Level up your kitchen cred with these simple Korean Steamed Eggs that transform boring eggs into luxuriously fluffy steamed eggs in 10 minutes! This Korean restaurant favorite is faster to make than your next Netflix episode and wayyy more comforting (and delicious)!

What are Korean Steamed Eggs (Gyeran Jjim)?
Korean steamed eggs, or Gyeran Jjim in Korean, is a simple savory egg custard dish made of eggs, broth or water, fish sauce or salt, sesame oil, and garnished with green onions.
This egg side dish is so light, fluffy, and airy, it’s also sometimes called “Volcano Eggs” because the eggs fluff up into a volcanic cone shape and release steam during the cooking process. It’s comforting and an impressive way to break free from boring scrambled eggs!
This Korean steamed eggs recipe is a very quick and simple Side Dish, or banchan, packed with umami and commonly enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Easily throw it together as a last-minute side to your meal for extra comfort and protein!
Have more lonely eggs in the fridge you need to use up? Marinate them in a deliciously sweet & savory sauce that begggggs to be enjoyed over hot steamy rice using my Korean Marinated Eggs recipe!
🥘 Ingredient Tips
How to Test Eggs for Freshness
Eggs are the star ingredient, so use the freshest eggs you have or can get for the best flavor and richest color!
To check an egg’s freshness, use a simple float test!
- Fill a Deep Bowl or Glass with Water: Use enough water to fully submerge the egg.
- Gently Place the Egg in the Water: Add the egg into the water and observe how it behaves.
- Sinks & Lays Flat on the Bottom: Yay! The egg is fresh & good to use.
- Sinks but Stands Upright (Tilts or Balances on the Pointed End): The egg is still safe to eat, but it’s not at its freshest. Use it soon, ideally for baking or hard-boiling.
- Floats to the Top: Sadness. The egg is spoiled and should be tossed or composted.
For you curious home scientists, the reason this simple float test works is because eggs have a small air pocket inside the shell that gets larger as moisture and carbon dioxide escape over time. Fresh eggs have minimal air inside, so they sink. As eggs age, the air pocket grows, making them more buoyant! Yay science! - okay now for the rest of the ingredients…
- Dashi Broth creates even more flavorful eggs, just like using chicken broth to soups and sauces. It adds saltiness and umami and using dry dashi seasoning is super convenient because it has a long shelf-life, just like chicken bouillon, and all you have to do is dissolve it in water to create the broth. You can use it for other recipes too like Cheese Tteokbokki or Mentaiko Pasta!
- Mirin: Japanese cooking wine that enhances the flavors of this side dish.
- Fish Sauce adds saltiness and umami. Squid brand is what I grew up with and love because it has only 3 ingredients - no mystery preservatives.
See recipe card for quantities.
🔪 How to Make Korean Steamed Eggs
Korean steamed eggs are traditionally cooked in an earthenware, aka ttukbaegi, that’s also used to cook soups like Kimchi Soup. I highly recommend it since it holds heat really well, so it’s perfect to go from stove to table without worrying about your food going cold quickly.
If you don’t have one, you can use a small pot as well.
Step 1: Heat the earthenware or pot on medium heat. In the meantime, in a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, mirin, and fish sauce until smooth. If you want your eggs extra fluffy and smooth, pour it through a sieve.
Step 2: Once the pot is hot, pour in dashi stock and bring it to a soft boil.
Whisk the stock as you slowly pour in egg mixture - this prevents the eggs from sticking to the pot. Continue to whisk the eggs and stock together for a couple of seconds until they’re well combined.
Using a wooden or silicone spoon, continue to mix the eggs to scrape the bottoms and sides until the eggs start to thicken and you are getting some resistance (75% cooked). Cover with a domed lid, reduce heat to low, and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the eggs have cooked through.
It’s crucial to cook the eggs at a low temperature so the eggs will fluff and hold their rise. If the temperature is too hot or the eggs overcook, they’ll quickly deflate after you lift the lid.
Garnish your Korean eggs with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions if you’re feeling fancy. Enjoy immediately!

👩🏽🍳 Key Tips for this Korean Steamed Eggs Recipe
- Cook on Low Heat & Avoid Overcooking: This is key to help your eggs keep that volcanic rise during steaming! Since it’s similar to a souffle, you don’t want the cooking temperature too high or to overcook the eggs, otherwise, they’ll quickly deflate once you lift the lid.
- Best Enjoyed Immediately: Enjoy your Korean steamed eggs while they’re still hot and fluffy. Over time, they’ll naturally start to lose their volume.

💭 Recipe FAQs
They’re best enjoyed hot and fresh since they’re at peak volume. Overtime, they’ll naturally deflate and release more moisture.
Some deflation is normal since gyeran jjim is like a souffle, but if your eggs sink immediately, they were probably overcooked or cooked on too high heat. Remember to lower the heat after covering the eggs and allow the steam to finish cooking.
🥗 More Easy Korean Recipes You’ll Love!
This comforting Korean egg dish is a popular side dish at Korean restaurants & SUPER easy to replicate at home! Easily create more banchan like chewy Vegetable Japchae Noodles, refreshing Korean Cucumber Salad, epic Corn Cheese, or sweet and sticky Braised Potatoes!
Let's Get Cooking!
For drool-worthy step-by-step videos, follow along @MikhaEats on Instagram & Tiktok - and don't forget to tag @MikhaEats for a chance to be featured!

Korean Steamed Eggs (Gyeran Jjim)
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon Mirin
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 cup dashi stock
- 1 stalk green onion thinly sliced
Instructions
- Heat earthenware or a small pot on medium heat.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together eggs, mirin, and fish sauce. For extra smooth eggs, pour the egg mixture through a sieve to remove any lumps.
- Once the earthenware or pot is hot, pour in dashi stock and bring it to a soft boil.
- Whisk the stock as you slowly pour in egg mixture - this prevents the eggs from sticking to the pot. Continue to whisk the eggs for a couple more seconds until they're well combined.
- Switch to a wooden or silicone spoon, then continue to stir the eggs and scrape the bottom and sides of the pot. Continue to cook and bring the fluffy egg curdles to the center until you feel resistance and it's about 75% cooked.
- Turn heat to low, cover with a lid, and cook for about 2-3 minutes in earthenware or 3-4 minutes in a pot. You'll know when they're done when the center of the eggs is set. Turn off heat and top with toasted sesame seeds & sliced green onions if you're feeling fancy. Serve & enjoy immediately!
Notes
- Use the freshest eggs you have for the best flavor & richest color. You can do a quick float test to check the freshness of the eggs (noted in the blog post above).
- Dashi Stock: This adds saltiness and umami. The dried seasoning is super convenient, like chicken bouillon.
- Mirin: This is a cooking wine that enhances the flavors of the dish.
- Ultra Smooth Eggs: Pour the mixed egg ingredients through a sieve before cooking for a silky, fluffy texture.
- Pot Selection: Earthenware is traditional, but a regular sauce pot works well too. A see-through lid helps prevent overcooking. Cooking time is around 5 minutes, adjusting slightly based on pot thickness.
- Flavor Boost: Whisk in dashi stock, mirin, and fish sauce for extra deliciousness. These subtle flavors make the eggs addictively good!
Nutrition
Exact calculations may vary. For the most accurate nutritional information, use your preferred nutrition calculator, actual ingredients, and quantities used for the recipe. Please consult with your physician or registered dietitian if more precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
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