Make the most flavorful eggs with minimal effort! These jammy Korean soy sauce marinated eggs, or Mayak eggs, make the perfect quick snack or breakfast meal prep with maximum flavor. Get ready to transform simple pantry ingredients into an addicting family breakfast!
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What are Mayak Eggs?
Mayak eggs is a Korean dish made of soft-boiled eggs marinated in soy sauce, garlic, peppers, and other aromatics. It's incredibly simple and inexpensive to make but creates such flavorful results!
In fact, "mayak eggs" translates to "drug eggs" because of how mouthwatering and delicious they are!
If you're not snacking on them or having them for breakfast, you can enjoy them as a topping on noodles like a quick 15-minute Bibim Guksu (Spicy Korean Cold Noodles) or 10-minute Chili Oil Garlic Noodles with a side of Korean Cucumber Salad.
Ingredients
- Eggs: I use large eggs so the cooking time is based on that size. I also highly recommend using room-temperature eggs so they're less likely to crack while boiling. More tips on how to quickly make eggs at room temperature below.
- Chili Peppers: I use Thai chilies because I love spicy food and are more accessible than other chilies, however, Fresno chilies are a popular choice.
- Soy Sauce: I recommend using regular soy sauce for this recipe since it'll help with the saltiness and color more compared to light/low-sodium soy sauce.
- Honey: I don't have much of a sweet tooth so I just had a touch of honey, however, feel free to adjust the sweetness to your liking!
- Sesame Oil: A little goes a long way for a deep-roasted nutty flavor. An absolute must in this recipe!
Directions
Boiling eggs sound simple enough, but getting the right yolk consistency can be tricky. Not to mention, does anyone else have trouble getting perfectly smooth eggs when peeling the shell?
No matter how careful I was, I always ended up chipping the delicate egg somehow… But not anymore with these simple tips!
Step 1: Boil Eggs
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, making sure there's enough water to fully submerge the eggs. Then, add in the vinegar and salt for easy peeling. Gently add in the eggs and cook for 6 minutes for soft-boiled eggs or up to 10 minutes for hard-boiled eggs.
Immediately after the cooking time is up, submerge the eggs in an ice-water bath to cool completely for 10 minutes. This does two things. First, this stops the cooking process so the egg yolks stay your desired consistency. Second, the egg slightly contracts from the shell, making it even easier to peel!
Step 2: Make the Marinade
While the eggs are cooling, combine the marinade ingredients in a Ziplock or deep container that will fully submerge the eggs.
Step 3: Peel Eggs
Gently tap and crack the egg shell, then remove part of the shell at either the top or bottom of the egg. Carefully insert a teaspoon between the egg and shell and wiggle it to easily remove the shell.
Step 4: Marinate the Eggs
Submerge the boiled eggs into the marinade. Ideally, the eggs should be fully submerged, but if not, rotate the eggs every few hours so they're all equally submerged at some point. Marinate for at least 6 hours, or up to overnight.
When you're ready to enjoy your delicious Korean marinated eggs, use the marinade as a finishing sauce and serve over rice. The rice will soak all of that delicious flavor and will make you and your tummy extremely happy!
Key Tips
- Get Eggs Room Temperature FAST: Room temperature eggs are ideal before boiling. The extreme cold to hot can lead to the eggs breaking and leaking egg whites into the water. Leave your eggs out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cooking or if you're in a rush, submerge the cold eggs in hot (not boiling) water for 5 - 10 minutes.
- Use a Deep Container: It's much easier to fully submerge Korean marinated eggs in a deeper container vs a shallow one. If your eggs still won't fully submerge, you can use a Ziplock or rotate the eggs every few hours.
- Perfectly Center Yolks: Want to get your egg yolks in the center when you cut into them? Once you've gently added your eggs to the boiling water, carefully stir the pot for about 30 seconds then allow them to finish cooking.
Storage
Store these Korean marinated eggs in the fridge for up to 5 days (if they don't get eaten up by then!). If you add the sesame seeds or sesame oil to the marinade, it may last a shorter amount of time because the sesame speeds up the spoiling process.
FAQ's
You can keep them in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you mix in the sesame seeds or sesame oil with the marinade, it'll last less.
A popular way to enjoy your Korean marinated eggs is with hot fluffy rice and extra marinade poured on top. You can also add it as a topping and source of protein over your ramen or other noodle dishes!
There's so much flavor in the marinade, you can use it to stir-fry noodles or vegetables to create a whole new dish! I don't recommend reusing the marinade for a second batch of mayak eggs since the fresh ingredients (garlic, chilies, and green onions) may not keep unless they're cooked.
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Korean Marinated Eggs (Mayak Soy Sauce Eggs)
Ingredients
Boiled Eggs
- 6 eggs at room temperature*
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
Marinade
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 4 green onions sliced
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 3 tablespoons honey* can sub. with sugar
- 2 red chilies* thinly sliced, optional
For Serving
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- nori shredded, optional for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil. There should be enough water for the eggs to be fully submerged. Once the pot is boiling, add in salt, vinegar, and carefully add eggs. Cook eggs for 6 minutes for runny yolks and 10 minutes for hard-boiled eggs.
- Remove the eggs and immediately submerge them in the ice water bath to cool completely for about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix together the marinade. Set aside.
- Once the eggs have cooled, gently remove the shells. You can gently insert a teaspoon to run along the side of the egg to remove the shell (See above for step-by-step photos).
- Place the eggs in a Ziplock bag or airtight container, then pour the marinade over the eggs, allowing the eggs to be fully submerged. Marinate in the fridge for 6 hours up to overnight.
- Serve over rice with a drizzle of sesame oil and some of the marinade, then top with shredded nori, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Room Temperature Eggs: Having the eggs at room temperature before boiling them helps prevent them from cracking while being boiling. If cold eggs are added to hot water, you have a higher chance of getting cracked shells and leaking eggs. Bring eggs to room temperature about 30 minutes before cooking. If you’re in a rush, you can place them in hot water (not boiling water) for 10 - 15 minutes to help speed up the process.
- Honey: I don't have much of a sweet tooth so I add just a bit of honey, however, feel free to taste and adjust to your tastebuds.
- Chilies: Fresno chilies are typically used for this recipe, however, serranos, jalapenos, or Thai chilies work too! You can use what's available and fits your spice tolerance.
- Sesame Oil: A little goes a long way for a robust nutty flavor! I recommend adding the sesame oil to your serving bowl or plate right before eating. If you add it directly in the marinade, the eggs tend to spoil faster.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and provided for informational purposes. Nutrition may vary based on product availability, methods of preparation, origin, and freshness of ingredients, etc. 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.
HEY, I'M MIKHA!
...A fellow food lover who loves cooking up a delicious storm in the kitchen - and of course eating! These quick & easy Asian recipes will help you transform simple ingredients into a drool-worthy meal made with love, for the people you love - no matter your skill level & without spending all day in the kitchen.
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