Mayak Eggs Korean Marinated Eggs
Craving something savory, umami-packed, and simple to make? Look no further than Mayak Eggs! These Korean marinated eggs are soft-boiled to jammy perfection and soaked in a soy-based sauce that’s sweet, salty, spicy, and totally addictive. The name “Mayak” literally means “drug” in Korean—not because these eggs are actually addictive substances, of course, but because they’re so tasty, people say they’re as addictive as a drug.
If you’ve never had Mayak Eggs before, you’re about to discover one of Korea’s most beloved side dishes. Not only do they make a great addition to rice bowls, but they also double as the perfect protein-packed snack. Plus, the recipe is incredibly easy and forgiving, even for beginners.
📺 Watch How to Make This Mayak Eggs
🛒 Ingredients You’ll Need for Make Eggs
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 6 to 8 eggs
- Soy sauce
- Water
- Garlic
- Green onion
- Chili peppers
- Sesame seeds
- Rice Syrup or honey
- Sesame oil
You can customize the spice level by choosing mild or hot chili peppers. The Rice Syrup gives the marinade its signature sweet depth without overpowering the other flavors.
❓ FAQ
How long do Mayak Eggs last?
They last up to 4 days in the fridge. The flavor deepens over time, but be sure to keep them refrigerated and use a clean utensil each time.
Can I reuse the marinade?
Technically yes, but it’s best to boil it and cool it down before reusing to avoid contamination.
Can I use another sweetener instead of Rice Syrup?
Absolutely. Honey, maple syrup, or agave can work, though the flavor may slightly change.
🍳 How to Make Mayak Eggs
Bring enough water to cover 6 eggs in a pot. Add salt and vinegar and bring it to a boil and carefully add the eggs. Cook the eggs for 6 minutes for runny yolk (5 minutes if your stove is strong) or up to 10 minutes for hard-boiled eggs. (8 minutes if your stove is strong)
When the cooking time is up, transfer the eggs from the pot to an ice water bath. Let it cool completely.
Meanwhile, let’s make the sauce.
Combine soy, water, and rice syrup, stir until everything is well mixed. Now add garlic, green onions, chilies, and sesame seeds, stir.
Peel the eggs carefully without damaging them and add them into an air-tight container where you’re going to store this dish.
Pour the sauce mixture over the eggs, cover, and store in a refrigerator for at least 6 hours to overnight before serving.
It will last 5 to 7 days in a refrigerator!
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve Mayak Eggs over warm rice with a drizzle of the marinade, or slice them and add to your ramen bowl for a savory twist. You can also enjoy them as a protein-rich snack, packed into lunch boxes or picnic sets. Yes, this Mayak Eggs are meant to be eaten cold with piping hot rice!
Pair with simple vegetable side dishes or kimchi for a satisfying Korean-style meal at home.
📌 There You Have It!
Now you know how to make Mayak Eggs that are flavorful, balanced, and deeply satisfying. Once you try them, you’ll understand why they’re a staple in so many Korean homes. Keep a batch in your fridge, and you’ll always have a delicious meal just a rice bowl away. Happy cooking!
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Mayak Eggs Korean Soft Boiled Marinated Eggs
- Total Time: 6 mins
- Yield: 6 eggs 1x
Description
Ingredients
- 6 eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup rice syrup, corn syrup, sugar or honey
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 to 4 green onions, chopped
- 1 green chili, chopped (optional)
- 1 red chili, chopped (optional)
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Bring enough water to cover 6 eggs in a pot. Add salt and vinegar and bring it to boil and carefully add the eggs. Cook the eggs 6 minutes for runny yolk (5 minutes if your stove is strong) or up to 10 minutes for hard boiled eggs. (8 minutes if your stove is strong)
- When the cooking time is up, transfer the eggs form the pot to an ice water bath. Let it cool completely.
- Meanwhile, let’s make the sauce.
Combine soy, water and rice syrup, stir until everything well mixed. Now add garlic, green onions, chilies and sesame seeds, stir. - Peel the eggs carefully without damaging them and add into an air tight container where you’re going to store this dish. Pour the sauce mixture over the eggs, cover and store in a refrigerator for at least 6 hour to over night before serve. It will last 5 to 7 days in a refrigerator!
- Enjoy with warm cooked rice and a bit of drizzled sesame oil!
Notes
Don’t add sesame oil to the sauce mixture, it will make the eggs go bad faster.
- Cook Time: 6 mins
65 comments
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I just made this recipe. It’s delicious! I love the spiciness. The only red chili I could find fresh were fresno chilis. Great topped with the sesame oil. I’ll definitely be making this one again. I don’t have Instagram, but I’ll be posting pictures on Facebook. Thank you!!
This was a simple but delicious recipe! It is certainly a keeper!
Can I reuse the marinade for more eggs? Or has it gone off after a week with the previous eggs marinating in it?
Although I don’t recommend reusing the marinade after a week, if you would like to I would suggest you boiling it and also adding some more vegetables into it. Hope this helped! (:
Hi . Is sesame seeds a must ? Can I replace it with sesame oil instead ?
Thanks for the great recipe, Seonkyoung! I made a bunch the second I finished seeing your video. How long do they last in the marinade in the fridge?
5 to 7 days!
It’s so yummy! I’ve only had one whenever I make a batch because my boyfriend devours them all before I can have another. They’re very easy to make and I always have the ingredients so I make it fairly often. ouo
How many days will the eggs be good in the refrigerator?
5 to 7 days!
I wanted to know if we can reuse the soy sauce after we finish the eggs? Is the onion and garlic gonna go bad if I use again?
bring the marinade to a boil then let it cool down, then you can reuse the marinade
Is it okay to re-use the soy sauce mixture and add in more eggs when they are all eaten? Or will the sauce mixture go bad as well? Thanks for the recipe! Can’t wait to try ?
If you want to reuse the marinate, make sure to boil it before the second use to get rid of extra moist form the veggies. Though, I don’t recommend to reuse the marinade- it will go bad faster than the first batch and it has done its job. (most of the flavors got into the eggs) In my case, the marinate is most likely gone because I mix them with rice! Sometime I just make fried eggs and pour the sauce! hahahah it’s really good!
Can you save the seasoning for the next batch?
If you want to reuse the marinate, make sure to boil it before the second use to get rid of extra moist form the veggies. Though, I don’t recommend to reuse the marinade- it will go bad faster than the first batch and it has done its job. (most of the flavors got into the eggs) In my case, the marinate is most likely gone because I mix them with rice! Sometime I just make fried eggs and pour the sauce! hahahah it’s really good!
Are the eggs eaten cold (right out of the fridge) or warmed up for a few seconds in the microwave?
Can’t wait to try it! I’m drooling by just watching you eat ?
Do u eat the eggs cold on hot rice or warm it up in the microwave, without the sauce? With sauce? How long?
Room temperature eggs on hot rice, with the sauce.
Are the sesame seeds raw or toasted?
Are the eggs eaten cold (right out of the fridge) or warmed up for a few seconds in the microwave? Are the sesame seeds raw or toasted?
Toasted.
Thank you for the recipe! Do we increase the ingredients for the sauce if we would like to add more eggs? And will the eggs be overly salty at the end of 7 days? Thank you!
This sauce recipe can handle up to 6 to 8eggs! Just make sure to use a right container that will cover the eggs evenly. The eggs won’t be salty because the sauce is not salty at all!
Can the sauce be used again for next round?
Can I used the left over sauce to marinate tao fu?
I finally made this recipe. Yum!!!! I didn’t have the green onions or the chilies so I added some Thai Chili flakes and some garlic chili sauce. I also like things with a sour taste, so I added black vinegar. Cooked up some rice and sautéed a chicken sausage to go with my eggs. Soooooo good!!!!
Cant wait to try this with my GF. But what type of soy sauce did you use also the rice syrup?
Are the eggs eaten cold (right out of the fridge) or warmed up for a few seconds in the microwave. Are the sesame seeds raw or toasted?
I didn’t have rice syrup, so I subbed for corn syrup. It ended up tasting okay. Is there a big difference in taste between using the two?
I need to make this recipe. It looks delicious!
Hi Seonkyoung, I wish to like this recipe but I made it both times without spring onions and chilli and the eggs turned out extremely salty. They were not palatable at all ??? is it because I omitted spring onions? I don’t like them ?
@cindee I know that this comment is over 3 years old. But, did you put the 2 tsp salt that you are to use in cooking the eggs into the sauce instead? That would make it really salty.
is it just me, but ur print function for ur recipes don’t work 🙁
What browser are you using?
This is definitely my favorite hardboiled egg marinade recipe so far. I just wish I had found this sooner! So good. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
I used 10 eggs and they came out well, the flavor is amazing!
I add red onions(i also dun know why i tot theres red onions). Will it affect the taste or makes the eggs spoil easily?
Those eggs sure do look interesting lol.
Yummy recipes and easy to do at home!
Definitely addictive! Makibg my 2nd batch now! Thank you for this recipe!
Hi! Is it same measurement if use sugar or corn syrup?
Yes it is (:
I eat low carb. Could I use yacon syrup Or stevia instead of honey or rice syrup?
Yes that should be fine.
Hi, thank you for you recipe. I love it. I have a question, this is the 2nd time I make the eggs, the first time is a big success. But at the second time, the mixture became sticky after a day like glue and the eggs turn sour within 5 days. Is the eggs turn bad?
Can I leave a request … don’t make it soooooo sweet!!! It was near perfect but the sweetness made it taste half dessert.
Hi Seonkyoung! I made this following your recipe but I didn’t catch the note about the sesame oil, so I added it in the sauce mixture! Can I know how many days will the eggs last — since I added in the sesame oil to the mixture?
That shouldn’t be an issue, it should last about 3 to 5 days in the fridge!
it looks really delicious and also not fried just need to be careful on the rice, I think
Made this yesterday and it is delicious. So easy to make. So satisfying.
Can I use duck eggs for the recipe? Thanks
Yes you can! You could even use qual eggs if you’d like to!
DE-LI-CIOUS!!!!
Easy to prepare and delicious.
I cooked one batch, which we finished eating immediately since they’re so good. Seeing there’s so much yummy sauce left, I soaked another batch. Wonder how long I can keep doing this? 1 week before the spring onions go bad?
Hi. What kind of soy sauce can be used in the recipe? I don’t think i can get a hold of the korean one. Can I use light soy sauce? Or maybe the japanese soy sauce?
Hands down my favourite mayak egg recipe, although I do skip the vinegar in the water and my eggs still peel perfectly. My Korean husband, his friends and coworkers all love this recipe!!
Yay! This is so great to hear 🙂
I absolutely despise boiled eggs, but my husband loves them! He can eat only so much egg salad and plain hard boiled, though. In searching for new ways to make boiled eggs for him (and some od the kids who like them) I discovered these! They’re a huge hit and though I won’t eat the boiled eggs, I do spoon the marinade over a fried or scrambled egg for myself, over rice. The marinade itself is incredible. We now make mayak eggs once a week to enjoy for several breakfasts. Thank you!
I love this! yes, that marinade is so delicious on almost anything.
I actually really like it on avocado as well 🙂
This recipe is SO good! I wish it was more popular because it’s so easy and delicious. I saw a recipe on TikTok recently that was not even close to the same. This recipe reminded my partner of her childhood.
I didn’t have time to marinate for longer than it took to prep veg, but this was still delicious. I had it with tatsoi, mushrooms and cabbage kimchi. The marinade had all my favourite ingredients and there’s none left now! Will definitely make this again.
At room temperature, just a few minutes out of the fridge.