Marinated Barbecue Eggs Are The Southern Creation Your Kitchen Needs

What do country stores, barbecue joints, and your grandpa's favorite dive bar all have in common? They are just a few places where you might find pickled eggs, a snack enjoyed in the US since the Revolutionary War thanks to German immigrants. But why settle for a simple pickled egg, or even a bright magenta egg pickled in beet juice (an Appalachian favorite, especially in the springtime), when you could opt for a barbecue pickled egg instead? One TikTok user even went as far as to call the savory snacks "a barbecue staple" in Kentucky, and it's also a great way to use leftover hard-boiled eggs. 

There are a few different ways to make barbecue pickled eggs, including cold-smoking peeled hard-boiled eggs before pickling, but this is the simplest version: Peel hard-boiled eggs, place them in a jar, cover them with a bottle of vinegar-based barbecue sauce, and let it sit in the fridge for one or two days before eating (via Facebook). If you don't have vinegar-based barbecue sauce, mix your favorite sauce with some vinegar, and use that as the brine.

Whether you have a jar of homemade eggs that were marinated in bottled barbecue sauce or eggs pickled in a traditional Monroe County, Kentucky-style barbecue "dip" made with spicy vinegar (a popular side dish, along with cole slaw), you can do more with your eggs than eat them from the jar. Because they're infused with flavor, barbecue pickled eggs add an extra kick to classic dishes like deviled eggs, egg salad, potato salad, and even Scotch eggs. They'll certainly liven up any salad, from a simple chef's salad to a classic Nicoise salad recipe.

Though big plastic barrels of pickled eggs sitting unrefrigerated on gas station counters might be a common sight throughout the South, the National Center for Home Food Preservation cautions that home-pickled eggs stored at room temperature can contain botulism toxins. They recommend sterilizing pickling containers and keeping the eggs refrigerated at all times. The good news? Once your eggs are in the brine and placed in the refrigerator, they should be safe to eat for at least 3 to 4 months, giving you the potential for weeks of snacks — if you can resist eating the entire jar.