Mayak Eggs (Korean-Style Marinated Eggs)

These Mayak Eggs are full of flavour and seriously addictive. The soft-boiled eggs are marinated in a Korean spicy, salty and sweet soy-based sauce that pairs deliciously with steamed rice.

What are mayak eggs?

"Mayak" in Korean means "illicit" in the context of drugs.

Mayak eggs, are also known as "drug eggs" -- really, it just means that the runny yolk eggs are super addictive.

They are a delicious, economical and flavourful Korean side dish (banchan), to pair with rice or japchae (Korean mixed noodles).

Other Korean side dishes (banchan):

Korean Braised Potatoes (Gamja Jorim)

Spicy Korean Tofu in Gochujang Sauce (Dubu Jorim)

Why you'll love this recipe

This corn syrup-free recipe comes together simply by soft-boiling eggs and placing them into a flavourful marinade.

Similar to Japanese ramen eggs (ajitsuke tamago), these jammy eggs are marinated in a soy sauce mixture.

It's a small-batch recipe that makes enough for 4 and uses just enough marinade to avoid unnecessary waste.

Starting the eggs from cold helps to decrease any chance of cracking and helps the eggs cook more evenly.

You can easily make the marinade with a few simple ingredients that pack major flavour.

Easily customize the level of spice by omitting or adding more chili.

Ingredients you'll need

You'll probably have most of these ingredients in your pantry/fridge:

• soy sauce: you can use a light soy or dark soy; using a dark soy will give the eggs a deeper brown colour
• water
• honey: or any liquid sweetener such as rice syrup
• green onion/scallions: chopped
• shallot: minced, or you can use white or purple onion
• chilies: minced, green (serrano) and/or red (Thai), or whatever chilies you like
• garlic: minced
• large eggs: cold, straight from the fridge
• white vinegar: for boiling the eggs; helps with peeling the egg shells

How to make it

Make the marinade:

Chop the green onion, shallot, chilies and garlic (Step 1 below).

Combine soy sauce, water, honey in a small bowl or jar. Mix well (Step 2 below).

Tip: if the honey is grainy, heat the mixture up slightly in the microwave for 20 seconds and stir until dissolved.

Alternatively, you can combine the soy sauce, water and honey in a small saucepan and heat up until the honey is dissolved. Let the marinade cool to room temperature before proceeding.

Add in the chopped green onion, shallot, chilies and garlic (Step 3 below).

Give everything a stir and set aside.

Cook the eggs:

Place 4 eggs (from the fridge) in a small saucepan and cover with enough cold water (Step 4 below).

Add a splash of white vinegar to the water.

Bring the eggs up to a simmering boil (not too vigorously) and set a timer for exactly 5 minutes. (For hardboiled, let it cook for 7-8 minutes).

Remove from heat and place the eggs in an ice bath or place under running cold water.

Gently yet firmly tap the eggs to break the shell and peel the eggs under running water or in a water bath (Step 5 and 6 below).

Tip: tap the bottom of the egg (the wider part) and break open the membrane for easier peeling (see Step 5 below).

Give the eggs a rinse (to get rid of any remaining shell) (Step 7 below).

Place the peeled eggs into the marinade and cover with a lid (Step 8 below).

Place into the fridge for 4-6 hours or overnight, and give the jar a gentle shake every so often to ensure the eggs are coated in the marinade evenly.

Enjoy the eggs and sauce with a drizzle of sesame oil over steamed rice (Step 9 below).

How to store

Store the Korean marinated eggs in the fridge for up to 3 days.

You can prepare a new batch of soft-boiled eggs and reuse the marinade up to 1 week (as long as it's been kept in the fridge).

How to serve

Serve the Mayak Eggs over freshly steamed rice.

You can drizzle on some sesame oil and sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds prior to serving.

Add a little seasoned seaweed for extra crunch and texture.

Or you can enjoy them as a snack on its own.

My kids like to have the eggs with noodles.

Or, replace the egg in Bibimbap with this marinated Mayak Egg.

Expert tips & FAQs

Cooking the eggs

Can I use hardboiled eggs instead of soft-boiled?

Sure, you can adjust the time of cooking the eggs according to your preference.

For these eggs, they're typically soft-boiled, similar to Japanese-style Aji Tama (ramen eggs).

Can I reheat the marinated eggs?

To reheat the marinated eggs, remove the egg from the marinade and place it into a pot of simmering water for 30-60 seconds.

Remove the egg from the hot water and drain.

Place the egg onto the rice and serve with the marinade.

Note: due to temperature ranges in reheating, the egg may not remain soft-boiled.

Why do I need to add vinegar to the boiling water?

The vinegar as an acid helps to congeal the egg white (in the same manner as poaching eggs), and breaks down the shell, making it easier to peel.

You can omit the vinegar if you like; I've tried it both ways and it works as long as you run the eggs under cold water.

Tip: fresh eggs can be a little more difficult to peel; use older eggs for easier peeling.

Can I use a microwave to reheat the eggs?

No. Don't microwave the boiled egg. The egg may explode.

Marinade

How long can I keep the marinade?

As long as the marinade is kept in the fridge at all times, you can use re-use it up to 1 week.

After 1 week, it's best to heat up the marinade in a small saucepan until boiling. Then you can serve it with rice.

Can I use dark soy sauce?

You can use dark soy sauce if that's what you have on hand; the eggs will be darker in colour. You may need to adjust the amount of soy sauce to your taste.

Can I omit the chilies?

Yes, if you can't tolerate spice, you can reduce the amount or omit the chilies.

What type of jar/container should I use?

Personally, I prefer using a glass jar/container for marinating the eggs. However, you can use a BPA-free food-safe plastic bag if you prefer.

Choose a jar that isn't too wide so that the eggs can be submerged in the marinade.

Other recipes you may like

Be sure to check out these recipes:

Spicy Gochujang Eggs in Purgatory

Korean Braised Potatoes (Gamja Jorim)

Spicy Korean Tofu in Gochujang Sauce (Dubu Jorim)

Jjajangmyeon (Korean Noodles in Black Bean Sauce)

Korean Bibimbap (Mixed Rice)

Budae Jiggae (Korean Army Stew)

Let me know if you try out this recipe -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!