How to Make Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs (also called stuffed eggs, angel eggs, eggs mimosa, Russian eggs, dressed eggs and picnic eggs) are a crowd-pleasing appetizer or side that can easily be whipped up in 30 minutes. Since they are served cold, they’re a perfect dish to make ahead, and in our experience, your efforts will be rewarded. Nine times out of ten, we’ve found the deviled egg platter is the first to empty.

The key to making good deviled eggs is knowing how to properly hard-boil eggs. It’s not hard to do, but rather a matter of paying attention to the clock, as we’ll explain in “How to Make Deviled Eggs.”

Once you’ve got hardboiled eggs, you can flavor the yolk filing however you desire. Betty’s got recipes featuring ingredients like horseradish, smoked salmon and pimento cheese along with recipes featuring classic fillings, like pickle relish and paprika.

While deviled eggs are often associated with Easter, they taste great any time of year. We serve them as appetizers at every kind of party from Christmas to tailgates and as sides at brunches, potlucks and picnics, so there’s a recipe for every occasion.

It’s simply a matter of selecting one of Betty’s trusted deviled egg recipes.

Today, deviled eggs are eaten all around the world, especially in Europe, North and South America. In the United States, deviled eggs are particularly popular in the Midwest and the South – for a fun Southern-inspired recipe try Pimiento Cheese Deviled Eggs – and the dish has enjoyed resurgence in popularity in recent years.

Deviled eggs derive their name from the fact that classic recipes often include ingredients, like paprika or cayenne. Historically, dishes with zesty or spicy ingredients were called “deviled.”

In terms of nutrition, eggs are high in protein, but they are also high in cholesterol, which is just another reason deviled eggs are best shared. As deviled eggs are often served at parties, many recipes focus on flavor first.

However, we do have a method for preparing a lower-calorie version of our classic deviled eggs containing 25 calories and 1 gram of fat, see “How to Make Lighter Deviled Eggs.” It’s also easier to make smart swaps, like replacing mayo with Greek yogurt, and adding better-for-you ingredients, like onion, tomato or fresh herbs.

Another lower-calorie version of deviled eggs is the Dijon Deviled Eggs recipe, which uses fat-free sour cream and has 45 calories per serving and 3 grams of fat.

For a quick demonstration of how to make deviled eggs, check out the video below.

Our Classic Deviled Eggs recipe only calls for five ingredients and can be ready in 30 minutes.

What You Need:

• Ingredients for Classic Deviled Eggs
• 2-quart saucepan
• Knife
• Spoon

How To:
1. Place eggs in a single layer in a 2-quart saucepan. Cover with cold water at least 1 inch above eggs. Cover saucepan; heat to boiling.

2. Immediately remove from heat; let stand covered 15 minutes (12 minutes for medium and 18 minutes for extra-large).

3. Drain. Immediately place eggs in cold water with ice cubs or run cold water over eggs until completely cooled.

4. To peel, gently tap egg on countertop until entire shell is finely cracked. Roll gently to loosen shell.

Starting at large end, peel egg under cold running water to help remove shell.

5. Cut lengthwise in half. Slip out yolks into small bowl; mash with fork. To prevent eggs from tipping on the serving plate, cut a thin slice from the bottom of each egg white half before filling. Or, to stand eggs upright, cut crosswise about 2/3 from top of narrow end of egg to remove yolk; cut think slice from bottom of wide end of egg white to rest on serving platter.

6. Stir mayonnaise, mustard and pepper into yolks. Fill whites with egg yolk mixture, heaping it lightly. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

Now, all that’s left is to enjoy!

It’s easy to make deviled eggs without mayo. Swap in an alternative dairy product like Greek yogurt or sour cream, as in the recipe for Dijon Deviled Eggs. Salad dressing also works well, such as is used in our recipe for Ranch Deviled Eggs.

What You Need:

• Ingredients for Ranch Deviled Eggs
• 4-quart saucepan
• Large bowl
• Medium bowl
• Knife
• Fork
• Spoon
• Piping bag or resealable plastic bag with corner snipped off, optional

How to:

1. In 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, place eggs in single layer. Add enough water to cover eggs by 1 inch. Heat to boiling. Immediately remove from heat; cover and let stand 15 minutes. Drain; rinse with cold water. Place eggs in bowl of ice water; let stand 10 minutes.

2. To remove shell, crack it by tapping gently all over; roll between hands to loosen. Peel, starting at large end.

3. Cut eggs lengthwise in half. Into medium bowl, slip out yolks; mash with fork. Stir dressing mix, mayonnaise and mustard into yolks.

4. Spoon or pipe yolk mixture into egg white halves. Sprinkle with chives. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.

If you don’t like mustard, you can flavor deviled eggs with all sorts of different ingredients, like blue cheese, wasabi, curry or chipotle. For example, try pesto as in our recipe for Pesto Deviled Eggs or a blend of flavorful ingredients as in our recipe for Pizza Deviled Eggs.

What You Need to Make Pizza Deviled Eggs:

• Ingredients for Pizza Deviled Eggs

How to:

1. Cut hardboiled eggs in half lengthwise. Slip out yolks into small bowl; mash with fork.

2. Stir mayonnaise and cheese into yolks until smooth and creamy. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. Fill whites with egg yolk mixture, heaping it lightly. Press several mini pepperoni slices onto the top of each egg. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

3. Just before serving, garnish with green onions.

Deviled eggs with relish are a mid-century classic. Here’s how to make this delicious and retro appetizer.

What You Need:

• Ingredients for Relish Deviled Eggs
• Small bowl
• Spoon

How to:

1. Peel eggs; cut lengthwise in half. Carefully remove yolks; place in small bowl. Reserve egg whites. Mix yolks, mayonnaise, relish, salt and pepper.

2. Carefully spoon yolk mixture into egg white halves. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 24 hours. Just before serving, top each with olive or tomato. Serve immediately.

For dieters navigating the minefield of an appetizer spread, here’s a lower-calorie option with 1 gram of fat and 25 calories per serving.

Ingredients:

• 6 large hard-cooked eggs
• 3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon yellow, Dijon or spicy brown mustard
• 1/3 cup finely chopped zucchini

How to:

1. Mash only 6 egg yolks, reserve remaining yolks for another use or discard.

2. Stir mayonnaise, mustard, pepper and zucchini together. Fill whites with mixture, heaping it lightly. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

The best way make deviled eggs turn out well is to follow two simple rules.

1. Don’t use eggs that are too fresh. It’s better to use eggs that are 7 to 10 days old.

2. Boil eggs correctly, using the directions in the “How to Make Deviled Eggs” section.

At the same time, mistakes happen in the kitchen. Below are our tips for fixing running deviled eggs, lumpy deviled eggs and overly salty deviled eggs.

How to Fix Runny Deviled Eggs

To avoid runny deviled eggs, mash egg yolks with a fork, instead of blending in a food processor or blender, which can breakdown the yolks too much. If you need a quick fix to runny deviled eggs, try adding more egg yolks.

How to Fix Lumpy Deviled Eggs

One drawback to mashing egg yolks with a fork is that the mixture can be a bit lumpy. If it’s too lumpy for your taste, a quick fix is to push the yolks through a fine-mesh sieve. You can also grate the egg yolks using the small holes of your grater to get a fine mixture from the start.

How to Fix Salty Deviled Eggs

Following a recipe can help you get the ratio of salt correct, but we all have different preferences. If you aren’t a huge fan of salt or need to avoid excess salt for health reasons, don’t add the full amount of salt called for at once. Instead add a portion of what’s called for, taste the mixture and decide if you need more. Tasting as you go along can help you avoid oversalting.

If you find yourself with deviled eggs that are too salty, try adding another flavor like sweet pickle relish. The sweet can help balance out the salty. Otherwise, try another flavorful ingredient, such as garlic, horseradish, wasabi, curry powder, or any other spice or fresh herb that you enjoy.

Deviled Eggs aren’t just for Easter; they taste great any time of year. To make a perfect appetizer spread, serve up your favorite deviled eggs recipe alongside these delicious apps.

• Cheese Ball
• Baked Spinach-Artichoke Dip
• Sausage Cheese Balls
• Turkey Club Tortilla Roll-Ups
• Caramelized Onion Bruschetta

Leftover deviled eggs will keep in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Avoid keeping hard-cooked eggs at room temperature for more than 2 hours. If you do, don’t eat the eggs.

What to Make With Leftover Deviled Eggs

If you happen to have leftover deviled eggs – in our experience this rarely happens – you can make them into something completely new and just as delicious with our recipe for Deviled Egg Pasta Salad.

If you happen to have leftover deviled eggs – in our experience this rarely happens – you can make them into something completely new and just as delicious with our recipe for Deviled Egg Pasta Salad.

Here are a few of our best tricks for making this app turn out perfectly every time.

• Buy eggs 7 to 10 days ahead of time for easier peeling. This gives eggs time to take in air, which helps separate the membranes from the shell.
• Store eggs in refrigerator in original carton on a shelf, not on the door. -Use eggs that have clean, uncracked shells. Don’t wash eggs before storing or using.
• Heat just to boiling to prevent eggs from cracking. If left to boil, the bubbles toss the eggs around in the pan, which can cause their shells to crack.
• For the easiest peeling, peel hard-cooked eggs as soon as they are cool enough to handle.
• Always cook eggs until both yolk and white are firm, not runny. Temperature in center of egg should be 160˚F.

Now that you know how to boil eggs and flavor them, you can always whip up this crowd-pleasing appetizer.