Classic Deviled Eggs
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A classic deviled eggs recipe with a creamy, fluffy filling that you can dress up any way you like.
Deviled eggs are a classic party food, and there are countless variations to try. But the key to making perfect deviled eggs is all in the technique. In this recipe, I’ll show you how to hard-boil the eggs properly and then pass the yolks through a fine sieve for a creamy and fluffy filling. From there, you can add your favorite toppings— herbs, bacon, sriracha, crabmeat, toasted panko, or all of the above—to give the eggs some extra pizzazz. This is my go-to deviled egg recipe, and I hope you’ll love it too.
What you’ll need To Make Deviled Eggs
The classic filling for deviled eggs is made from egg yolks mashed with mayonnaise and spicy or zesty seasonings such as mustard, pepper, vinegar, and cayenne. In the old days, these seasonings were referred to as “deviling” agents, and dishes that were prepared with them were called “deviled” dishes.
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin, place the eggs in a medium saucepan and fill the pan with enough water so that it covers the eggs by about an inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes.
Place the hard-boiled eggs in a bowl of cold water to cool (I usually just use the saucepan). Tap each egg on the counter to crack the shell, then peel under cold running water.
Slice the eggs in half lengthwise, remove the yolks, and place them in a small bowl. Arrange the whites on a serving platter, gently wiping them clean if necessary. Using a spatula, push the egg yolks through a fine sieve.
This breaks up the yolks, making them easier to incorporate with the other ingredients. You’ll be amazed at the difference this step makes — you’ll have no lumps and the creamiest, fluffiest filling. (You can also mix the yolks with the other filling ingredients — minus the herbs — in a food processor for a similar result.)
Combine the yolks with the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepper, sugar, cayenne pepper, and herbs.
Mix until smooth, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
Fill a piping bag fitted with an open-star or large plain tip with the yolk mixture. Then pipe the yolk mixture evenly into the egg white halves. (For a less fussy preparation, simply spoon the yolk mixture into the egg white halves.)
Sprinkle with paprika and more fresh herbs, then serve and enjoy!
You may also like
- Sriracha Deviled Eggs
- Cheddar and Herb Cheese Straws
- Spicy Maple Candied Bacon
- Gougères (French Cheese Puffs)
Classic Deviled Eggs
A classic deviled eggs recipe with a creamy, fluffy filling that you can dress up any way you like.
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellman’s, Best Foods or Duke’s
- 1½ teaspoons cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
- ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon sugar
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped mixed herbs, such as chives, parsley, dill or tarragon, plus more for serving
- Paprika, for serving
Instructions
- Place the eggs in a medium saucepan and fill the pan with enough water so that it covers the eggs by about an inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes. Place the hard-boiled eggs in a bowl of cold water to cool (I usually just use the saucepan).
- Once cool, tap each egg on the counter to crack the shell, then peel under cold running water. Slice the eggs in half lengthwise, remove the yolks, and place them in a small bowl. Arrange the whites on a serving platter, gently wiping them clean if necessary. Using a spatula, push the egg yolks through a mesh sieve, then mash with the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepper, sugar, cayenne pepper, and herbs. (Passing the yolks through a sieve makes them much easier to mash without getting lumps but if you don’t want to bother, you can mix the yolks with the other filling ingredients - minus the herbs - in a food processor.) Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
- Fill a piping bag fitted with an open-star or large plain tip with the yolk mixture. (Alternatively, fill a sealable plastic bag with the yolk mixture, and use your hand to gently push the mixture to one corner of the bag. Use scissors to snip off the tip of the corner, opening up a ¼–in [6-mm] hole.) Pipe the yolk mixture evenly into the egg white halves. (For a less fussy preparation, simply spoon the yolk mixture into the egg whites.) Sprinkle with paprika and more fresh herbs.
- Make-Ahead: The whole eggs can be cooked and stored whole in the refrigerator several days ahead of time. The empty egg halves and filling mixture can be refrigerated separately, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature and taste and adjust seasoning if necessary before filling. The eggs should be filled as close to serving time as possible.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (12 servings)
- Serving size: 1 filled egg half
- Calories: 58
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 0g
- Sugar: 0g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 3g
- Sodium: 62mg
- Cholesterol: 81mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Thank you for this recipe! It was so easy and delicious! Next time I will use a french star tip or an open star. I didn’t think and just grabbed a closed star tip and some of the herbs “clogged” parts of the tip so it wasn’t as pretty as I had planned. But they all got devoured nonetheless.
Best recipe! Added bacon pieces to top! Perfect recipe. Thank you
I made these for a neighbors birthday party. They were gone in minutes! Delicious! Thanks, Jenn!
These are delicious! I added a little Dijon mustard and a little more salt. The mini food processor worked great — makes the filling really smooth and easy to pipe! To bring them to a friend’s party, I kept everything separate until I got to her house. I brought the filling already in a piping bag with a large star tip, and kept the whites in a plastic container. I brought my own platter, some watercress as a base for the platter, the chopped herbs, and paprika. It was really fast and easy to pipe in the filling and put everything together. That way the eggs were fresh and pretty, and I didn’t have to worry about them getting smushed en route.
These are delicious and the fluffy texture is nice !
Made these for Easter brunch (along with Jenn’s Maple Candied Bacon-highly recommend). They came out really well. I did not use a sieve, rather added everything to a food processor and mixed. By accident, I added the herbs to the food processor but taste-wise it came out great. One problem I encountered was that my food processor is big and it wasn’t mixing well enough. A smaller food processor would have worked. I added a little water and that seemed to do the trick. Many were commenting on the herbs and how tasty they were.
I sure did something wrong. I learned a few things….first, older eggs are not what you use, very hard to peel. I did the boil wait 10 minute gig, and egs were soft boiled and whites marginally cooked. Did that twice, no go, reboiled another 5 min then much more manageable. So I have not really cooked the eggs properly. They were all scarfed in about 5 minutes though.
Any thoughts on why no cook? Maybe let warm to room temp first? The herb mix in was awesome, and your picture has dill in it, try that next time.
Hi Doug, Sorry to hear it took a few attempts to get these cooked to the right level of doneness! I don’t think you need to let them come to room temperature; there’s always some variation in stoves, so if you found that you needed that additional 5 minutes to get them right, I’d just stick with that.
Hi, Jenn. I live at 6500 ft elevation. How long would you let the eggs sit in the hot water at this elevation? I don’t know that 10 minutes will cut it. Thanks!
Hi Kathleen, Thanks for your note. I don’t have experience cooking at high altitudes so, unfortunately, I don’t have any wisdom to share – I’m sorry! You may find these tips helpful though.
Hi, I have a question – I want to make Old Bay deviled eggs – should I just replace maybe the cayenne and black pepper? Or are there other elements of the yolk mixture that would be overwhelming alongside Old Bay or wouldn’t taste right with it?
(I know your recipe will be good – you are a hero in this house because everything we have made from your blog has been amazing.)
Hi Anne, thanks for your nice words–so glad you like the recipes! I think these would be fine with Old Bay and would replace the cayenne and black pepper as well as the salt (as Old Bay contains salt). You can adjust the seasoning and add more salt if necessary before you fill the egg whites. Hope that helps!
I followed your tip and used a sieve for the yolks and it was worth the effort. Halfway through the process I switched from the spatula to a pestle and it was easier and quicker. Thanks for another perfected recipe with the perfect balance of flavors.
Hi Jenn, I am cooking these for a party of 110 among other things.. How many eggs would you suggest? How early can I boil the eggs and is there a prep recommendation for this? I am trying to prepare what I can as early as possible.
Hi Justine, It’s honestly hard to say how many of these you should prepare as it really depends on how many other things you’ll be serving. You can boil the eggs up to a couple of days ahead of time and could prepare and refrigerate mayo mixture that gets mixed with the egg yolks in order to cut down on the steps right before the event. Hope that helps!
I consider myself to be a snobbish “Deviled Egg” connoisseur. These are by far the best I have ever made and/or have had. Thank you for sharing….
Love your recipe, thanks! I have found that eggs, even fresh eggs, cooked on low pressure in a pressure cooker for 4 minutes with a 5-minute pressure release time are easy to peel! I learned this method from Laura Pazzaglia’s book “Hip Pressure Cooking”.
Any peeling tip is gratefully considered here, I am the Loser Peeler.
Hi Doug, I know this can be a frustrating process! I find I have the best luck if I gently crack the eggs all over and then peel them under running water.
Hi Jenn,
First of all, big fan here! I don’t have whole grain mustard so am planning to sub Dijon. Would I need to make any adjustments in the mustard or vinegar measurements?
Thanks,
Hi Kathy! No need to make any changes – Dijon should work fine. 🙂
STOP READING REVIEWS & MAKE THESE EGGS NOW!!!
These deviled-eggs are SHOW-STOPPERS! EVERY SINGLE EGG WAS EATEN!!!!
Guests stopped me to compliment the deviled egg, and many said that these were the best deviled eggs they ever ate!! THANKS JEN!!!!
I’m an experienced home cook but only made deviled eggs 1x.
The egg filling was really delicious, with a good amount of kick & made you want to go back for seconds & thirds.
Hosted an annual New Year’s Day bash for 35, and quadrupled the recipe. Definitely appreciative of the great advice in the cookbook about cooking ahead but keeping the filling separate from the egg whites. I also chopped my decorative herbs a day ahead & put that in a snack ziplock bag – Worked like a charm!
NEW TO DEVILED EGGS? Here is a tip:
Followed recipe exactly. The only thing for me that I struggled with was consistently/easily getting the shell off the egg so I lost some egg …because 2-3 egg halves ripped in half. My eggs were probably too fresh – so user error, but the SUGGESTION FOR NEWBIES is BOIL MORE EGGS THAN YOU NEED!! 😀 then you’ll definitely have enough of the pretty white egg halves to serve, especially if you wanted to have say, at least X number of pieces.
For those who LOVE bacon – check out Jen’s cookbook she has a variation with candied bacon. Believe it or not, a lot of my guests don’t eat bacon (what?? I know!) so this was a great variation that everyone could enjoy.
This is now my go-to deviled egg recipe. My dear, sweet other half insists that I make these whenever I plan to make deviled eggs for a gathering. I use a small food processor to blend and smooth the yolks and most other ingredients and stir in herbs as a last step. You simply must make these eggs!
What is a good substitute for mayonnaise in this case? I have been wanting to learn making deviled eggs but if I can avoird purchasing mayonnaise that would be superb. (Also I would like to note that the best Deviled eggs I have had were made sans the mayo but I never learned what was subbed instead!)
Hi Kat, One reader mentioned they used tzatziki in place of the mayo and were happy with the result. Hummus may work here too or you could try greek yogurt (but they will be more tart with greek yogurt). Hope that helps!
Adding 1 tsp of prepared horseradish gives this dish a zesty flavor layer. For those who hate mayo, try substituting tzatziki.
What a great technique for making deviled eggs! The filling is delicious and smooth. I used Smoked Paprika on top and the results were outstanding.
I followed it exactly since I wanted easy peel! And it worked! The sieve made the filling so creamy. Thank you Jen! We serve this at Christmas.
This recipe is fantastic as is – will definitely be making again!
My husband really liked these, and the egg boiling and peeling techniques worked perfectly, good recipe. Watch your pour on the apple cider though, you can taste it in the filling.
I love this recipe. It was amazing. Will definitely make again and again.
How far in advance can these be made? Could I make them a day ahead? How should they be stored?
Hi Eva, The whole eggs can be cooked and stored whole in the refrigerator several days ahead of time. The empty egg halves and filling mixture can be refrigerated separately, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature and taste and adjust seasoning if necessary before filling. The eggs should be filled as close to serving time as possible.
I have only made deviled eggs with pickles, etc. and they were so so. These, with the addition of using the fine sieve were perfection. I added dill only. I did learn to use older eggs for easy peeling.
Hi Jennifer,
Which herbs are in the photo? Inquiring minds want to know. Thanks!
Hi Susan, I used dill, tarragon, parsley and chives. ?
Another great recipe – similar to deviled egg recipes from the past but better! This will be my new “go to” recipe for deviled eggs. A hit at Easter dinner!
Tried these today since I had so much leftover boiled eggs from Easter. Everyone really liked them! Easy to make and delicious; another great recipe!
Hi Jenn, I made these for Easter yesterday and topped them with smoked ham. They were wonderful and gobbled up in a flash! Thank you for the tip on the sieve — it really did make the filling nice and smooth.
Hi Jennifer,
My husband hates mayonnaise and vinegar! If I substitute strained lemon juice for the vinegar, do you have a suggestion for a mayonnaise substitute? Maybe humus? I know this will not be traditional deviled eggs but maybe it will be tasty anyway.
Hi Helane, hummus could work here or you could try greek yogurt (although they will be more tart with greek yogurt).