My Tokneneng Recipe (Filipino Orange Battered Eggs)

I've always been a huge fan of kwek-kwek, but those tiny quail eggs always left me wanting more. That's why I fell in love with tokneneng. Its bigger and more satisfying.

Making tokneneng at home means I can double-coat the eggs for extra crispiness (my secret trick) and adjust the spices in my sawsawan just the way I like it. I'm excited to share my version with the cleanliness and portion size you can control.

My Ingredients

• 6-8 pieces boiled eggs (chicken or duck)
• 2 cups cooking oil for frying
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• ¾ cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon atsuete/achuete powder (annatto powder)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

How I Make My Tokneneng

1. I heat my cooking oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat. The oil should cover the eggs.
2. I mix the flour, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, I stir the atsuete powder with warm water until it turns bright orange and dissolved.
4. I pour the orange atsuete mixture into my flour mixture. I mix everything together.
5. I roll each boiled egg in cornstarch.
6. I test if my oil is hot enough by dropping a tiny bit of batter because it should bubble and float right away.
7. I dip each cornstarch-coated egg in the orange batter until fully covered. I carefully place it in the hot oil.
8. I fry for 3 to 4 minutes, turning the eggs gently until they're crispy and golden-orange on all sides.
9. I remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
10. I serve immediately while hot and crispy with spiced vinegar or sweet brown sauce.
11. Enjoy your tokneneng!

My Personal Tips

• I always use room temperature eggs to prevent the batter from sliding off during frying.
• My double-coating technique gives extra crispiness. I dip eggs in batter, let excess drip off, then dip again before frying.
• If my batter is sliding off, I make sure eggs are completely dry after boiling and thoroughly coated with cornstarch.
• If it's too dark or burning quickly, oil temperature is too high. I reduce heat and allow oil to cool slightly.
• If my batter is too thick, I add water 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches the consistency I like.
• If oil splatters excessively, I ensure eggs are room temperature and fully dried before coating.
• For uneven coating, I try the double-dip method. Dip in batter, let excess drip, then dip again before frying.
• I store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
• I avoid microwave because this will make the coating soggy and chewy instead of crispy.

Related

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

My Tokneneng Recipe (Filipino Orange Battered Eggs)

Tokneneng is a beloved Filipino street food featuring hard-boiled chicken or duck eggs coated in a bright orange annatto-colored batter and deep-fried until crispy and golden.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Course: Snack, Street Food

Cuisine: Filipino

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 6-8 pieces boiled eggs chicken or duck
• 2 cups cooking oil for frying
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• ¾ cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon atsuete/achuete powder annatto powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Method

 

1. I heat my cooking oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat. The oil should cover the eggs.
2. I mix the flour, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, I stir the atsuete powder with warm water until it turns bright orange and dissolved.
4. I pour the orange atsuete mixture into my flour mixture. I mix everything together.
5. I roll each boiled egg in cornstarch.
6. I test if my oil is hot enough by dropping a tiny bit of batter because it should bubble and float right away.
7. I dip each cornstarch-coated egg in the orange batter until fully covered. I carefully place it in the hot oil.
8. I fry for 3 to 4 minutes, turning the eggs gently until they're crispy and golden-orange on all sides.
9. I remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
10. I serve immediately while hot and crispy with spiced vinegar or sweet brown sauce.
11. Enjoy your tokneneng!

Notes

• I always use room temperature eggs to prevent the batter from sliding off during frying.
• My double-coating technique gives extra crispiness. I dip eggs in batter, let excess drip off, then dip again before frying.
• If my batter is sliding off, I make sure eggs are completely dry after boiling and thoroughly coated with cornstarch.
• If it's too dark or burning quickly, oil temperature is too high. I reduce heat and allow oil to cool slightly.
• If my batter is too thick, I add water 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches the consistency I like.
• If oil splatters excessively, I ensure eggs are room temperature and fully dried before coating.
• For uneven coating, I try the double-dip method. Dip in batter, let excess drip, then dip again before frying.
• I store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
• I avoid microwave because this will make the coating soggy and chewy instead of crispy.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!