Marinated Fried Eggs

Marinated Fried Eggs with crispy edges and jammy yolks soaked in a savory soy-based sauce. Easy to prep ahead and perfect over rice, noodles, or bread! Made with simple pantry ingredients and easy to customize with your favorite toppings.

If you love marinated boiled eggs, you’re going to love these marinated crispy fried eggs.

Eggs are such a staple in so many cultures, and one of the easiest comfort meals has to be eggs over rice. It shows up in so many forms across Japan and other parts of Asia: tamago kake gohan (raw egg over rice), omelette rice, and simple fried eggs.

Marinated eggs are just as popular in their own way, like ajitama (味玉) in Japan, mayak eggs (마약계란) in Korea, and Chinese versions like lu dan (卤蛋) and cha ye dan (茶叶蛋). Personally, eggs over rice in any form: raw, fried, soft-boiled, or omelette… is something I never get tired of.

These marinated fried eggs (漬け目玉焼き) is kind of a mix of all of that. It takes the idea of soy-marinated eggs, like ajitama, but uses fried eggs instead. So you skip the hassle of boiling and peeling, and in return you get crispy edges, soft yolks, and way more surface area for the marinade to soak into. It’s simple, really satisfying, and works with pretty much any carb: rice, noodles, toast, even potatoes!

Ingredients and Substitutions

You only need a handful of pantry ingredients for this marinated fried eggs recipe, and it’s easy to adjust based on what you have on hand.

• Eggs: Use fresh eggs. If you find a lot of loose watery parts of egg whites, use a strainer to strain some of it first for clean fried eggs.
• Soy sauce: I use Japanese soy sauce which is slightly less salty than Chinese soy sauce. Adjust the amount of soy sauce based on saltiness.
• Mirin: Added for flavour and slight sweetness. If you don’t have mirin, you can substitute it for some sake + sugar or water + sugar.
• Shiro dashi: A light-colored Japanese soup base made from dashi (usually bonito and kelp) seasoned with soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. You can substitute this with dashi granules + water.
• Mentsuyu (alternative marinade option): A concentrated Japanese sauce made from dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar, typically diluted for noodle soups or dipping sauces. Since it already contains these seasonings, it’s a convenient all-in-one option for marinades.
• Sesame oil: I use raw sesame oil to fry the eggs and toasted sesame oil in the marinade. You can use any neutral oil to fry the eggs.

How to Make Marinated Fried Eggs

It comes together in three simple steps:

1. Mix the marinade ingredients in a container and warm slightly so everything blends well.
2. Fry the eggs in a generous amount of oil until the edges are crispy and the yolks are cooked to your preference (sunny side up, over easy or steam basted).
3. Transfer the hot eggs into the marinade, make sure they’re well coated or submerged, then refrigerate for a few hours until flavorful.

VIDEO: Watch How to Make It

Variations

The marinade in this recipe is intentionally simple, making it a great base for endless variations. You can easily customize the flavor by adding any of the following:

• chili oil
• miso
• gochujang
• chicken stock powder
• black or rice vinegar
• chilies
• ginger
• garlic
• onion or green onion
• cilantro

Serving Suggestions

My favorite way to serve soy marinated fried eggs is over a bowl of freshly cooked rice. For extra richness, I’ll sometimes add a knob of butter or a spoonful of mayo.

They’re also great topped with green onions, sesame seeds, furikake, avocado, kimchi, seaweed, or crispy chili oil for added texture and flavor.

These eggs work just as well on toast or in sandwiches, and they’re delicious over noodles like ramen, udon, or even instant noodles. Really, anywhere you’d enjoy a fried eggs!

How to Store Marinated Fried Eggs

For the best flavor and texture, enjoy marinated eggs within 3 days. They can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days if kept in an airtight container and fully submerged in the marinade. The soy-based marinade not only adds flavor but also helps extend their shelf life.

Recipe FAQ

More Easy Egg Recipes

• Soy Marinated Egg Yolks
• Ajitsuke Tamago (Ramen Eggs)
• Tamagoyaki Scramble
• Tamagoyaki (Japanese Rolled Omelette)
• Japanese Egg Sandwich

Enjoy! If you make this Marinated Fried Eggs recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment and rating below, and if you share it on social media, tag me on Instagram @Okonomikitchen. I can’t wait to see your creations!

Marinated Fried Eggs

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• Author: Lisa Kitahara
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings
• Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian

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Description

Marinated Fried Eggs with crispy edges and jammy yolks soaked in a savory soy-based sauce. Easy to prep ahead and perfect over rice, noodles, or bread! Made with simple pantry ingredients and easy to customize with your favorite toppings.

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Ingredients

Soy Based Marinade

• 4 eggs
• 5 tbsp (80 ml) Japanese soy sauce*
• 4 tbsp (60 ml) mirin
• 3 tbsp (45 ml) shiro dashi
  • or 1 tsp dashi powder + 3 tbsp water
• 1–3 tsp minced garlic, optional
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) sesame oil

Mentsuyu Marinde Vr

• 4 eggs
• 5 tbsp (80 ml) mentsuyu
• 5 tbsp (80 ml) water
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) sesame oil

Optional Add-Ins / Variations

• Oyster sauce
• Chili oil
• Chili crisp
• Ginger
• Scallions/chives
• Cilantro
• Gochujang
• Miso
• Chilies

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Instructions

1. Make the marinade: Combine all the ingredients in a container and microwave for 15–30 seconds, just until slightly warm. Stir and set aside.
   • Use marinade above as a base and add any other ingredients you like to change it up! Soy sauce varies in saltiness to adjust to your liking. 
2. Make fried eggs using your preferred method.
   • Steam Basted: Heat a generous amount of sesame oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Once hot and shimmering, drop in the egg. Let it cook until golden around the edges. Pour in about 1/2 tbsp of water from the edge of the pan with the lid hovering over it, then cover and reduce heat to medium-medium low. Once the tops of the yolks just start to turn opaque, cook for another 1.5-2 minutes, then remove the lid.
   • Sunny side up: Add a generous amount of sesame oil (or oil of choice) over medium heat. Once hot, drop in the egg. When the whites are set and the edges are golden and crisp, baste the hot oil over the egg until the whites are fully cooked and yolks are set.
   • Over easy: Heat a generous amount of sesame oil (or oil of choice) in a pan over medium heat. Once hot, crack in the egg and let it cook undisturbed until the whites are mostly set and the edges turn lightly golden and crisp. Gently slide a spatula underneath, then carefully flip the egg. Cook for about 20–30 seconds on the second side, just until the whites are fully set but the yolk is still soft and runny. Remove from the pan immediately.
3. Carefully place the eggs into the marinade. Place a piece of plastic wrap or paper towel on top so the surface stays submerged. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Serve over rice, bread/toast or noodles, enjoy!

Notes

• *If using a very salty soy sauce, add 3-5 tbsp of water

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Category: Breakfast, Side Dish, toppings
• Method: Marinating, Pan fry
• Cuisine: Japanese

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 72
• Sugar: 0.2 g
• Sodium: 70 mg
• Fat: 4.8 g
• Saturated Fat: 2.8 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 2.8 g
• Trans Fat: 0
• Carbohydrates: 0.4 g
• Fiber: 0
• Protein: 6.3 g
• Cholesterol: 186 mg