Korean Spicy Egg Drop Soup: 10Min Gyeran Tang

Spicy egg drop soup is a quick and easy Korean soup. It’s made with eggs, green onion, and Korean chili flakes. It’s a super simple Korean soup recipe, yet the spiciness from the chili perfectly blends with the soft egg broth, making it incredibly delicious. The green onion oil adds a deep umami flavor to the soup. You can make it in just 10 minutes. Shall we start?

What Is Korean Spicy Egg Drop Soup?

In Korea, there are many dishes made with eggs — from mayak eggs to gilgeori toast, eggs are everywhere in Korean cuisine. Koreans also love adding eggs to soups. The mild egg drop soup is already well known, but recently, a spicy version called Eolkeun Gyeran Tang (얼큰계란탕) has become popular in Korea.

In Korean, eolkeun means “spicy,” and gyeran tang means “egg soup.” The ingredients are similar to the mild version, egg, green onion, and garlic but the key difference is the addition of Korean chili flakes (gochugaru). Instead of just boiling the chili flakes, they’re stir-fried in green onion oil, which creates a deep, flavorful broth full of rich umami from the chili oil and green onion.

When Do Koreans Eat It?

Koreans enjoy spicy egg drop soup both as a regular meal with rice and as a hangover soup the next morning after drinking. In Korea, spicy and soupy dishes are often chosen for hangover relief, and this gyeran tang is especially popular because it’s easy to make with simple ingredients you already have at home. But sometimes the broth is so flavorful that people end up craving another drink while eating it. We jokingly call that haejang sul, or “hangover drink.”

Mild Egg Drop Soup Recipe

The mild egg drop soup is the basic version of Korean egg soup. It doesn’t include chili flakes, so the broth is clear and savory, making it a perfect light Korean guk (soup) for breakfast.

Why You’ll Love This Spicy Egg Drop Soup Recipe

Ready in 10 Minutes

This is one of the easiest Korean soup recipes you can make, ready in just 10 minutes. It’s the perfect guk (Korean soup) for days when you want something warm and flavorful but don’t feel like cooking much.

Simple Ingredients You Already Have

You only need simple, everyday Korean kitchen staples, eggs, green onion, garlic, and gochugaru (Korean chili flakes). No special shopping trip needed!

Light Yet Comforting

The broth is light, not heavy, yet warm and deeply comforting. It’s spicy but clean, which is why Koreans often enjoy this soup as a hangover cure after a night of drinking.

Ingredients for Spicy Egg Drop Soup

Main Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• ½ stalk green onion
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1½ tbsp Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
• 1 tbsp soup soy sauce (guk ganjang)
• ½ tsp salt
• 500 ml water
• 2 pinches Korean fine black pepper (ssoon-hu-chu)
• 2 tbsp cooking oil

Seasonings

• 1 tbsp tuna fish sauce
• 1 tsp anchovy dashida
• 1 tbsp Korean soup soy sauce (guk ganjang)

Substitutions

• Tuna fish sauce → This adds umami without the strong fishy flavor of regular Korean fish sauce. If you don’t have it, use Korean anchovy fish sauce or Korean soy sauce for soup (guk ganjang) instead.

• Anchovy dashida → It’s an important ingredient for deep flavor, but if you don’t have it, use seafood stock or a small pinch of MSG. If neither is available, simply skip it and adjust the taste later by adding a small amount of salt.

Korean Spicy Egg Drop Soup Recipe

• Slice the green onion into large 3 cm (1 inch) pieces.
• Heat the ttukbaegi (or soup pot) over medium heat and add cooking oil.

• Lower the heat . Add the green onion and stir-fry until the oil becomes fragrant with green onion flavor.

• Add minced garlic and Korean chili flakes (gochugaru). Stir gently to avoid burning. This step creates a rich red chili oil base.

• Pour in 500 ml of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add anchovy dashida, tuna fish sauce, soup soy sauce, and salt. Let it boil for a few minutes so the flavors come together.

• Beat the eggs well in a bowl. Slowly pour them into the boiling soup. Wait about 10 seconds, then stir gently to keep the broth clear and create soft egg ribbons.
• Add two pinches of Korean fine black pepper (soonhuchu) and mix lightly. Enjoy hot as a comforting spicy soup.

Tips for Perfect Spicy Egg Drop Soup

• Don’t Burn the Chili Flakes: Keep the heat low when stir-frying gochugaru to avoid a bitter taste.
• Pour Eggs Slowly: Slowly adding the beaten eggs creates beautiful, soft egg ribbons in the soup.

More Easy Korean Soup Recipes

Clam Spinach Doenjang Soup

This recipe was featured in Bon Appétit Your Majesty Drama. Spinach and clams simmered in doenjang (Korean soybean paste) create a deeply flavorful Korean soup.

Egg Mandu Soup

Do you have leftover frozen dumplings? Just add them with eggs to make a protein-rich Korean guk (soup) in only 5 minutes.

FAQ about Korean Spicy Egg Drop Soup

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