Authentic Tea Eggs Recipe

Tea eggs are steeped in a savory blend of tea, soy sauce, and aromatic spices, creating a marbled appearance and rich flavor. They are a popular snack across Asia, often enjoyed for their umami taste and beautiful spiderweb like pattern.

Tea eggs are my favorite childhood snacks. I used to walk to 7-Eleven right after school every day and get 2 tea eggs for snacks. As soon as you walk into a 7-Eleven in Taiwan, you can smell the aromatics from the tea eggs. If you ever get a chance to travel to Taiwan, I hope you get to try all the amazing food there, including these tea eggs from 7-Eleven!

WHAT ARE TEA EGGS?

Tea eggs are hard-boiled eggs that are gently cracked and then simmered in a savory mixture of black tea, soy sauce, and spices such as cinnamon, star anise, and bay leaves. The flavors slowly seep into the eggs creating a beautiful marble or spider web like pattern. Tea eggs are a popular snack across Taiwan and other parts of Asia. Not only are they so pretty, tea eggs also make a great high protein and low calorie snack, or a perfect addition to a simple meal!

WATCH TEA EGGS RECIPE VIDEO BELOW:

INGREDIENTS:

• Hard Boiled Eggs
• Black Tea Bags
• Light Soy Sauce
• Dark Soy Sauce
• Cinnamon Stick
• Star Anise
• Dried Chili
• Bay Leaves
• Rock Sugar
• Water

HOW TO MAKE TEA EGGS:

Boil the Eggs

For hard boiled eggs: Place the eggs in a pot and cover them with cold water. Bring the water to a boil. Bring down to a simmer, cover the pot with a lid, and let it simmer for another 10 minutes. Once cooked, remove the eggs and place them in a bowl of ice water to cool down. 

Crack the Eggs

Once the eggs are cool enough to touch, gently crack the shells with the back of a spoon. You want to create cracks that allow the tea and spices to seep in, creating the signature marble look.

Prepare the Marinade

In a large pot, add the cracked eggs, water, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cinnamon, star anise, dried chili, bay leaves, rock sugar, and black tea bags. 

Simmer the Eggs

Bring the tea mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let the eggs simmer for at least an hour. The longer they simmer, the more intense flavor and color. Alternatively, you can leave the eggs soaked in the tea mixture overnight or 24 hours before serving. 

Serve

Once the eggs have absorbed all the marinade, remove them from the pot. Peel the beautiful shell and enjoy! Tea eggs can be served warm or cold, as a snack, side dish, or as an addition to a bowl of rice or noodle.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

1. Do I have boil the eggs twice? What if I am short on time?

Traditionally, tea eggs are cooked twice. First, you hard-boiled the eggs. Then you crack the shells and let it cook twice to allow the flavors seep into the egg, creating a beautiful marble pattern. If you don’t want to overcook your eggs or if you don’t have time to cook the eggs twice, you can let the eggs sit in the marinade overnight. To do that, first make your hard-boil eggs. Transferred the cooked hard-boiled eggs to a bowl of ice water to cool down, and then crack the shell. Mix and simmer all the marinade ingredients in a pot for about 10 minutes. Transfer the cracked hard boiled eggs and mixed marinade to a food container or zip lock bag. Marinate in the fridge overnight or 24 hours.

2. Can I make soft boiled eggs instead of hard boiled eggs?

Yes, you can. If you prefer soft-boiled eggs, simply boil the eggs for 5 minutes instead of 10 minutes. Then transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water to cool down, and crack the shell. Note: For soft-boiled eggs, you do not want to cook the eggs twice. Cook the marinade in a separate pot, and then transfer the marinate and cracked soft-boiled eggs to a food container or zip lock bag. Marinate overnight or 24 hours.

3. What if I can’t find all the ingredients for the marinade?

I understand that in some places it may be hard to find some of the dry aromatics (cinnamon sticks, star anise, and bay leaves). You can just use 1 tsp of five spice powder as an alternative!

4. How do I crack the egg shell?

Place the egg on one hand and gently rotate the eggs while you crack the shell with the back of a spoon. Be careful not to knock the eggs too hard. You want to create small cracks to allow the flavors to seep in without breaking the egg shells apart.

5. What do I do with the leftover marinade?

After you remove the eggs from the marinade, do not throw the marinade away! The sauce can be use more than once. You can also use the same marinade to braise other things such as meat, tofu, mushroom, and more! You can store it in a zip lock bag and freeze it until you are ready to use it again.

OTHER RECIPES YOU MAY ENJOY:

• Spicy Wontons with Chili Oil
• Healthy Steamed Cabbage Rolls
• Chili Garlic Silken Tofu

If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below and let me know what you think. Make sure you also tag me @onehappybite on Instagram and hashtag it #onehappybite so I can see your creations!

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