When you need an appetizer that is guaranteed to please a crowd, you just can’t beat this classic deviled eggs recipe. All you need are some eggs, vinegar, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and paprika, along with salt and pepper, for delicious deviled eggs with the creamiest filling.
Deviled eggs get their name from the cooking term “devil”, which describes a dish that’s heavily seasoned with something spicy, like mustard. But you can make this deviled egg recipe more or less spicy depending on your preferences. For more spice, swap paprika for cayenne pepper. For a milder option, use yellow mustard (or even honey mustard) instead of Dijon mustard. In fact, they are really easy to personalize. So get creative with different garnishes (I’ve got a bunch of ideas for you below) and flavorings! If you’re looking for more easy appetizers, try my spinach artichoke dip, bruschetta recipe, or stuffed mushrooms recipe.
What You Need to Make this Recipe
Eggs — you’ll need 6 large eggs, which will yield 12 deviled eggs. Use a full dozen to double the recipe and feed a bigger crowd.
Vinegar — white vinegar is important both for boiling the eggs and making the filling. In boiling, the vinegar helps the eggs peel more easily when cooled, and for flavor, adding it to the egg yolks gives a hint of acidity to the creamy filling.
Condiments — mayonnaise and Dijon mustard, when mashed together with hard-boiled egg yolks, create a light, flavorful mixture.
Paprika — a generous sprinkle of paprika adds a subtle hint of spice, as well as color and visual interest to the prepared eggs.
How to Make Deviled Eggs
1. Carefully place the large eggs in a pot with 2 teaspoons of salt and 2 teaspoons of vinegar. Fill the pot with water so that the eggs are covered by an inch or 2 of water. then fill with enough water so the eggs are covered by 1 to 2 inches.
2. Set the pot on your stovetop over medium-high heat and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once you have a rolling boil, set a timer for 7 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and cold water. Once the 7 minutes are up, immediately transfer the eggs to the ice bath with a slotted spoon to cool completely. Leave them in the ice bath for about 10 minutes.
4. Peel the eggs and cut each egg in half lengthwise.
5. Use a small spoon to carefully remove the yolks.
6. Place all the yolks in a medium bowl. Add the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and 1 teaspoon of vinegar. Mash with a fork until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
7. Fill the egg cavities with the egg yolk mixture. You can either spoon the filling in or, if you want a prettier presentation, transfer the mixture to a piping bag with a star tip and pipe it into the center of each egg white.
8. Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika and serve immediately.
Pro Tips for Making this Recipe
- Use older eggs. Very fresh eggs are more difficult to peel. You can tell the eggs’ age by looking at the expiration date on the carton. The closer you are to the date, the older the eggs. Just don’t use ones that are past their expiration.
- Don’t overcook the eggs. Overcooked hard-boiled egg yolks turn a grayish-green color and, while still edible, look a lot less appetizing. The yolks also become grainy, which will affect the texture of the egg yolk filling. For a super easy, hand-off method, hard boil eggs in the Instant Pot.
- Don’t skip the ice bath. Popping the cooked eggs into an ice bath halts the cooking process and cools the eggs down so they’re easy to handle when you peel them. They are a lot easier when they’ve sat in an ice bath for about 10 minutes.
- Remove the egg yolks carefully. A small spoon is the best tool to remove the egg yolks. Be gentle here, as it is very easy to break through the egg white.
- Use a different mustard. If you find Dijon mustard to be too spicy, you can use yellow mustard or honey mustard instead.
- Get creative with the garnish. You can’t go wrong with a classic sprinkle of paprika. But for something different, crumbled bacon, sweet pickle relish, or minced fresh herbs like dill or chives can also be added to the filling or as a garnish.
- Add pickle juice. For a briny, sweetish flavor, substitute the vinegar for pickle juice.
- Add a little spice. If you prefer these eggs on the spicier side, add a splash or 2 of hot sauce to the filling, and swap the paprika for cayenne pepper.
Frequently Asked Questions
There’s a fine line between perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs and overcooked hard boiled eggs. Boiling the eggs for 7 minutes will give you lovely firm yolks that become soft and creamy when mixed with mayo and mustard. If the eggs are overcooked, the yolks will have an unappetizing gray-green hue and will be grainy.
Peeling hard-boiled eggs can be incredibly frustrating, especially if you accidentally damage the egg while trying to pry off stubborn pieces of shell! Luckily, there’s an easy way to avoid all this. Simply add 2 teaspoons each of salt and vinegar to the water along with the eggs when you’re boiling them. The shell will pull away from the egg white easily. For a quick cracking trick, place a cooled bailed egg in a mason jar with 2 tablespoons of cold water. Secure the lid and gently shake for 10 seconds. The shell will crack all over and peel very easily!
If you want to get a headstart on preparing these easy deviled eggs, you can boil the eggs a few days in advance. Boiled eggs with the shells still on will be good in the refrigerator for up to a week. To prepare just 1 night in advance, you can boil and peel the eggs, and make the egg yolk mixture. Store the egg white halves tightly covered in plastic wrap and put the filling in a separate airtight container, refrigerating both. I like to store the filling in a piping bag to save even more time when I’m ready to assemble them.
Once they are fully prepared, it’s best to eat them as quickly as possible (which is never a problem with my friends and family!). If you happen to have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this deviled eggs recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
om you!
Deviled Eggs
Video
Equipment
- Medium pot
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vinegar divided
- 3 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- Ground black pepper
- Paprika for garnishing
Instructions
- Place the eggs in a pot with two teaspoons of salt and two teaspoons of vinegar, then fill with enough water until the eggs are covered by 1 to 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, set a timer for 7 minutes.
- While the eggs are boiling, fill a large bowl with ice and cold water. Once the timer goes off, immediately transfer the eggs to the ice bath to cool completely, about 10 minutes.
- Peel the eggs and cut each boiled egg in half.
- Carefully remove the yolks and place them in a medium bowl. Add the mayo, mustard, and remaining 1 teaspoon of vinegar, and mash together with a fork until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Either spoon the filling into the cooked egg whites or transfer the filling to a piping bag with a star tip and pipe into the center of each egg white. Garnish with paprika and serve immediately or regenerate for up to 1 day.
Notes
- Use older eggs. Very fresh eggs are more difficult to peel. You can tell the eggs’ age by looking at the expiration date on the carton. The closer you are to the date, the older the eggs. Just don’t use ones that are past their expiration.
- Don’t overcook the eggs. Overcooked hard-boiled egg yolks turn a grayish-green color and, while still edible, look a lot less appetizing. The yolks also become grainy, which will affect the texture of the egg yolk filling. For a super easy, hand-off method, hard boil eggs in the Instant Pot.
- Don’t skip the ice bath. Popping the cooked eggs into an ice bath halts the cooking process and cools the eggs down so they’re easy to handle when you peel them. They are a lot easier when they’ve sat in an ice bath for about 10 minutes.
- Remove the egg yolks carefully. A small spoon is the best tool to remove the egg yolks. Be gentle here, as it is very easy to break through the egg white.
- Use a different mustard. If you find Dijon mustard to be too spicy, you can use yellow mustard or honey mustard instead.
- Get creative with the garnish. You can’t go wrong with a classic sprinkle of paprika. But for something different, crumbled bacon, sweet pickle relish, or minced fresh herbs like dill or chives can also be added to the filling or as a garnish.
- Add pickle juice. For a briny, sweetish flavor, substitute the vinegar for pickle juice.
- Add a little spice. If you prefer these eggs on the spicier side, add a splash or 2 of hot sauce to the filling, and swap the paprika for cayenne pepper.
Try pickle juice instead of lemon juice for a switch up
love that idea!
These were DELICIOUS! my husband hates deviled eggs (crazy person) but even he enjoyed these. Such a win!
YAY!
Amazing classic deviled egg recipe.