Chinese Tea Eggs (茶叶蛋)

A tea egg is a popular, savory Chinese snack made by hard-boiling an egg, gently cracking the shell, and simmering it in a fragrant blend of black tea, soy sauce, and aromatic spices. The cracked shell creates beautiful marble patterns on the egg white and infuses the egg with a rich, umami flavor.

Known as cháyèdàn (茶叶蛋) in Mandarin, these eggs are a staple of Chinese street food, morning breakfast carts, and night markets. They are also incredibly popular in convenience stores across Taiwan and China, serving as a cheap, convenient, and healthy everyday protein.

This entry combines two versions of the recipe: a warm-steep method (8 eggs, classic hard-boiled) and a cold-marinade method (12 eggs, with soft / medium / hard-boiled timings). Both are given in full below.

Ingredients

Method 1 - Warm Steep (8 eggs)

• 8 eggs, at room temperature (see note 1)
• 2 bags black tea, or 1 tablespoon of loose tea (see note 2)
• 1 star-anise, (see note 3)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 piece Chinese cinnamon, aka cassia cinnamon

½ teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn

• 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine, optional

½ tablespoon sugar

• 2 teaspoon salt

Method 2 - Cold Marinade (12 eggs)

• 12 large eggs

Marinade

• 4 tablespoons light soy sauce (or soy sauce)
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce (or soy sauce)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 star anise
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 black tea bags (or 2 tablespoons black tea leaves)
• 2 1/2 cups water

Directions

Key ingredients

Cinnamon · Soy Sauce

Method 1 - Warm Steep

1. The classic version - boil the eggs, crack the shells, then steep them in a warm spiced tea marinade for 12 to 24 hours. Yields 8 hard-boiled eggs.

Seasonings

1. I use a few common Chinese spices to enhance the flavor. They include star anise, Chinese cinnamon stick (cassia cinnamon), bay leaf and Sichuan pepper. If you enjoy a hint of heat, add a few dried chili peppers too.
2. It’s fine to omit 1-2 spices or add a few extra, such as fennel seeds, cloves, tangerine peels, etc.
3. Don’t have any whole spices? No worries! Replace them with a teaspoon of Chinese five-spice powder. It works well too.

Boil the eggs (or use an egg steamer)

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, then gently place the eggs in the water and cook over medium heat for 8 minutes.
2. The cooking time required depends on the size, quantity and temperature of the eggs. For testing this recipe, I used 8 large, room-temperature eggs. Adjust the time if you’re cooking less or more eggs, or your eggs are smaller, chilled, etc.

Runny yolks?

1. Classic tea eggs are hard-boiled. In other words, the yolks are fully cooked. If you prefer runny yolks (like soy sauce eggs found in Japanese ramen), reduce the boiling time to 7 minutes.

Marinade

1. While waiting for the eggs to cook, gather all the spices and seasonings for the marinade and place them in a saucepan with 2 cups of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then let it simmer for about 3 minutes.

Cool & crack the eggs

1. Immediately after cooking, transfer the boiled eggs to a bowl of ice cold water (tap water) to stop them from being further cooked.
2. Once they are cool enough to handle, gently crack the egg shells all around. You can do so against the kitchen counter or use the back of a spoon.

Steep the eggs

1. Put all the eggs in a container. Then pour in the marinade, along with the tea and spices. Cover with a lid and let the eggs steep 12 to 24 hours.
2. Place the eggs in a container (ideally one that can fit them snuggly). Pour in the marinade. Cover with a lid and leave to steep for 12 to 24 hours before serving (see note 4).
3. To reuse the leftover marinade: Freeze it if you don’t plan to make another batch soon. Add more tea, spices and seasonings when necessary. Always boil it for each use to prevent bacteria growth.

Method 2 - Cold Marinade

1. The marinade is simmered and then cooled completely before the eggs go in, so you can choose soft, medium or hard yolks. Yields 12 eggs.
2. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a small pot. Cook over medium heat until bringing to a boil. Turn to medium-low heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pot from your stove and let cool completely. Once done, remove and discard the tea bags.
3. To boil the eggs, heat a pot of water (enough to cover all the eggs) over high heat until boiling. Turn to low heat. Carefully place the eggs in the pot using a ladle, to prevent the eggs from cracking.
4. Boil 5 minutes for soft-boiled eggs, 7 minutes for medium eggs, or 10 minutes for hard-boiled eggs.
5. While cooking the eggs, prepare an ice bath by combining ice and tap water in a big bowl.
6. Once the eggs are cooked, immediately transfer them to the ice bath to cool for 2 to 3 minutes. If you don’t have ice on hand, simply run cool tap water over the eggs for a couple minutes until they cool down.
7. Gently crack the eggs using the back of a spoon. You want to make sure the egg shells are cracked enough so the marinade will reach the interior, without cracking the eggs apart (especially if you made soft boiled eggs). If you’re in a hurry, you can also peel the eggs and marinate them peeled. The eggs will be ready in 12 hours this way.
8. Transfer the eggs to a quart-size ziplock bag, then carefully pour in the marinade along with the dry ingredients. Marinate overnight for peeled eggs, or 24 hours for cracked “marble” eggs.
9. Peel the eggs and enjoy them cold or at room temperature!
10. You can store the leftover eggs in the marinade for 4 to 5 days in the fridge. The marinade will help with preserving the eggs. Note, the eggs will become more flavorful and saltier over time.

Notes

1. This recipe uses hen eggs, but quail eggs are a good choice too. Reduce the steeping time as they are much smaller.

2. I have found that black tea produces the strongest stains. But other types of tea, (e.g. green tea, oolong tea, pu-erh tea, etc,) are suitable as well.

3. You can use 1 teaspoon of five-spice powder to replace star anise, Chinese cinnamon, bay leaf and Sichuan pepper.

4. Be aware that the eggs might become too salty if left in the marinade for too long. After being removed from the marinade, they can be stored in the fridge for 4 days.

Tips: Feel free to choose any tea you prefer or have on hand. Dark soy sauce is essential for the best marbling effect. Reduce the boiling time if you prefer soft yolks. Adjust the steeping time according to your desired saltiness. Reuse the marinade for future batches.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 egg | Calories: 72 kcal