Last Updated April 25th, 2024 at 11:21 am by Lisa
Make a jar of these old-fashioned deli-style Pickled Eggs recipe with hard boiled eggs, jalapeno peppers, garlic, and pickling spice. A healthy protein-packed snack ready in 7 days right in your kitchen. They are also great for picnics or as an easy appetizer.
These are the best-pickled eggs, with a touch of heat, and as a bonus, you get pickled garlic and jalapenos out of the jar...
How To Make Pickled Eggs
So how do you pickle eggs? Just like any other quick pickle. It's basically a brine and the eggs with garlic and jalapenos. Let's get pickling...
PRO TIP: This is recipe for pickled eggs is a refrigerator quick pickle recipe, and NOT for use in canning your eggs. There is no recipe for home canning pickled eggs.
- 12-18 hard boiled eggs (cage-free/organic)
- 4 cups distilled white vinegar
- 4 cups water (cold)
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons pickling spice
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 6 garlic cloves, slightly crushed add extra if you wish!
- 5 jalapeños ¼” slices
PRO TIP: Pickling Spice is made from simple pantry ingredients and is classically used in pickle recipes. You can buy it or make it at home. Be sure to try my Pickled Spice recipe!
Hard Boiled Eggs and Jalapenos
- The method I like the best is to "steam boil" eggs. 🥚🍳 Add water to a large pan with a lid, bring the water to a boil, and set a steamer basket in the water. Carefully add eggs to the steamer basket, cover, and let steam at high heat for 12 minutes. Fill a large bowl with ice and water.
- Remove eggs to an ice bath for 15 minutes, roll and crack them on the board and the peel will slip RIGHT OFF! I love making eggs this way.
- Push a clean stainless fork into each egg, this helps brine get into the eggs. (Don't use any wooden items like toothpicks -it can be non-food-safe when pickling). Place all 12-18 eggs in a large clear and clean clamp jar.
- Next, slice the fresh jalapenos into ¼" slices, and set them on top of the boiled eggs in your jar.
Be sure to get all my tips on how to hard boil eggs the easiest way ever! For years I could not get them to peel until I figured out the secret...
PRO TIP: Pickling Spice recipes do vary with their ingredients, and some will make the brine darker. You can add more pickling spice to this recipe for more flavor and color.
Make The Pickling Brine
- In a large saucepan, add the white vinegar, water, peppercorns, sea salt, pickling mixture of spices, crushed red pepper, and slightly smashed garlic cloves. Heat to just boiling, and then turn off the heat.
- Carefully pour the hot brine over the hard-boiled eggs and jalapeno slices. Put the spices in the jar, you might have extra liquid leftover.
- Wait for the liquid to cool, with the jar open for 1-2 hours, then place a glass weight on top, close the jar, and pop it in the refrigerator.
- Refrigerate and wait about 7 days, and your Pickled Eggs are ready to eat.
- Keep them cold in the refrigerator, and eat within a month.
When are pickled eggs ready to eat?
Wait about 7 days, and your Spicy Pickled Eggs are ready to eat!
Readers Love This Pickle Egg Recipe...
- "Absolutely love this recipe. I’m dropping a pickled egg into my bloody mary as I write this! Thanks for sharing!"
- "Loved these! I was looking for a simple and flavorful pickled egg recipe, and this one was perfect."
- "They are good chopped into egg salad, potato salad, and on avocado toast!"
- "I’ve made this recipe three times with homemade pickling spice and love it!"
- "Once your family and/or friends try these eggs they don’t have a chance of lasting two weeks!"
Why Use Fresh Jalapenos?
- They add the spicy kick you are looking for
- The color looks great in your pickled egg jar!
- Pickled jalapeno slices are tasty and can be used on tacos, or try on these awesome Tater Tot "Totchos" Nachos!
Pickled Eggs FAQ
Yes. Homemade pickled eggs must stay refrigerated to be safe because they are not canned and sealed from bacteria like commercial food products.
Delis used to serve them from jars on the counter, but would not advise that as being a food-safe practice. Enjoy your homemade pickled eggs, but please refrigerate and eat them up within a month.
A spice mix to create amazing pickles, corned beef, braised stews, rice, or use in marinades to flavor meat.
It has several spices, most commonly classic pickling spice has black peppercorns, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, dill seeds, allspice berries, bay leaves, and crushed red pepper flakes.
According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, there are no home canning directions for pickled eggs. Although pickled eggs can be made at home, they must be refrigerated.
Pickled eggs should never be kept at room temperature, except for when you serve a few of them to eat. Pickled eggs should always be chilled cold below 40 degrees in the refrigerator. And limited to not more than 2 hours at room temperature danger zone of 40 to 140 degrees F.
What Is Pickling Spice?
- 1 tablespoon coriander seed
- 1 tablespoon dill seed
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tablespoon whole allspice berries
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 5 dry bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns black, pink, white, or mixed is fine
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
- In a small bowl, combine all your spices.
- Keep your pickling Spice in a pint jar, or glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, and use it within 6 months.
More Egg Recipes
Take a look at my other pickled egg recipe using Hot Chili Pepper Pickled Eggs! It has yellow chili peppers and bright yellow color in the brine and is amazing. These are still on the Joe Josts menu, a famous bar in Long Beach, California.
More Pickle Recipes
Make Dill Pickle spears, chips, and halves. Wait just one day to let the flavors develop in these cucumber pickles. Once you can't wait any longer, crack open a jar. And make a few extra jars of pickles for friends and neighbors!
The pickling brine gives these Zucchini Pickles a zippy flavor and crisp texture, and what a great way to use up the summer squash that grows so fast in our gardens...
Quick Pickled Onions keep in the fridge for 3-4 weeks. Try these red onions on hamburgers, salads, tacos, and pulled pork or grilled cheese sandwiches.
Pickled Green Beans also called Dilly Beans, are a quick pickle recipe that requires no canning. Jazz up relish trays, pop them into Bloody Marys, or toss pickled beans into salads!
Did you love this recipe? We would love to hear from you! If you make this recipe and love it, give it a 5-star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ with a comment. THANK YOU!! Follow Delicious Table with my free newsletter and share this recipe with your friends on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
Pickled Eggs Recipe with Jalapenos
Ingredients
- 18 boiled eggs (cage free/organic)
pickling liquid:
- 4 cups distilled white vinegar
- 3 cups cold water
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons pickling spice you can use more to make brine darker!
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 6 garlic cloves, slightly crushed add extra if you wish!
- 5 jalapeños ¼” slices, wear gloves!
Instructions
eggs and jalapenos
- The method I like the best is to "steam boil" eggs. Add water to a large pan with a lid, bring the water to a boil, and set a steamer basket in the water. Carefully add eggs to steamer basket, cover, and let steam at high heat for 12 minutes. Fill a large bowl with ice and water.
- Remove eggs to ice bath for 15 minutes, roll, and crack on a board, and the peel will slip right off!
- Push a clean stainless fork into each egg, this helps brine get into the eggs. (Don't use any wooden items like toothpicks-it can be non-food-safe when pickling). Place all 18 eggs in a large clear and clean clamp jar.
- Next, slice the fresh jalapenos into ¼" slices, set on top of boiled eggs in your jar.
pickling brine
- In a large saucepan, add the white vinegar, water, peppercorns, sea salt, pickling spice, crushed red pepper and slightly smashed garlic cloves. Heat to just boiling and then turn off heat.
- Carefully pour the hot pickling liquid mixture over the hard-boiled eggs and jalapeno slices. Put the spices in the jar, you might have extra liquid leftover.
- Wait for the liquid to cool, with the jar open for 1-2 hours, then place a glass weight on top, close the jar, and pop in the refrigerator.
- Refrigerate and wait about 7 days, and your Pickled Eggs are ready to eat.
- Keep these pickled eggs cold in the refrigerator, eat within a month.
So good! Just made a second batch yesterday and doubled it. Once they are ready to eat, they go fast. Thank you for sharing.
Becky, Yay! They are so easy right? Great snack and so yummy. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a review, helps us so much!
I’m getting ready to make my second batch of these pickled eggs. I love making my own pickling spice you posted and even my mom daidbit smelled much better then store bought. I like that fact that I can make the spice to my liking. I didn’t use all the jalapeños the first time as our garden peppers seem hotter then store bought. This was also my first time ever having a pickled egg. Was a quick favorite in my house!
Oh thank you Cheri for your comments, isn't it fun to make a spice mix? And they do hold so much more flavor! Awww those pickled eggs are loved by so many, honestly when I put that recipe up I was not expecting that people would love them so much. So glad your family approved, and sure you saw I have another pickled egg recipe from famous tavern here in Southern California? Here is the link to those, they are easy and a fun color! https://www.delicioustable.com/pickled-eggs/
love your recipes the only change I made was I added 4 ghost peppers cause I really like spicy. turned out fantastic.
Wonderful recipe! Thank you. Quick question, after I eat the eggs, can I reuse the refrigerated brine for another batch of eggs or would I have to start over again?
Hey Tony! So glad you loved them...I get asked this a lot, and it is always best to be safe and start a new pickle brine batch. Lot's of people try new chili peppers and spices in their new batch. And did you see the recipe for Chili Pepper Pickled Eggs? Its a famous recipe from a restaurant in Long Beach California called Joe Josts. Here is that recipe, so good too. https://www.delicioustable.com/pickled-eggs/ Thanks aain for your great commment, have an awesome weekend!
making them right now and the liquid smells amazing, didn't realize most of out garlic was done for so only had 3 full cloves had to sub some minced garlic (can't not have garlic) hoping it turns out alright with it, first time ever having pickled eggs,
thanks for the easy recipe
These are the best ever. Finally found something to do with our extra free range chicken eggs. Thank you so much
So glad Randall and thanks for your nice comment. I have a second pickled eggs recipe that uses yellow chili peppers and plan to do another one someday soon. Thanks again!
With jalapeños (not spicy) pretty bland. With serranos, better. With habanero the best.
OMG! These are so good. I had to make them again. They are seriously addictive! The flavor is so good. When I first made these I was thinking they might be weird, but not at all.
Getting ready to try this, but I have a question. Is there a way for me to can the eggs using this recipe? I mean by heating mason jars and add the eggs, hot vinegar mix and allowing them to cool and seal.
Hey Steve! I would strongly advise to not can pickled eggs at home. Here is some information on safety pickled eggs that you might want to read over! https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_06/pickled_eggs.html
Theses are fun ! and good to experiment with as fa as what to add 3rd batch on the way!
Kicked it up a notch added serrano peppers, some garlic olives roasted garlic, cocktail onions, and a bit of sage and rosemary. We shall see! Tip wash hands well after cutting the peppers the oils will burn!
Sounds great Chris! Excellent additions...
These look delicious! I love anything pickled. Especially with a little spicy kick.
Pickled things are the best...I think this recipe is now one the most popular ones on my site, I had no idea people would go crazy for pickled eggs. Thanks Laura.
My husband loves pickled eggs! He's going to go crazy for these ones!
Amy, thanks so much for your comment. Pickled eggs are so dang easy, I now have a couple of recipe that people really love and I am planning on some new flavors. Hope you whip up a batch, they are easy and a great snack!
Made a batch with a few modifications.
1. Used Habenero Peppers instead of Jalapeno
2. Replaced 2 of the cups of water with a 12oz dark beer.
Whoa what a great idea! Sounds very interesting modifications. They will be spicy and it will have a deep flavor. Funny one of my favorite recipes for Turkey Chili I use an English Pub Style dark beer and people always ask what my secret is, and dark beer is my secret! Thanks for your comment S Wolf!