Buzz
Whether it’s hard-boiled, soft-boiled, seasoned, or poached, any egg is a delightful addition to a bowl of ramen. However, the true gem of the bunch is ajitsuke tamago, soft-boiled eggs marinated in soy sauce and other rich flavors. While commonly called “ramen eggs,” they’re not limited to ramen; enjoy them on toast for breakfast, as an umami-rich salad topping, or simply as a satisfying snack.
Making a ramen egg is straightforward, but there are endless ways to elevate it. The fun really begins when experimenting with different marinades, but first, you need to get those eggs cooked just right.
Consider what the egg will become
Will this egg be floating in a steaming bowl of ramen, or will you be eating it on its own? If it's going into hot broth, I prefer the yolk to have a slightly jammy texture around the edges but still a bit runny in the middle, allowing it to blend into the soup. If I’m eating the egg on its own, I’ll cook it for a little longer to firm it up.
For a soup egg, immerse it (straight from the fridge) in boiling water for 6.5 minutes, then transfer it to an ice bath for at least 15 minutes. This method will give you an easily peeled egg with a yolk that’s jammy around the edges and soft in the center. If you prefer a firmer yolk, extend the boil to 7 minutes, or 7.5 minutes for a fully cooked egg (without the sulfuric grey ring). Alternatively, you can use an Instant Pot: cook the eggs on high pressure for three minutes for soup eggs, or four minutes for snack eggs, followed by an immediate manual release and a 15-minute ice bath.
A touch of dilution can make a difference
There are countless ways to prepare an egg marinade, but my go-to consists of soy sauce (of course), mirin, sake, and a touch of brown sugar. I also like to thin it out a bit with water, which might seem unnecessary at first, given the already liquid nature of the mixture.
The dilution actually serves two purposes. It allows you to fine-tune the seasoning of the egg, and it prevents the yolk from curing too quickly before the flavors have had a chance to infuse. Cured yolks aren’t a bad thing, but they do change the texture significantly, and the texture is a crucial part of the whole experience. While there are many fantastic marinade recipes out there with fun ingredients like dashi, ginger, or star anise, I always start with a mix of mirin, soy, sake, and sweet sugar. For six eggs, you’ll need:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup mirin
1/4 cup sake
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Any additional spicy, sweet, or herbal ingredients you like (perhaps sushi ginger brine?)
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk with a fork until the sugar is fully dissolved. Taste it, and feel free to adjust according to your preference – after all, the future of your egg is in your hands. If you prefer a sweeter flavor, you can add more sugar, though you may need to heat the mixture to fully dissolve it. That’s perfectly fine, just ensure it cools completely before adding the eggs to prevent overcooking.
After boiling and chilling your eggs as described earlier, peel them and carefully place them in the marinade in the smallest container possible. I like using a jar because it lets the eggs stack on top of each other and stay submerged, but a bowl will work too—especially if you follow this Food Lab trick and cover them with two layers of paper towels (the liquid absorbed by the towel helps keep them fully submerged). Seal the jar or cover the eggs in the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least four hours, ideally overnight. If you'd like to enjoy your egg warm, just drop it in your ramen or, if you don't have soup, dunk it in boiling water for 10 seconds. And don’t discard that lovely marinade! It’s great for marinating other foods, adding to broth, or simmering into a sauce.
