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These mayak eggs are my go-to when I want something simple, satisfying, and packed with flavor. Traditionally made with soy sauce, these Korean marinated eggs (mayak gyeran) are savory, spicy, slightly sweet, and deeply umami — and in this version, they’re made soy-free and gluten-free with coconut aminos. They’re every bit as flavorful and addicting, and just as perfect over a bowl of warm rice or tucked into a lunch box.
Jeans Notes: Mayak eggs are soft-boiled Korean eggs marinated in soy sauce (or a soy-free substitute), garlic, chili, and sesame oil. They’re easy to make at home and typically served over rice, noodles, or as a lunchbox side.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This is one of those recipes that feels like a little secret weapon in the fridge. Soft-boiled eggs soak up a bold marinade overnight, turning into a deeply flavorful side or snack. While the traditional recipe uses soy sauce and mirin, I’ve adapted it with coconut aminos to make it friendly for those avoiding soy or gluten — and honestly, you might not even notice the swap.
The eggs come out tender with jammy yolks and a marinade that’s rich with garlic, green onions, sesame, and a touch of heat from chili peppers. It’s great for meal prep, and even better as a gateway into Korean cooking if you’re new to it, especially paired with these Korean Dumplings (Mandu) for a complete banchan-style lunch.
Each egg is packed with protein and flavor, and the whole dish is gluten-free and dairy-free. For another great fridge-friendly Korean dish, try this Korean Cucumber Salad (Oi Muchim).
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Eggs: Use large eggs and soft-boil them just until the yolks are jammy. You can also hard-boil if you prefer a firmer texture.
- Vinegar & Salt: Add these to your boiling water for easy-peel shells. A small detail that makes a big difference.
- Coconut Aminos: A soy-free alternative that’s naturally sweet and lower in sodium. I like this for a gluten-free marinade that still hits all the right flavor notes. Try my Paleo Orange Chicken for another soy-free take!)
- Honey: Just a little for balance.
- Garlic & Green Onion: Classic aromatics that add depth and brightness.
- Chili Peppers: Red and green chilis bring color and gentle heat.
- Toasted Sesame Seeds & Sea Salt: For garnish and flavor layering.
Prefer traditional? Use ½ cup regular soy sauce + ½ cup water in place of the coconut aminos and omit the extra salt. You’ll get the classic flavor profile with that rich, salty-sweet punch.
How to Make Mayak Eggs
Step 1: Bring a large pot of water to a boil with a splash of vinegar and a pinch of salt. Gently lower in your eggs and simmer for 6 minutes for soft-boiled. Add 3-5 minutes for hard-boiled.
Step 2: Transfer eggs to an ice bath for 5 minutes, then peel carefully.
Step 3: In a container just large enough to hold the eggs, stir together coconut aminos, honey, green onion, garlic, chili peppers, sea salt, and sesame seeds.
Step 4: Add peeled eggs, making sure they’re mostly submerged in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
Step 5: Serve over hot rice or cauliflower rice, spooning plenty of marinade on top. For more easy protein recipes, you might love this Whole30 Korean Steak Bites.
Serving Tips
- Rice Bowls: Add warm rice with avocado and a drizzle of gochujang, or pair with Whole30 Korean Steak Bites for a protein-packed plate.
- Ramen Noodles: Cut in half and nestle into your noodle bowl.
- Avocado Toast Upgrade: Slice and layer on top with chili oil.
- Lunchbox Protein: Easy to pack and eat cold.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Use ½ cup soy sauce + ½ cup water, and skip the added salt.
8 hours is enough, but overnight is even better. The longer they sit, the deeper the flavor.
They’re best within 5–7 days, stored in their marinade.
Not for more eggs. But it makes a great drizzle for stir-fries or veggies within 2 days.
Yes — peeled eggs soak up the marinade more effectively.
More Korean-Inspired Recipes
If you make this recipe, please leave me a star rating and comment below! I love to hear your thoughts and feedback. Follow me on social media Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for even more delicious recipes!
Mayak Eggs (Korean Marinated Eggs with Soy-Free Twist)
Video
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tsp sea salt
Marinade
- 3/4 cup coconut aminos, *See notes for soy sauce or tamari sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 tbsp honey
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 chili peppers, red and/or green, diced
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil in a saucepan and stir in vinegar and sea salt.
- Carefully add the eggs to the water, then simmer for 6 minutes for soft boiled eggs.
- Immediately transfer to an ice bath and cool for 5 minutes. Peel the eggs carefully so the eggs aren't damaged while peeling.
- In a container with a lid just large enough to fit the eggs, combine all ingredients for the marinade and stir together. Scrap the bottom of the container so the honey is mixed in evenly.
- Add the eggs to the marinade, then cover.
- Refrigerate and marinate for 8 hours to overnight.
- Serve the mayak eggs over rice or cauliflower rice, spooning the sauce mixture over the eggs.
Notes
- Prefer traditional? Use ½ cup soy sauce + ½ cup water in place of the coconut aminos and omit the extra salt. You’ll get the classic flavor profile with that rich, salty-sweet punch.
- These will last in the fridge for 5–7 days, stored in their marinade.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
SUPER DELISH! This is a perfect way to meal prep for lunching & snacks. Thank you!
Could I use liquid amino the same as coconut amino? Would it make a difference?
Liquid aminos is more similar to soy sauce in terms of saltiness. You can use it but I would omit the salt.
Amazing and simple recipe!
Made this once and fell in love. Now a fridge staple. I eat it with eggs, noodles, dumplingsโฆ basically anything! Goes well as a topper for other dishes or by itself.
Thank you so much!! I love it on noodles as well, especially ramen!
I guess my other comment is still being moderated. I made these, put them in my ramen and I HAD to stop eating to come comment AGAIN. Since my OG comment isn’t here, this is another comment:
These are…. so good. THESE ARE SO GOOD! I usually make the other ones with soy sauce and dare I say, THESE ARE BETTER! I could literally eat all of these in one sitting LOL. Omg you have my heart, thank you so much for sharing these, they are amazing and now I am going to share them with everyone I know LOL.
Oh wow, thank you so much! I love that you enjoyed them over ramen – that sounds fantastic. I’m going to try that as well. I so appreciate you leaving a review!
Oh, my this looks so good. I have been looking for an alt to Momofuku because they add SO much MORE sodium and I am trying to eat healthy right now haha. I have my off days and today is one of them so I am making my homemade ramen again and I will have these. Unfortunately, I can only marinade about 5 1/2 hours, but I am sure they will still be delicious.
It’s so nice that we the internet and all these different people from different ethnicities and heritages can come together and share recipes. My guys online would never know about Haluski and Kielbasa (Cabbage and Noodles and I would have never known about THIS dish if I didn’t look online lol.
Thank you for sharing <3
Very yummy but felt a little too salty for my taste. Should I maybe omit the salt?
Also, 3 of my 5 eggs cracked in the boiling water :/ so Iโm wondering if they absorbed more of the marinade than intended this way.
It’s intended to be eaten with rice so it’s supposed to be a bit salty, but you can just omit if it was too strong for you! I don’t believe the egg cracking would affect the flavor too much.
These are great. Easy to meal-prep for breakfasts. I cut down the honey, but they were still sweet-ish.
Do you serve the eggs cold (straight from the fridge) over the hot rice? Or do you take them out in advance so they are room temperature before serving?
Yes! You eat it cold. But you can get it to room temperature if you want.
Can I ask what the purpose of the coconut aminos is? And if it would drastically change the resulting taste if it was omitted?
It’s a soy sauce substitute – so yes. It’s necessary. If you’d rather use soy sauce, just use 1/2 cup soy sauce and 1/2 water and omit the salt. The rest of the recipe can stay the same.
Hi! This looks amazing, can’t wait to try. I can’t have sugar right now – would it ultimately really make a difference if I omit the honey?
You can omit. The sweet taste won’t be there so it’ll just be savory eggs – still delicious!
You could do monk fruit instead or if your okay with dates a date paste.