Tea eggs
Cracked shells leave a dark tea-and-spice pattern on the white.
China · Firm · Easy · Researched
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Serves
- 6
Allow extra time: 12 hours chilling in the broth.
Saucepan · Spoon · Covered refrigerator container
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 750 ml water, plus water for boiling
- 2 black tea bags
- 60 ml light soy sauce
- 1 star anise
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp sugar
Method
Hard-cook the eggs
Lower the eggs into gently boiling water for 12 minutes, then chill in cold water.
Look for: The eggs are cooked through before marinating.
Crack, but do not peel
Tap the shell all over with the back of a spoon, turning the egg, until it is covered in a fine web of cracks. Leave the shell on: the broth seeps through the cracks and marbles the white.
Look for: A web of fine cracks covers each shell.
Make the tea broth
Simmer the measured water, tea, soy, spices and sugar for 10 minutes. Add the cracked eggs and simmer gently for 3 minutes.
Look for: The broth is dark and aromatic.
Chill in the broth
Transfer eggs and broth to a shallow container. Cool promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours. Steep for 12 hours, then peel to serve.
Safety: Keep at 4°C / 40°F or below. Count storage time from the initial cooking and use within 1 week; the tea broth does not preserve eggs at room temperature.
Look for: Fine brown lines follow the shell cracks.
Equipment & heat
Equipment & heat
Induction, gas and electric all work. Bring the water to the stated state, then reduce the heat to maintain it. Start timing when the eggs go in; a larger pan, higher altitude or extra-cold eggs may need adjustment. A rolling boil is not a shortcut.
Nonstick: Any suitable saucepan works.
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
Large smashed gaps make blotches. Tap to fracture the shell without removing chunks. Keep the eggs submerged while chilling.
About this version
About this version
This is a fully cooked, overnight home version. Softer tea eggs exist; their cooking and storage needs differ.
Unless stated otherwise, use large chicken eggs, approximately 60 g in the shell, refrigerated. Timings are starting points: use the visual checkpoints and any stated temperature check.
Sources
This guide was written from the references below. Egg Atlas has not kitchen-tested it.
- The Woks of Life — Chinese tea eggs
- BLV (Swiss FSVO) — food hygiene at home
- FDA — what you need to know about egg safety
Illustrations by Egg Atlas. They show the method; they are not photographs of a tested result.