How to make classic deviled eggs at home with just a few ingredients
- Deviled eggs are a simple yet charming snack or appetizer that only take a few ingredients to make.
- After you boil your eggs, separate the eggs from the yolks and use the yolks to make your filling.
- Customize your deviled eggs with your favorite flavors and add-ins like chopped pickles and pork rinds.
Deviled eggs are a hop, skip, and a jump away from hard-boiled eggs, but feel more charming and refined. Two hard-boiled eggs with a salad for lunch is spartan, but a small plate of deviled eggs with a salad is fancy.
And, while they became popular in the US in the 1950s, spiced boiled eggs date back to Ancient Rome. Their devilish name comes from an early English term for dishes that were either spicy, well-spiced, or cooked at high heat.
They also happen to be both simple to prepare and extremely customizable. For more on how to prepare your perfect deviled egg, we spoke with Mason Hereford, chef and owner at Turkey and the Wolf in New Orleans, a 2019 James Beard Award Semifinalist and one of the most important restaurants of the decade by Food & Wine.
Ingredients
- Eggs
- Mustard
- Mayonnaise
- Salt
- Pepper
- Optional: Other spices, herbs, or add-ins.
What else you need
- Saucepan with a lid
- Bowl
- Spoon
Quick tip: The first step to deviled eggs is hard boiling them. Click here for everything you need to know to make the perfect hard-boiled egg. You can even make them in an Instant Pot.
How to make deviled eggs
- Boil the eggs. This should take around ten minutes. Hereford recommends a quick ice bath after boiling, to make the eggs easier to peel.
- Prep your hard-boiled eggs. Peel and dry the eggs. Cut them in half lengthwise. Separate the yolks and the whites into two different bowls, taking special care to not break the egg white halves.
- Mash the yolks using a fork. Add mustard, mayo, and the rest of your mix-ins, to taste. For extra tang, try adding vinegar or pickle juice to your mixture. Mix until incorporated and smooth.
- Assemble. Spoon or pipe the yolk mixture into the egg white halves. Top with herbs, paprika, freshly cracked pepper, or whatever else you'd like.
Quick tip: For a more stylized look, use a piping bag with a decorative tip or use a resealable plastic bag with a corner cut off as a makeshift piping bag.
Variations on the classic
- For a fluffier filling, Hereford suggests using a food processor or pushing the yolks through a fine mesh strainer, then whisking the ingredients together.
- Turkey and the Wolf garnishes their deviled eggs with fried chicken skins, homemade hot sauce, and fresh dill.
- If you like tangier flavors, consider mixing a splash of pickle juice or caper berry brine into the filling, along with chopped pickles or caper berries. Start small, then taste to see how you like the flavor. You can always add more, but it's hard to take out too much.
- Add chopped jalapeño or hot sauce into your filling for an extra kick.
- Add texture by topping with pork rinds - a favorite of Hereford's - chopped bacon, frizzled onions, or potato chips.
- Use your imagination! Other possible add-ins include blue cheese, gochujang, chopped kimchi, ranch powder, smoked salmon, fish roe, and whatever else you could possibly dream of.
How to store deviled eggs
If you assemble them and then stash them in the fridge, deviled eggs can oxidize, meaning they turn some weird shades of green and brown that none of us ever want to see on our eggs. They also can toughen up.
But, says Hereford, "Deviled eggs can be kept around longer than one would think if you wait to assemble them." He recommends submerging the egg whites in cold water in the fridge and keeping the yolk filling in a separate container. Still, the components should be used within five to six days.
Insider's takeaway
Deviled eggs may very well be the perfect snack. They're as timeless as they are customizable, and don't take long to prepare. Part of their charm lies in personalizing them to you and your guests, though, so don't be afraid to experiment.