Four ramen eggs, halved to reveal their soft, orange yolks, are arranged on a white scalloped plate atop a patterned napkin, with chopsticks nearby—perfectly showcasing these classic ramen eggs.

Ramen eggs are one of those recipes that look impressive but take almost no effort. Honestly, I can’t imagine a bowl of ramen without one. Even on nights when I skip every other topping, a jammy ajitama is a must-have for me. They’re perfect to make ahead, too. I marinate them the day before so they’re ready to go!

  • Rich, jammy yolks with a deeply savory marinade in every bite
  • Just 4 pantry ingredients and easy to prep the night before
  • Versatile enough for ramen, rice bowls, toast, and snacking

If you love eggs, try my Tamagoyaki, Japanese Egg Sandwich, and Omurice (Japanese Omelette Rice) recipes next!

Four ramen eggs, halved to reveal their soft, runny yolks, are arranged on a white scalloped plate set on a patterned cloth. A pair of wooden chopsticks and a blue dish complete this inviting ramen eggs presentation.

What are Ramen Eggs (Ajitsuke Tamago)?

Ramen eggs are soft-boiled eggs marinated in a salty-sweet soy sauce blend. In Japan, they’re called ajitama (味玉), short for ajitsuke tamago (味付け玉子), or nitamago (煮玉子). They’re famous for their jammy yolks and deep umami flavor. Beyond ramen, you’ll find them in bento boxes, salads, curry rice, sandwiches, and enjoyed as a snack on their own.

Add the ramen toppings.

Ingredients for Ramen Eggs (Ajitsuke Tamago)

  • cold eggs
  • soy sauce
  • mirin
  • sake
  • sugar

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

Jump to Recipe

How to Make Ramen Eggs (Ajitsuke Tamago)

  1. Make the marinade. Combine soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 minute. Cool completely.
  1. Boil the eggs. Gently lower cold refrigerator eggs into boiling water. Cook for exactly 7 minutes.
  1. Cool and peel. Transfer eggs straight to an ice bath. Chill for 15 minutes. Crack the wide bottom first and peel under water to loosen the shell.
  1. Marinate. Add peeled eggs to a ziplock bag with the cooled marinade. Remove the air, seal tightly, and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
  1. Slice and serve. Cut cleanly in half using a piece of string or a wire cheese slicer for a clean cut. Enjoy on ramen, toast, or Japanese curry rice.
A hand stirs a dark, glossy liquid in a saucepan on a stovetop using a small whisk—perfect for preparing the flavorful marinade used to soak ramen eggs. The mixture simmers gently, its surface catching the light.
A hand uses a slotted spoon to lift a brown ramen egg from a pot of boiling water on a stove, while three other eggs continue to cook in the pot.
A person peeling the shell off a ramen egg over a bowl filled with ice water and other eggs.
A clear plastic bag filled with dark marinade for ramen eggs is sealed with a pink clip and placed in a glass bowl on a wooden surface.
A hand slices a marinated ramen egg in half with a wire egg slicer, revealing its jammy orange yolk on a dark cutting board.
Namiko Hirasawa Chen

Nami’s Recipe Tips

  • Cook the marinade first to dissolve the sugar and evaporate the alcohol from the sake.
  • Use eggs straight from the fridge. Cold eggs help the yolks stay soft while the whites cook through.
  • Start your timer when the first egg touches the water. Seven minutes is the sweet spot for jammy yolks with large eggs.
  • Shock the eggs in ice water right away. It stops cooking and makes peeling much easier.
  • Marinate in a zip-lock bag. It keeps eggs fully submerged with less marinade.
  • Rotate eggs gently in the first minute of boiling to help keep the yolk centered.

Variations and Customizations

  • Want to switch up the marinade? Try one of these twists:
  • Mentsuyu: Swap soy sauce for a lighter, dashi-forward flavor
  • Miso: Stir in 1–2 tsp for deeper, richer umami
  • Doubanjiang: Adds bold, savory heat
  • Gochujang: Sweet and spicy kick
  • La-yu (chili oil): Just a few drops for gentle warmth
  • Green onions or sesame seeds: Fresh flavor and added texture
  • If you prefer runny yolks, cook for 6–6½ minutes. For custard-like yolks, cook for 8–9 minutes.
  • Prefer hard-boiled? Cook the eggs a little longer. Hard-boiled ramen eggs keep for up to a week in the fridge.

How to Serve Ramen Eggs

Miso ramen with homemade chashu and ramen egg garnished with nori.
6 Japanese Twists on Avocado Toast

Storage Tips

To store: Remove eggs from the marinade and refrigerate in a sealed container. Eat within 3-4 days.

Note: Do not reuse the marinade for new eggs. You can cook it into stir-fries or simmered dishes, but use it soon after.

FAQs

Can I make ramen eggs ahead of time?

Yes! Make them the night before and they’re ready the next day. They’re one of my favorite make-ahead toppings for ramen night.

What can I use instead of sake?

Substitute water if you prefer to avoid alcohol. You can also cook sake for a few minutes to let the alcohol evaporate. Sake adds umami depth, but the eggs will still taste great with just soy sauce.

How long should I marinate the eggs?

I recommend 12-24 hours for the best balance of flavor. You can go up to 2 days, but longer may make them very salty. Discard the marinade after that.

Can I reuse the marinade?

For food safety, do not reuse the marinade for new eggs. Cook it into a stir-fry or simmered dish and use it right away.

I’d love to hear how yours turned out! 💛 Please leave a star rating and comment below to share your experience. Your feedback not only supports Just One Cookbook but also helps other home cooks discover recipes they can trust.

Four ramen eggs, halved to reveal their soft, runny yolks, are arranged on a white scalloped plate set on a patterned cloth. A pair of wooden chopsticks and a blue dish complete this inviting ramen eggs presentation.
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4.74 from 552 votes

Ramen Eggs (Ajitsuke Tamago)

by Namiko Hirasawa Chen
Ramen Eggs (Ajitsuke Tamago) are soft-boiled, marinated, and packed with umami flavor. Jammy yolks and a salty-sweet soy marinade come together with just 4 simple ingredients. They're a classic ramen topping you can make ahead and enjoy all week long on everything!
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Marinating: 8 hours
Total: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 ramen eggs

Ingredients 
 

  • 4 large eggs (50 g w/o shell) (refrigerated; slightly older eggs are easier to peel)

For the Marinade

Instructions

  • Before You Start: Please note that this recipe requires a marination time of 8 hours or overnight. Now, gather all the ingredients.
    Top-down view of four brown eggs in a blue carton, perfect for making ramen eggs, and four clear containers holding sugar, water, oil, soy sauce, and broth—all neatly arranged on a wooden surface.

To Make the Marinade

  • Combine ¼ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup mirin, ¼ cup sake, and 1 tsp sugar in a small saucepan. Whisk to dissolve the sugar completely. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat. Simmer for 1 minute. Turn off the heat. Set aside to cool completely.
    Two side-by-side images: hands holding measuring cups above a saucepan—first with light and dark liquids, then adding sugar and clear liquid—likely showing the steps to make a sauce on a stovetop for ramen eggs.

To Boil the Eggs

  • Add 4 cups (1L) water to a saucepan. Make sure there's enough water to cover the eggs by 1 inch (2.5 cm) once added. Bring the water to a full boil.
    Remove 4 large eggs (50 g w/o shell) from the fridge. Gently lower one egg at a time into the boiling water with a ladle or strainer. When you add the first egg, set a timer for 7 minutes.
    Nami's Tip: If you prefer runny yolks, cook for 6–6½ minutes. For custard-like yolks, cook for 8–9 minutes.
    Side-by-side images: On the left, water in a small pot is boiling on a stove. On the right, a hand lowers brown eggs—perfect for making ramen eggs—into the boiling water using a slotted spoon.
  • Keep the water simmering gently, not bubbling vigorously. Don't let the eggs bounce around.
    Nami's Tip: Gently rotate the eggs with chopsticks during the first 3 minutes if you want to keep the yolks centered.
    A diptych shows three brown eggs simmering in a small pot of water on a stovetop, the first step in making ramen eggs; in the left image, a hand uses chopsticks to move an egg, while on the right, the eggs sit undisturbed.
  • After 7 minutes, promptly remove the eggs. Submerge them in a bowl of iced water for 15 minutes until cooled completely.
    On the left, brown eggs are being boiled in a pot of water. On the right, the eggs—perfect for ramen eggs—are placed in a glass bowl filled with ice water, cooling after boiling.

To Marinate the Eggs

  • Gently crack the eggshell at the wide bottom end. Start peeling it vertically toward the pointy top. Dip the egg in the iced water a few times to help with peeling.
    Nami's Tip: Once you peel one section vertically, the rest of the shell comes off easily.
    Two images show hands peeling the shell off a hard-boiled egg, likely for ramen eggs, over a bowl with ice and eggs submerged in water. The process is shown in close-up detail.
  • Place the peeled eggs in a plastic bag. Add the cooled marinade.
    Nami's Tip: Why do I recommend a plastic bag instead of a container? It requires less marinade to submerge the eggs. Prepare no more than what you need, since we can only use this marinade once for food safety.
    Four peeled hard-boiled eggs in a plastic bag on the left; on the right, a hand pours dark marinade into a zip-top bag with the eggs, preparing savory ramen eggs.
  • Remove the air from the bag. Seal the bag right above the eggs with a clip or rubber band to keep them completely submerged. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Rotate the eggs occasionally, if you like.
    Nami's Tip: Marinate the eggs no longer than 12–24 hours or they will get too salty.
    Close-up of hands sealing a plastic bag with ramen eggs in dark sauce (left) and the sealed bag of eggs clipped and resting in a glass bowl (right), both on a wooden surface.

To Serve

  • Remove the eggs from the marinade. Cleanly cut them in half lengthwise with a fishing line or wire cheese slicer. If you want to warm them, first soak the bag in warm water to bring up the temperature.
    Enjoy Ramen Eggs in bento, as a easy tonkotsu ramen topping, or as a snack sliced in half and sprinkled with furikake (rice seasonings) and shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice). 
    A hand slices ramen eggs in half on the left; on the right, a bowl of ramen topped with sliced pork, ramen eggs, vegetables, and garnishes sits on a wooden table with chopsticks and sauce.

To Store

  • Remove from the marinade and store in the refrigerator. Enjoy within 3–4 days if your eggs are soft-boiled and within a week if hard-boiled. Do not freeze, as their texture will change.
    For food safety reasons, I do not recommend reusing this marinade with new boiled eggs. You can cook this marinade and repurpose it as a seasoning sauce for stir-fries or simmered dishes, but use it soon.

Nutrition

Calories: 90kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 186mg, Sodium: 311mg, Potassium: 70mg, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 270IU, Calcium: 28mg, Iron: 1mg

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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on September 14, 2014, updated with new images and video on September 15, 2021, and republished with more helpful content on March 23, 2026.