Ajimata is boiled eggs that have been marinated in sweet savory soy based sauce. They can be served over rice, noodles, or enjoyed on their own as an appetizer or snack!
Ajitama is also known as ramen eggs, being a popular topping over noodles. They are subtly sweet, savory, and loaded with umami rich flavors.
There are only 5 ingredients used in this recipe, and all it takes is letting boiled eggs sit in the delicious sauce for half a day. They are perfect as a side, extra topping, or on their own!
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Ways to enjoy ajitama
- Serve over rice - Top with scallions, sesame, and spicy sauce of your choice to upgrade!
- Serve over noodles - Any brothy noodles such as ramen, or dan dan noodles, or dry noodles.
- Add to a sandwich - Crush them and put in between slices of toasted gluten-free bread.
- Use as salad topping - It’ll transform your salad into a hearty meal.
Ingredients for this recipe
- Eggs
- Tamari soy sauce
- Mirin
- Water
- Sugar
How to make ajitama
1. Cook the eggs. Boil the eggs into the boiling water for 6-9 minutes depending on your preferred doneness. Soak them in ice cold water for at least 5 minutes. Then peel.
2. Make the marinade. In an airtight container, combine the tamari, mirin, water and sugar together.
3. Soak. Place the eggs in the marinade, and cover the eggs with a piece of folded paper towel. Make sure the paper towel absorbs the marinade and weighs down the eggs.
4. Marinate. Cover the container tightly and soak for 12-24 hours. After 24 hours, take the eggs out of the marinade and store in a different container to prevent them from getting too salty.
How to cut ajitama?
Believe it or not, my go to is dental floss (unflavored). It is an absolutely great way to cut a soft boiled egg cleanly without damaging the yolk. Hold the end of the floss with both hands, press down against the egg, and gently keep going until it’s sliced.
Any kind of thread works as well. If you do not own them, a smaller paring knife works better than a larger knife.
FAQs
From a food safety point, I do not recommend reusing the marinade to marinate more eggs. However you can still use the leftover mix for seasoning fried rice, or braising vegetables and meat. Use up any leftover marinade within 2 days.
Make sure to take the eggs out of the marinade after the 24 hours mark to prevent them from getting too salty. Transfer to another airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
If you are extra careful about alcohol, or if you are likely to share with kids, I recommend cooking off the alcohol in the mirin by bringing the marinade to a boil, or microwave for a minute or so. Make sure the marinade is cooled completely before adding in the eggs.
Recipe
Ajitama (Japanese Soy Marinated Eggs)
Ingredients
- 6 eggs or increase up to 8 eggs
- ½ cup tamari soy sauce
- ½ cup mirin
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil.
- Add the eggs into the boiling water gently, using a ladle or a large spoon. Cook for 6-9 minutes depending on your preferred doneness.
- Soak the eggs in ice cold water for at least 5 minutes. Then peel them carefully.
- In an airtight container, combine the tamari, mirin, water and sugar together to make marinade.
- Place the eggs in the marinade, and cover the eggs with a piece of folded paper towel. Make sure the paper towel absorbs the marinade and weighs down the eggs.
- Cover the container tightly and let the eggs sit for 12-24 hours in the fridge. After 24 hours, take the eggs out of the marinade and store in a different container to prevent them from getting too salty.
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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