Mayak eggs (mayak gyeran) is a classic Korean side dish of soy-marinated boiled eggs with a savoury-yet-sweet flavour that everyone will love. And it's great for meal prep. Make a large batch and eat it for breakfast, use it as ramen eggs, or simply a quick afternoon snack.
Servings6 eggs
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs, room temperature*
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Egg marinade ingredients
- ½ cup soy sauce, light or all-purpose soy sauce (or tamari for a gluten-free marinade)
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (optional)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil (optional)
- ¼ cup honey, maple syrup or brown rice syrup
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 chilli peppers, sliced (optional)
Instructions
- Prep your ice bath before you cook the eggs. Grab a large enough bowl to fit all your eggs. Then add a few handfuls of ice cubes with enough cold water to submerge the boiled eggs. Set aside.
- Take a medium-sized pot big enough to fit the eggs in a single layer. Fill it half full with water and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the water reaches a rolling boil, stir in the vinegar and salt. Then, gently lower the room-temperature eggs into the boiling water with a slotted spoon. Start a timer once the last egg hits the water and cook for 6 minutes*. Transfer the eggs to the waiting ice bath and cool down for 5 minutes.
- Gently tap-tap-tap the cooled eggs on a flat surface and softly roll the eggs with the palm of your hand. Then peel the eggs, and rinse off any pieces of eggshell. Place the eggs in a glass bowl or airtight container that fits the eggs snuggly.
- Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Then pour it over the peeled eggs. Cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap. And let the eggs marinate at room temperature for at least 1 hour, or preferably, refrigerate overnight.
- Transfer the eggs to a clean airtight container. They will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Fridge-cold eggs may crack when they hit the rapidly boiling water. And they can drastically lower the water temperature resulting in runny egg whites. Place refrigerated eggs in hot tap water for a few minutes to quickly bring them to room temperature.
- Jammy eggs (6-minute eggs) work best for marinating, but you can also use hard-boiled ones. Use the same method, but cook the eggs for 10 minutes.
- Store the marinated eggs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- See the ingredients and substitutes section for more ingredient information.
- The total recipe time does not include the time to marinate the eggs (which can range from 1 hour to 12 hours).