Deviled Eggs
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Devilishly delicious and endlessly customizable, deviled eggs are the ultimate crowd-pleasing starter. With my foolproof technique, they turn out perfect every time.
Deviled eggs are a timeless crowd-pleaser—they’re always the first appetizer to disappear at parties and picnics. The term “deviled” actually dates back to the 18th century, when it was used to describe boldly seasoned or spiced foods.
Of course, any great deviled egg starts with perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs, which is why I begin by sharing my foolproof method for making them just right. From there, we’ll whip up a deliciously creamy, fluffy filling that will have your guests coming back for seconds (or thirds!).
Deviled eggs are perfect for any occasion, whether it’s a casual get-together or a special occasion like Thanksgiving or Christmas. Serve them alongside other easy appetizers, like my cheese ball or bruschetta, or mix things up by adding different flavorings and seasoning—like my sriracha deviled eggs.
These stuffed eggs are a huge crowd-pleaser as an appetizer or light nibble at any gathering, so whip up a batch and watch them disappear in a flash!
“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.”
Ingredient Notes For Deviled Eggs
- Eggs: Large eggs are the major component to make this easy egg appetizer. After they’re hard-boiled, they’re cut in half, and the yolks are scooped out and used for the deviled egg filling.
- Mayonnaise: Provides creaminess and binds the filling together. Always use a high-quality brand, like Hellmann’s or Duke’s.
- Cider vinegar: Adds a tangy brightness to balance the richness of the yolks and mayonnaise. I prefer apple cider vinegar over white vinegar for its slightly milder flavor.
- Whole grain mustard: Contributes texture and a sharp, piquant flavor to the filling. Dijon will also work but avoid yellow mustard which doesn’t pack the same flavor punch.
- Worcestershire sauce: Adds depth with its savory, slightly tangy taste. To keep the recipe vegetarian, you can use a vegan Worcestershire sauce.
- Seasoning: Salt, freshly ground black pepper, sugar, cayenne pepper combine to enhance the flavor, add a bit of heat, and balance the sweetness.
- Fresh herbs: Finely chopped mixed herbs, such as chives, parsley, dill, or tarragon, contribute freshness, color, and aromatic flavors to the filling. You can even sprinkle some over your finished deviled eggs for an additional splash of color.
- Paprika: Our final garnish that color and a mild, sweet flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Photos
How to Make Perfect Boiled Eggs
Step 1: 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 with a lid, and let the eggs stand in the hot water for 10 minutes.
Step 2: After the 10 minutes have passed, place the hard-boiled eggs in a bowl of cold water to cool. I usually just use the saucepan and just run water into it until it cools and then let it sit. Once cool, tap each egg on the counter to crack the shell, then peel under cold running water.
How to Make the Deviled Egg Filling
Step 1: 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. Use a spatula to push the egg yolks through a fine sieve.
Step 2: Scrape it from the bottom of the sieve into your bowl. This step 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.
Step 3: Combine the mashed yolks with the mayo, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepper, sugar, cayenne pepper, and herbs in a medium bowl.
Step 4: Mix until the ingredients are evenly dispersed and the texture is smooth. At this point, give the filling a taste and adjust any of the seasonings to your own taste.
Assemble the Deviled Eggs
Step 1: 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. You can also simply spoon the yolk mixture into the egg white halves for a less fussy preparation if you prefer.
Step 2: Sprinkle the top of the eggs with paprika and more fresh herbs. Serve and enjoy!
Can I make deviled eggs ahead of time?
Not fully, but you can cook the whole eggs ahead of time and even make the filling. After cooking, store them whole in the refrigerator for several days ahead of time. If you want go a bit further, you can cut them in half and make the filling. 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.
deviled eggs pro tips
- Want to avoid green rings around your egg yolks? This green ring around the yolk results from overcooking the boiled eggs. It’s caused by a reaction between sulfur in the egg white and iron in the yolk. To prevent this, avoid overcooking your eggs by following the precise cooking time.
- Use a food processor. You can also mix the yolks with the other filling ingredients, minus the herbs, in a food processor. This method results in a similar texture to pressing the egg yolk through a sieve.
- Variations: Feel free to experiment with some variations and get creative with toppings. You can experiment with different seasonings, a variety of fresh herbs, crispy cooked bacon for a salty crunch, or crabmeat for a touch of elegance. Watch out for seasoning blends that contain salt as you may need to use a little less additional salt in the recipe.
- Using leftover eggs: This recipe is the perfect way to use up leftover hard boiled eggs. You can add them to your Easter brunch menu, after the egg hunt, or any other occasion you have an abundance of eggs on hand.
How can I prevent the egg whites from tearing when I peel them?
As long as you follow a few key tips, you can easily prevent the eggs from tearing when you peel them. First, start with eggs that are not too fresh, as slightly older eggs peel more easily. Second, after boiling, immediately plunge the eggs into ice water to cool rapidly. This step helps the egg whites contract and separates them from the shell.
Third, crack the shell gently all around and start peeling from the wider end, where there’s an air pocket. Last, hold the egg under cold running water while peeling them or peeling them in a bowl of water can also help remove the shell more cleanly.
Video Tutorial
More Easy appetizer recipes you may like
Deviled Eggs
Creamy, tangy, and irresistibly good, these deviled eggs are a guaranteed hit at any gathering. I’ll show you my go-to method for making them just right, every time!
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellman’s 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. Using a small spoon, gently 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: 5 g
- Saturated fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 0 g
- Sugar: 0 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 62 mg
- Cholesterol: 81 mg
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.