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Japanese Ramen Egg Recipe: How to Prepare Ramen Eggs

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Dec 21, 2024 • 2 min read

Japanese ramen eggs (ajitsuke tamago)—with their caramel-colored edges and salty-sweet undertones—are a mainstay of ramen shops and bento boxes.

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What Is a Ramen Egg?

A ramen egg is a soft-boiled egg marinated in a salty-sweet mixture of soy sauce and mirin. Soaking the eggs overnight infuses them with complex umami flavor. Ramen eggs are typically served atop bowls of ramen, a dish of thin, yellow noodles cooked in a hot broth, or enjoyed as a snack or side dish.

3 Factors that Impact Cooking Time for Soft-Boiled Eggs

When preparing to soft boil eggs, three specific factors can affect the cooking time:

  1. 1. Water temperature. Aim for 190°F for best results. Bring room temperature water to a rolling boil before bringing it to a constant simmer and adding your eggs for an even cooking process. Using the cold water method to halt cooking will allow for even more precision.
  2. 2. Batch size. The more eggs you add to the pot, the slower the cooking process will be. Four eggs are the maximum amount that you should cook at a time for a perfectly soft-boiled batch.
  3. 3. Egg size. Eggs come in six different sizes, ranging from peewee to jumbo, which can impact the cooking time. Larger eggs may take longer for the whites to set and yolks to come up to preferred consistency.

3 Tips for Making Ramen Eggs

If you can boil an egg, you can make ramen eggs. Here are a few pointers for a perfect soft-centered egg every time:

  1. 1. Have a bowl of ice water ready. Cooling the eggs immediately in ice water halts the cooking process, allowing for more precision in the texture of the runny egg yolk.
  2. 2. Use room temperature eggs. Cold eggs that go straight from the fridge into hot water are more likely to crack. Let your eggs come to room temperature first, or warm them up under lukewarm water from the tap before boiling.
  3. 3. Serve as a side dish or appetizer. To serve ramen eggs as a side dish or app, top them with flaky sea salt, spicy chili oil, thinly sliced scallions, crunchy sesame seeds, or a drizzle of dark soy sauce.

Perfect Ramen Egg Recipe

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makes

4 eggs

prep time

5 min

total time

24 hr 11 min

cook time

6 min

Ingredients

  1. 1

    Bring a large pot of water to boil. Ensure there’s enough water to cover all 4 eggs adequately.

  2. 2

    Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl, and set it aside. Pour the soy sauce, mirin, and 1 cup of water into a sturdy resealable plastic bag.

  3. 3

    Add the eggs to the boiling water, and reduce to a rolling simmer. Boil the eggs for around 6–8 minutes to cook the egg white, but leave the egg yolks runny or slightly jammy. (Alternatively, you can also hard-boil the eggs.)

  4. 4

    Immediately transfer the eggs to the cold water bath with a slotted spoon, and let them sit until they’re cool enough to handle.

  5. 5

    Peel the eggs, and discard the eggshells. Add the cooked eggs to the bag with the soy sauce-mirin marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator for 24–48 hours, depending on when you want to use them. Longer marinating times impart more flavor into the eggs.

  6. 6

    Slice the eggs in half lengthwise, and add them to a bowl of ramen or enjoy them as a snack.

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