Ramen eggs (ajitsuke tamago)

By Tanya Francis · Updated October 17, 2026

Ramen eggs are jammy eggs soaked in a sweet and salty soy marinade until the whites turn brown and the yolks pick up the flavour. They're little work, and they keep a few days in the fridge.

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs, straight from the fridge
• ½ cup (125 ml) soy sauce
• ¼ cup (60 ml) mirin
• ½ cup (125 ml) water
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Steps

1. Warm the soy sauce, mirin, water and sugar in a small pot until the sugar dissolves. Let it cool.
2. Lower the eggs into gently boiling water and cook for 6½ to 7½ minutes. Use the egg timer set to Jammy.
3. Move them straight into ice water for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Peel them gently. Soft-centred eggs tear easily, so peel under water.
5. Put the eggs and marinade in a small container or a zip-top bag. Lay a folded paper towel on top so the eggs stay covered.
6. Marinate in the fridge for 6 hours to overnight.

How long to marinate

Six hours gives a light brown edge and a mild flavour. Overnight gives a deeper colour and more seasoning in the yolk. Leave them a day or two and they get saltier and the yolk firms up. Past that they're mostly salt.

Without mirin

Replace the mirin with ¼ cup (60 ml) of water and 1 more tablespoon of sugar. A teaspoon of rice vinegar adds back a little of the tang.

Storing them

Keep them in the marinade in the fridge. Because the yolks are soft, treat them like a cooked egg dish: USDA says to use those within 3 to 4 days. Make a fresh marinade for each batch rather than reusing the old one.

Soft yolks also carry some food-safety risk. See the note on runny yolks.

Serving

Halve them with a thin knife and set them on ramen, rice bowls or noodles. They're also good on their own as a snack.