Ramen Eggs, known as Ajitama or ajitsuke tamago, are out-of-this-world tasty! These Paleo Ramen Eggs are perfect to add to a brothy soup, as a side dish to your favourite takeaway meal, or eat them as a snack! They travel and keep well, just like regular boiled eggs. Perfect for lunchboxes!
Do you love easy Asian-inspired recipes? Try my quick and easy Vegan Stir Fry or my amazing Thai Coconut Soup with Shrimp!
🥚 Paleo Ramen Eggs
Ramen eggs, known in Japanese as ajitama or ajitsuke tamago, have been an absolute favorite delicacy of mine since discovering them at Ramen Tatsu-Ya in Austin, TX. Salty, sweet, spicy, and a little runny, they make the perfect addition to a hot noodle soup bowl.
These ramen eggs without mirin are so easy to make! I just boiled the eggs to a medium softness so that they held together but weren’t too runny or overcooked, and then added them into a magic sauce that uses coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, as well as star anise, ginger, and cayenne to really pack in the flavor.
This ramen eggs recipe is perfect for eggs in ramen noodle soup, pho, and hot and sour soup, or serving them as an extra protein side dish to a stir fry. They’re even great on their own as a snack, just like a regular boiled egg. I make them in bulk, often doubling the recipe so that I can munch on them throughout the week or add them to a lunchbox with something like sweet and sour veggies with rice. It’s very quick and easy to meal prep, healthy, and perfect to travel with.
🗝️ Key Ingredients & Substitutions for Whole30 Ramen Eggs
- Eggs: I used medium-sized fresh eggs, and boiled them to medium softness.
- Coconut Aminos: This adds saltiness as well as sweetness, and is an amazing soy sauce substitute for whole30, paleo, and soy and gluten-free diets.
- Vegetable stock: I make my own with leftover vegetable scraps and freeze it for things like soups or even ramen eggs. I don’t salt my veggie stock because I don’t know what I’ll be making with it. If you buy vegetable stock with salt in it, just skip the salt in the recipe.
- Star anise: This amazing spice adds warmth and brings out the sweetness.
- Ginger: Fresh, sliced ginger adds flavor as well as a little heat.
- Cayenne: Just for a hint more of heat.
🥣 How to make ramen eggs without Mirin
Make medium-boiled eggs
- Eggs, vinegar, and water. Firstly, add the eggs to a large pot. Make sure the eggs are submerged under cool water, with 1 inch of water above them. Next, add a teaspoon of vinegar – this stops them from leaking if they crack.
- Boil & remove. When the water is boiling rapidly, put the lid on and remove the pot from the heat. Let it sit for 6 1/2 minutes (I recommend a timer here!).
- Strain. After 6 1/2 minutes, strain the eggs and add them to an ice bath for 5 minutes.
- Peel. Peel the eggs by rolling them gently and peeling the shell. Make sure you remove all of the eggshells. Running the egg under cold water helps with the tiny pieces.
Ramen Egg Marinade
- Mix and heat. While the eggs are cooking, combine all of the other ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer, mixing well.
- Remove from heat and save. When it reaches a simmer, remove it from the heat and place it into a container with a tight lid (don’t close it yet!) to save it for the eggs.
Add it all together!
- Marinate the eggs. Firstly, place the eggs in the container with the marinade and seal it with a lid.
- Turn. Secondly, turn the eggs after 1 hour, especially if they are sticking out of the sauce.
- Cool and store. When the ramen eggs are room temperature, put them in the fridge in their marinade (after about 1 or 2 hours).
- How to serve: You can eat these Paleo Ramen Eggs whole, or slice them in half to add to ramen or soup.
Best results: marinate for at least 8 hours, turning after 4 hours.
❓ Does this recipe work with hard-boiled eggs?
Yes! It won’t have the classic jammy yolk that ramen eggs usually have, but they’ll still taste amazing, and even last longer!
⌛ How long do ramen eggs last?
These eggs can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you want them to last longer, make hard-boiled boiled eggs instead, letting them sit for 10 minutes rather than 6 1/2. These will last for up to a week. The sauce will last for up to 2 weeks.
🍲 What do ramen eggs go with?
These are perfect eggs for ramen, pho, or other clear-broth soup, or have them as a side dish to a stir fry or Japanese-inspired dinner, or on their own as a snack.
🤷♀️ Are these whole30 compliant?
Yes! Not only are they perfect for a whole30 diet, but they’re also paleo, soy, and gluten-free as well! By replacing the mirin (rice wine, not paleo) and soy sauce (gluten + soy) with coconut aminos, you get a very similar flavor to traditional ramen eggs. I honestly couldn’t believe how good they were!
They are also keto and low carb friendly, as you don’t drink the marinade. For macros, just count it as a regular boiled egg plus 1g net carbs to be on the safe side!
🤔 What do I do with the leftover sauce?
There is a couple of things I like to do with it! First off, the sauce will last for up to 2 weeks in the fridge, which means you can make a few batches of soy-free ramen eggs with one batch of the marinade. Secondly, I add the marinade to the broth if I’m making ramen or another Asian-inspired soup. It just adds even more flavor. Another idea would be to cook meat like chicken or pork with vegetables in it, in a slow cooker. You may need to adjust the seasoning on that one.
🫙 Storage Instructions
Eggs
Store: Store the eggs in an airtight container along with the marinade in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Marinade (without eggs)
Store: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Freeze: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
😋 More light & low carb recipes to try:
- Easy Homemade Guacamole
- Sfougato – Greek Crustless Quiche
- Loaded Vegan Queso
- Vegan Jalapeño Poppers
- Paleo Greek Stuffed Tomatoes
Have you made this recipe? I’d love to know <3 Tag me (@makehealthyrecipes) on Facebook and Instagram, Pin it on Pinterest, and please give it 5 stars with a review below! Don’t forget to subscribe to the email list (top right of this page) for sparkly new recipes in your inbox.
📖 Recipe
Paleo Ramen Eggs Recipe
Ingredients
- 6-8 eggs depending on your container
- 1/3 cup Coconut Aminos
- 1.5 cups vegetable stock unsalted if possible
- 2 star anise
- 1 inch ginger sliced
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt optional
Instructions
Medium-boiled eggs
- Add the eggs to a large pot.
- Make sure the eggs are submerged under cool water, with 1 inch of water above them.
- Add a teaspoon of vinegar – this stops them from leaking if they crack.
- When the water is boiling rapidly, put the lid on and remove the pot from the heat. Let it sit for 6 1/2 minutes (I recommend a timer here!).
- After 6 1/2 minutes, strain the eggs and add them to an ice bath for 5 minutes.
- Peel the eggs by rolling them gently and peeling the shell. Make sure you remove all of the eggshells. Running the egg under cold water helps with the tiny pieces.
Ramen Egg marinade
- While the eggs are cooking, combine all of the other ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer, mixing well.
- When it reaches a simmer, remove from the heat and place into a container with a tight lid (don’t close yet!).
Add it all together!
- Add the eggs to the container with the marinade and seal it with a lid.
- Turn the eggs after 1 hour, especially if they are sticking out of the sauce.
- When it’s room temperature, put it in the fridge.
Serving
- You can eat these Paleo Ramen Eggs whole, or slice them in half to add to ramen or soup.
Wow! These look amazing! Can’t wait to try them.
Wow! These look amazing! Can’t wait to try them.