Deviled eggs are a great recipe when you want to serve a classic crowd-pleasing appetizer. All you need are a few basic ingredients, including eggs, Dijon mustard, and mayonnaise for satisfying, addictive deviled eggs with the creamiest filling. A simple sprinkle of paprika is the perfect simple finishing touch.
Deviled eggs are named after the cooking term “devil,” which means to season heavily with something spicy (in this case, mustard). One of my favorite things about this classic deviled eggs recipe is that you can easily make it more or less spicy. For more kick, add cayenne pepper or hot sauce. For a milder option, use yellow mustard or honey mustard instead of Dijon mustard. In fact, you can get quite creative with the filling, and I’ve got lots of ideas for you in this post! If you’re looking for more easy appetizers, try my spinach artichoke dip, bruschetta recipe, or stuffed mushrooms recipe.
Key Ingredients
These are the key ingredients to making the best deviled eggs. Get the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below.
Eggs — 6 large eggs will yield 12 deviled eggs. Feel free to boil a dozen eggs and double the recipe to feed a larger crowd.
Vinegar — white vinegar is important both for boiling the eggs and making the filling. Vinegar helps the shell come easily off the egg, and it adds a hint of acidity to the creamy egg yolk filling.
Condiments — mash mayonnaise and Dijon mustard with hard-boiled egg yolks to create a light, flavorful deviled egg filling.
Garnish — paprika adds subtle flavor as well as color for a pretty garnish.
Deviled Eggs Recipe
Video
Equipment
- Medium pot
- Mixing Bowls
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 lengthwise.
- 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.
- Spoon the filling into the cooked egg whites or transfer to a piping bag with a star tip and pipe into the center of each egg white. Garnish with paprika and serve immediately or refrigerate for a few hours before serving.
Notes
- Remove the egg yolks carefully. After the egg is peeled and cut in half, carefully scoop out the yolk with a small spoon. A smaller utensil without a sharp edge is ideal, as it’s easy to break through the egg white when removing the yolk.
- Assemble shortly before serving. Deviled eggs are best freshly prepared. You can hold the egg whites and the filling separately in the fridge for up to 1 day, but once assembled, serve them within a few hours for the best texture and flavor.
- You can vary which type of vinegar you use. Apple cider, white wine, or even red wine vinegar all work well. Vinegar gives the filling brightness, so don’t skip it; use one you have on hand. If you don’t have vinegar, substitute it with fresh lemon juice!
Nutrition
How to Make Deviled Eggs
1. Place the eggs, salt, and vinegar in a pot and fill with water until the eggs are covered by roughly an inch of water.
2. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, then set a timer for 7 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and cold water. After 7 minutes, transfer the eggs to the ice bath and set aside for about 10 minutes.
4. Peel the shells off each egg and cut them in half.
5. Remove the yolks from the whites and place the cooked yolks in a medium bowl.
6. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, and vinegar, mashing with a fork until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Fill the egg white cavities with the egg yolk mixture, either with a spoon or using a piping bag fitted with a star tip.
8. Garnish with paprika and serve deviled eggs immediately.
How Long Should I Boil The Eggs?
There’s a fine line between perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs and overcooked hard-boiled eggs. I find that boiling the eggs for 7 minutes results in firm yolks that are soft and creamy and make a velvety filling when mixed with mayo and mustard. Be sure to set the time for 7 minutes when the water starts to boil. If the eggs are overcooked, the yolks can become grainy and turn gray on the outside.
What’s The Best Way To Peel Hard Boiled Eggs?
Peeling hard-boiled eggs can definitely be frustrating; we’ve all accidentally damaged the egg while trying to pry off the stubborn shell! Luckily, there are a couple of easy ways to avoid this.
- Add vinegar to the water: Simply add 2 teaspoons each of salt and vinegar to the water along with the eggs when you’re boiling them. While this trick has mixed results for some, I have found it usually makes the eggs easier to peel, so I always do it.
- For a quick cracking trick, use a mason jar: Place a cooled boiled 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! Be sure to include the water in the jar–it helps to loosen the shell from the egg white.
Variations
- Use a different method to cook the eggs. Make my air fryer hard boiled eggs or Instant Pot hard boiled eggs!
- Add pickles. Stir in a little bit of sweet pickle relish, or substitute the vinegar for pickle juice in the filling.
- Spice up the filling. For extra “devilish” eggs, add hot sauce or cayenne pepper to taste in the filling.
- Add fun garnishes. Minced fresh herbs (like dill, chives, and basil), crumbled bacon or bacon bits, pickled red onions, and a pickle slice or small cornichon are tasty options.
Can You Freeze Deviled Eggs Before Serving Them?
No, freezing deviled eggs isn’t recommended because the texture of the egg whites becomes very rubbery once thawed, and the yolks become unpleasant and gelatinous in texture.
Pro Tips for Making this Recipe
- Use older eggs for easier peeling. 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 look quite unappetizing. The yolks also become grainy, so the filling won’t be smooth and creamy.
- 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. It also causes the egg whites to shrink away from the shell. They are a lot easier to peel when they’ve sat in an ice bath for at least 10 minutes.
- For an ultra-smooth filling, you can add egg yolks and the rest of the filling ingredients to a food processor and process for 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed until smooth. Or, after you’ve mashed it with a fork, press the filling through a fine mesh sieve to remove any small lumps.
Frequently Asked Questions
To work ahead, you can boil the eggs a few days in advance. Boiled eggs with the shells still on will last in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. To prepare these easy deviled eggs 1 night in advance, boil and peel the eggs and make the egg yolk mixture. Cover the halved egg whites tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Refrigerate the filling mixture separately in an airtight container, or store it in a piping bag to eliminate one more step when it’s time to assemble them.
Once deviled eggs are assembled, it’s best to eat them as soon as possible. Honestly, this is never an issue in my house! If you happen to have leftovers, refrigerate them in an airtight container for 1 to 2 days.
Absolutely! Turn deviled eggs into egg salad, use them as a topper for various salads (like replacing soft-boiled eggs in niçoise salad), or add them to avocado toast instead of a fried egg.
If you’ve tried this deviled eggs recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Amazing classic deviled egg recipe.
These were DELICIOUS! my husband hates deviled eggs (crazy person) but even he enjoyed these. Such a win!
YAY!
Try pickle juice instead of lemon juice for a switch up
love that idea!