Tiger Eggs/Tiger Skin Eggs (Chinese Fried Boiled Eggs)

Tiger Eggs (or Tiger Skin Eggs) are an addictive Chinese dish that is not only easy to make but also incredibly flavorful.

It’s a new fun way to enjoy eggs – frying hard-boiled eggs and then braising them in a delectable sauce. Quite interesting, isn’t it?

What are Tiger Skin Eggs?

Tiger Skin Eggs are hard-boiled eggs that are fried and then braised in a savory sauce, resulting in a striking marbled pattern reminiscent of tiger stripes.

This dish traces its origins to the Ming Dynasty, where it was said to be a favorite of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor. According to legend, a skilled chef created it to satisfy the emperor’s refined palate, and it quickly became a great success.

Although the concept of frying hard-boiled eggs and soaking them in a flavorful sauce is not exclusive to this dish, similar variations can be found throughout Asia, including Indonesian Telur Balado, Vietnamese Braised Pork & Eggs (Northern style), Burmese Egg Curry, and Thai Son-in-law Eggs.

The frying process enhances the egg’s texture, allowing it to absorb flavors like no other preparation method can.

Ingredients

The ingredients for Chinese Tiger Eggs are quite simple, and you might already have them in your pantry if you cook Chinese food regularly.

• Eggs
• Cooking Oil. This helps make the eggs crispy on the outside.
• Ginger, Scallions and Garlic. These add great flavors.
• Bay Leaves, Star Anise, Sichuan Peppercorns (optional). These give the dish a distinctive Chinese taste.
• Light Soy Sauce, Dark Soy Sauce (optional), Chinese Cooking Wine (optional), Rock Sugar. These make the dish yummy and balanced in flavors.
• Cornstarch and Water. This makes the sauce just the right thickness.

Instructions

1. Boiling Eggs: I usually go for a six and a half minute boil, starting with cold water. However, you can stick to your usual egg boiling method. Once boiled, transfer the eggs to cold water to cool them down.

2. Drying the Boiled Eggs: To prevent any egg explosions while frying, use kitchen paper to thoroughly pat dry the eggs, absorbing any excess water.

3. Frying the Hard-Boiled Eggs: Pour an inch (3cm) of cooking oil into the saucepan. Fry eggs for around 90 seconds to achieve a lovely golden crust, then flip them over and give them another 90 seconds on the other side. After that, give the eggs a slight twist to cover any spots that might not have fried evenly.

Don’t crowd the pan with too many eggs at once. You might hear a bit of bubbling while frying the eggs, but that’s perfectly alright.

You could pan-fry the eggs, but they won’t achieve the same completely golden crust as deep-frying.

4. Braising Eggs in Sauce: In a saucepan, add about ½ tablespoon of cooking oil. Stir-fry the aromatics and spices until they become fragrant. Next, add the eggs, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cooking wine, rock sugar, scallions, and water. Let it simmer on medium heat while keeping it uncovered. Occasionally flip the eggs to ensure they cook evenly.

5. Thicken the Sauce and Adjust Flavors: Once the sauce has reduced by about one-third, adjust flavors to your taste with some soy sauce and sugar, add a slurry made from 1/2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with an equal amount of water. Let it thicken for roughly 30 seconds, and then turn off the heat.
6. Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle your eggs with roasted sesame seeds, chopped chili, or scallions. Enjoy these flavorful eggs with steamed rice. (If you’re short on time, try my microwave Jasmine rice.)

Helpful Tips

• Add some vinegar to water when boiling eggs. This makes removing the eggshell easier.
• You could make some shallow cuts down the length of the egg to help it absorb the sauce better.
• Feel free to tweak the spices according to your taste.
• Leave the cooked eggs overnight; they taste much better when they have fully absorbed the sauce.

More Easy Asian recipes with Eggs

Tiger Eggs/Tiger Skin Eggs (Chinese Fried Boiled Eggs)

Cielle

Tiger Eggs (Tiger Skin Eggs), a tempting Chinese dish, offer both simplicity and immense flavor. They offer a fresh and enjoyable twist on eggs – hard-boiled, fried, and then braised in a delectable sauce.

4.92 from 12 votes

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Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 6 eggs
• Cooking oil
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• ½ tbsp dark soy sauce (optional)
• 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (optional)
• ½ tbsp rock sugar (7g)
• 1 cup water (240ml)
• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger
• 1 large clove of garlic (lightly smashed)
• 1 pod star anise
• 1 dried bay leave
• ¼ tsp Sichuan peppercorns (optional)
• ½ tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

 

• Boil eggs for six and a half minutes from cold water. Then cool them in cold water.
• Dry the boiled eggs with kitchen paper to avoid egg explosions while frying.
• Pour an inch (3cm) of cooking oil in a saucepan. Fry eggs for 90 seconds each side for a golden crust. Rotate the eggs slightly to even frying. Avoid crowding the pan to prevent burning. You might hear a bit of bubbling while frying the eggs, but that's perfectly fine.
• Add ½ tablespoon oil in a saucepan. Sauté aromatics and spices till fragrant. Add eggs, light and dark soy sauce, cooking wine, rock sugar, and water. Simmer on medium heat uncovered, rotate eggs from time to time for even cooking.
• When sauce reduces by a third, adjust the taste with soy sauce and sugar. Add slurry: 1/2 tbsp cornstarch + water. Thicken the sauce for 30 seconds, then remove them from the heat.
• Garnish the eggs with sesame seeds, chopped chili, or scallions. Enjoy with steamed rice for a flavor-packed delight.

Notes

• Boil eggs with a bit vinegar for easier shell removal.
• Make some shallow lengthwise cuts on eggs for better sauce absorption.
• Wok or saucepan – both work. Non-stick is best, but stainless steel works too.
• Adjust spices to taste; try cloves and cinnamon (just a bit), or skip Sichuan pepper.
• Let cooked eggs sit overnight for enhanced flavor.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!