A classic that's also a crowd pleaser, deviled eggs are a favorite year round, perfect for holiday parties and summer potlucks. When it comes to this iconic appetizer, the devil is in the details. We cook the eggs for exactly eight minutes, then whir butter into the yolks in the food processor to ensure pillowy creaminess and pipe the filling into the whites. A sprinkle of paprika is all the garnish needed. Once you've cracked the technique with this recipe, venture out of your shell by trying our three other delicious variations: smoked trout, pesto, and spiced hummus.
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6 Tips for Deviled Egg Success
You Can and Should Make Ahead: For your best-ever deviled eggs, start by doing your prep work ahead of time. You can boil the eggs up to a week in advance. Once cool, refrigerate in a resealable plastic bag until ready to peel. You can also cook, peel and halve them, and make the filling a day ahead. Refrigerate the whites on a plate wrapped in plastic and the filling in an airtight container.
Don’t Overcook the Eggs: The whites will get tough, and the yolks will turn green if you cook the eggs for too long. Set a timer for eight minutes as soon as you remove them from the heat.
Be Neat: As you cut and fill the deviled eggs, it's important to be neat—we do eat with our eyes first. For pristine egg halves, wipe the blade of your knife with a dish towel between each slice.
Stop Them Wobbling: We learned this trick from Martha; she cuts a thin slice from the rounded bottom of each half so they won't slide around (it's a game changer).
Style With a Piping Tip: With your pastry bag, use a star‑shaped pastry tip for a fancy swirl or a plain round tip for a soft swoosh. For a rustic look, just spoon the filling straight into the whites.
Use Immediately: While we said you can boil the eggs ahead of time, we recommend you don't assemble the eggs until an hour before you'll be serving to keep them pristine.
Directions
Prep ice bath and cook eggs:
Prepare an ice bath with a bowl of cold water and ice. In a medium pot, cover eggs with cold water; bring to a boil.
Remove eggs from heat and let stand:
Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 8 minutes.
Drain, move to ice bath, then peel and halve:
Drain and transfer eggs to ice bath. When cool enough to handle, peel and halve lengthwise.
Combine yolks, mayo, butter, and mustard in food processor:
Transfer yolks to a food processor. Add mayonnaise, butter, and mustard; season with salt and pepper. Process, pausing to scrape sides of bowl, until smooth.
Place mixture in piping bag:
Transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with a tip or to a resealable plastic bag. If using a plastic bag, snip one corner.
Fill each egg, garnish, and serve:
Squeeze filling into each egg-white half. Sprinkle with paprika and serve.
Storing Deviled Eggs
We find that deviled eggs go fast and we rarely have leftovers. That's good because deviled eggs don't keep well.
If you do have a few leftover, refrigerate them in an airtight container and chop them for a sublime egg‑salad sandwich the next day.
Variations
Smoked Trout: Blend the yolks with 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup flaked smoked trout, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Garnish with minced chives.
Pesto: Blend the yolks with 1/4 cup pesto, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Spoon on a little more pesto before serving.
Spiced Hummus: Blend the yolks with 1/3 cup hummus, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce. Season with kosher salt. Sprinkle with za'atar and sprouts to serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do people put paprika on deviled eggs?
People put paprika on deviled eggs as a garnish for serving. A dusting of paprika contrasts nicely with the white and yellow of the egg for visual effect and it also adds a smoky, sweet flavor to the deviled egg. You can use any type of paprika, Hungarian hot or sweet or Spanish smoked, but make sure it is fresh and good quality.
What can I put on top of deviled eggs instead of paprika?
There are many things to put on top of deviled eggs instead of paprika. We like chopped parsley or cilantro, minced chives, or sliced scallions, a sprinkle of za’atar, or a light dusting of cayenne—which is probably the closest substitute for paprika. (Use less cayenne than you would paprika because it is much spicier.)
How do I get the yolks smooth for deviled eggs?
The best way to ensure the yolks are smooth in deviled eggs is to mix them in the food processor, as we do in this rich deviled eggs recipe. If you don’t have a food processor, the best option is to mash the yolks using a fork. Mash them until smooth before you add the other filling ingredients.
5 More Deviled Egg Recipes to Try:
- Avocado Deviled Eggs
- Old Bay Deviled Eggs
- Smoked Salmon-Radish Deviled Eggs
- Cheater’s Deviled Eggs
- Creamy Deviled Eggs
Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, November 2020
FAQs
At a minimum, you'll need to allow for 20 to 25 minutes of chill time before serving. You can make deviled eggs up to 2 days in advance; be sure to store the egg whites and the yolk filling separately.
Are deviled eggs a good party food? ›
Yes! Oh, yes. The deviled egg is the best party snack known to mankind. Better than chips and dip, better than bacon-wrapped dates, better than a canapé, better than pretzels.
What do religious people call deviled eggs? ›
At church functions in parts of the Southern and Midwestern United States, the terms "stuffed eggs", "salad eggs", and "dressed eggs" occur instead, to avoid reference to the word "devil". For this reason, the term "angel eggs" is also occasionally used.
Can you make deviled eggs the night before an event? ›
If you don't want to be piping as guests walk in your door, you can pipe ahead. Deviled eggs will stay in good shape—that is, the yolk mixture is unlikely to turn watery — for up to six hours if stored in the fridge. Pipe, garnish, cover, and chill to check the eggs off your list.
Is it better to boil eggs the night before making deviled eggs? ›
However, there are ways to make day-of deviled eggs easier than ever. Follow these tips and you'll be all set for making these tasty eggs come Easter morning. My main make-ahead trick is to boil and peel the eggs the day before and refrigerate overnight.
What to serve on platter with deviled eggs? ›
Deviled eggs are usually served as an appetizer or as part of a buffet. They go well with pickles, sliced or marinated tomatoes, marinated green beans, potato salad.
How do you keep deviled eggs cold at a party? ›
A platter of deviled eggs is best served chilled, and to keep the eggs cold, it's easiest to put the plate on a bowl of ice. There's even a way to make this setup more photogenic.
What goes on a deviled egg tray? ›
You can also use these practical platters for serving gougères, profiteroles or cream puffs, tartlets, escargots, and even mini cheese balls. When considering what to serve on a deviled egg tray, the culinary world is your oyster—another thing you can and absolutely should present on an attractive deviled egg tray!
What are church lady deviled eggs? ›
Each half of an egg is filled pretty high with a smooth and creamy egg yolk mixture. Each deviled egg is then topped with a piece of bacon, smoked paprika, and chives. It's definitely a rich appetizer, but it's so good.
What ethnicity is deviled eggs? ›
The deviled egg we know today can be traced back to ancient Rome, where boiled eggs were seasoned with spicy sauces and served as the starter of a fancy meal usually made for guests.
If we rewind time, we find deviled eggs in ancient Rome, where boiled eggs flavored with spicy sauces were so commonly served as an appetizer that a Roman saying, “ab ovo usque ad mala,” meaning “from egg to apples,” referred to the expected bookends of a meal.
How many deviled eggs per person? ›
How many deviled eggs do you need per person? Plan 2 to 3 deviled eggs per person for your get-together. A dozen eggs will make 24 deviled eggs, and that will be enough for 8 to 12 people. If you have leftovers you can store them in the fridge for 24 hours and snack on them the next day.
What is the difference between stuffed eggs and deviled eggs? ›
Deviled eggs are the same thing as stuffed eggs or dressed eggs. It's essentially eggs that have been hard-boiled, peeled, cut in half, and stuffed with a classic mixture of the cooked yolks mashed together with mayo, mustard, and spices (typically paprika).
Should eggs be at room temperature for deviled eggs? ›
That's right, boiling your eggs while they're still cold will lead to disappointment and ruin your deviled eggs and egg salad sandwiches. If you're wondering how a little thing like the temperature of an egg can have such a dramatic impact, you're in luck.
How far in advance can I boil and peel eggs for deviled eggs? ›
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
- Cook the hard boiled eggs up to 5 days in advance. You can even peel them ahead of time! Store the peeled eggs in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Assemble the deviled eggs a few hours ahead. I like these deviled eggs best on the day they're made.
As long as you store them in the fridge, you can eat refrigerated deviled eggs (or any cooked egg dish) within four days, according to the USDA, but you should aim to eat them within two days for optimal freshness. Once you take them out of the fridge, you should serve them within two hours.
How long can deviled eggs stay in fridge? ›
According to the USDA, hard-cooked eggs of any kind—whether left in their shells or peeled—can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Deviled eggs are best consumed within 4 days, provided they've been refrigerated promptly and stored properly.
How do you store deviled eggs before serving? ›
If the deviled eggs are filled and assembled, they can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours, covered with plastic wrap, or inside a deviled egg container. However, if the filling and eggs are kept separate, the filling will last 2 to 3 days inside a zip bag, and the hard-boiled egg whites up to 5 days.
