Chinese Soy sauce egg (卤鸡蛋) is one of the most popular street foods, along with famous Chinese tea eggs. And they are commonly served with noodles, breakfast, or steamed rice, similar to Chinese tea eggs or marbled eggs.
But the two versions differ: tea eggs are soaked with the shells, while soy sauce eggs are boiled first and then soaked in a simplified master stock. Traditionally, Chinese soy sauce eggs are soaked in a soy sauce-based stock. However, we have a new trend recently- a fresh and spicy soy sauce stock. I will introduce both ways in this recipe.
The cooking method of flavoring ingredients, including root vegetables, meat, and eggs with soy sauce and spices, is named “卤”. The marinating sauce is called “卤水”. Expect everyday items such as eggs, chicken feet, chicken wings, duck feet, lotus roots, and pork large intestine to be extremely popular in China. It is a Chinese custom to keep the marinating sauce; the older it is, the better it tastes. But now, for healthy consideration, we use a one-time soy sauce marinating sauce.
Traditional Soy Sauce Stock with Five Spice Flavor
Add soy sauce, dark soy sauce, water, sugar, salt, vinegar, and Chinese five-spice powder to a small pot and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Set aside to cool completely, as the eggs should be soaked in the cold marinating sauce. If you are making soft-boiled soy sauce eggs, the stock may overheat the eggs.
Fresh Spicy Soy Sauce Stock
We will add lots of spices and aromatics to this stock to create a unique hot, spicy, fresh and savory soaking stock.
Cook the eggs
Half-fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add a small pinch of salt.
Lower the eggs into boiling water carefully using a ladle, then immediately reduce the heat. Simmer for 6 minutes (for a softer texture) or 7 minutes (for a more complex texture). Stir the eggs in the first two minutes.
Transfer the eggs to cold water and gently peel the shells once they have cooled. (If you feel it is pretty hard to handle, place the eggs under small running water and peel the shells.)
Add soft-boiled eggs to the marinating sauce, soaking for overnight (12-20 hours) until well salted. Transfer them out when the eggs are well salted.
I use smaller eggs (around 45g each), and boil them for about 6 to 7 minutes to test the yolk texture.
Soy Sauce Eggs
Ingredients
- 10 eggs You can use one stock. I divide them into two versions.
- water as needed
- a small pinch of salt
Soy Sauce Marinating sauce – Option 1
- 1 tbsp. Chinese five spice powder
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 cup light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. rice vinegar
Fresh Chili Marinating Sauce – Option 2
- 1 cup soy sauce if you are using light soy sauce, mix it with 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 4 Thai peppers , cut into circles
- 1/4 cup minced onion
- 1/4 cup scallion
- 1/4 cup coriander
Instructions
Soy Sauce Five Flavor Stcok
- In a small pot, add water, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, vinegar, salt, sugar and Chinese five spice powder. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
Fresh Chili Stock
- Mix everything in a container, including soy sauce, aromatics, salt, and sugar. Stir to combine.
Cook the Eggs
- Half-fill a large pot with water and bring it to boil. Add a small pinch of salt.
- Lower the eggs into boiling water carefully using a ladle and slow down the fire immediately. Simmer for 6 minutes (for softer texture) or 7 minutes (for harder texture). Stir the eggs in first two minutes.
- Transfer the eggs out to cold water and gently peel the shells after cooled down. (If you feel it is quite hard to handle, place the eggs under small running water and peel the shells.)
- Add soft boiled eggs in the marinating stock, either option 1 or option 2, soaking for overnight (12-20 hours until well salted). Transfer them out when the eggs are well salted.
- Cut lengthwise and serve with rice or noodles.
Video
Notes
- The Nutrition Facts are based on every single egg.
- The recipe was first published in 2016 and updated with a new version and video in 2025.
Nutrition
I was checking on how to prepare lotus root, then I clicked on your Gung Bao sauce, Yue Shen sance and now this eggs in marinating sance which I have done forever with hard boiled eggs, yet these soft boiled ones with the syrupy yolks looks supreme.
Thank you for letting me know the cooking time(for the eggs) and your helpful explanations done w/ patience on all your recipes.
Please keep up your good work and I have already bookmarked your website.
Thanks Angela! I am so glad to be helpful. This is my most favorite soy sauce egg.
What long can you leek them in the fridge?
I usually ate them up in 3 days.
Hey there,
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I lived in Taiwan before and I very much miss these but I was wondering how long do they usually keep?
Actually depending on the temperature. In winter, it can keep for at least 5 days. But we recommend eat them up within 2 days in summer.
Perfect yolk……thank you for sharing, much appreciation.
Thanks Angela for your feedback. Happy cooking.
Hi when you soak the eggs, do you need to put the eggs in the fridge or you leave them outside for 12-20 hrs
In summer, place in fridge. Otherwise, in cool places.
Can the soy sauce mix be re-heated and re-used or can it be used for something else like fried rice?
No, not suggested for fried rice. But you can use it for soy sauce noodle soup.
I’m not complaining about the recipe, but I like to make the marinade, then cook the eggs to soft boiled, then cook the two together, till the eggs look a bit darker, then let it soak, this way, it has more flavor and you soak it for less time