Mayak Eggs

By: MeganPosted: 03/03/2025 Updated: 03/03/2025

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Prep 5 minutes
Cook 7 minutes
Total 6 hours 12 minutes

Sweet, spicy, soy marinated eggs are the most dangerously addicting Korean side dish ever. These soft and jammy mayak eggs are marinated overnight for a burst of flavor in every bite.

Mayak Eggs

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Mayak Eggs

The best part about these delicious mayak eggs is that they are so easy to make and packed with a ton of umami flavor. The hardest part about this mayak eggs recipe is waiting for the eggs to marinate overnight.

These soft-boiled, jammy soy marinated are one of my favorite Korean side dish recipes. They are incredibly versatile and can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

What are Mayak Eggs?

Mayak Gyeran (마약계란), or Korean marinated eggs, translates to “drug eggs” because of how irresistibly addicting these eggs are. They are soft-boiled, jammy eggs marinated overnight in a sweet and spicy soy garlic marinade made with fresh garlic, green onion, onion, chili peppers, honey, sesame seeds, and soy sauce.

Typically, they are served as a topping for rice, ramen, or as a Korean side dish or banchan with a drizzle of sesame oil for the most savory, umami bite. They have the perfect balance of savory, sweet, and umami flavors, which will make it hard not to eat them all in one sitting!

A cut open mayak egg being lifted from a bowl of eggs.

Ingredients

You can find all the ingredients for this mayak eggs recipe at your local Asian grocery store. Full measurements and links to everything I used are listed in the recipe card below.

  • Eggs: I used 6 large eggs for this recipe, but you can add as many as you’d like.
  • Salt: to lightly season the egg.
  • White Vinegar: helps pull the egg white from the shell making it easier to peel.
  • Soy Sauce: is the base of the mayak marinade that adds a savory umami flavor.
  • Honey: is a rich, floral sweetener that blends easily with the marinade.
  • Yellow Onion, green onion, and garlic: are the main aromatics.
  • Korean Red and Green Pepper: adds a spicy kick to the soy sauce eggs.
  • Toasted Sesame Seeds: for a nutty flavor added texture.
All the ingredients for mayak eggs organized and labeled.

Substitutions and Additions

Substitutions

  • Sweetener: as an alternative to honey, you can also use granulated sugar, corn syrup or Korean rice syrup.
  • Shallots: instead of a yellow onion, if you want a sharper aromatic flavor you can add 1 shallot instead.
  • Fresh Peppers: You can use any hot pepper, such as Thai chili, Jalapeno, or serrano peppers.

Additions

  • Spice: for added heat, add gochujang or chili crisp.
  • Sesame oil: you can either serve the mayak eggs with a drizzle of sesame oil or use it directly in the marinade.

How to Make Mayak Eggs

Here are the step-by-step instructions for how to make this mayak eggs recipe.

  1. In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil with salt and vinegar. Using a spider strainer or slotted spoon, carefully lower the eggs into the water. Simmer the eggs on medium heat for 6 minutes over a gentle boil.
Eggs softly boiling in a large pot of water.
  1. Remove the eggs and place them in a water bath for 10 minutes or until cooled. Then, gently peel the eggs.
  1. In a mixing bowl, mix together soy sauce, water, honey, diced onion, minced garlic, minced scallions, Korean pepper, jalapeno and toasted sesame seeds.
The marinade mixed together to soak the soft boiled eggs in.
  1. Add the peeled eggs in an airtight container and pour the marinade on top. Marinate the eggs in the refrigerator for a minimum of 6 hours but preferably overnight. It should last up to one week in the marinade.
  1. Enjoy the Korean-marinated eggs with freshly cooked rice, a spoonful of the marinade, and a drizzle of sesame oil.
A mayak egg being lifted from a bowl with a spoon.

Expert Tips

  • Cold Eggs v. Room Temperature Eggs. If using cold eggs from the refrigerator, boil the eggs for 7 minutes. For room temperature eggs, boil the eggs for 6 minutes.
  • Add vinegar to the boiling water. The vinegar will help break down the shells while the eggs are boiling which makes them easier to peel.
  • For yolks to sit in the center of the egg, gently roll the eggs around the pot while boiling for the first 2-3 minutes. This will allow the yolk to sit perfectly within center of the egg.
  • Use an ice bath. The ice bath will cool the eggs immediately and stop the cooking process which will yield the perfect jammy eggs. The ice water will also cause the eggs to contract and pull away from the shell making them much easier to peel.
  • Peel the eggs slowly. Since they are soft boiled eggs, they may crack easily. Gently crack the eggs and peel slowly to prevent any tears.
  • Marinate the eggs for at least 6 hours. I recommend marinating the soy eggs overnight so that the marinade has time to permeate the egg white for optimal flavor.

Storage Instructions

Mayak eggs are best consumed within 24 hours for optimal flavor. However, you can store these soy sauce eggs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Pairing Suggestions

You can serve these mayak eggs as a snack, a side dish or for breakfast, lunch or dinner with a bowl of rice or the following pairing suggestions.

Frequently Asked Q’s & A’s

What does “mayak eggs” mean?

Mayak Gyeran eggs (마약계란) literally translates to “drug eggs” in Korean. The name is not because it has actual drugs but because these eggs are dangerously addicting.

Are Korean marinated eggs healthy?

Yes! This mayak eggs recipe contains whole ingredients and natural sugars which make it arguably healthy. So don’t feel guilty eating these soy marinated eggs over and over again!

How do you serve these soy marinated eggs?

You can eat these soy sauce eggs over a bed of warm rice with some marinade, a drizzle of sesame oil, and freshly sliced scallions.

Mayak Eggs Recipe

A bowl of rice topped with a sliced open mayak egg.

Mayak Eggs

5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Marinate Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 12 minutes
Sweet and spicy, soy garlic marinated, jammy mayak eggs (마약계란) are a delicious Korean banchan to spice up your rice bowl. These soy marinated eggs are trending because they are dangerously addicting.
Servings: 3 servings
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Mayak Marinade

  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • ½ cup water
  • cup honey
  • ¼ small yellow onion diced about 1/4 cup
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 stalks scallions minced
  • 1 Korean red pepper sliced
  • 1 serrano sliced
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

  • Soft boil the eggs. In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil with salt and vinegar. Using a spider strainer or slotted spoon, carefully lower the eggs into the water. Make sure the water completely covers the eggs. Simmer the room-temperature eggs on medium heat for 6 minutes over a gentle boil or 7 minutes if using cold eggs from the refrigerator.
  • Chill the eggs. Remove the eggs and place them in a water bath for 10 minutes or until cooled. Then, gently peel the eggs.
  • Make the marinade. In a mixing bowl, mix the soy sauce, water, honey, diced onion, minced garlic, minced scallions, sliced Korean pepper, sliced jalapeno, and toasted sesame seeds.
  • Marinate overnight. Add the eggs in an airtight container and pour the marinade on top. Marinate the eggs in the refrigerator for a minimum of 6 hours, but preferably overnight. It should last up to one week in the marinade.
  • Serve. Enjoy the Korean marinated eggs with freshly cooked rice, a spoonful of marinade, and a drizzle of sesame oil.

Notes

See the Expert Tips section for more guidance.

Nutrition:

Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 327mg | Sodium: 3988mg | Potassium: 353mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 749IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 3mg

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