Known as Ajitsuke Tamago or Ajitama in Japanese, Ramen Eggs are delicious as a topping on ramen or enjoyed as a snack. Learn how to make these flavorful, soft-boiled eggs at home with just 5 ingredients!
A great bowl of ramen is built upon a few significant components. There’s hot broth, fresh-made noodles, and the toppings. As far as the toppings go, no one can resist a perfectly cooked ramen egg that sits alongside sliced chashu, sheet of nori, and green onions. Some would even argue that ramen egg is a must!
When done right, ramen egg is creamy, silky, full of umami, and ready to enrich and intensify your ramen enjoyment. Truth is, ramen eggs are not just for ramen alone. You can enjoy these delicious eggs anytime, in many different ways!
Table of contents
What Are Ramen Eggs
Ramen eggs are Japanese soft-boiled eggs known for its custardy jammy egg yolk and umami flavor. They are marinated overnight in a sweetened soy-based sauce. In Japan, we call these marinated eggs Ajitsuke Tamago (味付け玉子) or short for Ajitama (味玉) or Nitamago (煮玉子).
While these eggs are excellent on ramen, they are also amazing to enjoy as a side dish or alone as a snack, or included as part of bento. And of course, don’t limit yourself there. You can even add them to your salad or in a sandwich. That’s the magic of ramen eggs. So good and amazingly versatile.
How to Make Ramen Eggs
Ingredients You’ll Need
5 ingredients is all you need and you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to make ramen eggs at home.
- Good quality eggs, especially if you plan to make soft-boiled eggs
- Soy sauce
- Mirin
- Sake (or water)
- Sugar
For the marinade, you can create your own version with additions (such as chili flakes for spice, etc), but today, let’s stick with the basics.
What changed from the 2011 Recipe?
Some of you might be familiar with the original recipe that I shared in 2011. In the past, I used water instead of sake (Japanese rice wine). However, for food safety reasons, I started making my ramen eggs with sake and came to like this version a lot better.
Why sake? The amino acids in the fermented rice wine actually enhance the flavors of food by adding hints of sweetness and umami, which makes the eggs taste better. In case you’re wondering, we would boil off the alcohol from the sake before marinating the eggs so it’s perfectly safe for kids to consume.
As part of the refinement, I also added a bit of sugar. To put the old and new recipes to the test, I had my family try out the two versions multiple times and they concluded that the winner goes to this updated recipe. For those who can’t consume alcohol, you can still use water.
Overview: Quick Steps
- Make the marinade.
- Cook soft-boiled eggs.
- Marinate the eggs overnight.
Important Tips & Tricks to Make Ramen Eggs
Tip #1: Cook the marinade
To make the marinade, I highly recommend cooking it for 1 minute after boiling. This ensures the sugar dissolves and the alcohol evaporates completely leaving only the natural umami and sweetness in the sauce.
Tip #2: Add vinegar and salt when boiling eggs
If you don’t have a particular method of cooking boiled eggs, try adding vinegar and salt to the boiling water before you add the eggs.
I’ve tried many different approaches and I was shocked at the 100% success rate with the vinegar & salt method when comes to peeling my eggs. The peels come off perfectly every time.
Have you tried it? Do you use any “trick” to make boiled eggs? Please share your method in the comment below.
Tip #3: Use refrigerated eggs
Using a fine-mesh sieve/strainer, gently lower your eggs straight from the fridge into the (already) boiling water and lower the heat slightly to a simmer.
Tip #4: Cook 7 minutes from the first egg in boiling water
Start setting the timer for 7 minutes from the first egg submerging in boiling water. It takes about 30 seconds or less to submerge all 4 eggs. (In other words, set the timer for 6 minutes and 30 seconds if you start the timer when you finish submerging all the eggs. Little adjustment matters!
I use large American eggs for this recipe and knowing that egg sizes do vary in different parts of the world, you might need to adjust the cooking time slightly.
Tip #5: Shock the eggs in ice water
Shock the boiled eggs in ice water immediately and let them chill for at least 15 minutes. I use the same ice water to dip the boiled eggs a few times when peeling them. Water goes into the gap and helps peel easily.
Tip #6: Marinate the eggs overnight
You could marinade the ramen eggs for just a few hours or overnight which I prefer. That way I can focus on making ramen the next day while the eggs stay marinated in the fridge waiting for their appearance.
I’d stop marinating around after 2 days, or else it gets salty. Also, soft-boiled eggs should be consumed in 3-4 days.
How to Serve Ramen Eggs:
I hope you’ll give this recipe a try because it can truly make your day better. Here are some of my absolute favorites to enjoy the eggs, BUT I’d like to hear your ideas too.
- Serve with Miso Ramen
- Serve with Vegetarian Ramen
- Serve with Tsukemen (Dipipng Ramen Noodles)
- Serve on Avocado Toast
- Serve with Japanese Curry
- Pack in Bento Box
Tableware from Musubi Kiln
I’ve partnered with a great ceramic online shop from Japan called Musubi Kiln. You will get 10% off with a coupon code JUSTONECOOKBOOK for your purchase. In this post, I’ve used:
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
Ramen Eggs (Ajitsuke Tamago)
Video
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell) (refrigerated; use slightly older eggs, which are easier to peel)
Instructions
- Before You Start: Please note that this recipe requires a marination time of 8 hours or overnight. Gather all the ingredients.
To Make the Marinade
- In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients for the marinade: ¼ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup mirin, ¼ cup sake, and 1 tsp sugar.
- Bring it to a boil and whisk it a few times to let the sugar dissolve completely. Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer for 1 minute. Turn off the heat. Set aside to cool completely.
To Make the Soft-Boiled Eggs
- Add 4 cups (1L) water (for 4 eggs) to a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil. There should be enough water to cover the eggs by at least 1 inch (2.5 cm). Once at a full boil, take out 4 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell) from the refrigerator. Carefully and gently lower one egg at a time into the boiling water with a mesh strainer/skimmer or a ladle. When you add the first egg, set a 7-minute timer. You can cook them 6 to 6½ minutes for a runny egg yolk and 8 to 9 minutes for a custard-like egg yolk.
- Once all the eggs are in the saucepan, lower the heat to maintain a gentle boil. Make sure the water is simmering, but not bubbling so strong that the eggs bounce around. If you want your egg yolks to be centered, gently rotate the eggs with chopsticks once in a while for the first 3 minutes.
- After 7 minutes, immediately take out the eggs and shock them in iced water for 15 minutes.
- Once the eggs are completely cool, gently crack the shell at the wide bottom end of the egg and start peeling it vertically toward the pointy top. Dip the egg in the iced water a few times to help with the peeling. Once you peel one section vertically, the rest of the shell comes off easily.
To Marinate the Eggs
- Place the eggs in a plastic bag and add the marinade to the bag. Why am I recommending a plastic bag? With a plastic bag, we don‘t have to use a lot of marinade to submerge the eggs. This marinade is used only one time for food safety reasons, so it’s most economical to prepare no more than the amount you need. If you use a container instead of a bag, it requires more marinade to submerge the eggs.
- Remove the air from the bag and use a clip or rubber band to seal the bag right above the eggs. This way, the eggs are completely submerged in the marinade. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. You can rotate the eggs occasionally if you like.
To Serve
- Remove the eggs from the marinade and cut them in half lengthwise to serve. Use a piece of string, fishing line, or cheese cutter (that‘s what I used here) to cut the eggs in half cleanly. Enjoy the Ramen Eggs in bento, as a ramen topping, or as a snack sliced in half and sprinkled with furikake (rice seasonings) and shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice). If you want to warm up the eggs, soak the bag in warm water to bring up the temperature faster.
To Store
- Keep the Ramen Eggs refrigerated at all times. Do not freeze as the texture of eggs changes when frozen (with the exception of tamagoyaki). The ramen eggs will get saltier the longer they marinate, so take them out from the marinade after 12–24 hours (depending on your preference). Enjoy the ramen eggs within 3–4 days if your eggs are soft-boiled. If your eggs are hard-boiled, you can keep them in the refrigerator for up to a week. For food safety reasons, I do not recommend reusing this marinade with new boiled eggs. You can repurpose this marinade as a seasoning sauce for your stir-fried or simmered dishes but use it soon.
Notes
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on September 14, 2014. It has been updated with new images, video, and blog content in September 2021.
Thank you for this recipe! I have always thought that making ramen eggs were really complicated but this was super easy to follow and the eggs turned out great!
Hello, Tiffany! Yes! It’s very simple to make a tasty Ramen Egg! Right?
We’re glad you’re enjoying it! 😊
This recipe is very good, the only thing I have found in my experience with boiling eggs, vinegar and salt do work a bit better than plain old water. I now use a couple tea spoons of baking soda in lieu of vinegar and salt, honestly a night and day difference. Thats what works for me at least. other than that, these eggs, recipe and Chef are absolutely amazing. Thank you Chef, here’s to more fine Japanese cooking.
Hi, Chef Ross! Thank you for sharing the tips and for your kind feedback!🙂
I love hard boiled eggs, but only if they’re a tad runny in the middle (aka/jammy). I put the eggs in the boiling water, let them boil for about 30 seconds, then put the lid on and take off heat. Set timer for about 6-1/2 minutes, then run cold water over them right away. And the secret to easy peeling? Use Egglands Best eggs! I have no idea why, but they peel much easier than other brands – never have an issue. (No, I don’t work for them!). Eggs perfectly peeled and they practically peel themselves. Making ramen noodles tonight from scratch (including noodles) and, of course, made eggs. Serving with eggs, pork belly, green onion, jalapeño, and a little cabbage. Yum!
Hello, Marlene. Thank you so much for taking the time to read Nami’s post and share your culinary experience with us.
Your homemade Ramen recipe sounds amazing and must be incredibly delicious! Happy Cooking! 😊
Like Mindy, when I lower cold eggs into the pot, inevitably, one of them splits a little as soon as it touches the hot water. It is not from bouncing around in the pan. That said, they don’t all do that. I make these eggs fairly often, though it is usually a spontaneous idea so I usually just soft boil them and don’t have time to marinate them. Love them either way though. The egg(s) that split when they hit the water are usually fine in the end. Just not quite so pretty since a little bit of egg white leaks out. I haven’t tried the new recipe for the marinate yet so, maybe this weekend I’ll cook a whole dozen. Thank you guys for all the great recipes and travel tips.
Hi Randy! Thank you for sharing your cooking experience with us.
And thank you so much for your kind feedback on Nami’s post and travel tips. Nami and all of us at JOC are pleased to hear you love what we’ve shared.
Thank you for your love and support!
Poke the bottom of the eggs (roundest side) with a needle such that there is a little hole in them. This will prevent the eggs from bursting.
I usually steam my eggs for 12 minutes and they peel perfect and the yoke is not runny. I assume i can do the same but less time for runny yoke.
Hi Matt, Thank you for reading Nami’s post and sharing your experience with us!
Yes. It should work! Please let us know how it goes. Happy Cooking!
Hi Nani. I need to make 16 eggs for a ramen party tomorrow. If I don’t have sake, can I use white or red wine instead of water? Help!
Hi Viv, Thank you so much for reading Nami’s post and trying her recipe!
You may substitute it with dry sherry or Chinese rice wine. We hope this helps!
Is it possible to make a big batch of the marinade and keep it in the fridge? It would be easier to just take some out for each batch of eggs rather than cooking more every time. I love these and I go through them fast!
Hi Jenna! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe!
If you did not marinate the eggs (just a sauce), the sauce can be stored for up to a month. But please note that we do not recommend reusing the marinade sauce for another batch of eggs once it has been combined with eggs.
More detailed instructions are at the bottom of the recipe card. (To store)
We hope this helps!🙂
Do you reheat the frigerated eggs before placing into ramen?
Hi Ruth, Thank you for trying Nami’s recipe!
You can warm the ramen eggs (just bring them to room temperature) by immersing the bag of ramen eggs with marinated sauce in warm water.
We hope this helps!
I tried the vinegar and salt technique. Every single one of my eggs was completely destroyed. The inner film was so tightly stuck to the egg that it ripped big pieces of the white off of all and 3 of them ripped completely in half. Hands down the worst method I have ever used. The marinating sauce was fine.
Hi Janet, Thank you for taking the time to try Nami’s recipe.
We’re sorry to hear that this method was ineffective for you.
Please ensure that they have been shocked and iced for 15 minutes.
We hope this helps! 🙂
Do not use fresh eggs, use older eggs as they peel much easier.
Hi. I want to double the recipe. What is the timing when cooking the eggs? You mention to remove the eggs after 7 minutes for 4 eggs, what about 8 eggs? Is it still the same, 7”?
Hi PPW! Thank you for trying Nami’s recipe!
If the eggs are not touching each other, 7 minutes should be good.🙂
We hope this helps!
Will the egg become rubbery using vinegar? Thanks
Hi Jas, Thank you for trying Nami’s recipe!
There is no vinegar in the recipe, so the egg will not become rubbery.
We hope you enjoy this recipe. 🙂
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I usually crack an egg in while my ramen cooks, but this marinated egg sounds much tastier.
I love preparing my eggs in my Instant Pot. I leave them in the ice water bath until fully chilled. Then I smack each egg against the side of the sink. The shell usually splits in the middle and each half of the shell comes right off. I often cook a dozen eggs at a time.
Hi Janet! Thank you for reading Nami’s post and for your kind feedback.
Instant pot eggs sound great! We hope you enjoy Ramen Eggs soon. Happy Cooking!
By far my favorite tamago recipe! Thank you for sharing!!
First time a made it i hadn’t realized it required such a long marinating time. I used after only 3 hrs and it still had amazing flavor. Will be using this recipe for ever.
Hi Rosa! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe!
We are so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe.☺️
My eggs keep cracking when I put straight into boiling water? I have tried both cold eggs and room temperature everytime they crack the very moment I put them in.
Hi Mindy! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe!
When you place the eggs in the pot, would you please make sure to lower the heat to maintain a gentle boil?
We hope this helps!
Use a sewing needle and rotating motion to puncture a small hole in the base of each egg. It stops cracking and helps peeling later.
Actually having just done it again for the first time in many years tap in the needle gently with a solid surface/heavy spoon is far easier, it shouldn’t crack it just punch a needle width hole.
Hi Yakumo! Thank you very much for sharing your tip!😊
Thank you for this recipe and your explanations! I have made it twice now and it’s delicious. I cook my eggs by putting The cold eggs into the pan and add enough water to cover and then I bring it to a boil and then once it reaches a boil I turn the heat off and set the timer. Using the same time of seven minutes I got nice soft jammy eggs.
Hi Ann, Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and sharing your cooking experience with us.
We are glad to hear you enjoyed the Ramen Eggs!