Nitamago (Japanese Seasoned Egg Recipe)
Craving a flavorful egg dish? Try this Nitamago recipe! It’s easy to make and perfect as a side dish or a savory snack anytime!
Looking for simple Japanese egg recipes? Try my Tamagoyaki, Tamago Don, or Natto Omelet!
Nitamago, also known as ajitama or ramen egg, is a Japanese dish with boiled eggs marinated in a mixture of soy sauce and mirin. These seasoned eggs are commonly used as a topping for ramen noodles or enjoyed as a flavorful side for appetizers and lunch boxes. Learn how to make these tasty eggs!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this Nitamago:
How To Make Nitamago: STEP BY STEP
Here’s a quick visual guide! Check the recipe card below for the video and full details!
Step 1
Boil the eggs for 8 to 10 minutes.
Step 2
Add the marinade ingredients to a saucepan and bring them to a boil.
Step 3
Place the boiled eggs in a ziplock bag.
Step 4
Pour the marinade over the eggs and store in the fridge.
After marinating for a few hours, these soy-marinated eggs are ready to enjoy! Serve them as a tasty appetizer, use them in egg onigiri, or add them to a bowl of miso ramen and shio ramen.
Storage
Store nitamago in an airtight container in the fridge for three days. Since boiled eggs have a shorter shelf life than raw eggs, it’s best to consume them as soon as possible.
Variations for the Marinade
Feel free to customize the sauce to your taste. Here are some examples:
Your Questions Answered
Ajitama (ajitsuke tamago) and nitamago are seasoned eggs in Japanese cooking. The key distinction lies in the egg yolk – Ajitama typically features a half-boiled egg with a runny yolk, while nitamago tends to have a creamy yolk. However, these terms are often used interchangeably, and the difference can vary depending on personal preferences.
This recipe is flexible, so feel free to substitute any sauce ingredients with alternatives to suit your taste preferences. Check the Variations for the Marinade as well.
I recommend marinating for 1 to 3 hours, but if you desire an even richer flavor, feel free to extend it by a couple more hours.
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Nitamago (Japanese Seasoned Egg Recipe)
Ingredients
Instructions
- Boil eggs: Place eggs in a small pot and add enough water to cover them. Bring it to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 8-10 minutes. Drain the hot water and replace it with cold water to cool the eggs.
- Make the sauce: In a pot, mix soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and water. Bring it to a boil until the sugar dissolves, then turn off the heat.
- Remove the shells: Peel the eggshells and transfer the eggs into a freezer bag.
- Marinate: Pour the sauce into the bag with the eggs and seal the bag, removing excess air. Store it in the refrigerator to marinate for 1-3 hours.
Notes
- Storage: Store nitamago in an airtight container in the fridge for three days.
- Adjust the boiling time to your liking. Boil for 8 minutes for a soft-boiled egg or 10 minutes for a hard-boiled egg.
- After boiling the eggs, cool them in a cold water bath with ice to stop the cooking process and make peeling easier.
- Rotate the eggs during marination once to ensure that each part absorbs the flavors evenly.
Video
Nutrition
This nutritional information is estimated and provided for general reference only.
Hi, a question…
“(…)eight minutes for a soft-boiled”… 😳
Maybe it’s a matter of the heat source – we have 3 minutes. And now I don’t know how long to actually cook this egg 😅
Any ideas? 🙂
Best regards from Poland.
Hi! Cooking time can vary depending on the heat source, egg size, and water temperature. If your eggs turn out perfectly soft-boiled at 3 minutes, that works too! It all comes down to personal preference.
This recipe is really great.
However, there is one piece of information that I would like to correct: it is not easier to peel eggs out of their shells if you treat them with cold water. Whether the shell can be removed easily after cooking depends on how fresh the eggs are. The fresher they are, the more difficult this process is. Older eggs are easier to peel.
Funnily enough, there are actually studies on this.
Of course, I am not saying that the step with the ice water is not important. It certainly is for the preparation and I have no doubts about it.
Thanks for your feedback, Caudia! I will check about the cold water process.