Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 82kcal
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 3 cups water
- 2 black tea bags
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce or extra regular soy sauce
- 1 whole star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp five-spice powder
- 1 tsp allulose or preferred keto sweetener
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 6 minutes for a soft-set yolk.
- Transfer eggs to an ice bath. Once cool, gently tap and crack the shells all over without peeling, creating a web of cracks.
- In the same saucepan, combine the 3 cups water, tea bags, soy sauces, star anise, cinnamon, five-spice, sweetener, and salt. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.
- Return the cracked eggs to the pot. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, then turn off heat and let the eggs steep in the liquid, at least 2 hours or overnight in the fridge for the deepest marbled flavor.
- Peel just before serving to reveal the marbled pattern.
Notes
Chef's Tip: The longer the eggs steep, the more dramatic the marbling and the deeper the flavor - overnight is ideal if you can plan ahead. Keto Swaps: allulose replaces the traditional rock sugar with no impact on carbs.
Nutrition
Calories: 82kcal | Protein: 7g | Fat: 5g
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About This Dish
Tea eggs are a fixture of Chinese street food and night markets — hard-simmered eggs cracked and steeped in a five-spice and black tea braise until their shells crack into a marbled pattern and their flavor turns deep and savory.
They’re a natural make-ahead breakfast: better the longer they sit, and just as good cold from the fridge as fresh.