A delicious recipe for Korean-style marinated eggs. Soft and incredibly flavorful
Is it a side dish? A delicious topping for ramen? A late-night meal? A banchan?
These eggs are ALL of that at once. Well, I’m exaggerating a bit, but it’s hard to find a more versatile dish. You can prepare it in advance without any hassle, it keeps for a while, and the marinade serves as a delicious sauce. Seriously, on rice it’s simply killer
What are mayak eggs?
Mayak gyeran, or soy sauce marinated eggs, are one of the many banchan (side dishes) in Korean cuisine. The word “gyeran” means “egg” in Korean.
As for “mayak”, it literally translates to “drug”; and before you ask, no, these eggs are not infused with illicit substances!
In fact, it’s common in Korea to attach the word “mayak” to a dish when it’s simply irresistible. A bit like my fried rice (high risk of addiction)
Mayak gyeran are made of cooked eggs (usually soft-boiled), peeled, then immersed in a mixture of soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, sesame seeds, and powerful aromatics like gochugaru (Korean red chili powder), garlic, fresh chilies, and green onions.
After a few hours in this flavorful marinade, the eggs come out salty, rich, and tangy, with a wonderfully creamy yolk. You can place them on a bed of steaming white rice, serve them as banchan, or snack on one as a treat.
The main ingredients of Korean marinated eggs
Light soy sauce: If you’re new to my site, know that behind this unusual name is simply the ordinary salty soy sauce found everywhere
Rice syrup: This or corn syrup is ideal, but honey will also work perfectly. Basically, you just need liquid sweetness
Sesame oil: Used as a finishing touch when eating, it’s killer
Korean Marinated Eggs – Mayak Gyeran
Ingredients
- 6 eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon of white vinegar
- 120 ml light soy sauce
- 120 ml water
- 120 ml of rice syrup substitute with corn syrup or honey
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 4 green onions chopped
- 1 green chili pepper chopped, optional
- 1 red chili pepper chopped, optional
- 1 tablespoon of white sesame seeds
To serve
- Cooked rice
- Sesame oil
To peel the eggs
- 1 ice water bath
Procédé
- Bring enough water to cover 6 eggs to a boil in a saucepan.
- Add salt and vinegar to the water.2 teaspoons salt, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar
- Bring the water to a boil and carefully add the eggs.6 eggs
- Cook the eggs for 6 minutes for a runny yolk (5 minutes if your stove is powerful) or up to 10 minutes for hard-boiled eggs (8 minutes if your stove is powerful).
- When the cooking time is over, transfer the eggs from the saucepan to an ice water bath.1 ice water bath
- Let the eggs cool completely.
- Meanwhile, prepare the marinade: Mix soy sauce, water, and rice syrup until well combined.120 ml light soy sauce, 120 ml water, 120 ml of rice syrup
- Add garlic, green onions, chili peppers, and sesame seeds, then mix.3 cloves garlic, 4 green onions, 1 green chili pepper, 1 red chili pepper, 1 tablespoon of white sesame seeds
- Carefully peel the eggs to avoid damaging them, then place them in an airtight container.
- Pour the sauce mixture over the eggs, cover, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight before serving.
- Serve with hot rice, some marinade, and a drizzle of sesame oil.Cooked rice, Sesame oil
Notes
Nutrition
Culinary sources
I’ve adapted the recipe here from the Seonk Young Longest blog, I really recommend it if you’re looking for nice sources of Korean recipes
