My Mother-in-Law Makes This Pennsylvania Specialty Every Easter—But You’ll Want It Year-Round

When my now-husband and I started dating, I found it odd that his entire family gathered at one of his grandmothers’ houses every holiday for feasts of delicious dishes. Several decades later, though, I’m all-in on holiday food traditions like this even though I didn't grow up in a family that had them. My favorite dishes include my mother-in-law’s famous Burger Bundles and Crunchy Munchy Chicken—a recipe my husband’s Grandma Peters passed down to me on a hand-written note card when we got married.

Easter is one of the biggest food holidays for my husband’s Pennsylvania-based family. That’s when my mother-in-law makes several go-to specialties, including vibrant pickled eggs (great for putting leftover Easter eggs to good use). I recently text her asking how to make them and was surprised to find out she uses Allrecipes’ Pennsylvania-Dutch Pickled Beets and Eggs recipe. As a food writer who contributes to Allrecipes frequently, I was delighted my mother-in-law also turns to the site for some of her most tried-and-true holiday recipes.

What are Pennsylvania-Dutch Pickled Beets and Eggs?

It’s a common misconception that Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch people are the same. Pennsylvania Dutch people settled in the state from Germany in the 17th and 18th centuries and have a cooking style that reflects their German and Swiss heritage. In addition to classic foods like apple butter, scrapple, and shoofly pie, the Pennsylvania Dutch are known for beet-pickled eggs. 

These reddish-purple, hard-boiled eggs are pickled with beets for preservation and have a tangy, earthy, vinegary flavor that’s perfect for spring menus. Beet-pickled eggs are a little sweet and a little sour, and are great both on their own as a snack and as part of a relish tray on holidays like Easter. 

How to Make Pennsylvania-Dutch Pickled Beets and Eggs

These crave-worthy beet-pickled eggs are easy to make. Start by hard-boiling eight eggs, then run the cooked eggs under cold water to peel them. In a non-reactive container, place the peeled eggs, two 15-ounce cans of whole pickled beets with the juice reserved, and a chopped onion. In a saucepan, heat one cup of white sugar, the reserved beet juice, 3/4 cup cider vinegar, 12 whole cloves, two bay leaves, and salt and pepper until boiling. Reduce the heat and allow the mixture to simmer for five minutes.

Next, pour the hot liquid over the beets, eggs, and onions and allow everything to hang out, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 48 hours. Once the eggs, beets, and onions have marinated, it’s time to serve them. The eggs make a fresh and flavorful side dish, and the colors of the eggs and beets are perfect for Easter dinner. After all, what’s not to love about beautifully dyed Easter eggs you can eat without worrying about the peel?

Once your guests head home, use the leftovers to make Easter Egg Salad With Beets, or tuck the pickled mixture away in the fridge for a few months to snack on when you’re craving a sweet “candied” egg. 

What the Allrecipes Community Has to Say

My mother-in-law isn’t the only fan of Pennsylvania-Dutch Pickled Beets and Eggs.

• “Delicious! Just like my German Grandma used to make!” —John Evans
• “While growing up in Pennsylvania, this dish of pickled beets and eggs was always in the back of the fridge! Tastes like home!!” —DandyDish3132
• “I make this recipe exactly as written. It is my favorite pickled egg recipe. I call it “candied eggs” because of the sweet and slightly vinegary taste. I crave eggs this way when I haven’t had them in a while. The onions and beets are an extra treat!” —sammy

Get the recipe: Pennsylvania-Dutch Pickled Beets and Eggs