Best Mini Ramen Eggs 味付け玉子 (Ajitama Quail Eggs)

Best Mini Ramen Eggs (Ajitama Quail Eggs) 味付け玉子 are perfect because you can pop the whole thing in your mouth and get all that jammy egg that's irresistible in every bite! We used quail eggs and an easy umami-rich, sweet, salty brine to marinate the Ajitsuke tamago. Custardy gooey eggs are so quick, easy, fun to eat, and damn delicious. The easiest way to enjoy these soy-marinated soft-boiled eggs with a golden yolk is with a hot bowl of ramen noodles.

Marinated soft boil quail eggs are the perfect bite-sized ajitama tamago for Japanese cuisine ramen lovers. The cooking time for raw quail eggs takes much less time than regular soft-boiled eggs! 

> In This Post: Everything You'll Need For Perfect Ajitama Ramen Eggs

After perfecting these egg recipes like Chinese Tea Leaf Eggs 茶葉蛋 and Chinese Deviled Eggs with Pork Floss, I made these soft yolk jammy ramen eggs!

Check out this quick story summary of our recipe!

Jump to:

• > In This Post: Everything You'll Need For Perfect Ajitama Ramen Eggs
• What Are Quail Eggs?
• Ingredients and Substitutes
• Instructions
• What To Serve With The Best Ramen Eggs
• > Recipe
• Best Mini Ramen Eggs 味付け玉子 (Ajitama Quail Eggs)

What Are Quail Eggs?

Quail eggs are adorable and cute speckled eggs from Quail game birds.

Compared to chicken or duck eggs, these peewee-sized eggs look like Easter mini eggs. 

You can find this type of egg at your local farmer's market, Asian supermarket, or large big box stores.

Quail Egg vs Chicken Egg

These small but mighty quail eggs pack a richer, creamier texture and jammier punch than chicken eggs, depending on how you cook them. 

Three quail eggs are equal to a single-size of chicken egg.

Quail eggs are full of essential nutrients. They are nutritious and rich in vitamins A, D, B12, selenium, riboflavin, choline, iron, protein and healthy fats.

Quail Eggs Benefits

Quail eggs have many benefits, including essential amino acids, boosting our immune systems, supporting respiratory systems, and improving skin elasticity, sexual health, and eyesight. 

If you love the creamy texture of quail eggs, try adding them to avocado toast with sea urchin or homemade vegetable ramen instant noodles. Or crack a few to replace your regular sunny-side eggs during breakfast! 

Ingredients and Substitutes

You only need a few simple ingredients to make tasty soy-marinated quail eggs.

Quail Eggs - Compared to a regular soft-boiled egg, hardboiled quail eggs are fun to pop in your mouth.

White Vinegar - Adding a little vinegar to the boiling water makes for easy peeling eggs shell. 

Bowl of Iced Water - prepare a bowl of cold water filled with ice to stop your soft-boiled eggs from cooking further.

Marinade Brine

This flavorful, slightly sweet and salty marinade is what makes the ramen egg yolk gooey. The salt cures the yolk. Controlling the salt content or the time the egg is submerged in the marinade is critical to having the perfect yolk.

• Water or Dashi Stock
• Japanese Soy Sauce
• Mirin
• Cooking Sake or Rice Wine
• White Sugar or Brown Sugar

Most dry goods ingredients, tools and supplies can be purchased at your local Asian grocery stores or online at my Amazon Store. I have linked the products for your convenience!

Leftover Marinade

Besides making marinated eggs again, there are many great uses for leftover soy sauce-based marinades.

First, I suggest boiling the marinade before using it to remove impurities. 

I took the leftover marinade to Chicken Katsu Seasoning Broth for チキンカツ丼 Easy Crispy Chicken Katsu Don. It was delicious! 

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water and white vinegar to a rolling boil.

Use a slotted spoon to carefully lower the small quail eggs into the hot water. Continue stirring the pot to keep the eggs moving. This will ensure the eggs come out round and the egg yolk is evenly distributed.

For soft-boiled jammy eggs, set a timer to precisely 2.5 minutes. If you prefer your eggs less running, adjust the cooking time according to your preference for their doneness. For hardboiled eggs, increase the cooking time to 4 minutes.

Alternatively, you can also sous vide quail eggs for 30 minutes at 145.7°F (63.2°C) to ensure a perfect poach. However, I find it takes too long. I prefer using the simple way of cooking it in boiling water for 2.5 minutes. 

Also, remember that the doneness also depends on the size of the eggs.

Remove the eggs immediately after cooking, and transfer the eggs to an ice bath - a large bowl of ice water. 

Allow the boiled eggs time to cool. Once cool, peel the eggs and place them into a glass container.

Add marinade to the glass container.

Cover and refrigerator overnight.

Enjoy them alone or as a flavourful topping to a delicious bowl of ramen noodles, rice, or salads.

Marinated Brine

Add all ingredients to a small saucer and bring to a simmer.

Let cool to room temperature before use. 

The marinade mixture can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

How To Meal Prep

You can efficiently work this marinated quail eggs recipe into your family meal prep ideas for the week. Add these perfectly poached mini eggs that can be served as a cold appetizer, a side dish, or a topping to cooked rice and ramen bowls!

Gooey, golden egg yolks Ajitsuke Tamago can be portioned airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Pro Tip: How To Peel Eggs Perfectly 

A perfect Ajitama egg will have a firm egg white with no dents from peeling or air bubbles.  

• Gently crack the eggs first and add them back to the ice-cold water. Let the water "seep" into the egg between the shell and the egg whites. 
• Peel the eggs under running water. 
• Pull back only the shell once you can see the thin membrane layer.

What To Serve With The Best Ramen Eggs 

An ideal ajitama has a firm egg white and a custardy, gooey yolk served at room temperature. Allow the eggs to warm up before adding them to a hot bowl of noodles.  

This is one of the most popular proteins to add to Japanese cuisine. It is perfect as a make-ahead-of-time weekly meal prep for two. Enjoy this bold and flavourful umami-rich soft boiled egg to complete the meal with the following delicious dishes.

• Japanese Mentaiko Spaghetti Noodles 明太子パスタ
• Best Tonkatsu Japanese Pork Cutlet 豚カツ 
• Easy Crispy Chicken Katsu Don チキンカツ丼 
• Vegan Unagi Don (Eggplant Kabayaki) うなぎ丼

I'd love to see how you went with my recipes! Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @INSTANOMSS #INSTANOMSS.

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