Make Flavorful (and Super Pretty!) Pickled Eggs at Home with These 4 Easy Recipes (2024)

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Here are four easy recipes for variations on pickled eggs. Find your favorite!

By

Elise Bauer

Make Flavorful (and Super Pretty!) Pickled Eggs at Home with These 4 Easy Recipes (1)

Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

Learn about Simply Recipes'Editorial Process

Updated January 10, 2024

Make Flavorful (and Super Pretty!) Pickled Eggs at Home with These 4 Easy Recipes (2)

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16 Recipes to Use Up Those Leftover Hard Boiled EggsFEATURED IN:

Have you ever made pickled eggs? I had never even heard of them until a reader asked for a recipe, and when I mentioned them to my dad, he told me they were bar food.

("Since when do you go to bars, dad?" "Before I met your mother." "So 50 years ago you could get pickled eggs in bars, in Minnesota." "Yes.")

Bar culture aside, two of my favorite foods are pickles and hard boiled eggs, so why not pickle the eggs?

Beet Pickled Eggs

Apparently a popular way to pickle eggs is in beet juice, so that the egg whites turn a pretty fuchsia pink. A few weeks after I made my first batch I was served beet pickled eggs in a salad at a bar/restaurant in Gettysburg. They were pickled all the way through the yolk, turning the yolk slightly pink as well.

The longer you keep the eggs in the pickling liquid, the deeper it penetrates into the eggs. I'm guessing to pickle them all the way through you have to keep them in the liquid at least a couple of weeks.

Make Flavorful (and Super Pretty!) Pickled Eggs at Home with These 4 Easy Recipes (3)

Making Pickled Eggs

What follows is the result of several weeks of experimentation (and several dozens of eggs!) with different pickling mixtures. We have a beet pickled egg with cardamom and star anise, as well as a curried pickled egg with Indian spices, a jalapeño pickled egg with cumin and oregano, and a tarragon pickled egg with mustard seeds. Take your pick!

I think the best pickled eggs are the beet pickled eggs. They are my favorite because they're so pretty and I love beets. The spice combinations are prime candidates for experimentation, play around with them and include your favorite spices or herbs for egg salad.

These are refrigerator pickled eggs. I don't really know how long they'll last in the refrigerator, but I'm guessing at least several weeks.

Quick Pickled Egg Tip

I did find that the pickling liquid needs to have vinegar diluted with water. Straight vinegar is just too acidic. I like adding sugar because it helps balance the acidity of the vinegar and I like a slightly sweet pickle.

If any of you are old hands at making pickled eggs, please feel free to share your expertise (or favorite recipe) in the comments.

Make Flavorful (and Super Pretty!) Pickled Eggs at Home with These 4 Easy Recipes (4)

How to Serve Pickled Eggs

Pickled eggs make a tasty snack, no accompaniment needed. They're also delicious on sandwiches or in wraps, on avocado toast, atop a rice or noodle bowl, or perched on a salad. You can also use pickled eggs to make extra flavorful deviled eggs or egg salad.

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Pickled Eggs

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time30 mins

Servings6 servings

Yield6 pickled eggs

For steamed hard cooked eggs, place in a steamer rack over boiling water, cover, and steam for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and rinse with cold water.

For beet and beet juice for the beet pickled eggs, place the chopped beets in enough water to cover and simmer with the lid on until tender, 30 to 40 minutes, or use the liquid from canned beets.

Ingredients

Beet pickled eggs with cardamom and anise

  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar

  • 1 cup beet juice (see recipe note)

  • 1/4 onion, sliced into rings

  • 1/3 cup sugar

  • 3 cardamom pods

  • 1 star anise

  • 6 hard cooked eggs, peeled

  • 1 beet, peeled and roughly chopped into 1 to 2-inch sized pieces, cooked (see recipe note)

Curried pickled eggs

  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar

  • 3/4 cup water

  • 1/4 onion, sliced

  • 3/4 cup sugar

  • 3 cardamom pods

  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (yellow or brown)

  • 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder

  • 6 hard cooked eggs, peeled

Jalapeño pickled eggs

  • 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

  • 3/4 cup water

  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 1/4 onion, sliced

  • 2 jalapeño peppers, sliced in half lengthwise, seeds removed and discarded

  • 1 clove garlic, peeled

  • 6 cloves

  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 6 hard cooked eggs, peeled

Tarragon pickled eggs

  • 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

  • 3/4 cup water

  • 1/4 onion, sliced

  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 2 sprigs fresh tarragon

  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds

  • 1 teaspoon herbs de Provence

  • 6 hard cooked eggs, peeled

Method

  1. Prepare the eggs:

    Peel the eggs and place in the bottom of a clean, quart-sized glass jar.

  2. Prepare the pickling liquid:

    In a medium saucepan, add the vinegar, water (or beet juice, if using), the onion (and jalapeño and/or garlic if using), sugar, and spices. Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, until the sugar has dissolved and the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool a few minutes.

    Simple Tip!

    Instead of cooking a raw beet to get the water for beet pickled eggs, you can use the liquid from a can of beets.

  3. Pickle the eggs:

    Pour the vinegar onion mixture over the eggs in the jar, covering the eggs completely. If you are making the beet pickled eggs, place some or all of the cooked beets in with the eggs in the jar (this will help to bring color to the eggs, and you will have pickled beets as well). Seal the jar.

    Refrigerate up to 1 month. The pickled eggs will be ready to eat after a few days. The longer the eggs sit in the pickling juice, the more the pickling juice will penetrate the eggs.

    Did you enjoy this recipe? Let us know with a rating and review!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
121Calories
5g Fat
11g Carbs
7g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories121
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g7%
Saturated Fat 2g8%
Cholesterol 187mg62%
Sodium 88mg4%
Total Carbohydrate 11g4%
Dietary Fiber 1g4%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 2mg12%
Calcium 37mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
Potassium 212mg5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Make Flavorful (and Super Pretty!) Pickled Eggs at Home with These 4 Easy Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How long should eggs be pickled before eating? ›

Add the eggs, make sure they are submerged (you can top them off with an additional 1-2 tablespoons water if you need to). Cover and chill overnight. The eggs will intensify in flavor and color the longer they are pickled. We suggest waiting at least 2-3 days before eating them.

How do you keep pickled eggs from getting rubbery? ›

How do you avoid pickled eggs with a rubbery texture? The vinegar in the pickling liquid will toughen the egg's texture, making pickled eggs more rubbery over time. To avoid rubbery eggs, plan to eat the pickles within two weeks.

Why don t pickled eggs go bad? ›

The process involves immersing hard-boiled and peeled eggs in a flavorful pickling liquid, typically consisting of vinegar, spices, and other seasonings. Over time, the eggs absorb these flavors, resulting in a fantastic tangy flavor and a longer shelf life.

How long do pickled eggs last in vinegar? ›

If small eggs are used, 1 to 2 weeks are usually allowed for seasoning to occur. Medium or large eggs may require 2 to 4 weeks to become well seasoned. Use the eggs within 3 to 4 months for best quality.

How many pickled eggs can you eat a day? ›

How many pickled eggs should (can) I eat a day? So, we did some more digging, and found that eating one egg a day wasn't going to kill you; in fact, it may actually REDUCE heart disease. Other studies have shown no ill effects on people who have consumed up to 12 eggs a week!

Are pickled eggs good for your stomach? ›

Pickled Eggs are Good for Your Gut Health. First off, did you know that pickled eggs are good for your digestive health? A serving of fermented pickled eggs will usually contain various types of gut flora that can aid in digestion. These microbes are known as probiotics!

Is apple cider vinegar better than white vinegar for pickled eggs? ›

For pickled eggs, swapping white vinegar for apple cider vinegar is a no-brainer. While white vinegar has a pretty even taste and doesn't affect the eggs much in terms of color, apple cider vinegar brings a complexity of flavors and provides the eggs with a unique hue.

Do you refrigerate eggs while pickling? ›

Pickled eggs need to be hard-boiled and peeled prior to making the brine solution of vinegar, salt, spices, and other seasonings. Pickled eggs MUST be always stored in the refrigerator. The pickling solution must completely cover all hard-boiled eggs.

Can I reuse my pickled egg brine? ›

Pickled eggs want a strong vinegar brine. If you're reusing brine, it's been diluted from the original recipe by the first round of fresh vegetables or fruits that were placed in it: Most fresh produce has a high water content, and the pickling process moves some of that water into the brine.

Can you eat year old pickled eggs? ›

In general, all pickled eggs can last up to four months in the refrigerator before experiencing decreased quality. Keep in mind that eggs may be safe to eat after that time, but they're not likely to be as tasty as when you first bought them.

Why are my pickled eggs brown? ›

Malt vinegar imparts a nice rounded vinegar flavour and the eggs take on a nice brown colour after a week or so. Malt vinegar can be purchased pre spiced or you can add spices of your own to personalise the flavour if you want.

Why did my pickled eggs turn gray? ›

Re: Grey discolouration of pickled eggs.

To avoid this (and a sort of graininess to the yolk) boil the egg for 1 minute, switch off and then leave in the hot water for a further 8 to 10 mins (less if you want the yolk slightly soft, say for eating in a salad).

Can homemade pickled eggs go bad? ›

Like commercial brands, homemade pickled eggs usually have a maximum four-month lifespan when refrigerated appropriately. However, using the right pickling technique is essential to ensure your eggs will keep well for as long as possible.

What happens if you leave an egg in vinegar for too long? ›

What happens? Be careful, the eggshell will be a lot weaker! If you leave the egg in the vinegar for about 36 hours, eventually all the calcium carbonate will be dissolved by the acetic acid, leaving just the soft membrane and yolk behind.

Why are pickled eggs red? ›

Red pickled eggs get their color from beet juice and can also be the base for deviled eggs or sliced to serve with a salad. These beet juice pickled eggs have a bit of a sweet and sour taste.

Do you have to refrigerate eggs after you pickle them? ›

Glass canning jars work well. A quart-size canning jar will hold about one dozen medium-sized eggs. Pickled eggs need to be hard-boiled and peeled prior to making the brine solution of vinegar, salt, spices, and other seasonings. Pickled eggs MUST be always stored in the refrigerator.

How long can you keep eggs in pickle juice? ›

Pickled eggs will keep for one month in the refrigerator. To make your own pickling spice mixture, use 1 tsp (5 mL) peppercorns, 10 whole cloves, 1 bay leaf and 2 dried whole chili peppers. For a quick method of pickling eggs, place hard boiled eggs in pickle or pickled beet juice.

How long does it take to pickle eggs in the fridge? ›

But you do need to pickle them about 4 days for the eggs to "purple" all the way through to the yolk.

Will pickled eggs go bad if not refrigerated? ›

The recipes provided here are all meant to be stored in the refrigerator. Pickled eggs should never be stored at room temperature, except during serving and they should not be at room temperature for more than two hours.

References

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