Amish Pickled Beet and Egg Salad

Imperial October 12, 2026October 12, 2026

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

Yield: 6 side-dish servings
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Cooling Time: 30 minutes
Marinating Time: 24 hours
Total Time: 25 hours 45 minutes, including cooling and marinating

Quick Ingredients

1 pound fresh red beets, approximately 4 small beets
6 large eggs
1 small yellow onion, 4 ounces, thinly sliced
1 cup apple cider vinegar, labeled 5% acidity
1 cup reserved beet cooking liquid
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cinnamon stick, approximately 3 inches long
4 whole cloves and 6 whole allspice berries
6 cups water for cooking the beets, plus water for boiling and cooling the eggs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, optional, for serving

Do This

1. Cover the scrubbed beets with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 40 minutes, until tender. Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid.
2. Meanwhile, bring the eggs to a boil in water. Cover, remove from the heat, and let stand for 12 minutes. Cool in ice water for 5 minutes.
3. Simmer the vinegar, reserved beet liquid, sugar, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.
4. Peel the beets and cut into 1/4-inch slices. Peel the eggs and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Thinly slice the onion.
5. Layer the beets, onion, and eggs in a nonreactive container. Remove the whole spices from the cooled brine and pour it over the salad.
6. Cover and refrigerate at 40°F or below for 24 hours, gently redistributing the brine once halfway through.
7. Lift the salad from the brine with a slotted spoon, arrange on a chilled platter, and garnish with dill if desired.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Beautiful color, simple ingredients: Red beets turn ordinary hard-boiled eggs into a striking magenta farmhouse salad.
A lovely balance of flavors: Earthy beets, tangy vinegar, gentle sweetness, and warm spices complement the rich eggs.
Perfect for making ahead: An overnight rest does the work, making this a convenient side for family dinners and gatherings.
Comforting and distinctive: This Amish-inspired preparation fits beautifully alongside roast chicken, ham, potatoes, or a simple sandwich lunch.

Grocery List

Produce: 1 pound small red beets, 1 small yellow onion, and fresh dill if desired.
Dairy: 6 large eggs, usually found near the dairy section; no milk or cheese is needed.
Pantry: Apple cider vinegar with 5% acidity, granulated sugar, fine sea salt, 1 cinnamon stick, whole cloves, and whole allspice.

Full Ingredients

For the Beet and Egg Salad

1 pound fresh red beets: Approximately 4 small beets, about 2 inches in diameter, scrubbed well.
6 cups water: For cooking the beets; add more if needed to cover them by 1 inch.
6 large eggs: Refrigerated until ready to cook.
Water and ice: Enough to boil the eggs and prepare an ice bath.
1 small yellow onion: About 4 ounces or 113 grams, peeled, halved, and cut into 1/8-inch slices.

For the Sweet-and-Sour Brine

1 cup apple cider vinegar: Use vinegar labeled 5% acidity.
1 cup reserved beet cooking liquid: Strained to remove any sediment.
1/2 cup granulated sugar: 100 grams.
1 teaspoon fine sea salt: Approximately 6 grams.
1 cinnamon stick: Approximately 3 inches long.
4 whole cloves.
6 whole allspice berries.

For Serving

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill: Optional, added just before serving.

Amish Pickled Beet and Egg Salad – Closeup

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Cook the beets until tender

Trim the beet greens, leaving about 1 inch of stem attached, and leave the root tips intact. Scrub the beets without peeling them. Place them in a saucepan with 6 cups water, adding more water if necessary to cover them by 1 inch.

Bring to a boil over high heat, allowing about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, partially cover, and cook for 40 minutes. A thin knife should slide into the center with little resistance. If the beets are larger or still firm, continue cooking in 5-minute increments until tender.

Before draining, measure out and strain 1 cup of the beet cooking liquid. Set the beets aside to cool enough to handle.

Step 2: Hard-boil and cool the eggs

While the beets cook, place the eggs in a separate saucepan in a single layer. Add cold water to cover them by 1 inch. Bring to a full boil over medium-high heat, then cover the pan and remove it from the heat. Let the eggs stand in the covered pan for 12 minutes.

Transfer the eggs immediately to a bowl of ice water and cool for 5 minutes. Peel carefully under a little running water, then refrigerate the peeled eggs while you finish preparing the brine.

Step 3: Make the spiced vinegar brine

Combine the apple cider vinegar, reserved beet cooking liquid, sugar, salt, cinnamon stick, cloves, and allspice in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve.

Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat. Let the brine cool for about 30 minutes, until it is no longer hot, preferably below 100°F. For faster cooling, set the saucepan in a bowl of ice water and stir occasionally. Strain out and discard the whole spices before assembling the salad.

Step 4: Slice the beets, onion, and eggs

When the beets are comfortable to handle, rub off their skins with a paper towel or your fingers. Trim away the stems and root tips. Cut the beets into 1/4-inch-thick slices; halve larger slices into half-moons.

Cut the onion into 1/8-inch-thick half-moons. Using a sharp knife, slice the peeled eggs crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Wipe the knife between cuts to keep the yolks neat.

Step 5: Combine the salad and brine

Arrange the beet slices and onion in a clean glass or food-safe plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. Nestle the egg slices among them, handling the eggs gently so the yolks stay in place.

Pour the cooled, strained brine over everything. Use a container that holds the ingredients snugly so the brine covers them. If needed, divide the salad between two smaller containers rather than diluting the brine with extra water.

Step 6: Refrigerate until beautifully magenta

Cover and refrigerate at 40°F or below for 24 hours. After 12 hours, gently tilt the sealed container to redistribute the brine, or carefully turn any exposed slices with a spoon. Avoid vigorous stirring, which can break up the eggs.

After 24 hours, the egg whites will be pink to magenta, the beets will taste pleasantly tangy, and the onions will have softened. For a deeper color and stronger pickled flavor, refrigerate for 48 hours before serving.

Step 7: Serve chilled

Use a slotted spoon to lift the beets, eggs, and onions from the brine. Arrange them on a chilled platter or in a shallow serving bowl, placing some egg slices on top so their colorful whites and golden yolks show.

Spoon 2 tablespoons of brine over the platter for a light, glossy finish. Sprinkle with the optional chopped dill and serve cold. This is a pickled salad, so it does not need mayonnaise or a separate dressing.

Pro Tips

Choose similarly sized beets: Small, evenly sized beets cook more predictably and make tidy slices.
Protect your cutting board: Beet juice stains easily. Use a washable board, and wear food-safe gloves if you prefer.
Cool the brine first: Pouring hot brine over sliced eggs can make the whites firmer and encourage the yolks to crumble.
Keep the spices gentle: Remove them after the short simmer so the cinnamon and cloves support the salad without overpowering it.
Handle the eggs last and lightly: Thick slices hold together better, and gentle handling keeps the finished platter attractive.

Variations

Canned-beet shortcut: Replace the fresh beets with two 15-ounce cans of plain sliced beets, drained. Reserve 1 cup of the packing liquid for the brine, adding water if necessary to reach 1 cup. Skip cooking and peeling the beets.
A sharper, less-sweet salad: Reduce the sugar from 1/2 cup to 1/3 cup, about 67 grams. Keep the vinegar and beet liquid unchanged.
Whole pickled eggs: Leave the peeled eggs whole and refrigerate them with the beets for 48 hours before slicing and serving. This makes the eggs easier to handle, though the color may remain lighter toward the center.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Make the salad 24 to 48 hours before serving for the best color and flavor. Keep it covered in its brine at 40°F or below, and use it within 4 days of assembly. If you prepare the eggs in advance, do not keep them longer than 7 days total from the day they were cooked.

Refrigerate the assembled salad promptly, and do not leave cooked eggs or the finished salad at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour when the temperature is above 90°F. Serve a small portion at a time and keep the remainder refrigerated.

This is a refrigerator recipe, not a shelf-stable canning recipe. Do not store it at room temperature or attempt to water-bath can it. Freezing is not recommended because the egg whites become rubbery. Discard leftover brine after the salad is finished rather than reusing it for another batch.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate values are based on one egg and one-sixth of the beets, onion, and brine, without the optional dill. Because most of the brine is left behind when serving, the actual sugar and sodium consumed will generally be lower.