Soft Boiled Ramen Eggs (Ajitsuke Tamago)

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Slight salty, sweet and packed with umami goodness, these jammy, soft boiled Ramen Eggs are what life is all about. They are super easy to make and perfect in ramen, as a snack or any way you like them!

Oh delicious, jammy, umami packed eggs. You know that feeling you get when your order ramen, and you bite into that egg and it's heaven?

What if I told you that you could make your own and it's incredible simple? Yes, it's true. You can. And it IS simple.

You'll definitely want to serve these ramen eggs in this shoyu ramen, Instant Pot Ramen, Shio Ramen or this Red Curry Ramen.

Check out the ramen eggs web story!

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Ingredients

In addition to eggs, you'll need soy sauce, mirin, sake and dashi powder. All should be easy to find at your local Asian market, or I've included links to buy it in the recipe card.

What is Dashi Powder?

Dashi is a Japanese soup stock typically made from dried kelp and bonito flakes. Dashi powder is just the powder form of the stock, much like chicken bouillon granules. Buy it HERE on Amazon (affiliate link).

Step By Step Instructions

Soft boiled eggs can be cooked in many different ways. I always steam mine as I find the results to be consistent. A lot of people use the Instant Pot now, but I haven't converted over to that method yet. Scroll down to see the instructions of making soft boiled eggs.

We start by making the marinade first so it has time to cool before pouring it over the eggs.

To make the marinade, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and heat to boiling.

Simmer for about 2 minutes and remove from the heat. Let it cool completely before pouring over the peeled eggs.

Once cooled, pour the marinade over the top of the peeled eggs in a medium sized bowl or container (or bag). Let it sit in the fridge for 24 hours. Drain the marinade (reserve it for your next batch if you'd like!).

How To Make Soft Boiled Eggs in the Steamer

Heat the water in the bottom of the steamer until it is boiling. Place the eggs in the steamer basket and place over the water. Cover with the lid.

For a nice jammy center, I steam the eggs for 8 minutes. If you like the center especially soft, you can reduce the cook time to 7 minutes. If you prefer hard boiled, cook them for 12 minutes.

While the eggs are steaming, fill a large bowl with ice and then fill it ¾ full with water.

Once the eggs are finished steaming, immediately add them to the ice water bath and let them sit for 20 minutes to cool. This helps stop the cooking and also makes them easier to peel.

Learn how to cook eggs in the instant pot. I have found that this silicone steamer basket is just perfect for making eggs in the Instant Pot!

It's got these perfect handy handles to make it easy to pull the eggs out, and the edges are soft, reducing the number of cracks you get from the eggs bouncing around. I love this thing! Buy a silicone steamer basket for Instant Pot.

You can also boil them in water for 8 minutes, or make my favorite sous vide soft boiled eggs!

Variations

If you want to add a little something extra to your eggs, try adding some of these ingredients to the marinade:

• 2 minced garlic cloves;
• Minced shallot or onion (1-2 tablespoons);
• 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper or 1-2 minced Thai chilies;
• A couple slices of fresh ginger;
• 1 star anise.

Expert Tips

- When peeling the eggs, make sure you are peeling the membrane as it will make it much easier for the shell to slide off.

- I recommend removing them from the marinade after 24 hours as they will continue to soak up the flavor.

- You can use this marinade for another batch also - so be sure to save it! Use it for up to 3-5 days.

Serving and Use Options

- Use them in a salad (try this Chopped Miso Salad);

- They're not just reserved for ramen - use them in any kind of soup or stew.

- Slice them and add them to a sandwich. They'd be amazing on this Vietnamese Banh Mi;

- Serve them over rice - try them on plain rice or this Fried Rice;

- Just eat them. With a touch of Sriracha.

Storage Suggestions

Store them for up to 3 days in an covered container in the fridge.

More Japanese Recipes

• Chicken Katsu Curry (this would be awesome served with these ramen eggs);
• Roasted Miso Chicken Thighs;
• Udon Noodle Soup (another great option to serve these eggs with);
• Grilled Miso Corn;
• Spicy Miso Ramen;
• Dot forget to have dessert with this Japanese Souffle Cheesecake;
• Browse all the Japanese Recipes.

Did you make these ramen eggs? Rate the recipe and leave a comment below to let me know how they turned out!

This recipe was originally published in January 2018. It has been updated for content and photos.