Talk about an umami bomb! Not only are these ramen eggs incredibly easy and quick to prepare, they are literally the perfect addition to your instant ramen, or even on top of a simple bowl of rice. Am I addicted? Yes. Will you be addicted too? Also yes. Sorry, not sorry.
Note: If you buy something using links in this post, we may receive a small commission. This helps support Edible Ink in our quest to bring you high-quality free recipes and foodie travel tips.
Jammy Ramen Egg Ingredients
Rice Wine Vinegar
Rice Wine Vinegar is a white vinegar made from fermented rice. It’s relatively light in flavor but provides great acidity. When shopping for Rice Wine Vinegar, it’s important to distinguish between plain and seasoned Rice Wine Vinegar.
Rice Wine Vinegar is a common ingredient in stir fries, pickling spices and dressings. Seasoned Rice Wine Vinegar contains more salt and sugar than the unseasoned variety and is more commonly used to season sushi rice.
For this recipe, use unseasoned Rice Wine Vinegar.
Chili Crisp
Chili crisp is a pantry staple for anyone who enjoys spicy foods. It’s a potent combination of oil-fried chilis, garlic and onions that lend a unique crunchy heat to any dish. The typical tingly numbing effect of chili crisp is attained with the addition of Sichuan peppercorns – famous for their mouth-numbing heat.
There are quite a few store brand chili crisps available. Here are two of our favorites to get you started!
Fly by Jing Sichuan Chili Crisp
Created by Chef Jing (Jenny), this Sichuan Chili Crisp promises to be the tingly spicy crunch that is signature to any chili crisp with it’s own personal twist. For spice fanatics, go for the Xtra Spicy Chili Crisp!
Momofuku Chili Crunch
Momofuku, founded by Chef David Chang, boasts a wide variety of chili crunch, from traditional, to extra spicy, to black truffle.
Homemade Chili Crunch
If you’d prefer to make your chili crisp at home, try this recipe from Okonomi Kitchen.
Sesame Oil
There are two kinds of sesame oil – toasted and untoasted. The difference, though seemingly self-explanatory, lies in how the sesame seeds are treated. Untoasted sesame oil is made from raw untoasted sesame seeds, whereas toasted sesame oil is made from (you guessed it) toasted sesame seeds!
The easiest way to remember the difference is to use toasted sesame oil as a finishing oil (drizzle on top of finished dishes, or add to dips and dressings). It’s strong nutty flavor does best on already cooked food and benefits from not being cooked further.
Since this recipe uses sesame oil in the marinade, we recommend using toasted for the most flavor.
How to Serve Ramen Eggs
Serve these ramen eggs over a bowl of ramen for a more traditional meal.
For something different, try a breakfast of avocado toast topped with a ramen egg and a sprinkle of nori flakes. Or, try them with rice and Mushroom Marinated Tofu for a protein-packed dinner.
How to Make Ramen Eggs (Ajitsuke Tamago)
Making ramen eggs is fairly straightforward. If you know how to boil an egg – you can make ramen eggs. The key to a good ramen egg is using high quality ingredients to get that superb umami flavor. That, and setting your timer of course!
Boil the eggs
Add the eggs to a pot and boil as usual. The only difference in this recipe to your standard hard boil eggs is the addition of vinegar.
Be sure to set your timer for exactly 6 minutes. This is essential to get the perfect jammy center on your eggs!
Make the Marinade
Perhaps as important as the jammy golden yolk of the egg is the flavor bomb marinade. Combine all the marinade ingredients while the eggs are cooking. Make sure to add:
- Soy Sauce
- Brown Sugar
- Chili Crisp
- Sesame Oil
- Ginger
- Garlic
To ensure the best flavor for your ramen eggs, make sure your ginger and garlic are fresh. While dried may be more accessible, nothing compares to the flavor of fresh minced garlic and fresh cut ginger.
How to Peel Ginger
Don’t know the best way to peel ginger? It may be easier than you think. Simply take a standard silverware spoon and gently scrape along the surface of the ginger root. This gently removes the unwanted skin without getting rid of large chunks of the flavorful middle.
Bonus! It’s easier and safer than using a standard vegetable peeler.
Marinate the Eggs
Once you’ve finished cooking your eggs, peel them and add them to the marinade.
Overnight you’ll transform standard boiled eggs into velvety, salty, umami-filled delight! Add to your ramen (of course), enjoy as a snack on their own or cut and add to your morning toast.
Any way you choose to eat these Ajitsuke Tamago – Ramen Eggs – you are sure to enjoy them!
Equipment
- 1 4 Quart Tupperware
- 1 Measuring Cup
- 1 Measuring Spoons
- 1 Medium Sauce Pot
Ingredients
- 6 Fresh Eggs
Marinade
- 1 Cup Soy Sauce
- 4 Tbsp Brown Sugar
- 2 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1 Tsp Chili Crisp
- 1 Tsp Sesame Oil
- 1 Tbsp Ginger Smashed
- 3 Cloves Garlic Smashed
Instructions
- Bring a medium sauce pot full of water and 1 Tbsp of rice wine vinegar to a rolling boil.
- Add your eggs to the pot, and set a timer for exactly 6 minutes.
- While the eggs are boiling, add all marinade ingredients to your 4 quart tupperware.
- Once the eggs are finished cooking, immediately add them to an ice bath and wait about 5 minutes for them to completely cool.
- Peel all of your eggs and add them to your tupperware. Place them in the fridge for 24 hours.
- Remove the eggs from the marinade, and keep in a separate container in your fridge. The marinade and eggs will keep for about a week.
Tips
- Use the extra marinade to marinate some chicken for a future meal!
- To warm your eggs, pop them into boiling water for about 20 seconds.
