Five Easy Pickled Egg Recipes

Exciting ways to create homemade pickled eggs!

Five Easy Pickled Egg Recipes

Reading Time: 5 minutes

By Ann Accetta-Scott The ability to consume fresh egg is truly a treat; consider it to be a reward for raising backyard poultry. As stewards to our flock, we work daily to give them the best living conditions, and in return we receive a priceless gift: truly fresh eggs. Now, what we do with that gift is up to us.  

Aside from using fresh eggs as an ingredient for cooking or baking, we, as chicken keepers, need to be creative in the kitchen and think outside of the box. How about trying homemade pickled eggs?  

Before you crinkle your nose and decide “no thanks,” understand that these recipes are a world away from what you may recognize as the traditional pickled eggs. The flavors are sophisticated, delicious, and partner perfectly with any salad or eaten straight out of the jar.  

Selecting the Perfect Egg 

Ideally, chicken and quail eggs work best, though duck and turkey eggs can be used, too. Because the eggs are being pickled, look for eggs which are smaller in size, something which takes a bite or two to consume.  

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One other tip: roughly 10 to 12 small to medium chicken eggs will fit into a quart-size mason jar, whereas 18 to 20 quail eggs can fit into a pint-size mason jar.  

Begin by Steaming  

Presentation is everything when it comes to pickling eggs, which means boiling fresh eggs in water will just not do. In order to achieve a nicely peeled egg, the best process is to steam them. The steaming process permeates the shell, making the eggs easier to peel, leaving you with a perfectly peeled egg.  

Selecting the Vinegar 

Preserving foods with flavored vinegars alters and amplifies the flavor of the item being pickled. This is also true when making homemade pickling eggs. Feel free to experiment a little! Enjoy any of the following vinegars when creating a brine: 

  • white wine vinegar 
  • red wine vinegar 
  • champagne vinegar 
  • distilled white vinegar 
  • apple cider vinegar 
  • malt vinegar 

Though it is not necessary for pickled eggs, I make it a habit to select vinegars which contain an acidity level of 5% or higher. 

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Herbs, Spices, and Brines 

Are there only five recipes available for pickling eggs? Absolutely not. As with any pickled recipe be creative and use ingredients that you’ll enjoy. However, these easy pickled egg recipes are truly delicious!  

For individuals looking to create a unique brine feel free to use any combination of herbs and spices, and flavored vinegar of choice. For a brine with a little kick, use fresh peppers such as jalapeno or habanero. Even dried whole or crushed red peppers work well. Fresh or dried herbs like dill, oregano, and sage also make excellent choices. Using ginger, sweet onions, garlic, and chives will amplify the flavor of any pickling brine being created.  

Storing Homemade Pickled Eggs 

Unlike canning pickled vegetables, pickled eggs cannot be canned in order to make them shelf-stable. Eggs run the risk of going rancid quickly when not stored properly. The best method for storing pickled eggs is to refrigerate them.  

The National Center for Home Food Preservation states that homemade pickled eggs will keep up to three to four months when stored in the refrigerator. Will they stay around that long before being devoured? Probably not.  

Five Easy Pickled Eggs Recipes 

Below are five easy pickled egg recipes and the steps for making these delicious treats.  

The first step to pickling eggs is to steam the eggs. As the eggs are steaming, you’ll want to prepare the brine. Follow the next steps to complete the process: 

  1. Add peeled steamed eggs to a clean mason jar leaving a one-inch headspace from the top of the jar. 
  2. Cover eggs with hot brine, remove air bubbles. Fill the jar with additional brine if necessary, making sure to cover eggs.  
  3. Tightly seal jars with lid and ring, or plastic lid. Immediately store in the refrigerator.  
  4. Allow eggs to pickle for up to two weeks prior to consuming.   
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Sweet Jalapeno and White Wine Vinegar Brine 

In a stainless-steel pot or heavy-bottom pot, bring to raging boil for five minutes, then reduce heat simmer for an additional five minutes: 

  • 1 cup white wine vinegar 
  • 1 cup of water 
  • 1 cup of sugar 
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme 
  • 2 teaspoons mustard seeds 

In a separate bowl mix steamed egg with: 

  • 1 fresh sweet onion, diced
  • 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, diced with seeds 

Next, follow the instructions indicated above. 

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Balsamic and Shallots Brine 

In a stainless-steel pot or heavy-bottom pot, bring to raging boil for five minutes, then reduce heat simmer for an additional five minutes: 

  • 1 cup balsamic vinegar 
  • 1 cup water 
  • 2 tablespoons sugar 
  • 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns 

In a separate bowl mix: 

  • 2 fresh shallots, thinly sliced 
  • steamed eggs 

Next, follow the instructions indicated above. 

red-beet-eggs

Red Beet Eggs Brine  

In a stainless-steel pot or heavy-bottom pot, bring to raging boil for five minutes, then reduce heat simmer for an additional five minutes: 

  • 1 cup pickled red beet juice (from canned beets) 
  • 1 ½ cups apple cider vinegar 
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar 

Next, follow the instructions indicated above. 

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The Traditional Old Fashioned Pickled Eggs Brine 

In a stainless-steel pot or heavy-bottom pot, bring to raging boil for five minutes, then reduce heat simmer for an additional five minutes: 

  • 4 cups malt vinegar 
  • 3 tablespoons pickling spice 
  • 2 cinnamon sticks 
  • 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper, optional 

Next, follow the instructions indicated above. 

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Fermented Pickled Eggs Brine 

In a large glass measuring cup mix: 

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt  
  • 2 cups water 
  • ¼ cup pickling starter, optional (speeds up the fermentation process) 

Layer quart size mason jar with: 

  • 10 steamed eggs 
  • Fresh dill, sprigs 
  • Sweet onions, thinly sliced 
  1. Pour brine mixture over eggs, leaving a one-inch head space to allow the gases to escape. Remove air bubbles, fill jar with additional brine if necessary, making sure to cover eggs. 
  2. Add fermenting lid. 
  3. Allow to sit in a cool dark location for three days. Because the eggs have been cooked, very few bubbles will be present during the fermentation process.  
  4. Immediately store fermented eggs in the refrigerator. 

There they are, my top five brines for pickling eggs. Enjoy the recipes, and feel free to modify them as you see fit!  

Ann Accetta-Scott homesteads on 2 acres in Washington State raising poultry, goats, and rabbits. She is an educator and encourager to all who are seeking to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Ann is also the face behind the website, A Farm Girl in the Making, and the author of The Farm Girl’s Guide to Preserving the Harvest.   



Originally published in the December 2019/January 2020 issue of Backyard Poultry and regularly vetted for accuracy.

6 thoughts on “Five Easy Pickled Egg Recipes”
  1. A coworker used our quail eggs a daunting task of peeling, but still for making picked eggs. He used a curry in his brine. Man were they good!

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