Follow this easy technique to make perfect soft-boiled eggs every time!
Boiling eggs may seem like the simplest kitchen task one can accomplish with a blink of an eye, but most of us know it is much trickier than that. If you have never made soft boiled eggs because it looks more intimidating than hard boiled eggs, then I hope this step-by-step recipe will encourage you to give it a try!
How to Make Perfect Soft-Boiled Egg – Timing & Ice Bath
To achieve the right texture for soft-boiled eggs, timing is key. Fill your sauce pan with enough water so the eggs are submerged completely. After you bring the water to a rolling boil, gently put in the eggs from the refrigerator one at a time before you reduce the heat to a simmer. Then begin timing right away. For four eggs, it takes about 6.5 to 7 minutes. If you prefer the yolk to be more runny, you can reduce the timing by a minute.
When it’s done, stop the cooking process immediately by submerge the eggs in an iced bath for 3 minutes. Once the eggs are cooled, they will be good to go. The whites of the soft-boiled eggs should be firm (but not overly hard) and the yolk warm and runny.
Enjoy Soft-Boiled Eggs (Hanjuku Tamago 半熟卵) the Japanese Way
I like to prepare Hard Boiled Eggs and Soft Boiled Eggs (Hanjuku Tamago 半熟卵) for Japanese dishes like Ramen, Udon, and Japanese Curry Rice. They never failed to make a dish extra special and extra satisfactory.
Sometimes I eat soft boiled eggs as a snack too. Just a light sprinkle of furikake (rice seasonings) and shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) before you dig in. It is as good as a snack can get!
Now that you’ve learned the simple technique of making perfect soft-boiled eggs, I hope you get to enjoy your ramen or rice dishes with this protein-packed companion. Like a molten lava cake with oozing chocolate, nothing is more luxurious when you slice open the soft-boiled eggs to reveal the golden runny yolk.
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- 4 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell) (refrigerated)
- water
- ice cubes
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Put water (should be 1 inch above eggs) in a saucepan and bring the water to boil on medium heat.
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Once boiling, take out the eggs from the refrigerator and gently put the eggs in the boiling water using a slotted spoon.
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Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the eggs for 6.5 to 7 minutes. If you want your egg yolk to be in the center, gently rotate the eggs with chopsticks once in a while for the first 3 minutes so the egg yolk will be in the center.
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When it's done, drain the water and chill the eggs in iced water for 3 minutes. Gently peel the egg shell. Cut the eggs in half with a sharp knife or fish string.
The cooking time may vary depends on the size of eggs and the starting temperature of the egg.
Recipe by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook. All images and content on this site are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you’d like to share this recipe on your site, please re-write the recipe in your own words and link to this post as the original source. Thank you.
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If you add a teaspoon of baking soda to the water, it will be much easier to peel the eggs (especially if the eggs are fresh!).
Hi Olivia! That’s what I recently learned too! Thanks so much for sharing the tip with us! 🙂
It never occurred to me to rotate the eggs in the pan while they boil to keep the yolks in the centre, thanks for mentioning that! It’s so annoying to slice an egg in half & end up with most of the yolk on one side.
Hi Saskia! That’s how I learned in home and economics class in elementary school in Japan! I learned pretty useful stuff that I still remember and follow even till now, and this recipe is one of them. Thank you so much for your comment!
i had started to do my very first try of your hanjuku egg…
Hi Dean! Hope you enjoy! 🙂
I’m thinking of using this technique for a dozen eggs. What would the timing be for that?
Hi Gregg! My first thought was if you put 12 eggs one by one (you have to submerge the eggs slowly so they won’t crack)… you may not know which one went in first and some of your eggs may be overcooked or undercooked. Sometimes 30-60 seconds can make a difference. 😀 But if you don’t mind preciseness, maybe that’s okay. The temperature of the water will decrease if you use less water, so try to use a large pot filled with water so even though you put 12 eggs, the temp won’t go down drastically. 🙂
I was just wondering if the slotted spoon added something special or if there was any reason. I thought it was curious that you made sure to mention that detail.
Love your blog, you’ve help me since my teens! Purchased your book a long time ago! xx from NYC
Hi Tessie! I mentioned a slotted spoon because that’s what I used. I usually use a slotted spoon or my fine mesh sieve to lower my eggs into the boiling water. I choose them without thinking too much, but I think unconsciously that slots or mesh provide good support on the egg so they are not rolling around or accidentally drop into the water (and crack). Whatever you use, just be gentle with “placing” the egg on the bottom of the pot in the boiling water instead of dropping it on the bottom. 🙂
Thank you so much! I’m so happy to hear you enjoy my blog for such a long time! xo
Tried yesterday in our high-quality instant ramen, let them soak a bit in mirin and tamari as recommended in the “ramen egg” recipe (not long, but still). They were perfect ! The best dinner while watching Ponyo. Thank you Nami !
Hi Bee! I’m so glad to hear you liked the ramen egg recipe with soft boiled eggs! Perfect for high-quality instant ramen addition! P.S. I love Ponyo! 😀
I had a question about fried softt boil eggs. While I was in Japan, I had ordered katsudon and in it was a soft boiled egg, but had a fried outside. Do you know how to do that?
Hi Aya! Usually, katsudon comes with egg that’s gently simmered…
https://www.google.com/search?q=%E3%82%AB%E3%83%84%E4%B8%BC&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwi7-OPpg_zrAhUNkZ4KHRQhDCIQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=%E3%82%AB%E3%83%84%E4%B8%BC&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQA1AAWABgxgFoAHAAeACAAQCIAQCSAQCYAQCqAQtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZw&sclient=img&ei=hotpX7udDo2i-gSUwrCQAg&bih=982&biw=1641&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS727US727
Some katsudon has Onsen Tamago. Is that what you thought it was fried outside?
https://www.justonecookbook.com/onsen-tamago/ (without sauce)
The egg was definitely fried with a breaded outside coating but a soft boiled egg on the inside. I was impressed and wondered how that was possible. It was from a place inside Oita station at the food court if it was a regional thing
Hi Aya! Thanks so much for additonal info! I looked it up and yes, it’s a regional food called “Kujaku”
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/keikaku/syokubunka/k_ryouri/search_menu/menu/kujaku_oita.html (recipe included)