Pickled Eggs

Prep 8 minutes
Cook 10 minutes
Servings 10

These Pickled Eggs are a perfect lip-smacking snack or condiment for salads, made from hard boiled eggs soaking in a sweet and tangy vinegar marinade. This old fashioned recipe is so easy and so good!

pickled eggs in glass jar

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5 STAR REVIEWS

Usually around Easter time when everyone is decorating their eggs, I’m over here pickling mine. HA. I actually make pickled eggs all year round – my family loves them. Along with my soy sauce eggs and beet pickled eggs, they are such a great on-the-go snack. Today pickled eggs are commonly found at bars, convenience stores, and the market, but they’re so easy to make yourself!

Helpful Tips

  • The eggs should be covered in the brine. The size of your eggs and also the height/depth of your container can affect this. This recipe fits nicely in a 1-liter glass jar.
  • Re-using the brine. As long as the brine doesnโ€™t look murky or cloudy, it can be used again once without sacrificing the quality, however the flavors wonโ€™t be as strong/deep. After that, make up a new batch.
  • Let the eggs marinate for a while. The eggs can be enjoyed after just a few hours of marinating, but for best flavor let them chill for at least a day so the brine can penetrate the eggs.
4.96 from 21

Pickled Eggs

Prep: 8 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Chill: 8 hours
Total: 8 hours 18 minutes
Servings: 10
This old fashioned recipe for Pickled Eggs is super easy to make and a perfect lip-smacking snack or condiment for salads!

Ingredients 

  • 10 large eggs
  • (cold water and ice)
  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon pickling spice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cloves garlic, , peeled and crushed
  • 1 large bay leaf
  • a few slivers of red onion
  • a few small fresh dill sprigs

Instructions 

  • MAKE THE HARD BOILED EGGS
    Gently place 10 large eggs in a single layer at the bottom of a medium pot – make sure they're not crowded. Fill with cold water to cover eggs by 1-2 inches. Heat the pot on high and bring the water to a rolling boil. Once it starts boiling, turn off the heat, remove the pan from the burner, cover, and let sit for 12 minutes.
    whole eggs in pot of boiling water
  • Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggs to a large bowl filled with water and ice and let cool for 10 minutes. (This will cool them quickly and prevent further cooking, plus make them easier to peel.)
    hard boiled eggs in bowl of ice water
  • Peel and proceed with making the brine.
    peeled hard boiled eggs on plate
  • MAKE THE PICKLED EGGS
    In a medium saucepan, mix together 1 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 cup water, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon pickling spice, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat to low until the sugar has dissolved. Mix in 2 cloves peeled and smashed garlic and 1 bay leaf; remove from heat and let cool slightly.
    vinegar brine simmering in pot
  • Fill a clean tall 1-liter glass jar with your peeled eggs. Tuck in some sliced red onion and fresh dill sprigs.
  • Pour the warm brine over the eggs to cover.
    brine being poured over hard boiled eggs in jar
  • Loosely fasten with the lid. Let cool to room temperature, tighten the seal, then store in the refrigerator.
    The eggs can be eaten after only a few hours of marinating, but for best results allow them to pickle for a couple days. Use as desired. They're great for snacking or cut up in salads!
    pickled eggs on glass jar

Notes

Use a different vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is a staple in my house, so that’s what I always use. But you can replace it with regular white vinegar, if that’s what you have.
Make them spicy. Add some sliced up jalapeรฑos to the liquid to give your eggs a little kick!
Use leftover brine from pickled beets. Instead of using this dill and onion marinade, use leftover beet juice brine from pickled beets. They’re awesome…and so pretty.
Tips & Storage. For best results, re-using the brine, and proper storage, please refer to the article.

Nutrition

Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 187mg | Sodium: 298mg | Potassium: 87mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 260IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.

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pickled eggs on serving spoon above glass jar

What Do Picked Eggs Taste Like?

Pickled eggs have a mouth-watering sweet and sour taste. Sort of like salt and vinegar potato chips! If you like bread and butter pickles, pickled red onions, or sauerkraut, you will love them.

Do Pickled Eggs Need to Be Refrigerated?

Yes! This recipe for old fashioned pickled eggs is not canned, but instead requires refrigeration and should never be kept out at room temperature to prevent botulism.

How Long Do Pickled Eggs Last?

Your eggs can be eaten after only a few hours of marinating, but for best results, allow your eggs to pickle for 1 to 5 days, which allows that salty-vinegar brine to penetrate the eggs and produce a deeper flavor. Once theyโ€™re sealed in an airtight jar, your pickled eggs will last for a couple months in the fridge!

More Pickled Foods To Try

I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe โ€“ be sure to give it a review below! Also donโ€™t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTokInstagramFacebook, Pinterest, and YouTube!

pickled eggs cut in half on plate

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About Amy Flanigan

Well, hey there! Amy here, founder and COO at BellyFull. If youโ€™re looking for tried and true, fuss-free, budget-friendly, delicious, every day recipes, youโ€™ve come to the right place.

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42 Comments

  1. Valerie says:

    5 stars
    These were delish! I usually just use leftover dill pickle brine from a store bought jar, but these were better!

  2. Cynna says:

    5 stars
    My husband really enjoyed these eggs! Thanks Amy

  3. Hannah Dillon says:

    Can I water bath this recipe to make it shelf stable?

    1. Amy@BellyFull says:

      I haven’t tried that with this recipe, but if you know the proper method to can items, it should be fine.

    2. Tara says:

      You CANNOT water bath can pickled eggs. It is NOT SAFE!

  4. raven says:

    5 stars
    So much flavor! will be making many more times!

  5. LaurieH says:

    5 stars
    Very easy, I added a little red pepper flakes

  6. Nancy says:

    5 stars
    Great snack! First time making pickled eggs and it was super easy.

    1. Beth says:

      5 stars
      Hi Amy. In homage to my mother and grandmother I used beet juice instead of water and reduced the sugar a bit. The use of the spices are spot on. I never uses garlic or bay leaf before. This recipe is the best!

  7. Tammy says:

    Does the brine need to be cooled before pouring it over the eggs?

    1. Amy@BellyFull says:

      Let it cool for a bit. It should be very warm, but not hot.

  8. Amy says:

    Can you reuse the liquid once the eggs are gone and just add more eggs?

    1. Amy@BellyFull says:

      You can reuse the juice again once without sacrificing the quality, although the flavors wonโ€™t be as strong/deep. After that, make up a new batch.

    2. Ronny Sillivant says:

      I reuse pickling marinade once!

  9. Jimboagogo says:

    Going to make a batch of this tomorrow, with 5 eggs in 2 smaller jars. In one of the jars I am going to add a Hungarian Hot Wax Pepper. I like a bit of a “bite” to my eggs. Will do a taste test and keep you posted in a week :-)

  10. Rich says:

    5 stars
    These were great.

  11. Sherry says:

    Amy, going to try your pickled egg recipe. Wondering if 2 cups of liquid is going to cover 10 eggs. I’m using 1.5 litre glass jar. Should the eggs be covered in the brine? Please advise. Thanks

    1. Amy@BellyFull says:

      Hi Sherry! Yes, the eggs should be covered in the brine. The size of your eggs and also the height/depth of your container can affect this.

  12. RnCa2023 says:

    Can you use the brine for other foods?

  13. Sarah says:

    5 stars
    I had very big doubts about this recipe…I love to make pickles and I am a fan of pickled eggs. But pickling spices are not my favorite because I’m not a big fan of cloves….cloves sometimes are overpowering….I do love doing my cloved oranges at christmas. So to make this less painful with my ramblings…..This is the best pickled egg recipe I’ve tried to date and I’m 70. I’ve raised many chickens in my day….Thanks for sharing….love them

  14. Ashley says:

    4 stars
    I’ve made this recipe a few times now. I’ve cut the sugar and pickling seasoning both in half. Other than that, it’s a beautiful, simple recipe.

  15. Mike says:

    This would certainly be a treat and a luxury what with the price of eggs these days!

  16. Heather says:

    5 stars
    Can’t believe how easy and delicious these were! My family can’t stop eating them – thanks for the recipe!

  17. John Rhoe says:

    5 stars
    I started reusing pickle juice from pickled veggies to pickle eggs in the fridge while I was in the navy.

  18. Lane says:

    5 stars
    Lip smackin’ good! We loved this recipe. Great little afternoon snack or salad topper.

  19. Juanita Crawford says:

    5 stars
    Thank you for this recipe

  20. Dianna says:

    5 stars
    I usually just use the leftover pickled juice from the jar to make pickled eggs, but I was curious about this recipe. Have to say this brine was GREAT. Worth the little extra time.

  21. LeRoy Prince says:

    I haven’t made it, but I’m sure it’s 5 stars… Question… Can I reuse the juice out of the jar on consecutive batches, or is it better to make a new batch from scratch every time?

    1. Amy @Belly Full says:

      You can reuse the juice again once without sacrificing the quality, although the flavors won’t be as strong/deep. After that, make up a new batch.

  22. Dianne Wingender says:

    5 stars
    Love this recipe.

  23. Bernadette Boulier says:

    5 stars
    yummy we make this all the time with farm fresh eggs!!!!

  24. Sally says:

    5 stars
    I should have undercook my eggs a bit because I imagine that the hot brine further boils the eggs. Because I only had 7 eggs, I added carrots and jalapeรฑos to fill up the jar. It added unanticipated color. This is an easy recipe but the real test will be in a week when I eat an egg. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

  25. SteveO says:

    5 stars
    On my second batch of these delicious pickled eggs. My Grandmother would always make a jar for me every Easter and I loved them. Donโ€™t have her recipe but this one is as good and just maybe a wee bit better. Have been experimenting over the years and this one is a keeper. Thanks for sharing!

  26. Shelley strout says:

    5 stars
    Love, love, love these. So sweet and savory, everyone loves them. They are now a household staple. Thank-you

  27. Jessica says:

    Can you reuse the same brine twice? Or do you have to make it from scratch again?

    1. Amy @Belly Full says:

      You can re-use the brine 1 to 2 more times as long as it doesn’t look murky or cloudy. After the second time, I find you’ve lost too much brine volume, flavor, and it’s developed an unhealthy cloudiness to it. (Also, this is only okay to do with refrigerator pickled eggs and not when canning because you can’t guarantee the acidity level once it has been heated up, hot water processed, absorbed by the eggs and refrigerated for an unknown amount of time.)

      1. Kara says:

        5 stars
        A little sweet and a little tangy – my family loves this recipe. Great snack for the lunchbox!

  28. J says:

    After pouring in the brine and sealing, do you put it in the fridge still hot?

    1. Amy @Belly Full says:

      Let them cool to room temp, then transfer to the fridge.

  29. Carmen says:

    5 stars
    Our enthusiasm shines through, I am inspired and will make these tomorrow, God willing!

  30. Troy says:

    Can you just use minced garlic instead of crushed?

    1. Amy @Belly Full says:

      Sure.