These light and fluffy Korean steamed eggs cooked in earthenware will warm you from the inside out.
I remember the first time trying gyeran jjim as a child. The texture was so soft and silky… I wanted the entire pot to myself! I always thought this dish was complex to make, but I was wrong. It’s actually very easy!
The ingredients are simple and there are just a few steps. The only difficult part is mastering the technique. Let me show you how it’s done.
Ingredients
- eggs
- chicken broth (or broth of choice – vegetable, dashi, anchovy, etc.)
- salted fermented shrimp (can sub fish sauce, salt or soy sauce)
- sugar
Toppings:
- scallions
- sesame oil
- American cheese slice
The 4 essential ingredients are eggs, broth, salted shrimp and sugar. You can add the toppings if you’d like, but it’s not necessary. If you don’t like the taste of sesame oil, then simply leave it out.
The first step is to pass the eggs through a sieve to get rid of any large pieces and ensure a smooth final product. Then mix in broth for a softer egg texture.
Next, you need to add the seasonings. Salted fermented shrimp is traditionally used in Korea, but you can easily substitute fish sauce, salt or soy sauce (fish sauce would be my next best choice!).
Lastly, you need to add sugar. No, it does not make this dish taste “sweet”. A small amount of sugar is added to provide balance to the other contrasting flavors. It really makes the dish taste so much better and I can’t stress enough how adding a bit of sugar to your dishes really elevates the overall flavor.
Mastering the technique
Gyerin jjim is difficult to get right the first time. But, once you master these techniques I assure you that it will be second nature to you!
Ttukbaegi
These steamed fluffy eggs are traditionally cooked in a ttukbaegi, which is a Korean earthenware pot. You can find these small pots for very cheap at a Korean market, or on Amazon. It lasts for awhile and comes in handy for many other traditional Korean dishes. You can use a ramekin or ceramic bowl as a replacement, but I highly suggest a ttukbaegi if you like to make Korean food!
Cooking the eggs
The key to a successful gyerin jjim is the heat of the eggs – gently cook the eggs and do not rush the process. It will take around 8 minutes to cook. I like to oil the ttukbaegi and preheat it on a medium flame. Then add the sieved eggs and watch it closely. Mix occasionally at first while it’s slowly heating up, then mix continuously to ensure the bottom and sides do not get overcooked. Mixing the entire time is essential to evenly cooked eggs. The eggs should eventually begin to form small to medium sized curds.
Once the eggs are about 80% cooked, add the sesame oil. scallions and cheese. Then turn off the heat and place a bowl on top to seal in the heat. The bowl acts as a dome-shaped lid to continue cooking the eggs and let it rise.
Let the eggs continue to cook for about a minute or so – you’ll know to remove the lid when droplets of water escape from the sides all around the ttukbaegi. If done correctly, the eggs puff up on top and slowly deflate as it cools down.
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Korean Steamed Eggs (Gyeran Jjim 계란찜)
- Total Time: 20
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Description
These light and fluffy eggs cooked in Korean earthenware will warm you from the inside out. The ingredients are simple and there are just a few steps. The only difficult part is mastering the technique. Let me show you how it’s done!
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- ½ cup chicken broth (or broth of your choice)
- ½ tsp salted shrimp (or fish sauce, salt, soy sauce)
- ½ tsp sugar
- oil
- a few drops of sesame oil (optional)
- American cheese slice (optional)
- chopped scallions (optional)
Instructions
- Crack 6 eggs into a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Then, pass it through a sieve for an even smoother consistency. This extra step will give you smooth, fluffy eggs. You may skip this part if you prefer, but make sure the eggs are whisked very well.
- Pour in the broth and mix until fully combined with the eggs. Season with salted shrimp and sugar. The sugar does not give the eggs a sweet taste – it simply balances the other flavors!
- Oil a ttukbaegi (Korean earthenware) or other ceramic pot and let it gently heat up. Once the ttukbaegi is hot, add the egg mixture using medium to medium high heat. You will need to adjust the temperature based on how fast or slow the eggs are cooking.
- Gently cook the eggs while scraping the bottom and sides of the pot occasionally. Scrape the pot continuously as more curds form. Cook the eggs until 80% done (watch my 30 second video for a visual or view the picture above). This process took around 8 minutes for me, but it will vary based on your pot and heat level.
- Quickly add the scallions, sesame oil and cheese slice on top. Turn off the heat and cover with a heat-proof bowl. The bowl should create a sealed dome to allow the eggs to rise. Water droplets will start to seep through the sides of the ttukbaegi. Once this happens, let it cook for about 30 seconds to a minute more and remove the lid. It took me about 2 minutes from the time I covered the eggs with a bowl to removing it. The eggs will slowly deflate as it cools. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 15
Keywords: korean food, korean steamed eggs, gyeran jjim
