Chinese-Style Tea Eggs

Jaye Fong
by Jaye Fong
12 eggs
30 min

Tea eggs are a popular Chinese snack food which are typically made by hard boiling eggs and then steeping them in a mixture of soy, pu-ehr tea, and spices like cinnamon, anise, five spice etc...Tea eggs are often dyed red for celebrations like weddings and baby showers too! They are not exclusive to China and can found in Malaysian, Indonesian and Taiwanese cuisine.


The taste of these eggs are sweet and savory since the marinade uses brown cane sugar. If you like hard boiled eggs, you'll enjoy these for sure! They're a perfect on-the-go snack and are lovely as a topping on congee as well.

The final result when done right is beautiful!

all the ingredients


allowing the eggs to cool


store the eggs in air/leak proof containers

Be sure to completely submerge the eggs with liquid (unlike this photo).

Recipe details
  • 12  eggs
  • Prep time: 15 Minutes Cook time: 15 Minutes Total time: 30 min
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Ingredients

  • 12 large eggs
  • 710g (3 cps) water
  • 4 pieces star anise seed
  • 1 piece cinnamon bark
  • 30g (2 tbsp) of pu-ehr, tiguanyin or other black tea
  • 300g (1 1/4 cp packed) brown brick sugar, cane sugar, or brown sugar
  • 125g (½ cp) dark soy sauce
  • 60g (¼ cp) light soy sauce
  • 12g (2 tsp) salt
Instructions

Boil eggs for 8-10 minutes. Crack shells gently with the back of a spoon or on a flat surface. You want the eggs to be cracked but not completely broken.
In a medium sized pot, bring the remaining ingredients to boil.
Add eggs and simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and cover for 30 minutes.
Transfer eggs to a leak-proof container and top off with the liquid solution.
Refrigerate for 12-24 hours. 
Enjoy cold or warm!
Tips
  • CRACKING THE EGGS - The first time I made these, most of mine were terribly cracked all the way through so they ended up being mostly solid brown. I think it just takes practice to crack them nicely! Be very gentle and use the back of a spoon to help you crack them lightly.
  • TEA - If you don't have Chinese tea, choose the blackest tea available in your arsenal. You want a rich dark color and flavor!
  • BROWN SUGAR - This recipe utilizes Chinese style brick cane sugar, but you can supplement with any other dark sugar.
Jaye Fong
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