Pickled Eggs are sure to become your new favorite snack! Easy to make and perfect for keeping in the refrigerator for a quick grab and go energy boost!
I’m slowly making my way through pickling all the things. Quick pickling recipes are so easy, and they make for the best condiments. I have so many great recipes, you can see them all here: Pickled Recipes.
I have a jar of these Pickled Eggs in my refrigerator at all times. They are perfect for snacking on. This recipe keeps in the refrigerator for three months, making this an ideal way to use up left over Easter eggs.
I also have instructions for making hard boiled eggs on the stove top and making Instant Pot hard boiled eggs, so you can make this easy healthy snack all year round.
“Very easy to make and very tasty I love this recipe.”
How to Make Pickle Eggs
- Hard Boil Eggs: Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. As soon as the water boils, remove from the heat and cover. Let sit for 12 minutes and then transfer to ice cold water for 5 minutes. (Or make in the Instant Pot. This is always my preference since they peel like a dream.)
- Peel Eggs: Peel the hard boiled eggs. The easiest eggs to peel, I’ve found, are the ones that are hard boiled in the Instant Pot.
- Create Brine Mixture: Bring water and vinegar to a boil in a sauce pan. Stir in salt and sugar.
- Combine Everything: Add the eggs to a mason jar and fill with brining liquid (you may not need to use all of it). Then add in the seasonings. You can switch these out with some of the alternatives listed below.
Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
Egg Pickling Brine
The brine for this recipe is a simple combination of vinegar, water, salt, and sugar. The combination of vinegar and water is important because vinegar alone would be too strong. Salt is a standard ingredient in brines, and makes for that perfect picking taste you are used to. The sugar in this recipe is really minimal and I urge you not to skip it. It helps balance the acidity of the vinegar.
Pickling Ingredients
For this recipe, I picked out the flavor combination that I would enjoy most.
- sliced white onion
- whole garlic cloves
- fresh dill
- peppercorns
- bay leaves
Variations
Here are some other ingredients you could swap in. This is a great recipe to experiment with.
- Red Onions: These will give your eggs a fun red hue.
- Roasted Beets: Some swear by pickling beets and eggs together and won’t do it any other way.
- Red Pepper Flakes: If you want to add a little spice to the recipe, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon would be wonderful.
- Mustard Seeds
- Ginger: Whole ginger that has been sliced thin, would be amazing. Pickled ginger is one of my favorites.
FAQ
These are best after pickling in the refrigerator for one week.
No. This recipe was not written for canning and these need to be stored in the refrigerator.
These can last in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 months. As always use your best discretion. If this recipe smells off, they should be discarded.
Pickled eggs are a combination of eggs, vinegar, and a little sugar and salt with some seasonings. Given the high protein content of eggs, these are a great healthy snack in moderation.
Other Healthy Snacks
If you need more healthy snack ideas in your life, check out the following:
If you make this pickled egg recipe or any of my other recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
Pickled Eggs
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs hard boiled
- 1 1/4 cups white vinegar
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 small yellow onion sliced
- 3 garlic cloves smashed
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill or several sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Instructions
- To hard boil eggs: Place eggs in a single layer in a sauce pan. Add enough water to cover them compltely. Bring to a roaring boil. Turn off heat, and cover pan. Let sit for 12 minutes. Transfer to a bowl filled with ice water for 5 minutes. Peel the eggs.
- Bring the water and vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in the sugar and salt until it has dissolved. Remove from the heat.
- Fill a 1 quart mason jar with the eggs, onion, garlic, dill, bay leaf, and black peppercorns. Top with the vinegar mixture. Seal and refrigerate for at least 1 week. Enjoy within 3 to 4 months for best quality. Please note that this recipe is inteded for refrigeration only and not for canning.
Faye says
My mom always made pickled beets. When the beets were gone she would hard boil eggs and put them in the leftover brine! I grew up thinking that pickled eggs were always beet colored!
Pat says
Hi Lisa,
Are the eggs supposed to be peeled before adding to the brine? Thanks.
Pat, I can’t believe I missed that step. Thank you for point this out.
leo says
Can you use this recipe for pickled polish sausage .
I haven’t tried that, but we just had someone else leave a comment that they let their brine cool and then pour it over sausages to pickle them.
MARY HEANEY says
On your pickled egg recipe. I have been making them for close to 30 years. I found if you let the brine cool before pouring over eggs they don’t get tough. I use whole garlic cloves and score them with a thin, sharp knife. I also add the salt to brine before boiling.I make pickled kielbasa the same way
David Anderson says
Very easy to make and very tasty I love this recipe
So glad to hear it, David!
Heather Pepin says
Can you use dill seed if you don’t have dill weed?
I haven’t tried this with dill seed. I’m sure it would work, the flavor might just be a little different. I have tried it with dry dill weed and that worked well.
Geoff says
I now live in Italy but was born in England and lived there for 50 ish years. When I was young all the fish and chip shops had large jars of pickled eggs on the counter, at least 5 litres , non refrigerated, they were cheap and always tasted good, not refrigerated ???? Pickled onions keep for years out of the ‘fridge, what is different?
The branch of our government that regulates food advises against it, so that is what we go with as well.
Michael woodcock says
Can kielbasa or smoked sausage be added to pickled eggs after water vinegar sugar ?
I haven’t tried that, but I know lots of people who have. I will say that I don’t have enough experience with canning and pickling meat to give advice about the safety of doing this. I would refer you to the USDA’s advice about canning: https://nifa.usda.gov/blog/usdas-complete-guide-home-canning
Lisa Wilichowski says
I’ve made pickled eggs a few times my son loves them and we hate him later, but I used pickling spices it has basically the same spices you’re putting in and I would take a tooth pick and poke a small hole in to let the brine enter faster you can eat in a couple days
Tom says
I have been saving the leftover store bought pickle and pepper juice. I was wondering if I can use this and the jars to place some hardboiled eggs into safely. If so, do I need to boil the brine from the jars to prep it? Thank you.
I’ve never done that because I like this recipe so much. I know others just drop in hard boiled eggs after the pickles are gone and then eat the eggs a few days later.