Home-styleEasy 45 min serves 4

Home-Style Braised Eggs (Lǔ Dàn)

Name: Home-Style Braised Eggs (Lǔ Dàn)
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Home-style
Ingredients: large eggs; light soy sauce; dark soy sauce; Shaoxing wine; star anise; ginger

卤蛋 · lǔ dàn

家庭快手版 · Home version: Family version uses hard-boiled eggs cracked *just enough* to let broth seep in — never peeled. My grandfather in Qinhuai used tea leaves to deepen color without bitterness.

My grandfather ran a small teahouse near Confucius Temple in Nanjing — he’d make lu dan every dawn, cracking each egg with the back of a spoon so the marbling looked like ink wash painting.

Recipe author: HǎoWèi Test Kitchen

Home-cooking research team

Reviewed by HǎoWèi editorial team · Last updated 2026-08-29

More egg recipes →Quick & Easy Vegetarian

Ingredients

large eggs鸡蛋🛒 local8 pcs
light soy sauce生抽🏮 asian60 ml
dark soy sauce老抽🏮 asian15 ml
Shaoxing wine绍兴酒🏮 asian15 ml
star anise八角🏮 asian2 pcs
ginger生姜🛒 local15 g

large eggs: Use eggs 5–7 days old — fresher eggs are harder to peel after boiling.

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Instructions

1Place eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water by 2.5 cm. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and remove from heat. Let sit 10 minutes.
焖煮保嫩芯
2Drain and cool eggs under cold running water for 2 minutes. Gently tap each egg all over with a spoon to create fine cracks — do not peel.
裂纹越密越入味
3In a small pot, combine light soy, dark soy, Shaoxing wine, star anise, ginger, and 500 ml water. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
酱料先熬出香
4Add cracked eggs. Simmer uncovered on medium-low heat for 25 minutes — gently turn eggs every 8 minutes.
勤翻防色差
🔍 Look for Medium-low 25 分钟 · 25 minutes
Visual: 蛋壳均匀转为深琥珀色；卤汁微减，轻裹蛋身。Eggs darken evenly to deep amber; broth reduces slightly and coats eggs lightly.
You know it's right when: 裂纹处颜色加深，可见卤汁渗入。Cracks deepen in color and absorb visible broth.
5Turn off heat. Let eggs steep in hot broth for at least 15 minutes before serving — longer steeping yields deeper marbling.
浸泡是点睛之笔
🔍 Look for 15–60 分钟 · 15–60 minutes
Visual: 裂纹吸饱深褐卤汁；蛋壳泛油润光泽。Cracks fill with rich brown broth; surface glistens with glossy sheen.
You know it's right when: 蛋壳透出花纹，卤汁挂壁不滴。Marbling becomes visible through shell; broth clings to surface.

Tips

· For tea-infused lu dan (Nanjing style), add 1 tsp loose black tea leaves to the broth — strain before serving.
· Store leftover eggs in their cooled broth for up to 5 days in the fridge.
· Use the same broth to braise tofu or dried bean curd sticks — it improves with reuse.

Sources & references

Quantities, technique notes, and substitution ratios are cross-checked against established Chinese cookery references and standard food-science sources.

Read our editorial policy
Fuchsia Dunlop, Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking
USDA FoodData Central — ingredient nutrition and portion data
Traditional Chinese family-kitchen practice and regional taste records

Common questions

Can I skip Shaoxing wine? What's the substitute?

Dry sherry is the closest 1:1 swap (fidelity ~80%). No sherry? Use a splash of white wine plus a little water, or just skip it and add a tiny extra pinch of sugar — the wine's job is depth and removing meat's gamey notes, and a good marinade covers most of it.

Source: HǎoWèi substitution engine

Is there a vegan substitute for oyster sauce?

Yes — 'mushroom oyster sauce' (often labeled vegetarian/vegan) is sold in most Asian grocers and increasingly in mainstream supermarkets. It behaves 1:1 and adds the same glossy umami. Watch labels if you're also gluten-free; most brands are GF, some aren't.

Source: HǎoWèi substitution engine

What's the difference between light and dark soy sauce?

Light soy (生抽) is the everyday salty seasoning — thin and salty, used in most recipes. Dark soy (老抽) is thicker, darker, slightly sweet, and used mostly for color (braises, fried rice). If you only buy one, get light soy. For dark soy's color: 1 tbsp light soy + a pinch of sugar + a few drops of molasses.

Source: HǎoWèi pantry guide