I’m obsessed with eggs. Like, really obsessed. So obsessed that we go through 3-4 dozen eggs per week as a family of 2.
I’m also a longtime “ramen egg” stan so when mayak eggs started making the rounds on social media I just knew I’d like them. And what’s not to like? Jammy medium-boiled eggs marinated in a salty-sweet-spicy sauce — a low effort super hero of a food.
These are so good that eating them atop some fresh rice or even noodles (instant or otherwise) would make a perfect lunch. The only downside is that you’ll need to exercise the patience to allow these to marinate for at least 12 hours and up to 48 — any longer than that and I find they end up too salty.
A word of caution: when I was making these, I didn’t use gloves to chop my chilies, which is a pretty common occurrence for me. It usually isn’t an issue but this time it lit my hands on fire for FIVE HOURS. I’m not sure what was different other than the fact that my eczema has been flaring up on my knuckles this summer, but either way, I’d HIGHLY recommend using gloves when chopping your chilies. If you do end up in the same unfortunate position as me, I’d recommend first washing your hands with dish soap to remove as much of the lingering chili oil/capsaicin as possible, and then slathering your hands in aloe gel, which will provide temporary cooling relief. Repeat applications of aloe as long as is necessary. Or just avoid this whole thing and wear gloves, like I said.
As for leftover marinating liquid, since I got asked this question a bunch: here are some ideas for making use of it:
- Pour it, as is, over rice as a delicious sauce
- Add it to uncooked rice before cooking to infuse the rice with some yummy flavor
- Reduce it down to a thick sauce that can be poured over meats
- Use the marinade as-is for marinating meats (you can freeze it if you’re not ready to marinate right away)
- Add it to a stir fry instead of soy sauce as a dead simple, but very tasty, stir fry flavoring
And if you like these, check out their marinated egg cousins: ajitsuke tamago (ramen eggs) and Chinese-style lo suei/lo shui shortcut eggs. All 3 are fantastic to keep in your weeknight meal rotation. I also got a lot of comments about trying Filipino style adobo eggs, so that’s next on my list.
Korean Marinated Eggs (Mayak Eggs)
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs straight from the fridge
- 2.5 Tbsp sugar
- 1/4 cup boiling water
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 serrano chili chopped
- 1 fresno chili chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 green onion sliced (green + white parts)
Instructions
- Medium boil the eggs: bring a medium-sized pot of water to a full boil on high heat. Carefully lower your eggs into the boiling water and set a timer for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, remove the eggs from the water with a slotted spoon and immediately submerge in ice water. Let sit in ice water until ready to use.3 large eggs
- In a small heat proof container (as small as possible that still fits 3 eggs without squishing them), add your sugar and boiling water. Either stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves, or if you're using a "Tupperware" style container with a tight fitting lid, seal the container and shake to dissolve the sugar.2.5 Tbsp sugar, 1/4 cup boiling water
- Add the remaining ingredients and shake or stir one more time to combine.1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 serrano chili, 1 fresno chili, 3 cloves garlic, 1 green onion
- Carefully peel the eggs and add them to the sauce mixture. Seal the container and move it to the fridge for at least 12 hours, and up to 48 — after 48 hours I find the eggs to be too salty.
- Enjoy with rice, noodles, or on their own (I usually eat them cold or at room temperature).
Notes
- If your eggs aren't fully submerged, it's not necessarily a big deal but you'll end up with uneven coloring. If this bothers you, you can use the paper towel trick: simply lay a piece of clean paper towel over the top of the eggs, hanging into the sauce, so the sauce can travel up the paper towel and cover all sides of the eggs. However, I have received criticism in the past for utilizing this trick because paper towels are not necessarily considered food safe. Use at your discretion!
- Another way to submerge your eggs more evenly is to use a ziploc baggie for marinating. Add your marinade and eggs and make sure to remove all the air from the bag (you can also use the water submersion technique if you're familiar with sous vide cooking). This will stretch your marinade further, however, you'll likely end up with splotchy eggs (that still taste great!).