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Easy Shoyu Eggs – a batch of rich and delicious shoyu tamago, perfect as a side dish, part of your main meal, or even for snacking. With just 5 minutes of prep time, you can easily make these umami-filled eggs.
The Best Shoyu Egg Recipe
Shoyu egg or shoyu tamago in Japanese, is one of the popular egg recipes, alongside Chinese soy sauce eggs, Korean soy sauce eggs, and Chinese tea eggs. Shoyu egg absorbs the balanced sweet and savory flavors and the mild umami taste of the marinade, characteristic of Japanese cuisine. In this shoyu egg recipe, I used Japanese soy sauce, which is slightly sweeter and richer in umami compared to regular soy sauce.
This easy shoyu egg recipe takes only 5 minutes of prep time, and with just two simple steps, you’ll be able to enjoy these rich, umami-filled eggs, perfect as a side dish, part of your main meal, or even for snacking.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy. Prep time takes only 5 minutes, and this recipe is incredibly simple and does not involve any real cooking, unlike tomato eggs and egg foo young.
- Affordable. Shoyu egg is not cheap at restaurants, with some costing as much as $1.50 per egg. Making homemade shoyu egg is much more budget-friendly, as eggs are generally inexpensive and the ingredients for the marinade are affordable.
- Convenient for batch cooking. Shoyu egg can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator, making it convenient for quick meals and snacks.
- Versatility. These shoyu eggs can be enjoyed in various ways – as a snack, side dish, or part of a main meal. They pair well with many dishes like ramen (such as instant pot ramen, ), rice bowls (such as Gyudon (Japanese Beef Bowl)), and salads.
Ingredients For Shoyu Egg
- Japanese soy sauce – adds a deep, savory umami flavor.
- dark soy sauce – for a deeper color.
- sugar – adds sweetness to the marinade and to balance the savory elements.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
Shoyu Egg Ingredients Addition
- Green onions. Adds freshness and crunch.
- Sesame seeds. For a nutty flavor.
- Chili oil or slices of fresh chili. Added to the marinade for a spicy kick.
- Shiitake mushrooms. Adds a satisfying, meaty texture.
How To Make Shoyu Eggs
Step 1: Make the hard boiled eggs by boiling the eggs in hot water for 10 minutes. Crack and peel the shell off the eggs. Set aside.
Step 2: In a small pot, bring the water to boil. Add the soy sauce, dark soy sauce and sugar. Transfer the eggs into the soy sauce mixture. Turn off the heat and let it steep in the mixture for an hour before serving.
Helpful Tips For Home Cooks
- Use fresh eggs as they have a firmer egg white, which helps them hold their shape better during boiling and marinating.
- Immediately transfer boiled eggs to an ice bath after cooking to stop the cooking process and make them easier to peel.
- Make sure the eggs are evenly coated with the shoyu egg marinade. This helps achieve consistent flavor throughout.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes you can but Japanese soy sauce is preferred for its slightly sweeter and more umami-rich flavor.
Marinate the peeled eggs in the soy sauce mixture for at least 1 hour. Marinating overnight will intensify the flavor.
You can reduce the marinating time or dilute the shoyu mixture with a bit of water before adding the eggs.
Traditionally they are served cold or at room temperature. However, they can also be gently reheated before serving.
Store the eggs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
This recipe is only 171 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Shoyu Egg
These versatile and umami-filled eggs goes well with just about any comforting Japanese dishes such as gyoza, yakisoba and gyudon. For a wholesome Japanese home cooked meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes:
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Other Recipes You Might Like
Shoyu Egg Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 hard boiled eggs
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce , or tamari
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Make the hard boiled eggs by boiling the eggs in hot water for 10 minutes. Crack and peel the shell off the eggs. Set aside.
- In a small pot, bring the water to boil. Add the soy sauce, dark soy sauce and sugar. Transfer the eggs into the soy sauce mixture. Turn off the heat and let it steep in the mixture for an hour before serving.
Notes
- Use fresh eggs as they have a firmer egg white, which helps them hold their shape better during boiling and marinating.
- Immediately transfer boiled eggs to an ice bath after cooking to stop the cooking process and make them easier to peel.
- Make sure the eggs are evenly coated with the shoyu marinade. This helps achieve consistent flavor throughout.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gudetama!!!
Can this be done with teriyaki sauce?
I can be but it won’t taste the same.
It’s probably best to go by observing the color in the photo here and if necessary extend the soaking/steeping time for desired result. After an hour, my eggs didn’t have enough soy flavor and color. It’s a simple fix.
they came out colorless and tasteless :( maybe cause i did a few changes, i only needed 2 eggs so i halved the entire recipe and i just used regular soy sauce, what do u think?
You don’t half the recipe, it doesn’t work this way because you have less eggs.
Also, you will need dark soy sauce for the color.
My children will love these!!! Would you happen to know if they would work in egg molds if I warm them back up a bit before putting them in the mold? I’m thinking the brown color and the bear mold would be adorable!
Sorry egg molds won’t work.
amazing stuff
wow thats something new.. have to try it.thanks
Try to smoke (in a smoker) the eggs after the soy sauce bath. I tried them last month in Japan when I was invited to a BBQ and they were great!
I don’t remember how long they where smoked, something like 5-10 hours. But the egg got smaller, the outside of the egg a bit more chewy and the flavours got concentrated – together with the wonderful smoky taste!
Cheers.
That’s great idea. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for your recipes ….I also make Crabmeat Rangoon …it’s pretty easy and your soy sauce hard boiled eggs would not last long with my friends
Hi Mary, thanks for your sweet comment. Yes you need to make a big bunch of these soy sauce eggs!
I’m experimenting with finger food to refuel with on the bike leg of a long Triathlon race. After trying sushi (brown rice) and finding the portions rather too big, I have explored rice balls and have invented some small compressed black sticky glutinous rice balls with half a chocolate chip in the middle and rolled in shredded coconut. By the same token, I think I would like the flavour of soya sauce eggs but they would be too big, and cutting them would make them messy; so I have bought quail eggs — I think making shoyu eggs with them would be perfect. It may take a bit of dialling in to make sure I don’t over-cook the yolks though. can’t wait to try.
Good idea to use quail eggs. Yes, egg yolk will get overcooked especially if you steep in the soy sauce mixture for a long time.