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5 from 4 votes

This is one of the typical Chinese tea eggs (tea leaf eggs) that is usually sold by street vendors as a snack. The boiled egg is cracked and steeped in liquid flavoured with tea leaves and various spices.

For a richer flavour, keep refrigerated and steep overnight. A quick method is to remove the shell prior to steeping, allowing it to soak up the flavour for at least 6 hours before serving.

Related Recipe: How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs

Chinese Version: 茶叶蛋

Chinese Tea Egg
 

Chinese Tea Eggs Recipe | MyKitchen101en

Yield: 8 eggs

Ingredients:

  • 8 eggs
  • 4 black tea bags
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 4 star anise
  • 10 whole white pepper
  • ½ stick Cinnamon (about 2g)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 8 tbsps light soy sauce
  • ½ tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 tbsps oyster sauce
  • 80g rock sugar
  • 800ml water

Instructions:

1 Gently brush and clean eggs with kitchen brush or scrub sponge.

Chinese Tea Egg
 

2 Place all eggs in a pot, put in 2 tea bags and enough water to cover all the eggs. Note: You may use 2 teaspoons of any Chinese tea.

Chinese Tea Egg

3 Heat water to about 50°C-60°C, hot enough to the touch, turn off the heat and allow the eggs to submerge in hot tea for about 10 minutes.

Chinese Tea Egg
 

4 After 10 minutes, bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 7 minutes.

Chinese Tea Egg

5 Discard the tea, keep the tea bags.

Chinese Tea Egg

6 Cracked the eggs shell and set aside.

Chinese Tea Egg

7 In a large pot, add in 2 new tea bags, 2 used tea bags and all the other ingredients with 800ml of water.

Chinese Tea Egg

8 Bring to boil, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Chinese Tea Egg

9 Turn off the heat, add in cracked eggs, steep for 1 hour.

Chinese Tea Egg

10 Reheat the spiced tea liquid after an hour, do not bring to boil, turn off the heat when small bubbles start appearing. Steep for 6 hours.

Chinese Tea Egg

11 Chinese tea eggs can be prepared a day in advance, marinate overnight in the refrigerator, reheat to serve or enjoy them cold.

Chinese Tea Egg

Chinese Tea Egg

Chinese Tea Eggs Recipe (Tea Leaf Eggs)

This is one of the typical Chinese tea eggs (tea leaf eggs) that is usually sold by street vendors as a snack. The boiled egg is cracked and steeped in liquid flavoured with tea leaves and various spices.

Rate

5 from 4 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Steep 6 hours
Total Time 7 hours 40 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 8 eggs
Calories 122 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 8 eggs
  • 4 black tea bags
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 4 star anise
  • 10 whole white pepper
  • ½ stick Cinnamon about 2 g
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 8 tbsps light soy sauce
  • ½ tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 tbsps oyster sauce
  • 80 g rock sugar
  • 800 ml water

Instructions
 

  • Gently brush and clean eggs with kitchen brush or scrub sponge.
    Chinese Tea Egg
  • Place all eggs in a pot, put in 2 tea bags and enough water to cover all the eggs. Note: You may use 2 teaspoons of any Chinese tea.
    Chinese Tea Egg
  • Heat water to about 50°C-60°C, hot enough to the touch, turn off the heat and allow the eggs to submerge in hot tea for about 10 minutes.
    Chinese Tea Egg
  • After 10 minutes, bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 7 minutes.
    Chinese Tea Egg
  • Discard the tea, keep the tea bags. Crack the eggs shell and set aside.
    Chinese Tea Egg
  • In a large pot, add in 2 new tea bags, 2 used tea bags and all the other ingredients with 800 ml of water. Bring to boil, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
    Chinese Tea Egg
  • Turn off the heat, add in cracked eggs, steep for 1 hour. Reheat the spiced tea liquid after an hour, do not bring to boil, turn off the heat when small bubbles start appearing. Steep for 6 hours.
    Chinese Tea Egg

Video

Notes

This recipe yields 8 eggs. 
The nutritional value for reference is for 1 egg. 
Chinese tea eggs can be prepared a day in advance, marinate overnight in the refrigerator, reheat to serve or enjoy them cold.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 122kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 8gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 164mgSodium: 1507mgPotassium: 110mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 240IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 1mg
Keyword chinese tea eggs, tea leaf eggs
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