Name: Mayak Eggs (Korean Marinated Eggs)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: PT6M4H
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 6 eggs, room temperature; steamed rice, to serve; Marinade:; 1 red chilli, finely chopped; 1 green chilli, finely chopped; 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds; ½ cup Japanese soy sauce; 1 tsp dark soy sauce; ½ cup water; ¼ cup honey; ¼ cup finely sliced spring onion (scallions), plus extra to serve

Mayak Eggs (Korean Marinated Eggs)

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Mayak eggs are soft and jammy Korean marinated eggs that are soaked in a delicious soy sauce, sesame and chilli sauce marinade overnight. They’re so good, their name actually translates to “drug eggs”… probably because they have such an addictive taste!

PREP TIME

10 minutes

COOK TIME

6 minutes, plus 4 hours marinating

SERVES

Ingredients

6 eggs, room temperature

steamed rice, to serve

Marinade:

1 red chilli, finely chopped

1 green chilli, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

½ cup Japanese soy sauce

1 tsp dark soy sauce

½ cup water

¼ cup honey

¼ cup finely sliced spring onion (scallions), plus extra to serve

Steps

Place a pot over water over high heat and bring to the boil. Gently place the eggs in the water. Stir the eggs every so often in the first few minutes to try to ‘centre’ the egg yolk. Gently boil the eggs for 6 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold tap water to cool them down.
Meanwhile, mix together the marinade ingredients in a large bowl.
Carefully peel the eggs and place them in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. To serve, remove the eggs from the marinade. Slice in half and place on top of your steamed rice. Drizzle over plenty of the leftover marinade. Top with extra spring onion and serve.

What does mayak mean in Korean?

Don’t be alarmed… but mayak in Korean means ‘illicit’ when referring to drugs, which is why they’re sometimes called ‘drug eggs’. While there are no illegal substances involved in the making of this Korean recipe, we’re thinking the name comes from the fact they’re so darn addictive.

How to peel soft boiled eggs?

The best way to peel a soft boiled egg is to lightly bash the shell with the back of a spoon until the shell is cracked all over. Hitting the egg shell with a spoon gives you more control than tapping it on the kitchen counter, and reduces the risk of any egg yolk escaping! Once your soft boiled eggs are cracked all over, start peeling at the rounder end where there is likely to be an air bubble – there’ll be a gap between the egg white and the shell. If there’s no air bubble at that end, start from the pointy end of the egg.

How to eat mayak eggs?

We like to eat mayak eggs with steamed rice and some of that epic marinade drizzled over as a banchan (Korean side dish) or even as a meal on their own. They also make a great substitute as ramen eggs.

Braises Eggs Korean cuisine Meat-free Sides Weekend meals