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.
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.