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Home-style · Vegetarian

Tea Eggs

茶叶蛋 · Chá yè dàn

Hard-boiled eggs with gently cracked shells, simmered in a tea-soy broth. Optional refrigerated soaking develops more colour.

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Prep10 min
Cook30 min
Serves3
DifficultyEasy
Tea Eggs — illustrative dish photo; ingredients may differ
Illustrative dish photography · credits below · Daniela Eftimova · CC BY-SA 4.0
Recipe guide · not yet kitchen-testedAI-assisted editorial draft. Timing depends on your stove, pan, and ingredient size. Use the doneness checks below.
Optional: 6–12 hours refrigerated soaking.

Let’s get cooking

  1. 01

    Hard-boil eggs

    Cover eggs with water in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil and cook about 10–12 minutes until whites and yolks are firm.

  2. 02

    Crack shells

    Cool briefly in clean cold water. Tap shells with a spoon to form cracks while keeping them on the eggs.

  3. 03

    Make tea broth

    Bring measured water, tea, soy sauces, salt, and optional star anise to a simmer in a clean saucepan.

  4. 04

    Infuse

    Add eggs and simmer gently 15–20 minutes. Peel before serving; remove whole spices.

  5. 05

    Optional chilled soak

    For a darker pattern, cool promptly and refrigerate eggs in the broth for 6–12 hours. Do not soak overnight at room temperature.

A little kitchen wisdom

Use plain black tea rather than heavily flavoured tea bags. The listed time excludes optional chilled soaking.

Can’t find an ingredient?

Star anise: Omit for a simpler tea flavour.

Cook safely

Cook egg dishes to 71°C / 160°F. For boiled eggs, the white and yolk should be firm.

FoodSafety.gov guidance ↗