Japanese Soy Sauce Marinated Eggs (Ajitsuke Tamago) Recipe
A short, precisely timed boil keeps the yolk jammy instead of chalky, and Japanese soy sauce's rounder, less sharp saltiness (thanks to its wheat content) seasons the egg white deeply without overwhelming the yolk the way a harsher soy sauce would.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 4 hr 30 min
- Servings
- 6
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs large eggs
- 1/2 cup Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
- 1/4 cup mirin
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 119
- Protein
- 8g
- Carbs
- 9g
- Fat
- 5g
Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.
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Instructions
- 1Bring a medium pot of water to a rolling boil. Using a spoon, gently lower the eggs into the water one at a time.
- 2Boil for exactly 6.5 to 7 minutes for a jammy, half-set yolk (add 1 to 2 minutes for a firmer yolk).
- 3Immediately transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water and let them sit for at least 10 minutes to fully stop the cooking.
- 4Peel the eggs carefully under cool running water, starting at the wider, air-pocket end.
- 5In a bowl or a resealable zip-top bag, whisk together the Japanese soy sauce, mirin, water, and sugar until the sugar fully dissolves.
- 6Add the peeled eggs to the marinade, pressing out excess air so the eggs stay fully submerged.
- 7Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours for a well-seasoned white with a still-pale center, or up to 24 hours for color and flavor all the way through.
- 8Remove the eggs from the marinade, slice in half lengthwise, and serve over ramen, rice, or on their own.
Tips & variations
- Use a resealable zip-top bag instead of a bowl for the marinade, it holds the eggs in constant contact with far less liquid, so you use less soy sauce.
- Swap 2 tablespoons of the water for cooled dashi for a deeper, savory background flavor common in ramen shops.
- Add a smashed garlic clove or a few slices of fresh ginger to the marinade for extra aromatics.
- For firmer, less runny yolks meant for slicing into thin wedges, boil the eggs for 8 to 9 minutes instead of 7.
Storage & reheating
Keep the eggs submerged in their marinade in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. They continue to absorb salt the longer they sit, so eggs pulled on day 4 will taste noticeably saltier than ones eaten on day 1. Serve cold or at room temperature; these are not reheated.
Tips from the Tulo kitchen
- Let eggs sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before boiling, a cold egg straight from the fridge is more likely to crack in boiling water.
- Poking a small pinhole in the wide, air-pocket end of the egg with a pin before boiling makes the shell noticeably easier to peel afterward.
FAQ
What makes Japanese soy sauce different from other soy sauces?
Japanese soy sauce, especially the common koikuchi style, is brewed with roughly equal parts soybeans and wheat, which gives it a rounder, slightly sweeter flavor than Chinese light soy sauce, which uses less wheat and tastes sharper and saltier.
Can I use tamari instead of Japanese soy sauce?
Yes. Tamari is a wheat-free, Japanese-style soy sauce and works as a 1:1 gluten-free substitute, though it's often darker and more concentrated, so start with slightly less and adjust to taste.
Can the leftover marinade be reused?
It can be reused once for another batch of peeled eggs if it's brought to a full boil first to kill any bacteria introduced by the raw egg surfaces, but after that it's too diluted to season a third batch effectively.
Why is my yolk chalky instead of jammy?
The eggs boiled too long or weren't shocked in ice water quickly enough, allowing carryover heat to keep cooking the yolk after it left the pot.
