Onsen tamago
Soft white and a custard-like yolk from gentle shell cooking.
Japan · Silky, Creamy · Easy · Researched
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 17 min
- Serves
- 4
Allow extra time: 5 minutes resting.
Heavy saucepan with lid · Measuring jug · Timer · Small serving bowls
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs, about 50 g each without shell, refrigerated
- 1 litre water
- 200 ml cool tap water
- 60 ml prepared dashi, to serve
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp mirin, optional
Method
Boil and dilute
Boil 1 litre water in a heavy saucepan. Remove from the heat and mix in 200 ml cool tap water.
Look for: The pan is off the hob before the eggs enter.
Cover the eggs
Lower in exactly 4 refrigerated eggs, cover, and leave off the heat for 17 minutes. Use the stated water volume; a different pot or batch size changes the cooling curve.
Look for: The water stays still; no heat is applied.
Rest out of water
Lift the eggs out and leave for 5 minutes. Warm the dashi with soy sauce and optional mirin separately; briefly simmer if using mirin.
Look for: The shell is cool enough to hold.
Crack into a bowl
Tap and crack each egg into a small bowl. Add a spoonful of the warm broth.
Safety: For this soft-centred preparation, use pasteurised eggs if available. The FDA recommends firm whites and yolks for the lowest risk; children, pregnant people, older adults and people with weakened immunity should choose the fully cooked option. Colour and texture do not prove that an egg is safe.
Look for: A soft white surrounds a thick, spoonable yolk.
Equipment & heat
Equipment & heat
The hob only heats the initial water. Remove the pot from induction, gas or electric completely; switching an electric ring off is not enough. This cooling-water method depends on the pot, egg count and starting temperatures.
Nonstick: Any suitable saucepan works.
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
A watery white can occur if the water cooled too fast. A firm yolk means too much heat. Follow the reference quantities before adapting; a thermometer-controlled method is a different guide.
About this version
About this version
Adapted from Namiko Hirasawa Chen’s home method. Onsen eggs have softer whites than conventional poached eggs.
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.
Illustrations by Egg Atlas. They show the method; they are not photographs of a tested result.