How to Make Deviled Eggs
Updated: Jan. 24, 2023Once you know how to make deviled eggs, you'll wonder why you haven't been making them for every potluck and backyard barbecue. They're so easy!
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Deviled eggs are classic for a reason. It’s not only super easy to learn how to make deviled eggs, but the dish is also creamy and delicious. Once you get the hang of this basic recipe, it’s easy to customize them with any number of toppings—spicy jalapeno pickles, thinly sliced radishes, chopped bacon, hot sauce, olives and more. They’re always a crowd-pleaser, making them our go-to appetizer for potlucks and backyard barbecues. And if you do happen to end up with leftovers (which, we never do because they’re always gobbled up), you can easily turn them into egg salad for lunch.
What Makes Them Deviled Eggs?
When it comes to cooking, the term “deviled” has traditionally meant food that has been prepared with ample spice, zest or savoriness. Ham, sardines, olives and other foods can, and have, been deviled, but eggs are by far the most popular food to be deviled.
Some prefer to call deviled eggs “stuffed” or “dressed” eggs to avoid mentioning the devil, but the dish is prepared generally in the same way.
Tips for Making Deviled Eggs
What Type of Eggs Work Best for Deviled Eggs?
While normally we love using the freshest ingredients for our recipes, this deviled egg recipe actually works great with eggs that are just reaching their use-by date. This is because older eggs peel more easily than fresh.
An easy trick to tell if eggs are fresh is to do the float test. Place an egg in water. If it lies horizontally, it’s at its freshest. If the tip of the egg tilts upwards or stands upright, it’s older, but perfect for hard-boiling for deviled eggs. If the egg floats, it’s gone bad.
Can You Make Deviled Eggs the Day Before?
Deviled eggs are one of the easiest appetizers to make in advance. You can store cooked, hard-boiled eggs in the refrigerator (unpeeled) for up to a week. You can also make the deviled egg mixture up to two days in advance, but you’ll want to keep the whites separate from the yolk filling until the day of your event. Cover the halved whites with plastic wrap and store the yolk filling in a resealable zip-top bag, squeezing out as much air as possible. When you’re ready to fill the deviled eggs, take the filling out of the refrigerator and squeeze it lightly with your hands to warm it up, which makes it easier to pipe into the whites.
How Long Should You Boil Eggs for Deviled Eggs?
For the perfect deviled egg, we recommend cooking the eggs for 12 minutes, followed by an ice water bath. The ice water stops the cooking process, preventing the eggs from overcooking.
Should I Peel the Hard Boiled Eggs Hot or Cold?
To avoid stubborn shell pieces, peel the eggs when they’re cold. Dunking your boiled eggs in ice water after they’re cooked will cause the whites to contract slightly, separating the egg and shell.
How to Make Deviled Eggs
Our best deviled egg recipe comes from Taste of Home readers Jesse and Anne Foust. These deviled eggs can easily be customized with bacon, peppers, crab and more.
Ingredients
- 12 large eggs
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons 2% milk
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
- 1/2 teaspoon minced chives
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Minced fresh parsley and additional paprika
Essential Tools for Deviled Eggs
To make filling deviled eggs so much easier, we recommend grabbing a set of piping bags ($24) to help your yolks stay neat. You can even jazz up the look of your deviled eggs by using different piping tips. Just be sure they’re large enough for the egg mixture to not clog up.
If you’re hard-boiling eggs frequently, you also might want to consider adding an egg cooker to your arsenal. This fan-favorite egg cooker from Dash ($30) can cook up to seven eggs with the push of a button.
And if peeling eggs is your least favorite chore, this nifty gadget ($20) works like a charm. Fill the device partially with water, add an egg, give it a few shakes and the shell will slip right off. Hello, picture-perfect deviled egg!
Directions
Step 1: Hard boil the eggs
Start by placing eggs in a single layer in a large saucepan. Add enough cold water to cover the eggs by 1 inch. Then, bring the water to a boil over high heat. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and cover. After 12 minutes, remove the eggs to an ice bath to cool. Use this genius hack to make sure your deviled eggs don’t have off-centered yolks.
Step 2: Split the eggs
When the eggs are cool enough to handle, remove the peels. One of our favorite ways to peel hard-boiled eggs is to roll the egg back and forth on a hard surface while applying slight pressure. The shell will crack and become easier to peel off.
Cut the eggs in half lengthwise and carefully remove the yolks to a small bowl. Set the whites aside.
Step 3: Prepare the filling
Add the mayonnaise, milk, dried parsley, dill, chives, mustard, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper to the bowl with the yolks. Use a fork to mash the yolks into the mixture and mix well. Or, for a super creamy filling, use a food processor to combine the ingredients.
Test Kitchen Tip: If you’re making deviled eggs in bulk, use a wire cooling rack (one with square wiring!) on the yolks. All you have to do is place the rack over a bowl and push the yolks through for the fastest way to break them up.
Step 4: Fill the eggs
Spoon the filling into a piping bag or a plastic sandwich bag with the corner removed. Pipe the filling mixture into the cut egg whites. Sprinkle the deviled eggs with parsley and additional paprika. Refrigerate the eggs until you’re ready to serve.
Test Kitchen Tip: To keep the eggs from wobbling, cut a slice off the bottom of the egg white. It’ll make piping the filling much easier.
Are Deviled Eggs Healthy?
Compared to most appetizers, deviled eggs are a healthy choice. One stuffed egg half contains 73 calories, 3g protein and 0g carbohydrates. They’re the ultimate low-carb, high-protein snack.
Deviled Egg Variations
There are so many different ways to upgrade deviled eggs. Here are a few of our favorites:
- Asian Deviled Eggs: Combine 3 Tbsp. mayo, 1/4 tsp. soy sauce, 1/4 tsp. ginger, 1/8 tsp. each salt and pepper and 1/8 tsp. chili sauce with 4 egg yolks. Stuff into egg whites and top with chopped green onion and black sesame seeds.
- Curried Deviled Eggs: Combine 3 Tbsp. mayo, 2 Tbsp. hummus, 1/2 tsp. curry powder, 1/8 tsp. each salt and pepper and a dash cayenne with 4 egg yolks. Stuff into egg whites and top with toasted pine nuts, cayenne and curry powder.
- Bloody Mary Deviled Eggs:Â Combine 3 Tbsp. mayo, 1 Tbsp. tomato juice, 3/4 tsp. horseradish, 1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce and 1/8 tsp. each salt and pepper with 4 egg yolks. Stuff into egg whites and top with crumbled bacon.
- Buffalo Deviled Eggs: Combine 3 Tbsp. mayo, 2 Tbsp. blue cheese, 1 Tbsp. chopped celery, 1 tsp. Louisiana-style hot sauce and 1/8 tsp. each salt and pepper with 4 egg yolks. Stuff into egg whites and top with extra celery, crumbled blue cheese and hot sauce.
- Chutney Deviled Eggs: Combine 3 Tbsp. mayo, 2 Tbsp. mango chutney, 1 Tbsp. chopped green onion and 1/8 tsp. each salt and pepper with 4 egg yolks. Stuff into egg whites and top with chopped cashews and paprika.
- Crab Cake Deviled Eggs: Combine 3 Tbsp. mayo, 2 Tbsp. crabmeat, drained, flaked and cartilage removed, 1 Tbsp. minced sweet red pepper, 1 tsp. sweet pickle relish, 1/2 tsp. seafood seasoning and 1/8 tsp. each salt, pepper and celery seed with 4 egg yolks. Stuff into egg whites and top with sweet red pepper.
- Deviled Eggs with Herbs: Combine 3 Tbsp. mayo, 2 tsp. minced chives, 1 tsp. dried parsley flakes, 1/4 tsp. dried tarragon and 1/8 tsp. each salt and pepper with 4 egg yolks. Stuff into egg whites and top with fresh dill sprigs and minced chives.
- Guacamole Deviled Eggs: Combine 3 Tbsp. mayo, 2 Tbsp. mashed avocado, 1 tsp. minced fresh cilantro, 1/2 tsp. lime zest, 1/2 tsp. lime juice and 1/8 tsp. each salt and pepper with 4 egg yolks. Stuff into egg whites and top with Pico de Gallo.
- Italian Deviled Eggs: Combine 3 Tbsp. mayo, 1/2 tsp. each of dried basil and dried oregano and 1/8 tsp. each salt and pepper with 4 egg yolks. Stuff into egg whites and top with shredded Parmesan cheese and fresh oregano leaves.
- Southwest Deviled Eggs: Combine 3 Tbsp. mayo, 1 Tbsp. salsa, 1/2 tsp. chili powder, 1/4 tsp. ground cumin and 1/8 tsp. each salt and pepper with 4 egg yolks. Stuff into egg whites and top with jalapeno pepper slices and grilled corn off the cob.
Get even more creative deviled egg recipes.
