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These quick, old-fashioned pickled eggs are an easy and tasty way to preserve extra eggs! Enjoy these delicious and fast pickled eggs without the hassle of canning.
As someone with a backyard flock of chickens since 2012 (they’re not the SAME chickens, to be clear), I’m always looking for ways to preserve extra eggs when the ladies be layin’.
In addition to our ham and Swiss quiche and tutorial on freezing scrambled eggs, these old-fashioned pickled eggs are a go-to for this elder millennial grandma.
There are loads of different methods for hard-boiling the eggs; this is very much a choose your favorite style of adventure.
In all my years of testing and trying different methods, my go-to is Instant Pot hard-boiled eggs, but you can also use the stovetop or make air fryer hard-boiled eggs.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- I love the mix of white and apple cider vinegar in the brine for this pickled egg recipe, but if the color of the apple cider vinegar is off-putting for you, use all white vinegar.
- Add some hot peppers or a lot of red pepper flakes to make spicy pickled eggs.
- Want to make them super colorful? Add some slices of cooked beet to the jar(s) before adding the brine.
Old-Fashioned Quick Pickled Eggs
Ingredients
- ice
- 12 eggs {hard-boiled}
- 1/4 cup onion {diced or sliced}
- 4 sprigs fresh dill
Brine
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 2 cloves garlic {roughly chopped}
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp mustard seed
Instructions
Hard Boil the Eggs
- Instant Pot method – Add 1 cup of water in the Instant Pot. Place a trivet/rack in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Add eggs to the trivet/rack. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set it for manual high pressure for 5 minutes. Allow for a 5 minute natural release and then a quick release. Transfer eggs to an ice water bath.12 eggs, ice
- Saucepan method – place eggs in a saucepan filled with cold water. Bring to a boil for 1 minute, cover, and remove from heat. Let the saucepan sit covered for 12 minutes before transferring to an ice water bath.
- Air fryer method – Carefully place eggs in the air fryer basket. Cook eggs at 270˚F/130˚C for 13-16 minutes before transferring to an ice water bath.
Make the Brine
- In a saucepan, bring vinegar(s), water salt, sugar, garlic, and mustard seed to a boil. Once it has boiled and the sugar has dissolved, reduce the brine to a simmer and keep hot on the stove.1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 cup white vinegar, 1 cup water, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp mustard seed
Make the Pickled Eggs
- Add the onion, garlic, dill, and eggs to the jars1/4 cup onion, 4 sprigs fresh dill
- Pour the hot brine over the eggs, put a lid on the jars, and move them to the fridge immediately.
- Flavors will take up to 1 week to develop. Enjoy eggs within 3 months.
Notes
- Makes 1 quart.
- Optional seasonings – bay leaf, coriander, hot pepper slices, or mustard seeds.
- Will keep in the fridge for 3-4 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
