Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are the perfect appetizer: hand held, bite sized, savory, and addictive.

They can go from classic and creamy to over-the-top-intense. I have a deep, deep love for deviled eggs. When I see one, I can’t resist. Homemade, store-made, on the menu at a restaurant, if I see a deviled egg, I must have it.

As a result, I’ve eaten A LOT of them. I know good deviled eggs and I know all the secrets to making the best ones.

What are deviled eggs?

Do deviled eggs need an introduction? Those little bright and happy white and sunny yellow egg halves are instantly recognizable. Deviled eggs are hard boiled eggs, cut in half, the whites stuffed with the yolks mixed up with mayonnaise and other flavors. They’re delicious!

Why make deviled eggs

I love deviled eggs! They’re the perfect retro snack/appetizer/anytime food. It seems like deviled eggs always make an appearance around Easter, but I eat them all year round because I have no problem just cooking up a dozen eggs specifically for deviled eggs. Hello deliciousness! There’s so much satisfaction in making good deviled eggs. I even know people who consider deviled eggs their dish – you know, the one thing they bring to every party (back when there were parties).

Why these are the best deviled eggs

This is a better than the classic deviled eggs recipe. I’ve perfected it over the years and it’s simple to make, pure, and foolproof. All you need are 5 ingredients for the perfect deviled egg. And the best part is that they’re an exceptional blank slate for all your deviled egg dreams. Make this classic base recipe then let your taste imagination run wild and customize to your heart’s content.

How to make deviled eggs

Considering how cute and dainty deviled eggs are, making them is super easy, barely an inconvenience. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Hard boil the eggs. My preference is using the Instant Pot because peeling eggs that have been cooked in the Instant Pot is incredibly easy, but I’ve also included instructions on how to perfectly boil eggs on the stove as well.
2. Peel and prep the eggs. It helps to chill the eggs in an ice bath – this stops them from overcook and makes it easier to peel the shells off because the eggs contract in the cold water and pull away from the shell. After you peel the eggs, use a knife to cut them in half and pop out the yolks.
3. Blend the filling. Use a food processor to blend the yolks with mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, a touch of cream (or milk), and mustard. Blending will give you an ultra rich and smooth deviled egg filling.
4. Fill the eggs. My preferred way of filling is to use a cookie scoop: it’s quick and easy and each egg is even filled. After a small cookie scoop my next favorite is using two small spoons – one to scoop the filling, the other to push the filling into the egg cup in a mound. My least favorite way of filling deviled eggs is piping – it’s finicky and to be honest, I don’t love the way piped eggs look, but I guess its classic for a reason?!
5. Top. Sprinkle on a bit of smoked paprika, freshly ground pepper, or chives for a classic finish. Or go crazy and top it off with fun and creative flavors. I have some ideas below!

Deviled egg ingredients

Deviled eggs ingredients are super straight forward.

• Eggs. There are no deviled eggs without eggs so get the best eggs you can. This is your base ingredient so go for organic free-range or pastured eggs if you can. It doesn’t matter if they’re white or brown (did you know white eggs come from white chickens and brown eggs come from reddish-brown chickens?).
• Mayonnaise. My secret ingredient for the best deviled eggs is Japanese Kewpie mayo. Kewpie mayo is Japan’s favorite mayonnaise and salad dressing brand and you’ll pretty much find it in every Japanese household. It’s rich, yet light, and incredibly delicious. You can find it, in its signature squeeze bottle with a red flip top at most grocery stores these days, in the Asian aisle. The mayo itself is a bit more golden that your standard mayo and much more creamy and luxurious. It’s made with just egg yolks – as opposed to regular mayo which is made with whole eggs – and rice vinegar for a hint of sweetness and it’s absolutely addictive. It will make a world of difference in your deviled eggs.
• Greek yogurt. I like to add a bit of thick Greek yogurt (or sour cream) to add some tang, acidity, and a different kind of creaminess. If you don’t have yogurt or sour cream on hand, you can skip it and use all mayonnaise but I feel like it simultaneously lightens and enriches deviled eggs.
• Milk or cream. This is a bit of a cheat to make your filling extra creamy and not at all gritty. The cream blends nicely with the yolks and mayo for super light yet luxuriously creamy filling.
• Mustard. For just the tiniest, barest hint of spice and depth of flavor.
• Miso. And, if you want to make these the absolute best deviled eggs you’ve ever eaten, please add an tablespoon of white miso to the filling. It gives these deviled eggs so much umami and deep flavor while still being light and addictive. You’ll want to eat the entire batch!

How to make Instant Pot hard boiled eggs

My favorite method of hard boiling eggs is using the Instant Pot. They’re perfectly cooked every time and the shells just fall right off.

How to hard boil eggs in the Instant Pot

1. Pour 1 cup of water in to the insert and set the steamer rack into the pot. Set the eggs on top of the steamer rack.
2. Set the pressure to high and cook for 7 minutes.
3. Quick release and immediately plunge the eggs into an ice bath.

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, it’s super easy to just hard boil eggs on the stove.

How to hard boil eggs

1. Remove the eggs from the fridge as your bringing your water to a boil. Prepare and ice bath with a large bowl of cold water and ice.
2. Bring a pot of water to rolling boil, then turn the heat down and gently add eggs in, with a slotted spoon. Turn the heat back up to medium high and maintain a simmer for 10-12 minutes depending on your preference, adjusting the heat down, if needed. You don’t want an intense boil, just a happy little simmer.
3. When the time is up, immediately plunge the eggs into an ice bath to cool down.
4. When cool, peel the eggs: Gently tap the wide end of the egg on the countertop, then flip around and tap the pointed end. Gently roll the egg and peel, under running water, if it helps.

Tips for the best deviled eggs

• Completely chill the eggs before slicing and assembling. A cold egg is easier to slice neatly and the yolks pop out cleanly.
• Kewpie mayo. Use Kewpie mayo and accept no substitutes!
  Use a food processor to blend the filling so it ends up ultra rich, creamy, and incorporated.
• For perfectly shaped deviled eggs (not like the ones in the photo), use a cookie scoop to quickly and evenly portion out the fillings. My beloved cookie scoop is off on an adventure right now so I used two small spoons to fill these deviled eggs but usually I use my tiniest cookie scoop and scoop out perfectly round balls into the egg whites.

For best results, make deviled eggs on the day you plan on eating them.

That being said, if you want to make them in advance, the best thing to do is boil the eggs and store them in the fridge, in their shells for up to three days, then peel and prep the eggs the day you’re planning to serve. If you have any leftover eggs, store them in an air tight container in the fridge for up to two days.

Deviled egg toppings

• Last but not least, great deviled eggs need great toppings. You can keep it simple with just a dusting of smoked paprika or cayenne or you can get super creative. Here are some of our tried and true favorites:
• Carbonara deviled eggs: crisp up guanciale or pancetta cubes and place on top of the eggs, finishing with a shower of freshly grated parm and black pepper
• Caesar salad deviled eggs: add 1 anchovy fillet into the egg yolk filling when you blend and top with a crispy crouton and parmesan shavings
• Carnitas deviled eggs: place a small mound of crispy carnitas on top and finish with a sprinkling of cojita or queso fresco, chopped onions, and cilantro
• California roll deviled eggs: substitute the Greek yogurt for cream cheese in the egg yolk mixture, then top eggs with a bit of fresh crab, avocado cubes, and a sprinkle of furikake

That’s it, my deviled egg manifesto! I really feel like these will be the best deviled eggs you’ve ever made. The richness of the kewpie mayo and the umami of the white miso really make them addictive. Happy deviled egging!

xoxo steph

Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are the perfect appetizer: hand held, bite sized, savory, and addictive.

Serves 12

4.67 from 6 votes

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 7 minutes mins

Assembly 15 minutes mins

Total Time 27 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 6 eggs hard boiled
• 1/4 cup kewpie mayo sub regular mayo
• 1 tbsp greek yogurt or sour cream
• 2 tsp milk or cream
• 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 tbsp white miso optional

Instructions

• Slice the hard boiled eggs in half.
  
• Gently scoop out the yolks into a food processor. Add the kewpie mayo, yogurt, milk or cream, dijon, and white miso (if using) to the yolks and blend until smooth. Taste and season with salt if needed.
  
• Use two spoons or a small cookie scoop to scoop out the filling into the egg white halves. Enjoy!
  

Estimated Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Deviled Eggs

Amount Per Serving

Calories 67 Calories from Fat 50

% Daily Value*

Fat 5.6g9%

Saturated Fat 1.2g8%

Cholesterol 89mg30%

Sodium 68mg3%

Potassium 34mg1%

Carbohydrates 0.3g0%

Fiber 0.01g0%

Sugar 0.3g0%

Protein 3.1g6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.