Calling all pickle lovers! Grandma’s Pickled Eggs are a cinch to make, and they don’t require canning. Simply heat the liquid mixture, pour over hard-boiled eggs, cover, and refrigerate for the most flavorful pickled eggs you have ever had. Enjoy them for a quick high-protein snack, in your favorite egg salad recipe, or on top of a fresh garden salad.
If you love pickles, pickled beets, pickled okra, pickled asparagus, or pickled green beans, then these Pickled Eggs are a must-try. They are just so easy, with absolutely no knowledge of canning skills required. We love everything pickled around here. Have you tried Pickled Jalapenos or Pickled Red Onions?
How do you make Pickled Eggs?
Hard boil a dozen eggs, peel them, and place them in a mason jar or taller bowl that is not going to require too much liquid to soak them. Meanwhile, make the brine by adding both kinds of vinegar, water, pickling spices, dill seed, salt, black pepper corns, and onions to a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Then simmer for about five minutes. Pour over the hard-boiled eggs and add the fresh dill sprigs, slices of onion, and garlic cloves. Finally, cover with the lid, place in the refrigerator, and let sit for 3-4 days before enjoying.
Recipe notes and helpful tips
- Follow my tips for hard-boiling eggs, with the most important tip being purchasing eggs that are close to expiration.
- For whiter eggs, remove most of the cloves from the pickling spice.
- Pickled eggs are best after several days in the pickling solution; however, I have enjoyed them after twenty-four hours. The longer the eggs stay in the brine, the stronger the pickle taste.
- For super quick and easy pickled eggs, add the peeled eggs to the beet juice left in a jar of pickled red beets. However, keep in mind that the eggs will turn red. We call them red beet eggs.
- For storage, the pickled eggs must be refrigerated at all times to prevent botulism.
- Enjoy the pickled onions in the jar as well. They are delicious.
How to make perfect hard-boiled eggs
I have hard-boiled lots and lots of eggs over the years. Here are a few helpful hints for successfully cooking hard-boiled eggs.
You want eggs that are very close to expiration. However not expired but close. I went to the store and specifically looked for the carton that was going to expire first. The Mom and Pop grocery stores are great for this as their turnover is not as high as the chain warehouses and chain grocery stores. This is by far the most important tip when it comes to peeling them successfully.
Scrap everything I have told you before and steam the eggs. I have never had trouble peeling steamed eggs. Just fill a large saucepan with enough water to reach the bottom of a steamer basket. Bring it to a boil and carefully add the eggs to the steamer basket using a long-handled spoon or tongs. Cover the pot and steam for 12-15 minutes. A single layer of medium eggs will require less time, while a double layer of large eggs will require the most time. Remove eggs to icy cold water to stop the cooking process, or let the cold water run directly into the pan for several minutes to cool them down.
More egg recipes you will love!
Grandma's Pickled Eggs
Ingredients
- 12 large eggs hard boiled and peeled
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons pickling spices
- 1 teaspoon dill seed
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 10 black peppercorns
- 1 sweet onion thinly sliced
- 3 sprigs fresh dill
- 2 garlic cloves
Instructions
- Place the peeled eggs in mason jars or a tall coverable container.
- Add both kinds of vinegar, water, pickling spices, dill seed, salt, black peppercorns, and onions in a saucepan and bring to a low boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Pour the hot liquid over the eggs.
- Put the garlic and dill sprigs in the jar with the eggs. Close the jars, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate for 3-4 days before enjoying!
Notes
- Follow my tips for hard-boiling eggs, with the most important tip being purchasing eggs that are close to expiration.
- For whiter eggs, remove most of the cloves from the pickling spice.
- Pickled eggs are best after several days. However, I have enjoyed them after twenty-four hours.
- Keep pickled eggs refrigerated at all times.
- Enjoy the pickled onions in the jar as well. They are delicious.
Nutrition
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https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf
Amy
Thank you for sharing your grandmas recipe. These are the tastiest pickled eggs I’ve ever made! I love that there’s no sugar in them; same as how I grew up eating pickled eggs. This is by far my favourite pickled egg recipe.
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much, Amy! The pleasure is all mine!
Lorie Atkinson
Really good just like my mom used to make definitely a keeper. Only thing I did was cut out the sugar
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Lorie! So glad that you liked the pickled eggs.
Barbara Miller
Great recipe! Try putting the boiled eggs in the juice from hot or mild chili pepper jars, add fresh sliced onion great treat.
Beth Pierce
Thanks for the tip Barbara! I will try it will the brine from banana peppers.
Bonnie Click
No sugar??
Beth Pierce
I like them without sugar but you can certainly add 1/4 cup or so.
Kathleen
Me and my dad love to make pickled eggs together but we haven’t been been able to find that perfect recipe but this one sounds amazing I can’t wait to try it!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Kathleen! Enjoy!!
Patty
Can you tell me what size jar i would need for this? Can i use 2 jars?
Beth Pierce
32 ounce. Yes you can use 2 jars.
Ian
This is exactly what I have been looking for. My main question is, how long do these keep in the fridge?
Beth Pierce
2-3 months but they must be refrigerated
Captain Mike
I saw the recipe and with all the great reviews, I had to give it a try. Just finished cooling and put it in the fridge but I noticed the garlic cloves turned green… is that normal?
Beth Pierce
Hey I found an interesting article on that. I have never had that happen. Why does my garlic turn green?
Mandy
What is “picking spices”?
Beth Pierce
Pickling spices are a blend of typically 6 to 8 seasonings and spices used for pickling. They are sold as a blend at most grocery stores in the spice isle.
Heidi Schaffer
I love anything pickled and this was my first time making pickled eggs! SO delicious!! Can’t wait to make again!
Betsy
These were good! Never had one before and I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. I think I’ll kind of have to be in the right mood for the next one, but they WERE good and I’m looking forward to being in that mood again!
Lily
These were amazing, so easy to make!! I love having pickled eggs in the fridge and adding them to salads.
Donna W
I’m trying this recipe out right now. My hubby is wanting some people eggs and this was the most delicious sounding recipe🙂 I bet they’ll turn out great!!!
Patty
Lol!! People eggs! Hmmmm…
Duncan
I made for first time a few nights ago… couldn’t wait TBH… 2d day I had to try one, two maybe it was three lol. Delicious
Beth Pierce
Thanks Duncan! So glad that you liked them! I love pickled everything!
Kathryn
I love how many ways there are to use pickled eggs. Thank you so much for this recipe. Definitely trying this soon.
Nathan
I LOVE pickles but for some reason I’ve never had pickled eggs before. Can’t wait to remedy that! Some great tips for cooking the eggs too, thanks for those!
Lima Ekram
Have never had pickled eggs before! Cant wait to try this recipe!
Andrea
Brings back childhood memories with grandma. Such an easy recipe too.
Dionne
Have someone called for a pickle lover?! Definitely adding this recipe to my collection – just what I need!
Rachna
This is very interesting. I have never made pickled eggs. I am going to give them a try. Thanks.
Heather Johnson
do you just eat them “plain” or how do you use the pickled eggs?
Jo
I love these pickled eggs recipe! Holding on to this one for sure 🙂
Mindy Fewless
I love that these taste like pickles but are such a more filling and healthy snack!!
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
Grandma’s pickled eggs sound amazing! I love pickled eggs so I might just have to pickle some!
Ashley
I have been doing a lot of pickling/canning since this summer, but with our garden done for the year, these would be something great to try!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Ashley! Enjoy!
Erika
I’ve never tried pickled eggs before, but this sounds so good! I bet they’d taste great chopped up in a salad!
Dannii
I love eggs, and I love pickles. But I have never tried these before. I am going to give them a go.
Katie
Looks so delicious! Can’t wait to try this one. I know my family would love it!
Tara
Oh yum! I have always been a bit scared of canning, so I am glad the eggs can be prepared and stored in the refrigerator. The flavors sound amazing!
Emily Liao
This was my first time making pickled eggs and boy were they delicious! Loved how flavorful these were.
Angela
Great recipe. So easy to make!
Debbie
What can I substitute for the rice vinegar?
Beth Pierce
What about apple cider vinegar? or champagne vinegar?
Connie
I have pickled eggs for years.. My great aunt gave her way of making them. We use leftover pickle juice from pickles. I use the same procedure as you do . I then store jar in fridge. Yummy.
Beth Pierce
Thanks for the tip Connie!!
Katie
This looks like something my family would love! Can’t wait to try it.
Meagen
My husband LOVES pickled eggs. These were a big hit in our house and I’m sure we will be making more again soon!
Connie
I knew an old man who made pickled egg in a big pickles jar with the pickle juice from the pickles that use to be in the jar but he did add some vinigar then many spices,lots of garlic cloves and some onions too and he never put them in a fridge, they lasted a long time on a shelf and never spoiled. So far all the pickled recipes ive looked at on the internet never use the left over pickles juice nor leave them on the shelf outside of a fridge.My mom did something similar but used a lot of beet juice too.
Beth Pierce
Interesting. I am a little more leery about leaving food out like that.
alon
when i was a kid in the 1980s, Id get pickled eggs and pickled pigs feet at 7-11, on the front counter with NO frig in giant glass jars. I found this ladies story interesting. I pasted it below:
I know this is not a SCIENTIFIC test with control groups and such, but I will share my thoughts on this matter and how I’ve been pickling my fresh egg surplus for over 25 years with absolutely no ill effects, or refrigeration.
I may add that my 4 children were raised eating these eggs, even in the hot Southern summers, and they are all very much alive with children of their own… and for me, that’s proof enough of my method…okay, my deceased wife’s method… and no she did not die of food poisoning.
After the obvious hard boiling and peeling of the eggs, ensuring that the egg didn’t get marred or damaged, I put them into sterilized mason jars, with sliced jalapeno, chili or habanero pepper rings.
I then boil about 2 cups of pure white vinegar with a 1/4 cup of pickling salt and one 500 mg, generic white vitamin C tablet until all solids are dissolved.
I then pour it right up to the top leaving no air space, so that when the lid and ring are put on and tightened, the excess is forced out. As the jars come to room temp, the lids will emit a “POP” when the suck inward. If no “POP” is heard and the lid does not get sucked in, those jars go in the fridge, the others go in my pantry… That’s it.
I have never had a jar fail, however, there would be a simple way to know if it did and you have bacterial growth, the liquid will cloud up badly, the lid will swell and in drastic contamination, will leak… but that has never happened.
Remember this, from a chemistry standpoint, bacteria is more likely to grow in sugary environments, and there is little to no sugar in my method, plus the capsasin in the peppers is highly acidic, as is the ascorbic acid in the Vit C.
Angela
I tried this recipe because it reminded me so much of my parents when I was a kid. They always had pickled eggs in the refrigerator. When I make them again I will cut down on the pickling spice I think. The longer it sits in the brine the more flavor it soaks up. The pickling spice was too strong for my taste.
Kathryn Donangelo
Wow these were the first time trying pickled eggs and they were fantastic!! SO glad I gave them a try!
Jacque Hastert
I love pickled eggs! I have never thought to make them myself though. You have changed my mind and will be making some soon. Thanks for including the hints on boiling the perfect eggs.
Pavani
Wow, what a delicious pickle recipe. I have never tried pickled eggs and now I am tempted to make this yummy recipe soon. Thanks for sharing.
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
Definitely going to be giving these a go, I love pickled eggs and they make the perfect flavourful snack!
Luci
I love pickled food, but pickled eggs were a first for me! They are full of flavor and absolutely delicious! I love how simple they are to make and the perfect snack to enjoy!
Rebecca
I love pickled foods! definitely need to try these! Yum
Patricia
Mmm! Something I like but never thought to make! I would have thought this would be more complicated! Must try!
Melissa
One of my favorite foods! Great recipe can’t wait to do it again soon!
katerina @ diethood.com
I am so excited to try this!! Pickled eggs sound SO good!!
Erin
This totally reminds me of grandma’s house. I’ve never tried making pickled eggs, but giving it a whirl!
Barb
Trying to figure out how many 1 quart jars. About how many large eggs to 1 quart jar. And do I make a batch of brine per jar? First time pickling or canning. Planning on making them today, hoping someone can answer. Thank you
Beth Pierce
About six eggs to a one quart jar and there is enough brine fluid to cover two of these jars for the complete recipe. I sometimes half the recipe. Please store these in the refrigerator as they are not shelf stable.
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
Love how easy and delicious this recipe is. It’s perfect for a gathering or a party.
Renee Goerger
I didn’t think I’d be a fan of pickled eggs but I tried your recipe and I was wrong. I do like pickled eggs!
Toni
This is really awesome!! Such a great way to preserve eggs!
Natasha
This is the first time that I tried making pickled eggs and we loved it! It’s so full of flavor and you it’s also great that it can be stored in the refrigerator for weeks.
Laura Reese
This recipe is such a classic. I loved it.
Jacqueline Espina
What are pickling spices?
Beth Pierce
McCormick spice sells a blend that is cinnamon, allspice, mustard seed, coriander, bay leaves, ginger, chillies, cloves, black pepper, mace and cardamon.
wilhelmina
I love making “forgotten” vintage recipes like this. It’s almost like a tie to the past 🙂
Suzy
This is such a great idea! Didn’t know how easy it was to pickle eggs!
Chelsea
These are sooo delicious and so fun!! Thanks for sharing!!
Gretchen
I grew up on pickled eggs in pickled beets. Mom always made them with the left over Easter Eggs. As a child, I loved the deep pink eggs. They were served on a cold plate of lettuce, sardines, and pink eggs!
Beth Pierce
How delicious! What a great childhood memory!
Anna
Grandma’s recipes are always the best! I have everything to make this. Thanks for sharing!
Katie
So unique and fun. Can’t wait to try these!
Toni
I really love how easy this is to make! Thanks so much for the tips!
Rachael Yerkes
I could eat these all day long! So dang good!
A Patterson
These scream out for a cold beer and some coarse sea salt!!
Beth Pierce
Yes indeed great idea!!
Kelly Anthony
I love all things pickled. Do you have a suggestion on what to serve these with?
Fred wilt
Pickled eggs are good served with most any meal but we have them at Easter time with the ham, baked beans, sweet potato etc. Always good but we do ours with pickled beets, vinegar and a few onions.
Anita
The pickled eggs are amazing and they are great for snacking too.
Krissy Allori
Yes, please! I love all things pickled. So sign me up for a big ol batch of these for sure.
Patty at Spoonabilities
These pickled eggs are the best! Such a great way to use up all those hard-boiled Easter eggs!
Irina
To tell the truth, I have seen some recipes on how to make pickled eggs, but I have not given it a try, I love the idea; so, I will definitely make it. I love your recipe!
Jay
Never knew you could pickle eggs. I should try this
Thanks Beth
Melinda
How long will these last in refrigerator
Beth Pierce
You know the internet says 3-4 months if stored in the pickling juice. That sounds rather crazy to me. I would say a few weeks.
Doug
Greetings Beth,
A query. I am wondering about you using near end of date eggs?
Beth Pierce
They are so much easier to peel!
Carol Snow
If you are worried they are “bad” just place each egg in a glass of water. If it floats, you may want save it for something you crack open to check the smell, otherwise no problem. I lived on a boat for 10 years without refrigeration and I kept eggs for 3 and 4 months after I bought them from the store. I never had a bad one. The date on the carton is so the STORE can keep it’s inventory rotated. Food is still good after the ‘Best Buy’ date. To many people waste money throwing out food because of that date. Use your eyes, nose and common sense!
Doug King
right on….when in doubt throw it out! Your nose knows!
Mertie
I have been making pickled eggs and beets for over 50 years! When I got with my husband, I had to get rid of the beets as he said beets taste like how dirt smells. Yes, you can keep eggs for what seems like forever. I knew that older eggs. when boiled, peel much easier but when my dad told me that they could last much longer than the expiration date, I was surprised. As my dad spent all his summers working on his uncle’s chicken farm, I knew he was correct. I got so much information on food preservation from my grandma who was born in 1881 and my dad who was born in1919. When I was younger, we used to have a huge garden and I used to make everything from scratch and canned or froze all our produce including jams, pickles, spaghetti sauce and pie fillings too. Even made our own sauerkraut! Much older now and in a wheelchair so I had to retire myself from all that but still cook from scratch all the time!
Beth Pierce
Thanks for all the tips Mertie!
Jen
These totally remind me of my childhood! Can’t wait to make these for my kids.
Pam Greer
These are a blast from the past! I do all kinds of pickling and I can’t believe I’ve never pickled eggs! Thanks for all the tops and the easy instructions!
Lisa
Wow, I’ve never heard of pickling eggs! I eat hard-boiled eggs a lot but even I can get a little tired of the same flavor. I love the idea of pickling them to give them a slightly different flavor. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Andrea Metlika
I love picked things and this sounds wonderful. I really like that you add the onion in this to give it more flavor.
Rosa
HUGE pickle lover here so I am excited to give this one a try!