Mayak eggs – flavourful, addictive, and appetizing. With an umami taste and a savoury finish, it’s no wonder that this Korean dish is going viral on Tiktok and Instagram.
These special soy sauce eggs can elevate any bowl of rice or noodles to a heavenly level. They’re healthy, low in calories, and simple to make. Trust us when we say that our tried and true timeless recipe is the one for you.
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What Is It?
Mayak Gyeran (마약계란) also known as Korean marinated eggs is a popular side dish originating from South Korea. You can enjoy it for breakfast, lunch, or even dinner!
Mayak eggs are marinated in a special sauce that hits all the right spots – sweet, spicy, and umami! It has a feel-good gooey centre, a fluffy taste and a jammy texture. This Korean dish’s alternate name “drug eggs” is given not because it consists of actual drugs; it is simply addicting!
Unlike other Korean dishes that went viral on the net, this dish is arguably healthy. This is mainly due to there being very little oil and sugar used to make it. Moreover, there is a keto variation you can also try if you keep reading on!
How To Eat Mayak Eggs
As a classic move, pair these yummy soy sauce eggs with a steaming hot bowl of rice! Unless, of course, you’d prefer to eat them over soba, ramen, or any other type of noodles. However, you could also opt to eat it on its own – that’s how locals commonly enjoy the dish.
This dish tastes best with extra garnish on top. Just drizzle in a bit of sesame oil and embellish with some sesame seeds or dried seaweed flakes and your special soy sauce eggs will be good to go.
Ingredients
For a perfect batch of mayak eggs, use room-temperature ones to get that jammy texture that we all love and crave! Whether you decide to make them soft-boiled or hard-boiled, they taste great either way.
However, the real secret that made this moreish Korean dish so popular lies in its marinade. Marinated eggs mirin require soy sauce and a little something more. To kick up the flavour, add honey, corn syrup, or sugar for sweetness and chilli peppers for the spice.
Using Quail Eggs
Although we usually use regular chicken ones to make this Korean dish, there’s no problem with switching it up by using quail eggs instead. In fact, quail is healthier for you due to its extra nutrients.
Be aware of the price tag, though! Remember that your mayak eggs will taste great regardless of the type of egg you use.
Cooking Tips
Here are a few quick tips:
- Having trouble with breaking down shells? Add vinegar and salt into the water before you boil it.
- The shells are sticking to the outer layer of the eggs? Dunk the boiled ones immediately into an ice bath. This will help to separate the shells from the flesh. Hence, making it easier to peel.
- Struggling to make the perfect soft-boiled eggs? Use room-temperature ones and fill the pot with enough water so they are completely submerged.
- Want your soy sauce eggs to have that extra punch of flavour? Marinate your mayak eggs overnight so they can soak up all the flavourful goodness.
How To Store
The best way to store your Korean marinated eggs would be in the refrigerator. It’ll last 5 to 7 days so don’t fret about finishing it right away.
However, note that these drug eggs are best to be consumed within 24 hours so you can savour their addictive taste.
Leftover Marinade
If you have any leftover marinade, your first idea might be to use them to make a second batch of mayak eggs. Although it’s not wrong to do this, the new batch won’t be as flavourful as the first.
Alternatively, use the leftover marinade as a garnish to enhance the taste of other dishes. For example, any dish consisting of meat, tofu or vegetables could greatly benefit from its exquisite taste.
Or, if you're out of ideas - simply pour the leftover marinade over cooked rice! The flavourful sauce will enhance the rice meal by manifolds. The addictive appeal of these soy sauce eggs has always come from its marinade after all.
Mayak Eggs (Korean Soy Sauce Eggs)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 pcs large eggs
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup honey or oligo syrup, or corn syrup, or sugar
- ¼ pc onion medium sized, diced
- 1 pc green onion diced
- 3 pcs garlic cloves minced
- 1 pc red chilli pepper diced
- 1 pc green chilli pepper diced
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds toasted
Instructions
- In a pot of water, add salt and vinegar. Then, bring it to a boil before adding 6 large eggs into the pot. To make your mayak eggs soft-boiled, cook for 6 minutes. To make them hard-boiled, cook for up to 10 minutes.
- Next, put them into an ice water bath and let them cool for at least 10 minutes. After they have cooled completely, peel them carefully and store them in an air-tight container.
- In a separate container, mix soy, water, and rice syrup until everything is even. Then, add garlic, green onions, chillies and sesame seeds. Stir the mixture well.
- After everything is evenly mixed, pour the marinade mixture all over the eggs. Refrigerate them overnight (or at least for 6 hours).
- Garnish the dish as you please and serve it with or without a bowl of rice or noodles. Your Korean soy sauce eggs are now done!
Nutrition
Calories have been calculated using an online calculator. Nutritional information offered on Honest Food Talks is for general information purposes and are only rough estimations.
We also want to make a special introduction to KitchXenera’s Youtube video where she devised a keto-style recipe! Her method does not contain any sugar. Therefore, making it a healthier option for anyone looking to cut their weight down.
Ready to try our mayak eggs recipe? Have your own? Share your photos on our Instagram @honestfoodtalks. We can’t wait to see how your Korean marinated eggs turn out!
Opp
These turned out AWESOME
Ying
Great to cook and prep for the week - recommended
Janina
These turned out so nice! I'll need to work on not over boiling the centre
Janina
You should get a soft boiled egg maker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMFzhkJPWrw
Octavia
Exactly what I was looking for
Jon
I prefer mine mild, so didnt add all the chillies, only abt half of the recipe - turned out great too!
Madelaine
I never knew this was why they called them this haha
Hassie
great stuff
Jon
The name is so fitting for this dish!
Mei
Ah exactly what I was looking for!