. I like a runny yolk but the whites were still clear and impossible to peel!
Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that. I did lots of testing to get the perfect timings, however, I understand that it can vary depending on how high the heat is on the pan. Make sure to only place the eggs in the pan once the water is already boiled and increase the heat if needed. You may need an additional 30 seconds – 1 minute. However, eggs can very quickly go from sof-boiled to hard so I’d test with an additional 30 seconds to begin. Hopefully, you get better results next time.
Are you starting with room temp or fridge temp eggs?
Hi Jacqueline,
I usually use room temperature eggs. If you get directly from the fridge and put them right away to boil, it would be best to add an additional minute for cooking them.
I hope this helps and you enjoy the ramen eggs. 🙂
Cooking time can vary too cuz there r diff size eggs jumbo large small ect
You are right, Bernadette. Thank you.
I would also suggest using eggs with similar sizes when possible 🙂