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
Is this the smae boiled eggs which we find in almost all the 24*7 shops in Shanghai? I thought they used Tea to make it
No,
The version you mentioned is tea egg. Check out the recipe here https://www.chinasichuanfood.com/chinese-tea-eggs-marbled-eggs/.
These eggs are absolutely life-affirming. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Are they the greatest partners for noodles? Glad to know you like them. Happy cooking.
Hi, do you need to place the eggs and sauce in fridge while marinating overnight?
In summer, yes please. In winter, it is ok to leave in room temperature.
Absolutely brilliant flavor, the soy and the 5 Spice work well together. I made 6 for a test run using duck eggs, family tested them out, I have 2 left, I will be making batches of these every week for sure. I will use quail eggs soon for this as well. Thank you for the great recipe!
Quail eggs can be ever better with this. But you need to shorten the cooking time and soaking time since they are much smaller.
Agree on the cooking time, I have a very specific recipe I use for that that is flawless. And the soak time I was thinking just about 6 hours, may have to stretch that to 12 🙂
Can you tell me the recipe for the photo at the top? With the broth, noodles and green onions? What broth did you use for that bowl? Thank you Elaine!
Hi Maureen,
It is yang chun noodles. You can check the recipe here.
Why say “stick of cassia bark” is that not just a cinnamon stick?
We usually break cassia bark in smaller pieces in Chinese cooking, possibly around 1 thumb size. A whole stick is too much.
Good day! I am making these as gifts. What is the best storage options? Should I leave the eggs in the marinade? Or remove them. How long would they last? I planned on sterilizing wide mouth mason jars filling it with the eggs and marinade and sealing while hot. Would I need to refrigerate them? Or can they stay in the cupboard until opened?
Once well soaked, remove the eggs out and keep in air-tight bags or jars. Then keep them in refrigerate if you need to keep for a longer time. In winter days, it can stay in cupboard only for shorter time, like hours or one day.
Hi Elaine, what I can do with the marinating sauce afterward? Thanks
Re-boil them and cool down, freeze for next usage.
I’ve made these eggs and have enjoyed them immensely. I twicked the recipe by adding thinly sliced garlic and pureed ginger. Two thumbs up.
Thank you, Salvador!
Thanks so much for sharing this, and for all the work you do with this blog. It is such a wonderful source of information. I love Japanese soy sauce egg in ramen, and I figured there must be a Chinese equivalent that would go with Chinese noodles, but I didn’t find it anywhere until I saw this post.
I like to make xiǎomiàn and I am going to try putting an egg in it. Thank you.
Soy sauce eggs and XiaoMian or other noodles are always the best partners. Happy cooking! I hope you love it.