Korean Steamed Egg (Gyeran-jjim)
Korean steamed egg (gyeran-jjim) is a popular egg side dish. Some call it Korean egg bomb, while others call it volcanic steamed eggs. Beaten eggs are mixed with chicken stock and simmered in a stone pot creating fluffy, savory custard egg with a hot steam shooting out.
“No more scrambled eggs for the brush family, these eggs are the bomb! We served it with Thai dry curry and it was sublime.”
Brushjl
What is Korean Steamed Egg?
Korean steamed egg, known as gyeran jjim (계란찜), is one of the popular Korean egg dishes made with eggs and stock (I use chicken stock). It is simmered in a Korean stone pot to a velvety soft consistency. You will find many Korean BBQ restaurants serves this savory Korean egg as part of side dishes (banchan).
It almost looks like egg soufflé about to explode, doesn’t it?
Egg steamed in a Korean stone pot is one of the “experimental” dishes in Korean cuisine. In other words, people like to make this unique Korean egg dish not only for the delicious egg-y taste, but also because it’s like doing a science experiment to see the result (with no mess).
The moment you open the lid of your stone pot, you will get a surprise view of volcanic eggs with piping hot steam shooting out. Kids love it, adults love it, and after all, you will get a fluffy egg custard that tastes good. So why not try it at home?
The only drawback for this recipe is that you have to use a little bit of brain power. Remember when you asked your math teacher, “when am I ever going to use this?” Well, now’s the time. The ingredient amounts depend on the pot you are going to use.
Ingredients and Equipment You’ll Need
- small stone pot – or any small pot
- a dome shaped bowl – to cover the pot
- eggs
- chicken stock – for silky texture and flavor
- salted shrimp (optional) – additional Korean flavor
- baking powder – they allow the eggs to explode to the maximum
- etc – green onion, sesame seeds, and sesame oil
Formula to make Korean egg dish
You will need a little mathematical formula to succeed. I recommend using a 1/2 qt size stone pot or any pot for this recipe but the principle is the same if you have to use a bigger pot. So here is the formula.
- I’m using a 1/2 qt size stone pot. Remember that 1/2 quart = 2 cups in volume. Got it?
- You will need enough eggs to make 1 cup in volume. (For me, that’s usually 5 eggs.) Then you will need 1 cup of chicken stock bring the total volume to 2 cups.
- So, equal parts egg and chicken stock (in a 1 : 1 ratio) combined should be equal to your pot’s stated volume capacity. (If your pot has capacity of 3 cups, you will need 1 1/2 cup each of eggs and chicken stock.)
Luckily, you will find that most pots have a little extra room beyond the stated volume capacity. So I usually add one more egg to the mixture because you will want the volume of the egg mixture to reach almost to the rim of your pot.
Basically your egg and stock mixture should come to about 90% of your pot’s true maximum capacity. Make sense?
So the choice is up to you. The bottom line is that I used total of 6 eggs + 1 cup of chicken stock, and it reached 90% of my 1/2-qt stone pot. And it was perfect. If you are using a bigger pot, calculate the ratio accordingly to suit your pot capacity.
Tips for making best Korean steamed egg
- Use a small earthenware pot. Traditional Korean stone pots retain heat well which helps the steaming process better, as well as maintaining the heat while it is being served.
- Beat the eggs thoroughly with a small whisk to get as smooth as possible. It will make your egg to have a velvety soft consistency.
- Stir constantly while scraping the bottom of the pot with a spoon. This method is crucial so the eggs don’t burn at the bottom of the pot.
- More eggs than stock in the ratio will hold the eggs in explosive state longer, but heavier in texture.
- More stock than eggs will make your pudding lighter and silkier, but it will collapse faster.
How to Make Korean Steamed Eggs (Gyeran-jjim)
Step 1. Combine eggs, salted shrimp (if using), and a pinch of salt in a measuring cup or mixing bowl.
Step 2. Add baking powder and beat them well until frosty.
Step 3. Pour chicken stock in a pot and bring it to boil over medium high heat.
Step 4. Reduce the heat to medium. Slowly pour egg mixture into the chicken stock as you stir gently with a spoon.
Step 5. Keep stirring the egg mixture, scraping it as necessary from the side of the pot to the center. You will want to stir until the egg mixture reaches 75% cooked, about 2 minutes.
Step 6. Cover the pot with a dome shaped bowl immediately. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Step 7. Turn off the heat and remove the lid (make sure to wear kitchen gloves). You will see the egg mixture has risen well above the rim of your pot.
Serving Suggestion
If you wish, sprinkle with chopped green onion, sesame seeds, and drizzle a little bit of sesame oil. Serve immediately with rice.
The rise of the eggs might settle down soon as you let it rest on the table. If you increase the amount of eggs and decrease the amount of chicken stock, it will hold its risen shape longer, but you will get a heavier texture in return.
More Egg Dishes
- Simple Egg Fried Rice
- Stir-Fried Rice Cakes and Eggs (Gluten-Free)
- Spicy Tofu and Egg in a Skillet
- Tofu and Egg Pudding in Microwave
- Tofu with Egg and Tomato
If you try this recipe, please take a moment to leave a rating and comment below. I love hearing from you, and it helps other readers, too.
Korean Steamed Egg (Gyeran-Jjim)
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs, well beaten
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 tsp Korean salted shrimp , liquid only, optional
- 2 pinches kosher salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp sesame oil, optional
- 1 tbsp finely chopped green onion, optional
Equipment
Instructions
- Combine eggs, salted shrimp liquid, baking powder and a couple of pinches of salt in a measuring cup or bowl; beat them well until frosty.
- Pour chicken stock in a pot and bring it to boil over medium high heat.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Slowly pour egg mixture into the chicken stock as you stir gently with a spoon. Keep stirring the egg mixture, scraping it as necessary from the side of the pot to the center.
- When the egg mixture reaches 75% cooked, about 2 minutes, cover the pot with a dome shaped bowl. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and remove the lid (make sure to wear kitchen gloves). You will see the egg mixture has risen well above the rim of your pot.
- If you wish, sprinkle with chopped green onion and drizzle a little bit of sesame oil. Serve immediately with rice.
Is it normal to have a bit of broth pooling around the edges or my eggs are too small?
It’s perfectly normal to see a little bit of broth pooling around the edges. If you broth sitting on top of eggs after cooked, then it’s a sign that too much of liquid is added.
Thank you Holly! I will decrease the broth next time.
No more scrambled eggs for the brush family, these eggs are the bomb! We served it with Thai dry curry and it was sublime.
Looks delicious and easy enough!! What type of bowl do you recommend to use and how would you do it so that clean up is easy? I use a glass bowl and the egg pudding after cooking left a permanent stain on the bowl!! Thanks!
This is my fave side dish! Whenever we go to our favorite korean bbq place, we always get a side order of the steamed egg. I have tried making this before, but could not get the taste right. Thank you!
thank you Holly for the suggestion…i’ll try it
Hai..
I’m really craving for Korean food everytime i saw them. For the first timer to try the korean food, what do you suggest me to taste first. because i think korean food very different from Malaysian cuisine right ^__^
This particular egg pudding recipe is very simple side dish to try first. Also Try easy Korean beef recipe in my site. You can find it under recipes tab on my menu bar on top.
Been missing this from my childhood. Thank you so much.
Hello there, I’m your new visitor to your blog (just recently discovered it this morning when I was trying to find a Kimchi recipe). I’m so happy to find this dish here. Almost 6 years ago, I went to Korea as an exchange student and met my husband there. In our first date in Daejeon, we had this steamed egg pudding at a street vendor. At that time we couldn’t order anything except for this dish and a bottle of soju because we didn’t speak any Korean. Thus, this entry brings back so many precious memories for us. I will make this tomorrow. Thank you so much, Holly 🙂
Hi Jessica, I am so glad to hear that it turned out so well for you. Sometimes, creating a good dish is not just coming from a good recipe, it is about knowing good tectonics and know-hows to make it better. Simple tips help things go much smoother in cooking.
Thank you for your support.
Holly~ This is my Korean hubby's favorite dish, but I've never been able to get it quite right. No other recipe talked about using a dish to stabilize the pot, or covering the pot with foil. Those must've been the missing parts for me, because the keran turned out so well! I loved using chicken broth as well…it was very tasty and I used salt instead of the shrimp. 🙂 Thanks for your labor of love in this blog. 🙂
Thanks Holly, I already had in mind to buy the anchovies and kelp. I will most likely also get the others recommended. I recently tried fresh roasted seaweed from Korea, my bf's uncle's gf is korean and her family own a seaweed factory – it's so good with rice!
Thanks, Lucy. I am glad that it turned out good for you.
Stock up lots of stuff from Korea. I would recommend Korean chili flakes, dried Korean anchovies, dried seaweed for roasting, and home-made doenjang if you can handle. These are the stuff I usually get when I go to Korea.
Holly, I tried this recipe last night, and it was SOOO good! I love the velvety texture of the egg, and the best part was it took less than 5 mins to assemble and I had a great dish! My boyfriend absolutely loved it, and polished it all off along with the left over kimcheese mixture we had left over from the night before! =)
*A big thumbs up* for all the dishes we have tried on your blog so far! will be trying more especially once we go korea and stock up for my kitchen!
Thanks, Jeanene.
I hope you are doing well with your family.