Tea Eggs
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 12 eggs
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 12 servings
- Calories
- 86
- Total Fat
- 5
- Saturated Fat
- 2
- Carbohydrates
- 3
- Dietary Fiber
- 0
- Sugar
- 1
- Protein
- 8
- Cholesterol
- 186
- Sodium
- 734
- Total: 9 hr (includes cooling and overnight soaking)
- Active: 30 min
Ingredients
12 large eggs, cold
Kosher salt, preferably Diamond Crystal
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
5 tablespoons dark soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, lightly crushed and peeled
2 black tea bags or 1 1/2 tablespoons loose leaf tea (see Cook’s Notes)
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise pods
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, optional
Directions
- Add enough cold water (about 8 cups) to a large saucepan to submerge the eggs. Cover the pan and bring just the water to a boil over high heat. Add the cold eggs and 1 teaspoon kosher salt and boil for 8 minutes.
- Strain the hard-boiled eggs and place them in a large bowl of cold water or ice water to stop the cooking. Set aside until cold.
- Firmly crack the eggs with the back of the spoon or on the kitchen counter to make a crater or opening for the tea-soy sauce to seep in, but don’t crack so much that the shells loosen and come off.
- Meanwhile, in the same saucepan, combine the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, garlic, black tea, brown sugar, Shaoxing wine, bouillon powder, cinnamon stick, star anise, bay leaves, Sichuan peppercorns if using, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Add 4 cups cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
- Place the cracked eggs into the braising liquid and gently simmer, covered, for at least 1 hour. You can peel and eat the eggs now, or, for maximum flavor, turn off the heat and let the pot cool to room temperature. Place it in the refrigerator and let the eggs marinate 8 hours or overnight, making sure the liquid is covering the eggs. When ready to serve, gently warm up the eggs in the braising liquid over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Strain, reserving the braising liquid and eggs separately.
- When the eggs are cool enough to handle, peel off the shell to reveal the eggs marbled or webbed with the soy mixture. Enjoy the eggs warm or room temperature. You can save the braising liquid for 2 weeks in the refrigerator of 3 months frozen to make another batch of eggs.
Cook’s Note
If you are using loose-leaf tea, we recommend that you tie it in a cheesecloth or place it in a disposable tea bag or in a metal tea ball.