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How to Make Chinese Salted Egg Recipe

Learn how to make 1 of my favorite condiments, Chinese Salted Egg, at home using brine solution with only 3 ingredients. So good but so quick and easy: the hardest part is the waiting! (My homemade salted egg yolk recipe is passed down from my Greatgrandmother so you know it's tried and tested.)

Prep Time
20 d 10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Servings: 12 eggs
Calories: 63 kcal
Course: Side Dish , Breakfast , Snacks
Cuisine: Chinese , Filipino

Ingredients

  • 12 eggs traditionally duck eggs but you can substitute with chicken (I use chicken as duck eggs are not sold in Singapore. Note chicken eggs will result in a slightly less flavourful salted egg and may brine faster than duck eggs due to the difference in their shells.)
  • 4 Cups water (1 litre) I use tap water in the UK and in Singapore but the safety of tap water may vary from country to country.
  • 1 Cup salt (250g) Rock salt, kosher salt and canning salt all use. If using table salt, you need it to be very fine.

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Clean the eggs well, checking for any cracks in the shells. (Do not use eggs with broken shells) Dry the eggs then place them in a glass (or plastic) jar.
  2. Combine the water and salt in a pot and bring to the boil. Stir to make sure all the salt is dissolved. Turn the heat off and allow the brine to cool to room temperature. (If you are adding shaoxing wine, now would be the time to add it. Don't rush this process- the salted water needs to cool completely.)
  3. Pour the cooled brine into the jar and make sure it is sufficient to fully cover the eggs. Place the half-filled zip-lock bag on top of the eggs to make sure the eggs are totally submerged.
  4. Cover the container and store at room temperature for a month. (I place mine under the kitchen sink).
  5. From day 18 onwards (or day 20 if using duck eggs), take 1 egg out of the brine. Boil it and eat it. If it tastes salty enough for you, remove all the eggs from the solution, rinse them with water and store them in the fridge. If you'd like a saltier egg, allow the eggs to continue brining. Keep tasting every day or so till you are satisfied with the eggs. (Eggs are then washed and refrigerated)
  6. Do note the egg whites may become too unpleasantly salty to be consumed if you brine the eggs past 20 days. (Most recipes only call for the salted egg yolk but it's rather wasteful to throw the whites out! The whites go well with rice or porridge.)

Notes

  • Other Ingredients
  • Some recipes call for sugar, spices (such as Szechuan pepper and star anise) and shaoxing wine to be added to the brine. These are not necessary to produce salted eggs but supposedly make the eggs more fragrant and attractive (resulting a more vibrantly orange yolk.) Personally, I didn't notice a difference in the taste or appearance- see above post for photo comparing salted eggs made in brines with and without spices.
  • Important
  • If your container is small, reduce the number of eggs- if 1 cracks, the whole lot needs to be tossed out so let's err on the side of caution!
  • Note: the nutritional information is an estimate automatically calculated using the WPRM recipe maker and I am not responsible for its accuracy.

Nutrition Information

Calories 63kcal (3%) Carbohydrates 0.3g (0%) Protein 6g (12%) Fat 4g (6%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 2g Trans Fat 0.02g Cholesterol 164mg (55%) Sodium 8141mg (339%) Potassium 62mg (2%) Sugar 0.2g (0%) Vitamin A 238IU (5%) Calcium 32mg (3%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12eggs

Amount Per Serving

Calories 63

% Daily Value*

Calories 63kcal 3%
Carbohydrates 0.3g 0%
Protein 6g 12%
Fat 4g 6%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 2g 10%
Trans Fat 0.02g 1%
Cholesterol 164mg 55%
Sodium 8141mg 339%
Potassium 62mg 1%
Sugar 0.2g 0%
Vitamin A 238IU 5%
Calcium 32mg 3%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.