Last Updated June 19th, 2023 at 12:34 pm by Lisa
Tavern Bar Style Pickled Eggs are a popular bar food served for hundreds of years to hungry patrons. These spicy eggs get their bright cheery yellow color from chili peppers, turmeric, and pickling spice. This fun easy pickled egg recipe can be a healthy snack, appetizer, or cold hors d'oeuvres.
These are similar to the wildly popular ones served at Joe Jost's pub in Long Beach, California for over a century. People flock there to get this dive bar staple, with schooners of icy cold beer, pretzels, and a sandwich...
How To Make Tavern Bar Pickled Eggs
Germany gets the original credit for quick pickled eggs. The recipe made its way into the United States as a popular way to attract tavern customers in bars. It was common to see this famous bar food on the back counter of a tavern bar for customers to eat while they sipped on a cold beer or a drink.
A perfect pickled egg recipe starts with the highest quality cage-free organic fresh eggs from local grocery stores. If you raise chickens, this is a great way to use up a lot of eggs! Collect dozens of eggs, and make a batch of the best pickled eggs ever.
Be sure to use clean large jars for this old fashioned pickled egg recipe. Mason jars can be used for leftover small eggs or a few extra ones that don't fit into the big jar.
Start by loading the peeled hard boiled eggs and jar of yellow chili peppers with their liquid into your large glass jar.
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- 12 hard boiled eggs - see below for my easy peel tips! 🥚🥚🥚
- 1 jar 12 ounces yellow chili peppers (and their liquid) Mezzetta brand
Next, Make The Pickling Liquid
Bring to a boil...
- 4 cups of water
- 4 cups distilled white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons pickling spice
- 1 teaspoon turmeric (optional) gives a pretty yellow color!
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
- BOIL METHOD 1: Place eggs in a large deep pan, and cover with enough water. people add a splash of vinegar or dash of baking soda to the water and say it helps them peel! Bring to a full boil, then turn off the heat. Put a lid on your pot, and let rest for at least 20 minutes.
- STEAM METHOD 2 (MY GO-TO FAVORITE WAY!): Make sure your vegetable steamer basket fits in your large pot. Put a good 1 inch of water in a large pot and bring the cold water to a boil over high heat which takes about 6 minutes. Place the steamer basket in the pot and all 12 eggs on the steamer basket. Cover the pot, and set the timer for 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, move them to a bowl filled halfway with ice water. Note: This method is MUCH faster as you don't have to wait for a large pot of water to boil, and these are much easier to peel, try it out!
- Peel all the shells off, and place eggs in a large clean jar. I use a clamp-style 2-quart large jar. Next, pour the 12 oz jar of Hot Yellow Chili Peppers with their pickling mixture into your large glass jar on top.
- In a large saucepan, add the white vinegar, water, pickling spice, sugar, turmeric, and sea salt. Heat the pickling solution to just boiling, and then turn off the heat to stop the cooking process.
- Carefully pour the hot brine solution over the hard-boiled eggs and chili peppers. Wait for the jar contents of peeled eggs, yellow peppers with their juice, and vinegar brine liquid to cool, with the jar open for about one hour. Then place the closed jar in the refrigerator.
- Wait about 7 days, and they are ready to eat!
- Always keep these cold in the refrigerator, and eat within one month.
PRO TIP: Keep in mind, that there is no proper canning technique for home pickled eggs that is food safe. You can safely pickle them with this preservation method. Always keep them refrigerated, and eat them within a month if they last that long!
PRO TIP: The Steam Method is MUCH faster as you don't have to wait for a large pot of water to boil, and the eggs seem so much easier to peel, try it out!
How To Make Pickling Spice
This spice mix adds to the flavor of the brine!
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon dill seed
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tablespoon whole allspice berries
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper chili flakes
- 5 dry bay leaves (crush each bay leaf with your fingers)
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns black, pink, white, or mixed is fine
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
- In a small bowl, combine all your pickling spices.
- Keep your pickling Spice in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, and use it within 6 months.
Pickled Eggs FAQ
Keep them refrigerated in the jar for about 7 days so the flavor improves, then enjoy.
Yes, always keep pickled eggs cold in the refrigerator, and eat them within one month of making them at home.
According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, there are no home canning directions for pickled eggs. They can be made at home but must be stored in the refrigerator for a short limited time of a month for food safety.
Pickled eggs should never be kept at room temperature, except for when you serve a few of them to eat, and should always be kept chilled below 40 degrees in the refrigerator, and limited to no more than 2 hours at room temperature danger zone of 40 to 140 degrees F.
Food historians know that pickled eggs were widely made and eaten by Germans as early as the mid-1700s. Pickling has been a food preservation method for centuries to preserve food harvested for eating later in time of need or during the winter months.
It is believed that they were a popular food with German immigrants, and that is how they came to America.
The traditional method is simple with salt and pepper. You can serve them with cold beer, pretzels, or other drinks.
Add them chopped into an egg salad sandwich, and slice onto a cold salad, or make some pickled deviled eggs, they have an amazing sour taste!
One of the best local bars in Southern California by the water is Joe Jost's in Long Beach. And it is famous for its easy classic pickled eggs recipe! They are served with an icy cold mug of beer, sprinkled with fresh cracked pepper, pretzel sticks, and a sandwich.
Joe Jost’s is a Long Beach institution, open since 1924 and one of the oldest continually operated taverns west of the Mississippi River.
More Hardboiled Egg Recipes
Steam Hard Boiled Eggs is a total game changer! It takes just 12 minutes and they peel perfectly every single time.
Make a jar of these old-fashioned deli-style Jalapeno Pickled Eggs using jalapenos, garlic, and pickling spice. A healthy protein-packed snack ready in 7 days right in your kitchen. Seven-Layer Salad also known as an overnight salad or "7 Layer Salad", is a colorful party food recipe that serves large groups for picnics, potlucks, cookouts, or as a BBQ side.
Here is a collection of all my recipes to use up Hard Boiled Eggs. 🥚🥚🥚
Each one looks like a little spring basket of Easter eggs. these Easter Deviled Eggs have fresh herbs and edible flower garnish. Serve these fancy easy appetizers for Easter dinner or brunch, or a Spring baby, bridal shower, or celebration.
The BEST Macaroni Pasta Salad recipe with chopped eggs, pickles, and PICKLE JUICE! A favorite old-fashioned recipe loved by all. Serve Christmas Deviled Eggs with bubbly Champagne or drinks at your holiday party. These Christmas appetizers are gorgeous for the holidays. Thanksgiving Deviled Eggs are an easy party food idea. Gorgeous Fall color, garnished with sage and thyme to celebrate the season.
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Tavern Bar Style Pickled Eggs Recipe
Ingredients
Put In The Glass Jar
- 12 boiled eggs (cage free/organic)
- 1 jar 12 ounces yellow chili peppers (and their liquid) Mezzetta brand is what I used
Pickling Liquid
- 4 cups water
- 4 cups distilled white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons pickling spice
- 1 teaspoon turmeric (optional) gives a pretty yellow color
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
Instructions
- BOIL METHOD 1: Place eggs in a large deep pan, cover with enough water. people add a splash of vinegar or dash of baking soda to the water and say it helps them peel! Bring to a full boil, then turn off the heat. Put a lid on your pot, and let rest for at least 20 minutes.
- STEAM METHOD 2: Make sure your veggie steamer basket fits in your large pot. Put a good 1 inch of water in a large pot and bring the cold water to a boil over high heat which takes about 6 minutes. Place the steamer basket in the pot and all 12 eggs on the steamer basket. Cover the pot, and set the timer for 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, move the hard boiled eggs to a bowl filled halfway with ice water. Note: This method is MUCH faster as you don't have to wait for a large pot of water to boil, and they are much easier to peel, try it out!
- Peel all the shells off, and place eggs in a large clean jar. I use a clamp-style 2-quart large jar. Next, pour the 12 oz jar of Hot Yellow Peppers with their pickling mixture into your large glass jar on top.
- In a large saucepan, add the white vinegar, water, pickling spice, sugar, turmeric, and sea salt. Heat the pickling solution to just boiling, and then turn off the heat to stop the cooking process.
- Carefully pour the hot brine solution over the hard-boiled eggs and chili peppers. Wait for the jar contents of peeled eggs, yellow peppers with their juice, and vinegar brine liquid to cool, with the jar open for about one hour. Then place the closed jar in the refrigerator.
- Wait about 7 days, and they are ready to eat!
- Always keep these pickled eggs cold in the refrigerator, eat within one month.
I tried your recipe and put my own twist on it adding two cloves of Garlic and one jalapeno to each jar , Amazing Spicy flavor . Thanks for the recipe.
What volumes do you use? You say you use a 2 qt jar, but you have 8 cups (2 qts) pickling solution plus 12 eggs plus 12 fl oz of peppers. It definitely doesn't fit in a 2 qt jar. I did 3 cups water + 3 cups vinegar and it just fit in 3 one qt jars. Maybe remove the water from the recipe?
Hi Brian! The recipe explains you will have some pickling liquid left over. I did that on purpose because people use different size eggs. Hope that helps. What's important is the eggs are below the pickling liquid while refrigerated, happy pickling!
Wonderful post to make a new flavor of pickled eggs, they are fantastic!
Where can I get the “dipper” you use to get the eggs out of the jar?
Hey Paul,
Got it at a vintage flea market near my hometown....
This is my second time making these and I find there’s enough for two jars. I just cook an extra dozen eggs and add another jar of the hot peppers. I cook my eggs in the instant pot using the 5-5-5 method and they’re ready in no time and peel without any effort. Great recipe.
Can't wait to try this recipe. Bet it'll make great pickled egg salad too! One question......how much turmeric is needed? Thanks!!
Larry, I am so excited you love the recipe and are going to make these pickled eggs, use 1 teaspoon tumeric! Sorry I just fixed the recipe so now it is correct. Enjoy and let us know how they turn out?!
You've convinced me! I have to try these. They look weirdly delicious. Thanks for sharing.
They are always a hit! Great way to use up eggs too.
So easy to make these and they are so flavorful! Perfect for snacks. They remind me so much of the pickled eggs in a jar you saw on the deli counter. Or at the local butcher!