Persian Tea Eggs

Persian tea eggs are a Sephardic Jewish tradition I grew up with. Memories of these slow-simmered Persian tea eggs from childhood bring such joy. These eggs are incredibly easy-to-peel and the flavor & color infuse beautifully.

Growing up, my mother didn't cook on Saturdays. Instead, she prepared foods that could stay on a burner for hours...and as the flavors developed, we spent time together as a family. Plus, I love that they use leftover tea (or fresh tea) and onion peels (or onions if you don't have enough).

In This Post...

• What are tea-stained eggs?
• Are they easy to peel?
• Can I use a slow cooker?
• What kind of tea to use & ingredients
• When are they traditionally made?
• More Persian Recipes
• Recipe

What do you mean by stained eggs?

The before and after photos below show how the tea and onion peel stains the outer shell of the eggs. See how half of the eggs are white and the other half are brown? The eggs all turn a golden shade of brown after cooking, whether they start brown or not.

Note: If you would like the eggs to have darker stained lines/crackles on them (like you see in the photo at the top of the post) simply pull them out of the water 2 hours before they are done, give them a light tap to crack the outer shell, and put them back in the tea water to continue simmering.

Are they actually easy to peel?

I feel extremely proud when I can get the entire peel off in one piece, and it happens often. First, crack your egg on a hard surface. Then, lightly roll the egg across the crack on the surface. Finally, try your best to get it all off in one piece. Easy-to-peel eggs are finally easy to make!

https://youtu.be/DUB8NSpL8Rs

Overnight Eggs & Crockpots

If you don't have a burner you feel comfortable leaving on overnight, you can cook the eggs during the day, and refrigerate for enjoyment the next morning. You can also use this recipe in a slow cooker (Amazon link opens in new tab) on the low setting for 8 hours.

Which tea do I use?

All you need to make this recipes is black tea, onions, eggs, and water. I usually use cardamom, too, since I make this recipe with leftover tea that I put cardamom into. Here is a link to the tea I usually in this recipe (Amazon link), but all darjeeling or English breakfast loose leaf tea work.

Persian Shabbat Eggs

You can find these hard-boiled eggs are on Shabbat morning in Persian Jewish homes. They are also popular during Passover. My mom is Iranian and these Persian Shabbat eggs take me back to childhood....including hilarious memories of my brother eating 6-12 of these in one sitting. This recipe is the version I grew up enjoying.

Looking for More Persian Recipes?

Growing up with a Persian mother, I enjoyed learning all the delicious foods others can only get in restaurants. These Persian tea eggs are only one of those gems. Here are some of my other favorites:

• Gourmeh Sabzi (Herbacious Beef Stew)
• Khoresh Beh (Quince & Beef Tomato Stew)
• Gondi (Chickpea & Chicken Dumplings)
• Zulbia (A Saffron Fried Candy Enjoyed with Tea)

Or check out all of my Persian recipes here.

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This post was originally published in February of 2019, but was republished with new photos and tips September of 2020.