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close up of a whole ramen egg and a ramen egg cut in half on a wooden cutting board

Ramen Eggs (Japanese Marinated Eggs)

Ramen eggs (Ajitsuke Tamago) are yummy marinated soft-boiled eggs. They're so beautiful and delicious. This recipe is very easy and mostly hands-off, while waiting for the eggs to cook, chill, and marinate. I highly recommend preparing the soft-boiled eggs with an Instant Pot but included stovetop instructions as well.

Course Appetizer, Breakfast, dinner, lunch, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine Japanese
Keyword ajitsuke tamago, marinated eggs, ramen eggs, soft boiled egg
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Marinate 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings 6 eggs
Author Sharon Wong @ www.nutfreewok.com

Ingredients

  • 6 eggs
  • 2 cups ice
  • 1 teaspoon salt optional, for stovetop method only
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari sauce for gluten-free
  • 1/4 cup mirin
  • 1/2 cup water or sake
  • 1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

Make soft boiled eggs in an Instant Pot

  1. Place a trivet inside the liner, add 1/2 cup water, and arrange the eggs on the trivet. Lock the lid and program the Instant Pot to pressure cook on high for 3 minutes (set a back up timer for 11 minutes). Combine the 2 cups of ice with 2 cups water to make an ice water bath. Quick release the pot, carefully open the Instant Pot, and transfer the eggs to the ice water bath.

Or make soft boiled eggs in a pot (stovetop)

  1. Fill a small pot (1 quart) halfway with water and bring to a boil. When the water boils, lower the temperature to low so that the water simmers. Carefully add the eggs and 1 teaspoon salt to the pot and cover with a lid. Set a timer for 8-9 minutes, depending on how you like your soft boiled eggs. Combine the 2 cups of ice with 2 cups water to make an ice water bath. When the eggs are ready, transfer them to an ice water bath.

Marinate the Eggs

  1. In a small pot, combine the soy sauce, mirin, water, and sugar and cook on medium heat. When the marinade boils, lower the temperature, and simmer the sauce on low for 4-5 minutes to cook off some of the alcohol. Remove from heat and allow the marinade to cool down.

  2. Peel the eggs and rinse any shell fragments off. Place the eggs in a quart sized freezer bag and add the marinade. Use a rubber band to tie off the top of the bag so that the eggs are completely immersed in the marinade. Place the bag of eggs in a bowl and refrigerate at least 2 hours but no more than overnight.

  3. The next day remove the eggs from the marinade and store the marinated eggs in an airtight container for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. Do not leave the eggs in the marinade for more than 1 day otherwise the eggs will be too salty. The marinade can be reused with a second batch of softboiled eggs, if desired.