A mouthwatering and stunning pickled deviled eggs recipe. These gorgeous beet-pickled deviled eggs turn egg whites into a rosy shade of pink for the happiest, prettiest, and best deviled eggs you'll ever enjoy. The perfect snack or delicious appetizer for a crowd.
If you are looking for more egg recipes be sure to check out my ‘Perfect Jammy Eggs' and for more pickling ideas, don't miss out on my Pink Peppercorn Pickled Swiss Chard Stems! They are as tasty as they are pretty to look at.
I've hosted Easter a few times, but typically my mom claims the holiday. The years I hosted I played with the menu, celebrating spring and whatever culinary whim I was excited about at the moment.
But no matter what two traditional items have to be on our Easter table; my Mom's homemade Paska (Easter bread) and pickled eggs.
Easter breakfast always consists of a thick slice of fluffy, slightly sweet, raisin bread (Paska) with a generous smear of softened butter and a sprinkle of sea salt, accompanied by 1 or 2 perfectly pink pickled eggs (beet pickled).
I decided to take my family recipe for pickled eggs and amp it up – deviled eggs. Yes!
Luscious gorgeous, once you pop you can't stop, pickled deviled eggs.
Let me back up.
What is a pickled egg and why the heck do I eat them?
I asked my Mom where the recipe came from and she had no idea, her mom made pickled eggs, so she made pickled eggs. That's how the story goes 😉
Pickled eggs were traditionally served as a bar snack, sometimes yellow mustard pickled (giving the egg whites a yellow hue) or beet pickled (like these gorgeous pink babies). I assume they are of Eastern European origin, my Mom is Hungarian and Russian, but I honestly don't know.
Wherever pickled eggs came from or how they became a tradition in my family is somewhat irrelevant. What is important? That you make these beauties and understand how crazy town delicious they are!
Slightly sweet and tart, then paired with a creamy deviled egg center. It's seriously outrageously delicious.
You are going to love this recipe
Show-stopping color – This egg is dressed to impress. Not only do these eggs taste amazing, but they also look incredible on the serving platter. Who doesn't like the sound of adoration and impressed guests when they bring a dish to the table?
A little bit healthier – In this case, healthier is just a bonus byproduct of this recipe but sometimes that's the best way to get healthier choices incorporated, by default of deliciousness. Protein, healthy fat, a little antioxidant boost from the beets, all good stuff!
Let's get cooking!
Ingredients:
- Eggs – I prefer organic eggs, always but certainly use whatever is available to you
- Canned sliced beets **See notes for fresh beet option** – The beet brine from the canned beets will provide the color that the eggs pickle in. Though you can use fresh beets and their boiling liquid, using the canned sliced option is the easiest way.
- Apple cider vinegar – To pickle anything you need acid. I use apple cider vinegar as it retains some sweetness from the apples.
- Sugar – Sugar rounds out the edges of the acid to create a pleasing balanced flavor.
- Whole black peppercorns – These impart just the right amount of fruity peppery zip. Most pickling spice contains peppercorns, but I like additional.
- Pickling spice – pickling spice usually consists of allspice, cardamom, bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, mustard seeds, ginger, and peppercorns. These spices stand up well because they are usually whole or in seed form. Together they impart the pickling brine with a robust spicy and sometimes sweet flavor note.
- Butter – The secret ingredient. Butter builds the body and texture of the deviled egg mixture for a lusciousness that can't be beaten.
- Mayonnaise – There is no real deviled egg without the mayonnaise. When you think about it, mayonnaise is essentially whipped egg yolks. Mayo brings the fluff and creaminess to the mix.
- Dijon mustard – an additional zip for the deviled eggs
- Fresh chives -for garnish – The green of the chive is a beautiful combination with the pink and yellow egg.
How to make this recipe
Even once Easter is behind us I would still make these all spring and summer long. They are the perfect way to add a unique flavor to a party, summer barbecues, or any celebration. So the next time you are getting ready to make a batch of deviled eggs, think pink, think pickled. You won't regret it.
- Step One: Hard boil the eggs in a large pot on the stove top. Cook in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding the pot. Place eggs in an ice bath or set aside at room temperature to cool before peeling.
- Step Two. Make the pickling brine. Combine beet juice, apple cider vinegar, sugar, pickling spice, and black peppercorns in a medium saucepan. (I used canned beets and their juices because my mom told me to. You can use fresh, but honestly, organic canned (or jarred) beets make this process super easy.) Simmer for 5 minutes and allow to cool. Then add hard-boiled eggs. Allow the eggs to bathe in this pretty pink mixture for at least 24 hours but I prefer 3-4 days.
- Step Three: After a few days remove beets from brine, slice in half and add yolks to the bowl of a food processor.
- TIP: I keep the beet pickling liquid and add more hard boiled eggs.
- Step Four. To make deviled eggs, my recipe is pretty basic (deep expertise has taught me not to mess too much with this classic formula), except for one secret ingredient, butter. I know that sounds odd, but trust me, butter whipped into the egg yolks creates the best-deviled egg filling ever. Combine the yolks with the butter, mayonnaise, dijon, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is fluffy.
- Step five. Fill the pink and white halves with the deviled yolk mixture and garnish with the chopped chives and red onion from the brine. Enjoy.
Storing Pickled Deviled Eggs
- Assembled eggs can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Feel free to make these a day in advance but no longer as the color will start to look less appealing. Wait until you serve them to add your garnish.
- Pickled eggs that have not been cut open can live in their brine for up to 10 days. Be warned, they may not look as pretty as time passes.
Frequently Asked Questions:
7-10 days when stored properly in a clean, airtight container in the refrigerator. Store in a sanitized, wide-mouth glass jar with a tight-fitting lid in a fridge below thirty-nine degrees fahrenheit.
Lutein which is found in the yolks and in beets is valuable for eye health. Beets are also excellent for aiding in digestive health, detoxification, fighting inflammation, and lowering blood pressure.
No, pickled eggs will go bad if left unrefrigerated.
I can’t wait for you to try this! When you make it, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @abrapappa or use the hashtag #abraskitchen so I can feature your photo!
If you’ve tried this recipe, don’t forget to rate it and leave a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!
Beet Pickled Deviled Eggs
Ingredients
Pickled Eggs
- 1 dozen hard boiled eggs I use large eggs
- 2 cans organic sliced beets **See notes for fresh beet option**
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp whole black peppercorns
- 4 tbsp pickling spice
- 1 small red onion, sliced
Deviled Pickled Eggs
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- fresh chives
Instructions
- Combine all the liquid from canned or jarred beets (reserving the beets), apple cider vinegar, sugar, pickling spice, and black peppercorns to a medium saucepan. Bring to a slow simmer for 5 minutes, allowing all ingredients to combine. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Once beet liquid mixture is cool enough to touch add reserved sliced beets (I typically only use half of the beets and reserve the other half for a salad or other use), sliced onion, and peeled hard-boiled eggs.
- Transfer entire mixture to a large container (a mason jar or large glass bowl will do) and refrigerate for at least 24 hours or up to 7 days.
Deviled eggs
- Slice pickled eggs and remove yolk. Combine yolk, mayonnaise, dijon, butter, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until well combined and fluffy.
- Fill egg halves with yolk mixture and top with sliced chives. Optional, you can also garnish with the pickled onions from the mixture.
Notes
- To use fresh beets: Scrub 1lb fresh red beets, add to a pot and cover with water. Boil until tender, about 30-50 minutes (depending on size of beets). Remove beets from water and when cool enough to handle slice and reserve. Continue with recipe, do not throw away the beet cooking liquid, this will be your base for the pickled eggs.
