Korean Mayak Eggs

Korean Mayak Eggs (Mayak Gyeran) are soft boiled eggs soaked overnight in a soy sauce based marinade. Mayak Gyeran translates to  “drug eggs” as they are so addictive you’ll be craving more of it. These addictive eggs are easy to make with simple ingredients you may already have at home.  The hardest part will be waiting to eat as it needs to marinate for at least 8 hours.

Soft boiled eggs are soaked in a salty and sweet marinade with soy sauce, water, sugar, garlic, green onions, sesame seeds and optional chili pepper for spice. I would’ve added red chili peppers for color but only had green chili pepper on hand.

The marinade ingredients can be adjusted based on the number of eggs and container size.  Try not to use a container with a large width as the eggs should be submerged in the marinade. 

Since the eggs lasts 3-4 days, I only made 4 eggs. To adjust the marinade, the ratio of soy sauce to water is 1 to 1.  And I usually add 1/2 the ratio amount for sugar but feel free to adjust the ratios based on preference or the number of eggs.  

To make soft boiled eggs, vinegar and salt is added to boiling water which makes the shells peel easier. Once the eggs are added to the water, stir in one direction for about 10 seconds to evenly distribute the heat. 

Boil the eggs for 6 minutes for soft boiled, then submerge in an ice bath to stop the cooking process and cool.

Peel the eggs and soak in the marinade overnight in the fridge. Serve the eggs with some of the marinade over rice or noodles for a delicious breakfast, snack or light meal. The eggs will last for 3-4 days in the fridge and use any leftover marinade for stir fry or as a dipping sauce.

Korean Mayak Eggs (Mayak Gyeran)

Serves: 4

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

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Ingredients

• 4 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon  salt
• Serving: rice and optional toppings such as green onions, toasted seaweed, or sesame oil

Marinade ( adjust as needed) 

• 1/2-3/4  cup soy sauce
• 1/2-3/4 cup water
• 1/4-1/3 cup sugar, rice syrup or honey ( or sugar substitute) 
• 1-2 green onion sliced
• 2-3 cloves garlic minced
• Optional: 1-2  red or green chili pepper, sliced 
• 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

In a saucepan, bring water to a boil.  

Stir in the vinegar and salt and reduce heat to medium low.   Gently add the eggs into the water and stir the eggs in one direction for about 10 seconds. 

Boil for 6 minutes for soft boiled eggs. (For hard boiled, boil for 10 minutes).

Meanwhile,  add the marinade ingredients into a container and stir well.

Prepare a bowl of ice water right before the eggs are done cooking. Transfer the eggs into the ice bath and let sit for about 10 minutes to cool completely. 

Once the eggs are cool, peel the shells and add to the marinade. Cover and store in the fridge overnight or at least 8 hours. 

To serve: place the egg with some of the sauce over a bowl of rice or noodles and top with optional garnish. Enjoy!

Notes

The eggs will last for 3-4 days in the fridge. Use the leftover marinade for stir fry or as a dipping sauce.

Did You Make This Recipe?

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