What Are Soy Sauce Eggs?
Soy sauce eggs (also called shoyu tamago or ramen eggs) are slow boiled, 7 minute eggs with a jammy center that are marinated in the fridge overnight in a flavored soy sauce mixture. AKA: the best dish ever!
The eggs absorb the flavors of the marinade and take on a deep brown color on their exterior. This is our kind of chef’s food — it’s exactly the kind of meal we’d want to eat after a long night working in a kitchen!
Familiar with ramen or noodle soups? These are those delicious jammy eggs with runny yolks you enjoy on top — aka ramen egg! They’re salty, umami perfection in every bite, and they’re just as delicious over noodles and ramen as they are with sticky rice!
Are Soy Sauce Eggs Gluten-Free?
Use tamari instead of soy sauce to make the recipe gluten-free!
Ingredients For The Soy Sauce Marinade
- low-sodium soy sauce
- rice vinegar or mirin
- sesame oil
- thinly sliced garlic cloves
You absolutely want to use low-sodium soy sauce, otherwise the marinade will be extremely salty!
The best part about the marinade for shoyu tamago is that it’s all mixed together at room temperature in a bowl. No need to heat or simmer on a stove top!
Misc equipment: You’ll need a medium saucepan or a large pot, if making a double batch!
A Note About Eggs
We have found that older eggs are easier to peel than fresh eggs used for soft boiling. If you are able to plan in advance, buy eggs a few days prior to making this recipe. Note that nothing bad will happen if you use fresh eggs, they will just likely be more difficult to peel.
We use large, cage free eggs that are about 4-5 days old.
How To Make Ramen Eggs
- Soft boil the eggs. Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Set a timer for 7 minutes, click start, then immediately (and carefully!) lower eggs into water. Do not lower the temperature.
- Prepare the ice bath. Fill a large mixing bowl with cold water + lots of ice. When there’s 15 seconds left on the timer, begin transferring eggs to the prepared ice bath with a slotted spoon. Let soft boiled eggs cool for 5 minutes, then gently crack the egg on a hard surface loosening the shell on all sides. Peel the egg inside the ice bath. This helps to ensure the shell peels off more easily.
- Marinate the eggs. Combine ¾ cup low-sodium soy sauce, 3 Tbsp mirin, ½ Tbsp sesame oil, and 2 thinly sliced garlic cloves in a small bowl, then whisk to combine. Place peeled eggs in the soy sauce marinade, then cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight, turning once halfway through.
- Slice, then serve. When ready to serve, carefully slice each egg in half or quarters, then serve over sticky rice with thinly sliced seaweed. Eggs will keep for 2 days.
Make sure if the eggs are not fully submerged in the sauce that you turn them over halfway through so they marinate evenly.
Tips For Peeling Perfect Soft Boiled Eggs
Fresh eggs are more difficult to peel than older eggs. We use eggs that were purchased 4-5 days prior for this and any hard or soft boiled recipes!
After many, many, many attempt at peeling eggs without losing half of the white, we can say a timer is your best friend.
- Once the eggs go into an ice bath set a timer for 5 minutes. Why? The eggs peel easiest when they’re still slightly warm.
- After 5 minutes, crack and peel the eggs one-by-one, beginning by cracking them on a countertop and then transferring them back to the ice bath and peeling them directly in the water.
Give it a try and report back!
What to Serve With Shoyu Tamago
You mean we can’t just snack on these throughout the day?!
Sticky sushi rice and seaweed are the best side dishes! That is literally all you need for umami perfection!
Soft boiled eggs are delicious on top of a bowl of ramen, though, no disputing that — how delicious does this 30 minute vegetarian ramen look?! They would be amazing with grilled salmon too! And we love to add these soft boiled eggs to our spicy ramen noodles. The combination of soy sauce eggs and Chinese chili oil is divine. A quick sprinkle of sesame seeds for garnish is always welcome, too.
Head to this post for my step-by-step guide on how to cook sticky rice.
How Long Will Soy Sauce Eggs Keep?
The peeled ramen eggs (shoyu tamago) will keep for 2 days in the marinade in a refrigerator. But pinky promise they rarely last beyond the 1st day. Make a big batch of these and serve to friends for an easy, humble meal they won’t be able to stop thinking about!
If you make our Soy Sauce Egg recipe — truly one of our all time favorite recipes from Well Seasoned! — please let us know by leaving a review below!
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For more simple, flavorful recipes, check out the following:
- Asian-style blistered shishito peppers
- Kani salad with tobiko (crab and cucumber salad)
- Warm brussel sprouts salad with Asian vinaigrette
- Hawaiian tuna poke bowls
- Cast Iron Sesame Ribeye
- Whole30 Asian stuffed peppers
Soy Sauce Eggs with Jammy Yolks (Shoyu Tamago)
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs see note below
- ¾ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp rice vinegar
- ½ Tbsp sesame oil
- 2 medium garlic cloves thinly sliced
For serving
- Sticky rice
- Seaweed pictured here is green tea seaweed, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Soft boil the eggs. Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Set a timer for 7 minutes, click start, then immediately (and carefully!) lower eggs into water. Do not lower the temperature.
- Prepare the ice bath. Fill a large mixing bowl with cold water + lots of ice. When there's 15 seconds left on the timer, begin transferring eggs to the prepared ice bath. Let soft boiled eggs cool for 5 minutes, then gently crack the egg on a hard surface loosening the shell on all sides. Peel the egg inside the ice bath. This helps to ensure the shell peels off more easily.
- Marinate the eggs. Combine ¾ cup low-sodium soy sauce, 3 Tbsp mirin, ½ Tbsp sesame oil, and 2 thinly sliced garlic cloves in a small bowl, then whisk to combine. Place peeled eggs in the soy sauce marinade, then cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight, turning once halfway through.
- Slice, then serve. When ready to serve, carefully slice each egg in half or quarters, then serve over sticky rice with thinly sliced seaweed. Eggs will keep for 2 days.
Video
Notes
- Soy sauce mixture can be used again to marinate additional eggs if used within 1 week!
- Please note cooking time is for large eggs. Medium or extra large eggs will require different cook times for a soft boiled center!
- Older eggs are typically easier to peel than fresh eggs. We use large, cage free eggs that are about 4-5 days old.
- Check out this guide on how to make sushi rice.
Ok finally getting around to making these this weekend. Can’t wait to take the eggs.
Hi! I was looking forward to make this recipe, because I love asian food so much. I let the eggs cook for 7 minutes and then did the cold water bath for 5, but it was imposible to peel the eggs! The inside was very soft and all of them tore apart. I still let them rest in the prepared soy for 8 hours and tasted delicious. So very tasty but not so very good looking. Do you have any tips for the eggs situation?
Hi Maria! The tough thing with eggs is that there can be a lot of variation based on size (medium, large, extra large, etc.) as well as variation (organic, grass fed, cage free, etc). The last piece of the puzzle is freshness. When were the eggs purchased (and how long were they sitting around before then)? Contrary to what you’d expect, older eggs peel easier! These are really difficult things to control and account for, but I’ve had the -most- success with large, cage free eggs that I did NOT buy that day. This is easier for a large family like mine because we often have 2 or 3 dozen eggs in our fridge, but I realize this information would be SUPER helpful to others. Going to add a note RIGHT now to both the post and the instructions. Thank you so much for your feedback!! xo, Ari
These are ADDICTIVE!!
They totally are, Pam! I have to cut myself off lol! xo, Ari
Do you eat the eggs cold out of the fridge or reheat it up?
Hi Bren! I do not reheat them (or you’d risk overcooking the yolks!). You can eat them cold, straight out of the fridge, or if you prefer them less chilled, just allow them to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes or so before eating. I’ll add a note to the recipe card clarifying this — thank you!! Oh, also, if you put them in a hot soup like ramen, they will heat up a bit on their own without you having to warm them up. xo, Ari
If you want to completely change the way you look at eggs (and the way they taste), then I urge you to try this recipe!
Each bite is packed full of flavor and contains well balanced notes of acid and salt. The yolk adds a distinct texture to every bite, and it is crucial to provide time for it to sit and set before cutting open.
Mix in the seaweed and rice and you have an unforgettable dish. An overall great utilization of simple ingredients to create a unique meal.
Will be making again soon!
Ryan, this is perhaps the greatest comment I’ve ever received. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such thorough feedback!! Agree completely — this recipe alone changed how I view eggs! Cheers! xo, Ari
I was always intimidated to try making soft cooked eggs. Thank you so much for the videos and recipe instructions. These are so so delicious.
I am so happy the videos are helpful! Yes, eggs can be intimidating, but once you master them a couple times they are just so easy! A timer is your best friend here lol. xo, Ari
I have made these multiple times and they’re now among my favourite ways to eat eggs! I serve them with Ari’s sushi rice and normally add some roasted broccoli. It’s delicious in its simplicity.
Pia, this is amazing!!! I think this is such a humble, but cozy and satisfying dish! Glad you love it too. xo, Ari
Hi there, room temp eggs or can I boil them straight from the fridge?
Hi Anne! Yes, totally fine to use eggs straight from the fridge. Enjoy! xo, Ari
I did this but the cold eggs cracked when I put them into the boiling water. Still delicious but next time I will use room temp eggs.
Glad you enjoyed, Selene! xo, Ari
Hello, may I ask where are those white chopsticks from? Thank you!
Hi Hillary! I think they are from Crate & Barrel, but they are 10+ years old, so not sure they’re selling them anymore. xo, Ari
FINALLY made these eggs after eyeing them for so long and I’m never looking back! My kids went absolutely crazy for them and asked me to never make eggs any other way. Aside from being so flavorful, I served them for company and they’re so interesting and impressive. Thank you!
Yes yes yes!!! Love that your kids enjoyed these too! They’re my fav. xo, Ari
This recipe is a lunch staple in our house. So good! I pair with cauliflower rice, red pepper, shiitake mushrooms and spinach.
Love that you serve it with cauli rice for a healthier meal!! xo, Ari
These are perfection! Made size and will be immediately making more to continue using the marinade! Have been eating these with rice and veggies for breakfast!
Thank you, Erin! These truly are an anytime kind of meal! I love them with rice, avocado, and seaweed. So good! xo, Ari
These are perfection! Made six and will be immediately making more to continue using the marinade! Have been eating these with rice and veggies for breakfast!
Love that you can use the marinade for multiple batches! I never want to eat eggs any other way again! xo, Ari