Ajitsuke Tamago

One of the most common recipes I get asked about are Ramen Eggs – you know, those eggs that come in bowls of delicious ramen. Called Ajitsuke Tamago (“steeped-in-flavor eggs”) in Japan, these flavorful medium-boiled eggs are steeped in a tsuyu base of soy, mirin, dashi stock, and sake.

Ajitsuke tamago / ramen eggs are sometimes enjoyed as part of a traditional breakfast with a bowl of plain steamed short-grain Japanese rice back home, but in the States, it’s most known as one of the toppings for a variety of ramen dishes. 

Whether it’s soy, shio, or tonkotsu ramen, ramen eggs add an extra boost of protein and yummy, jammy flavor to any noodle soup. It’s even delicious on Hiyashi Chuka, a chilled ramen served in a shallow bowl in a vinegary sauce that’s super popular in Japan in the summertime. Most ramen shops will have some version of hiyashi chuka as a seasonal offering – though I personally love it year-round. Either way, it’s a delicious way to have some protein, all packed into a single ramen egg.

Ajitsuke Tamago is super simple to make, and keeps in the fridge for a quick low-carb snack. If you’re following a low-carb or keto diet, ramen eggs should be a really tasty break from the repetitive egg dishes you’re probably getting bored of. There’s a minimal amount of sugar in the tsuyu broth, and since you’re not drinking the broth (it’s only for steeping), you shouldn’t see much of a spike in your blood sugar (if any). If you’re super sensitive to gluten or sugar, though, you can make a sugar-free broth with tamari, sake, and dashi broth, and simply omit the mirin.

For other Japanese egg-based dishes, try my Onsen Tamago and Chawanmushi recipes 🙂

Ingredients

• Eggs
• Hontsuyu
• Water
• Ice
• Ziploc bag

Directions

In a saucepan or stockpot, add enough water so eggs will be submerged. Bring water to a boil.

Carefully add 2 – 4 eggs to the pot.

Cook eggs undisturbed for 7-1/2 (seven and a half) minutes.

Remove eggs and place into a bowl of ice water to stop cooking.

While eggs are cooling, mix 1/3 cup cold water to 1/3 cup hontsuyu / mentsuyu concentrate. Pour into a ziploc bag (I recommend using the ones that have a flat bottom so it won’t fall over).

Remove eggs from the ice water bath, peel, and place into the prepared ziploc bag with tsuyu broth.

Steep eggs in tsuyu broth for a minimum of an hour on a countertop, or overnight in the fridge. Eggs will keep in the fridge for up to a week…though they’ve never lasted that long in my kitchen. 

Slice in half longways for presentation. Enjoy alone as a snack, with steamed short grain rice, or a bowl of ramen (both hot and cold styles).