Easy Ajitama Recipe (Ramen Marinated Egg)

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

Here is the recipe for a perfect Ajitama ramen egg with creamy, golden yolk, and savory-sweet flavor! This easy recipe is foolproof, takes just a few ingredients, and delivers the best in every bite. Let’s dive in!

Ajitsuka tamago or ramen eggs cut in halves on bamboo tray.

Save This Recipe!

We’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!

Ramen, a famous Japanese dish, has taken the world by storm—and so have these flavorful eggs on top of ramen noodles!

The egg yolk is like a creamy, jelly-like masterpiece—vibrant and rich—while the egg white stays tender and chewy. It’s the perfect combo! These eggs are a must-have ramen topping, but they’re so good you’ll want to add them to everything.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Quick and easy – It is so easy to prepare the sauce mixture and there is the secret to have a soft-boiled eggs in this recipe. So there is very little room for failure.
Tasty – Who doesn’t love eggs? With special marinate sauce, these eggs become more special with its jelly like yolk texture and soft bouncy egg white. The sweet and savory flavor from the sauce goes into the eggs so well.
Inexpensive – The ingredients in this recipe are so simple, inexpensive and easy to get. You can keep some of the ingredients like sake or mirin for other recipes.
Pairs well with any dish – These eggs pair well with any Asian or Japanese dish and still delicious alone as appetizers.

What is Ajitama (Ajitsuke Tamago)?

Ajitama, or Ajitsuke Tamago, is a soft-boiled egg marinated in soy sauce and herbs for at least 24 hours. It’s packed with umami flavor and super versatile—perfect for ramen, rice bowls, salads, or even as a snack!

The secret to perfect Ajitama? Nailing the soft-boiled eggs. You want firm whites and a creamy, jelly-like yolk. Don’t worry—it’s easier than it sounds! Just follow the right cooking time, and you’ll have it!

Recipe Ingredients

Ajitama tamago (ramen egg) ingredients with labels.

Ingredient Notes

Soy Sauce – You can use any kind of Japanese soy sauce. Kikkoman soy sauce is the most popular one. If you have other brand at home, you can also use that. If you are gluten-free diet, you can also use gluten-free tamari.

Try to use dark color soy sauce as it will make the eggs brown on the outside. Dark soy sauce is usually less salty than light soy sauce. It adds appeal without making it too salty.

Mirin – Mirin is sweetened rice wine. It is a popular Japanese ingredients that adds umami to the dish you make. This is a must in the recipe. You can also use mirin in other Asian recipes, so it is a good investment to buy one bottle of mirin and keep it in your chiller.

Sake / Rice Wine – Sake is also a must in this recipe. Sake creates a balance between the soy sauce and mirin. I highly recommend using Japanese sake. If you can’t find any, you can use white wine. The taste may be a little bit different but it is okay.

Just like mirin, you can buy Japanese sake and keep it in your chiller for other Asian recipes, like soup, Teriyaki, Beef Gyudon, and many others. It won’t be a waste.

Star Anise, Cloves, Bay Leaves – In this ajitama recipe, I use star anise, cloves, and bay leaves. They are all available in dried form in most Asian grocery stores. You can keep them in your kitchen for quite a long time since they are all dried.

Water or Chicken Stock – You can use either water or chicken stock for the sauce mixture. In the video, I use chicken stock.

Substitutions & Variations

You can use chicken eggs, duck eggs, or quail eggs. Adjust the marinate time according to the size of the eggs. Quail eggs may need only 12 hours to marinate.

You can add ginger, garlic or cayenne pepper to add more spice to the sauce. Choose non-alcoholic mirin if you can’t have alcohol in your meals. If you can’t find mirin, you can always use dry white wine. Add a little bit of sugar so it tastes like mirin.

How to Make

Photo collage of making the sauce mixture for the ajitsuke tamago.

STEP 1. Combine all the ingredients: water, mirin, sake, soy sauce, star anise, cloves, and bay leaves into a pot (Image 1). Put on low heat until it simmers (Images 2, 3). Let it simmer for 5 minutes so the alcohol from the sake dries up. Turn off the stove and let the mixture cool down. In another pot, boil some water enough for 8 eggs (Image 4). Boil the eggs for 6 minutes 30 seconds for perfect soft-egg texture.

Photo collage of preparing the boiled eggs for marinade.

STEP 2. Transfer the boiled eggs into a bowl of cold water with ice cubes to stop the cooking process (Image 5). Let the eggs cool down in the cold water. This way, your eggs will be smooth when you peel them. Transfer the peeled eggs into a zip bag (Image 6). Pour in the sauce mixture into the bag (Image 7). Seal tightly and chill them in the fridge for a day or two (Image 8).

Photo collage of the marinated eggs after a day.

STEP 3. The next day, take out the bag and take out the eggs from the bag (Images 9, 10). Transfer the eggs on a chopping board and cut them in halves (Image 11).

Pro Tips

Put in salt and vinegar to make the boiling process better. Salt will prevent the eggs from cracking in the water. Vinegar will help the peeling of the skin easier.
Spoon the eggs gently with a ladle and put them in the boiling water. The eggs need to be submerged in the water.
Cook them for 6 minutes and 30 seconds. This cooking time is for small eggs that are around 60 gr. If you have bigger eggs around 70 gr, you can cook them for 7 minutes. If you prefer harder eggs, you can add 1 minute extra to the cooking time.
Please note that you peel only when the eggs are cooled down. This will help you peel easily and the eggs will come out smooth.
The ideal time to marinate the eggs in the sauce mixture is between 1-2 days, do not marinate for over 48 hours.

How to Serve

Serve these soft-boiled marinated eggs with your lunch or dinner meals. You can put it on ramen, Gyudon, or Takikomi Gohan. These eggs are so versatile you can pair it with any Asian meals or just eat them as snack.

Slice them and put them in between sandwiches. Smother some Taiwanese mayonnaise on the toast to give it an additional flavor. They will taste great with these eggs!

FAQs about Ajitama Tamago

How do I achieve the perfect moist yolk for Ajitsuke Tamago?

To achieve the desired runny yolk consistency, boil the eggs for about 6-7 minutes and then immediately transfer them to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Adjust the time slightly based on the size of your eggs and your elevation.

Can I use other types of eggs, like quail eggs, for this recipe?

Yes, you can use other types of eggs, such as quail eggs, to make mini Ajitsuke Tamago. Adjust the cooking time accordingly; quail eggs typically require around 2-3 minutes of boiling.

How long can I store Ajitsuke Tamago in the marinade?

A: You can store Ajitsuke Tamago in the marinade for up to 2-3 days in the refrigerator. Be sure to keep them in an airtight container to prevent the flavors from becoming too intense.

What can I do if the marinade is too sweet or too salty?

If the marinade is too sweet, add a bit more soy sauce to balance the flavors. If it’s too salty, you can dilute it with a touch of water and adjust the sweetness with additional mirin or sugar. Taste and adjust until it reaches your desired balance.

Several ramen eggs on a plate as side dish with chopsticks next to the plate.

Storage

Remove all the marinated eggs from the sauce mixture. Keep your eggs in a container up to 4 days in the chiller. Do not keep the eggs in the sauce mixture for more than 48 hours.

More Japanese recipes you might like

If you like to have a simple savoury snack, you can try Gyoza; Japanese dumpling with meat and vegetables fillings.
Chicken Karaage- Izakaya Style is another Japanese side dish worth trying, its juicy meat compliments the crispy skin.
For busy people who likes to have a quick lunch or dinner, you must try Takikomi Gohan. It is a complete dish done in a rice cooker. No need to wash too much cooking utensils.
Another quick to prepare Japanese dish is Japanese Gyudon. All you have to do is simply throw in all the ingredients in the pan.
Japanese bread has its unique texture and flavor, no wonder it gets popular all over the world. Try this Japanese Milk Bun and you will agree with me.
Another simple dessert from Japan is Hokkaido Cheese Tart. It is easy to make and super delicious. No wonder it is so popular!
You might have seen Japanese Beef Croquette in a Japanese restaurant. This is a snack with super tasty fillings inside.

More Japanese Recipes

See All Japanese

Chocolate Japanese Milk Hearth Bread on red and white cloth.

Chocolate Milk Hearth Bread – Mirukuhasu

A photo of two loaves Japanese milk hearth bread, one slices, one whole.

Japanese Milk Hearth Bread (Mirukuhasu)

A photo of several pairs of Japanese dorayaki with custard and red bean fillings.

Dorayaki Recipe with Red Bean Paste and Custard (Japanese Pancake)

Did you try this recipe?

Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating + review below and share it on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!

Thank you! – Claudia

Ajitsuke tamago or ramen eggs on a black plate and wooden tray.

Egg for Ramen – Ajitsuke Tamago

Here is the recipe to make soft, delicious eggs for ramen or Ajitsuke Tamago! You can add this eggs to any dish!

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: Asian, Japanese

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 20

Servings: pieces

Calories: 114kcal

Author: Claudia

Ingredients

Instructions

Put eggs in boiling water for 6 minutes and 30 seconds. This will cook the egg white and egg yolk soft enough to marinate.
After 6 minutes and 30 seconds, put the eggs in cold water with ice to stop the cooking process. Let them cool.
Pour chicken stock or water in a pot. Pour in mirin, sake, dark soy sauce, star anise, cloves, and bay leaves.
Boil the sauce mixture to let the alcohol evaporate.
After it boils, turn off the heat and let it cool completely.
Peel the eggs and wash clean. Put the eggs in a container. Pour in the sauce mixture. Cover with cling wrap or a lid.
Let the eggs marinate 12-24 hours.

Video

Notes

Put in salt and vinegar to make the boiling process better. Salt will prevent the eggs from cracking in the water. Vinegar will help the peeling of the skin easier.

Spoon the eggs gently with a ladle and put them in the boiling water. The eggs need to be submerged in the water.

Cook them for 6 minutes and 30 seconds. This cooking time is for small eggs that are around 60 gr. If you have bigger eggs around 70 gr, you can cook them for 7 minutes. If you prefer harder eggs, you can add 1 minute extra to the cooking time.