Korean Sauna Eggs

Korean Sauna Eggs

What are sauna eggs?

Korean Sauna Eggs (찜질방 달걀) is a unique type of long-cooked Hard Boiled Eggs. The eggs undergo a Maillard reaction during the long cooking process. Which allows the eggs to develop a unique taste and color.

These sauna eggs are popular snacks in Korea. It’s common to find them in Korean sauna spas (JjimJilBang; 찜질방) – as you might have seen in Korean dramas or TV shows.

Pressure cookers are great for making Korean sauna eggs because they’ll cut short hours of cooking time.

How do Korean sauna eggs taste?

Korean sauna eggs have a strong roasted, nutty flavor and aroma. It has developed a very unique and complex toasted taste. The roasted taste gives the hard boiled egg extra character. 

• Egg Yolk: tastes a bit like salted egg yolk – rich, savory, creamier than regular hard boiled egg yolk
• Egg White: smooth, satisfying chew, it’s chewier than regular hard boiled eggs, but not rubbery or chalky; strong distinctly toasted flavor and aroma. 

Why are sauna eggs brown?

Sauna eggs are brown because of maillard reaction. During the cooking process, the egg whites turn brown, and it tastes “browned” or roasted/toasty.

As you’ll see from our experiment below, the longer the eggs are pressure cooked, the darker the brown color, and the stronger the roasted flavors and aroma.

Experiment #1: To Salt or Not to Salt?

Salt is often added to the water when cooking Korean Sauna Eggs. With our curious minds, we need to find out if the salt makes a difference in taste and texture using this Instant Pot method.

So, for our first batch of testing, we tested using Salt Water vs. Regular Water to pressure cook the eggs. Then examine if the salt makes a difference in the sauna eggs. If so, does the salt makes it taste better or not?

Right Instant Pot – With Salt:

• Water: 4 cups (1L) of cold water
• Salt: 1 tablespoon (17g) of kosher salt

Left Instant Pot – No Salt:

• Water: 4 cups (1L) of cold water

Conclusion: We didn’t find any noticeable difference in looks or taste between the two samples. So we decided to omit the salt in our Korean sauna eggs recipe.

Experiment #2: Best Cooking Time

We did 6 tests to find the best cooking time for making Sauna eggs in Instant Pot.

• Cooking Tool: Instant Pot Pressure Cooker 6qt
• Ingredients: store-bought large eggs, 8 cups (2L) cold water
• Altitude: close to sea level
• Pressure Level: High Pressure (10.15~11.6 psi)
• Pressure Cooking Times: 1.5 hours, 2 hours, 2.5 hours, 3 hours, 3.5 hours, 4 hours
• Pressure Release Method: Quick Release
• Cooking Method: eggs on a steamer rack

Experiment Results:

• Texture: 3hr to 4hr eggs’ white have similar chewy textures. The chewiness only increases a bit with a longer cooking time. The egg yolk begin to develop a slight creaminess between 3hr to 3.5hr mark.
• Flavors and Aroma: the roasted nuttiness becomes a lot more noticeable after the 2.5 hours mark. The sauna eggs begin to have a strong roasted flavor profile and aroma after the 3 hours mark. 

Conclusion: Under this experiment’s conditions, pressure cook large eggs on High Pressure for 3 hours to 3.5 hours yields the best tasting sauna eggs. We both enjoyed the 3.5 Hours Sauna Eggs the most.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make Korean Sauna Eggs in Instant Pot

What you need to make Instant Pot Korean Sauna Eggs are water and eggs! That’s it!

Tools for Making Korean Sauna Eggs

• Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
• Pyrex Measuring Cups

Add Water and Eggs in Instant Pot

First, pour 8 cups (2L) of cold water into the Instant Pot.

Then, place a steamer rack in Instant Pot.

Now, place 6 large eggs on the steamer rack in Instant Pot.

Pressure Cook Eggs

With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position.

How Long to Cook Sauna Eggs in Instant Pot

Pressure Cooking Method: Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 2 hours to 4 hours, then Quick Release

After pressure cooking ends, immediately and carefully turn Venting Knob to Venting Position to release all the pressure.

When Floating Valve drops, open the lid carefully.

Serve Sauna Eggs

Remove Korean sauna eggs from Instant Pot. Wait until it cools down a bit or you can place them in a bowl of cold/ice water to cool them off quickly.

We like to remove the shell, cut the sauna eggs in half, then season the sauna eggs with a pinch of salt, and enjoy!

What to Serve with Sauna Eggs

Like regular hard boiled eggs, Korean Sauna Eggs are very versatile treats.

You can enjoy these toasted sauna eggs for breakfast, lunch, snack, or party appetizers. If you like, you can serve them as a side with Korean main dishes like Gamjatang (Korean Pork Bone Soup) or Korean BBQ Short Ribs.

Or you can simply substitute your regular hard boiled eggs or soft boiled eggs with these sauna eggs in salads or other dishes.

It’s also a simple yet unique treat to serve a crowd at parties, potlucks, picnics, and more.

Enjoy Roasted Korean Sauna Eggs!

Other Tasty Instant Pot Eggs Recipes

• Japanese Ramen Egg
• Chinese Tea Eggs
• Instant Pot Soft Boiled Eggs
• Soy Sauce Eggs
• Instant Pot Deviled Eggs
• 3-Ingredient Egg Brulee