Popular at taverns across Wisconsin, bar pickled eggs are an easy and delicious hard boiled snack. This recipe is great to enjoy as written, or can be easily customized to fit your tastes.
Bar Pickled Eggs
Bar pickled eggs are quite simply pickled eggs commonly served in taverns around the world. These are particularly popular in Wisconsin where German immigrants brought their love of beer and penchant for pickling in the 1800's.
There are as many styles of bar pickled eggs as there are imaginations. Eggs are easily adapted to a large number of flavor profiles, and as such, pickling recipes are easily customized. My recipe features pickling spices, onion and garlic in a vinegar brine balanced with sugar.
Why do people eat pickled eggs at bars?
Eggs were traditionally pickled for preservation reasons, making them an attractive ready-made snack for bar owners looking to keep patrons in their seats. Once pickled, they can quickly be grabbed and served to customers with no cooking or cleanup. Plus, the tangy punch of vinegar in each bite ensures bar guests keep swigging down the beer.
How to Pickle Eggs
The easiest way to pickle eggs is with a vinegar brine. My recipe uses white vinegar cut back with a cup of water, and sugar to soften the flavor. I use an adaption of my homemade pickling spice as the primary flavoring along with sliced onions and minced garlic.
The recipe is quick and easy to make. Vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and pickling spices get simmered in a saucepan until the salt and sugar has dissolved. This brine is then cooled in the refrigerator and hard boiled eggs, onion slices, and garlic are added to it and left to sit for a week.
How to customize this recipe
Everything can be changed in this recipe. Use cider vinegar instead of white, or in combination with it. Onion and garlic can be added or omitted. For a spicier twist you can also add fresh jalapenos, or your favorite spicy pepper. In the past I have even added ghost pepper hot sauce. The pickling spices can even be modified to add more of your favorite flavors and less of those you dislike.
How to make hard boiled eggs
The easiest way to make hard boiled eggs is setting them in a pot of cold water filled one inch above the eggs. Turn the heat on high and bring to a boil then immediately shut off the heat. Let the eggs sit for 14 minutes. They are now hard boiled, shock them in ice water to cool them and then peel. For more detailed tips and tricks check out my tutorial on How to Boil Eggs.
More uses for hard boiled eggs
Hard boiled eggs are great to keep on hand because there are a million uses for them. Use any extra hard boiled eggs in these great recipes:
Bar Pickled Eggs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 hard boiled eggs (peeled and cooled)
- 3 cups white vinegar
- 1 cup water
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
Pickling Spice
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 1 ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon allspice berries
- 2 bay leaves (crumbled)
- 1 inch cinnamon sticks (crushed or broken into pieces)
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
- Add vinegar, water, sugar, salt, garlic and pickling spices to a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until sugar and salt has dissolved. Approximately 5 minutes. Cool the brine in the refrigerator.
- Add eggs to quart jars, or container of your choice and add brine (including pickling seasonings and garlic) to each jar to fill. Any extra brine can be discarded. Store in the refrigerator for at least a week before enjoying.
Stephen Warren
Great recipe for pickled eggs. I chose to omit the spices but kept the garlic and bay leaf. I am looking forward to adding a pinch of hot Chile peppers to my next batch.
I find the longer the eggs linger the better the taste, however; the eggs become more rubber like texture.
Loraine
Pickled Eggs remind me of the pubs in England
Carl S
This pickled egg recipe tastes exactly how I remember bar eggs tasting in my youth 30 years ago. Thank you so much for sharing.
Garret
It’d be fun to ask the Guinness World Book people to find out if that batch is still good.
Loyce McGee
In my younger days, I visited many bars of Oklahoma. And on every bar was a gallon jug of pickled eggs Beef flavored. Their secret was using the juice of mini beef sausages. I wonder if substituting beef broth for the water would accomplish close to the same taste. Worth a try. 🙂
carmen
That opens up a whole world of possibilities! Thanks for the great idea! I'm thinking soy sauce, teriyaki, curry and I could go on...thank you Loyce!
Ron Osborne
Try adding approx. 2 cups of pickled beets juice to the brine. It makes this these beautiful purple boiled eggs and imparts a little sweet, beet flavor as well!!