Deviled Eggs
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Devilishly delicious and endlessly customizable, deviled eggs are the perfect starter for any gathering. Learn my special technique for creating the best version that will have everyone asking for the recipe!
Deviled eggs are a beloved classic party food that have been around for centuries. The term “deviled” actually comes from the 18th century, when it was used to describe highly spiced or seasoned foods. In this deviled eggs recipe, I’ll share my technique for making perfectly-cooked hard-boiled eggs and a deliciously creamy, fluffy filling.
Feel free to experiment with some variations and get creative with toppings. You can add chopped herbs like chives or dill for a fresh flavor, crispy bacon for a salty crunch, or crabmeat for a touch of elegance. 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.”
What You’ll Need To Make Deviled Eggs
- Eggs: The main component; hard-boiled and halved, with yolks used for the 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.
- Whole grain mustard: Contributes texture and a sharp, piquant flavor to the filling.
- Worcestershire sauce: Adds depth with its savory, slightly tangy taste.
- Salt, freshly ground black pepper, sugar, cayenne pepper: Seasonings that enhance flavor, add heat, and balance sweetness.
- Finely chopped mixed herbs (such as chives, parsley, dill, or tarragon): Offer freshness, color, and aromatic flavors to the filling.
- Paprika: Used as a garnish; adds color and a mild, sweet flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
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). 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 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 mayo, 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!
Make-Ahead Instructions
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
To prevent tearing, start with eggs that are not too fresh, as slightly older eggs peel more easily. After boiling, immediately plunge the eggs into ice water to cool rapidly; this helps the egg whites contract and separates them from the shell. Crack the shell gently all around and start peeling from the wider end, where there’s an air pocket. Holding the egg under cold running water or peeling them in a bowl of water can also help remove the shell more cleanly.
The green ring around the yolk is a result of overcooking and is 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.
Video Tutorial
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Deviled Eggs
Devilishly delicious and endlessly customizable, deviled eggs are the perfect starter for any gathering. Learn my special technique for creating the best version that will have everyone asking for the recipe!
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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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!
Justine,
Probably too late, but you can buy precooked hard-boiled eggs at Costco and save a big step in
large-volume cooking. I also suggest finely chopped shallots in the yolk mixture.
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.