This is a twist on the traditional Chinese Tea Egg recipe, made with soy sauce, spices, and quail eggs. Note: This recipe requires a 1–3-day marinade time. The longer the marinade duration, the richer the flavor. This step cannot be skipped.

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Lunar New Year is a great time to revisit this unique take on a traditional dish that is often made for Lunar New Year, Chinese Tea Eggs! Chinese Tea Eggs (also known as Cha Yip Dan in Cantonese) are often eaten during Lunar New Year as a savoury snack to symbolize wealth and prosperity. The circular shape also symbolizes togetherness with one’s family.

I decided to try something a little different for this recipe and use quail eggs instead of traditional chicken eggs. They’ll be smaller in size, so perfect as a bite sized snack, or a savoury side dish to some white rice and soy sauce!

Before I get to the recipe, I want to demystify a few myths regarding quail eggs because I learned a LOT while researching.

1. Quail eggs, similar to chicken eggs, raise cholesterol… but mostly the good kind (HDL)

Which means you actually can have up to ~6 quail eggs a day without raising your overall cholesterol levels.

2. They’re surprisingly nutrient‑dense.

For example, a single quail egg provides a good chunk of your daily Vitamin B12, selenium, riboflavin, choline, and iron. These vitamins and minerals help to support a healthy nervous system and help maintain energy levels throughout the day.

3. Only 14 calories per egg!

I discovered that there are only 14 calories per egg! This is a perfect nutritious snack.

Here’s what you’ll need for your Chinese Tea Quail Eggs Recipe:

Note: This recipe requires a 1–3-day marinade time. The longer the marinade duration, the richer the flavor. This step cannot be skipped.

Ingredients

• 18 quail eggs
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 star anise
• 1 tsp Sichuan pepper
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 black tea bags (I used Pu-erh tea leaves)
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 2 tsp maple syrup (or white sugar will work fine)

Instructions:

1. Mix all of the ingredients (besides quail eggs) in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat. Once it starts to boil, bring it down to simmer for an additional 8 minutes.
2. Remove tea bags and let marinade cool down completely.
3. Prep a bowl with ice cubes and water.
4. Boil 3 cups of water in another saucepan and gently lower quail eggs into the water. Over medium high heat, cook quail eggs for 2 mins and 30 seconds. Quickly remove quail eggs and submerge them in ice water to cool them down.
5. Once eggs are cooled, use the back of a metal spoon and gently tap all over each quail egg to break the shell. Keep the shell intact but lightly shattered. This will create the marbling effect once it sits in the marinade.
6. Place quail eggs in a medium zip lock bag and pour marinade in. Remove as much air from the bag as possible and place in the fridge for 1-3 days.
7. When you’re ready to eat, remove the shell and enjoy!

Serving Ideas

These tea eggs pair beautifully with:

• White rice + soy sauce
• Congee
• Noodles
• Bento boxes
• Lunar New Year snack platters

Or on its own as a protein‑packed snack for busy days!

Chinese Tea Quail Eggs

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This is a twist on the traditional Chinese Tea Egg recipe, made with soy sauce, spices, and quail eggs. Note: This recipe requires a 1–3-day marinade time. The longer the marinade duration, the richer the flavor. This step cannot be skipped.

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Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Marinating Time 3 days d

Total Time 3 days d 12 minutes mins

Servings: 6 people

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 18 quail eggs I used quail eggs from Spring Creek Quail Farms for this recipe
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 star anise
• 1 tsp Sichuan pepper
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 tea bags black tea I used Pu-erh for this recipe
• 2.5 cups water
• 2 tsp maple syrup Or white sugar

Equipment

• 1 Medium saucepan For simmering the tea-soy marinade with spices
• 1 Small or medium pot For boiling the quail eggs separately from the marinade
• 1 Mixing bowl For the ice bath
• Ziplock bag or airtight container For marinating the cracked quail eggs. A Ziplock bag works best because it keeps the eggs fully submerged.
• Tea infuser If using loose tea leaves, a tea infuser makes cleanup easier.

Method

 

Make the marinade

1. Add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, star anise, Sichuan pepper, Shaoxing wine, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, tea bags, water, and maple syrup to a medium saucepan.
2. Heat over medium until boiling.
3. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes.
4. Remove tea bags and let the marinade cool completely.

Prepare an ice bath

1. Fill a bowl with ice and cold water. Set aside.

Cook the quail eggs

1. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a separate pot.
2. Gently lower in the quail eggs.
3. Cook for 2 minutes 30 seconds.
4. Transfer immediately to the ice bath to stop cooking.

Crack the Shells

1. Once cooled, gently tap each egg with the back of a metal spoon to create cracks. Do not remove the shells — the cracks create the marbled effect.

Marinate

1. Place cracked quail eggs into a ziplock bag or airtight container. Pour in the cooled marinade. Remove as much air as possible and seal.
2. Refrigerate for 1–3 days.

   24 hours = mild flavour

   48–72 hours = deeper colour + stronger flavour

Notes

• For stronger colour, add an extra tea bag or more dark soy sauce.
• You can reuse the marinade: boil it again, cool completely, and use for another batch.
• These eggs pair beautifully with rice, congee, noodles, or Lunar New Year platters.

Tried this recipe?Mention @eatingwithkirby or tag #eatingwithkirby!

I hope you enjoy this recipe and give these quail eggs a try! These were so easy to make, and the quail eggs tasted flavourful even after just one night in the marinade. 🙂 To reuse the marinade, just boil it in a saucepan again and cool before using. And make sure to use a clean spoon to take the eggs out.

If you give this recipe a try, make sure to tag me @eatingwithkirby on IG! I’d love to see your creations!

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