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Chinese · Taiwanese

Chinese tea eggs

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

茶葉蛋 · chá yè dàn

Hard-boiled eggs with cracked shells steeped in a spiced black tea and soy broth until the whites are marbled and savoury — sold at every Taiwanese convenience store.

Chinese tea eggs is a Chinese egg dish from China, ready in about 50 minutes and made with egg and black tea (brewed). It serves 8 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Chinese boiled eggs in black tea
Representative photo. Daniela Eftimova / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
10 min
Cook
40 min
Total
50 min
Serves
8
Level
Beginner
Calories
75

Plus 8–24 hours steeping in the fridge.

Ingredients

8 eggs

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Lower the eggs (opens in a new tab) into boiling water and cook for 8 minutes, then cool in cold water.

  2. Step 2

    Tap each egg (opens in a new tab) all over with the back of a spoon to make a web of fine cracks, keeping the shell on.

    • 3 min

    Even, fine cracks give the prettiest marbling.

  3. Step 3

    Put the tea, soy sauce (opens in a new tab), sugar (opens in a new tab), salt and spices in the pan, add the eggs (opens in a new tab) and simmer gently, covered, for 30 minutes.

    • 30 min
    • low heat
    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Cool, then refrigerate the eggs (opens in a new tab) in the liquid for at least 8 hours or overnight. Peel to serve, warm or cold.

    • 2 min

About this dish

Origin
China · Well documentedAlso popular in TaiwanMore food from China
Dish
Breakfast · Snack · Egg dishes · Finger food
Cooking method
Boiled, Simmered
Taste
savoury, aromatic / warmly spiced, salty
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Portable / lunchbox · Meal-prep friendly · Budget-friendly
Cook more with
Egg · Black tea (brewed) · Soy sauce · Sugar · Star anise / anise · Cinnamon
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering

Allergens

  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom soy sauce
  • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom soy sauce
  • Contains: Soyfrom soy sauce

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

75 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 52 g · recipe makes 8

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 35%
  • Carbohydrate 6%
  • Fat 59%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy75 kcal144 kcal
Protein6.4 g12.3 g
Carbohydrate1.1 g2 g
Net carbohydrate0.8 g1.6 g
Sugars0.4 g0.9 g
Added sugars0.3 g0.5 g
Fibre0.2 g0.5 g
Fat4.8 g9.2 g
Saturated fat1.6 g3 g
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol186 mg358 mg
Sodium174 mg336 mg
Salt equivalent0.4 g0.8 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
78 mg
Calcium
33 mg
Iron
1 mg
Magnesium
7 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
80 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
1 µg
Vitamin B12
0.4 µg
Folate (DFE)
24 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: sichuan peppercorns, bay leaves.
  • Star anise / anise: Anise seed (FDC 171316) used as a stand-in for star anise.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • The longer the eggs steep, the darker and stronger the marbling — up to 2 days in the fridge.

Common mistakes

  • Cracking the shells too hard so pieces fall off; you want fine cracks with the shell still in place.

Serve with

  • A snack on their own, or alongside congee or lu rou fan.

Food safety

  • Keep the eggs in their liquid in the fridge and eat within 3 days.

Storage

  • Refrigerate in the steeping liquid for up to 3 days.

Reheating

  • Warm in the liquid on the hob if you like them hot.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

  • Egg8 piece · 400 g
Used in step 1

Reviews & corrections

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