Mayak eggs are Korean marinated eggs, soaked in a sweet, spicy, savory soy sauce mixture with a rich, jammy, golden center. Learn how to make Korean marinated eggs to enjoy with rice, noodles, or whatever your taste buds desire!
Craving more delicious egg recipes? Try my Japanese Egg Sandwich with Yuzu Kosho and Soy Sauce Eggs next.
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Add mayak eggs to any dish for an instant upgrade. You’ve never had an egg packed with so much flavor. Make a batch and you’ll enjoy the best Korean marinated eggs all week!
Why This Korean Marinated Eggs Recipe Works
- Easy – Simply boil eggs, make your marinade, let them soak overnight, and devour them the next day!
- Nutritious – Mayak marinated eggs are a rich source of protein for meatless meals, whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
- Delicious – These soft-boiled eggs are steeped in a mouthwatering umami flavored sauce enhanced with peppers, green onions, and honey.
What are Mayak Eggs?
Mayak Gyeran eggs translates to “drug eggs” in Japanese; the assumption being that the Korean marinated eggs are truly addicting. And it’s true because once you have one, you’ll inevitably want more.
This banchan (Korean side dish) is versatile enough to eat throughout the day, as a snack or side dish.
Tools You’ll Need
Mayak Eggs Ingredients
These Korean style marinated eggs are so flavorful thanks to an array of sauces, peppers, and aromatics.
Eggs
- Eggs: Use quality large eggs.
- Apple cider vinegar: Adding this to the boiling water makes it easier to peel the eggs later.
- Kosher salt: This ingredient also aides is easier peeling. I use Diamond Kosher.
Soy Sauce Mixture
- Water: Using this as the liquid base of the sauce so as to dilute the sauce mixture a bit.
- Light soy sauce: Not to be confused with reduced sodium soy sauce. Used for flavor and not for color, this adds a savory flavor.
- Honey: This adds sweetness to balance the other ingredients out.
- Dark soy sauce: This provides deeper flavor notes compared to light soy sauce, as well as the familiar umami notes, but is mainly used to give the eggs a darker color.
- Aromatics: I use green onions and grated garlic cloves.
- Korean green pepper: Thinly sliced. You can also use jalapeños.
- Fresno chili: For a punch of spice.
- Toasted sesame seeds: This adds a nutty taste.
Garnish
- Sesame oil: Poured over eggs just before serving.
How To Make Korean Marinated Eggs
Soft boil the eggs and prepare your soy sauce mixture.
Eggs
- In a medium saucepan, add 5 cups of water, apple cider vinegar, and salt. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, carefully add eggs using a spider strainer, then cover with a lid. Set a timer for 6 minutes for soft boiled eggs, or 9 minutes for a more set (hard boiled) egg. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath.
- Once cooked, transfer the eggs to an ice bath. Set a timer for 6 minutes. While waiting on the eggs to cool, start making the soy sauce egg mixture.
Soy Sauce Mixture
- Add both soy sauces, honey, and water to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Whisk until honey completely dissolves.
- Add remaining sauce ingredients then stir to combine.
- Carefully peel eggs then add to the soy sauce mixture. Cover with plastic wrap then place in the refrigerator overnight.
- Top steamed rice with the desired amount of soy sauce, along with peppers, green onion, and sesame seeds from the sauce. Top with an egg and use a spoon to split the egg in half. Finish with a drizzle of sesame oil just before serving. Enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- Don’t skip the ice water bath. It prevents the eggs from overcooking and makes it easier to peel the eggshells. Have the ice bath set prior to boiling the boils for a quick and easy transition.
- For perfectly jammy eggs, use room temperature eggs. They will cook more evenly. The eggs should not be super fresh. Older eggs are more acidic and therefore, easier to peel.
- This recipe can be made with as many eggs as you like. Just make sure each egg is fully submerged in the soy sauce mixture.
What to Serve with Korean Marinated Eggs
You can always enjoy them as a snack. Alternatively, serve the eggs with steamed hot rice, or use them as a replacement for ramen eggs.
Storage
Store leftover mayak eggs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you reuse egg marinade?
Egg marinade can be reused but it will lose its potency over time. Keep it stored for up to 1 week and boil it for 2-3 minutes before reusing. You can also use it to flavor stir-fries or to sauté veggies or proteins.
Are mayak eggs healthy?
They are a rich source of protein and low in calories. If you are concerned with salt intake, consider using a low-sodium soy sauce.
How long can you marinate eggs?
You can marinate eggs for up to 3 days although 6 hours will suffice for this recipe. Keep them in the marinade for much longer than 72 hours, and they will become hard and rubbery.
Looking for More Egg Recipes
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Korean Marinated Eggs – Mayak Eggs!
Equipment
- saucepan
- mixing bowls
Ingredients
Eggs
- 6 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, Diamond Kosher
Soy Sauce Mixture
- ⅓ cup water
- ½ cup light soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey
- ½ tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 5 green onions
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 2 korean green pepper, thinly sliced,
- 1 fresno chili, diced
- 4 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
Garnish
- Sesame oil, poured over eggs just before serving
Instructions
Eggs
- In a medium saucepan, add 5 cups of water, apple cider vinegar, and salt. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, carefully add eggs using a spider strainer, then cover with lid. Set a timer for 6 minutes for soft boiled eggs, or 9 minutes for a more set (hard boiled) egg. Meanwhile prepare an ice bath.
- Once cooked, transfer eggs to ice bath. Set a timer for 6 minutes. While waiting on eggs to cool, start making the soy sauce egg mixture.
Soy Sauce Mixture
- Add both soy sauces, honey, and water to a medium sized mixing bowl. Whisk until honey completely dissolves.
- Add remaining sauce ingredients then stir to combine.
- Carefully peel eggs then add to the soy sauce mixture. Cover with plastic wrap then place in the refrigerator overnight.
- Top steamed rice with desired amount of soy sauce, along with peppers, green onion, sesame seeds from the sauce. Top with an egg and use a spoon to split the egg in half. Finish with a drizzle of sesame oil just before serving. Enjoy!
Seth says...
These were great. Perfect balance of flavor. I had them over rice and also with spam. My new go-to recipe for flavored eggs.
Jeri Mobley-Arias says...
Thank you, Seth!