Ramen Eggs Recipe (Ajitama) (2024)

Ramen Eggs Recipe (Ajitama)

Do you love ramen noodles? If so, this is a recipe you'll need to bring them to the next level. We're talking Ramen Eggs, my friends!

Ramen eggs, or "ajitama" in Japan, are soft-boiled eggs with jammy yolks seasoned in a soy sauce marinade. They are also called soy sauce eggs, ajitama eggs, or shoyu eggs.

You'll often find them served over steaming bowls of ramen noodles, sliced in half to expose their creamy yolk centers, enticing you with their rich yellow hue.

They're easy to make and only require a few simple ingredients, and you can doctor up the simple marinade with other flavors to your preference.

Let's talk about how to make ramen eggs, shall we?

Why You'll Love These Ramen Eggs

• Most recipes call for a simple soy sauce marinade, but we're upping the flavor with a few additions like star anise, ginger, and sesame oil to make them so much better.
• You can make a batch of ramen eggs that'll last the entire week so you can enjoy a quick bowl of ramen all week long.

Ramen Eggs Ingredients (Ajitama)

• Eggs.
• Vinegar. This helps with the peeling.
• SOY SAUCE MARINADE
• Soy Sauce.
• Sake. Or use rice wine.
• Mirin.
• OPTIONAL EXTRAS
• Sesame Oil.
• Fresh Garlic.
• Fresh Ginger.
• Scallions.
• Star Anise.
• Sugar. Or use honey.

How to Make Ramen Eggs (Ajitama)- the Recipe Method

Bring a pot of water to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Swirl in vinegar.

Submerge the eggs and boil them for 5-7 minutes (5 minutes for runny yolks, 7 minutes for soft but firm yolks). Swirl the eggs gently in the boiling water for the first 2 minutes of cooking to help center the yolks. Remove the eggs and submerge them in ice bath or very cold water to cool.

Carefully peel the eggs and set into a bowl or baggie for marinating.

MAKE THE MARINADE

Whisk together the marinade ingredients and pour into a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 minute. Cool completely.

Pour the marinade over the eggs. Seal or cover then marinate the eggs in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Marinate longer for a stronger flavor. 24 hours is better.

Slice in half and serve over bowls of ramen.

Recipe Tips & Notes

• Use cold eggs right out of the refrigerator to ensure the yolks don't cook all the way through.
• Swirling the eggs in the boiling water as they cook will help the egg yolks move to the center of the eggs, making them more even. It helps with peeling, too.
• If starting with room temperature eggs, reduce cooking time by 1 minute.

Serving Ramen Eggs

Serve your ramen eggs by slicing them in half lengthwise to expose their jammy yolks, then setting them atop your favorite bowl of ramen noodles. Try my spicy ramen noodles recipe for ramen with a kick of huge flavor.

You can't go wrong with a bowl of miso ramen, or try my chicken ramen recipe to really satisfy that crave.

Cookbook Recommendation

If you loveJapanese cuisine, check out the following cookbook. I'm learning a lot from it and used it to develop this recipe. Great book!

• Japanese Soul Cooking: Ramen, Tonkatsu, Tempura, and More from the Streets and Kitchens of Tokyo and Beyond, by Tadashi Ono & Harris Salat (affiliate link, my friends!)