The Best Deviled Eggs Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why do you add vinegar to deviled eggs? ›

Why is vinegar added to deviled eggs? Deviled eggs are a naturally rich, decadent food so adding something acidic such as vinegar or lemon juice in the mixture can brighten the flavors and keep them from tasting too rich. It's not necessary, but it does add a layer of complexity and contrast to the creamy filling.

Prep deviled eggs too far in advance, and you'll have dried out filling and stinky boiled egg whites. For the best results, prep your deviled eggs up to two days in advance and keep the egg whites and filling separate until you're ready to serve.

If you basically steam eggs instead of boiling them, the whites will be softer and less hard/rubbery. And if you pressure-cook-steam them in a pressure cooker, they can be even less hard/rubbery than that (and also peel reeeallly easily).

Lemon juice (or vinegar): I love the fresh, bright flavor of lemon juice in deviled eggs. But vinegar (white, white/red wine, or apple cider vinegar) is the traditional option and would also work well. Dijon mustard: Feel free to add in a bit more or less, depending on how mustardy you like your eggs.

Making them too far in advance

Deviled eggs can be watery, dry, or lose flavor the longer they sit, so don't make them too far in advance. For the best results, prep your eggs and make the filling up two days in advance, and store them separately. Assemble the eggs before serving.

How many deviled eggs do you need per person? Plan 2 to 3 deviled eggs per person for your get-together. A dozen eggs will make 24 deviled eggs, and that will be enough for 8 to 12 people. If you have leftovers you can store them in the fridge for 24 hours and snack on them the next day.

Place eggs in a medium pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let the eggs cook, covered, for 9 to 12 minutes, depending on your desired done-ness (see photo). Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water and chill for 14 minutes.

Standard deviled eggs are undeniably good, but adding a touch of tomato paste and a generous pinch of smoked paprika makes them a bit more sophisticated. The flavor is gently sweet, forcefully spicy and perfectly smoky.

Use a pastry bag with a piping tip for a beautiful presentation when filling your deviled eggs. The three tips I use most often are the open star, closed star, and round (usually, ⅜″ or 7/16″, depending on the filling and the size of the well).

Why do my deviled eggs smell? ›

While you want the water to boil, you don't want the eggs to stand in the boiling water for too long. The sulfurous smell comes from eggs that get overcooked during this process. Eggs that are cooked for too long or at too high a temperature will develop a green ring around the yolk. This ring causes that eggy smell.

Assemble deviled eggs no more than a day in advance.

Pipe the filling to the egg whites and store them in the fridge covered in a container up to 12 hours ahead or overnight. If you make them more than one day in advance, the filling won't be its best.

Making deviled eggs involves hard-boiling and peeling eggs, slicing them and scooping out the yolks to mix with mayonnaise or other ingredients, and then refilling. But a lot can go wrong in a process with so many steps. The eggs may be overcooked or undercooked.

So you've already added too much mayo to your deviled egg filling. Now what? The good news is you won't have to start over. The easiest way to go about, Pantry & Larder shares, is to just add more egg yolks.

The addition of vinegar to the water is believed to make the peeling job easier. Since acetic acid, which is essentially vinegar, can break down the calcium bicarbonate found in egg shells, it is hypothesized this can aid in an easier peeling process.

Adding white vinegar or apple cider vinegar to your pot of water allegedly results in softer, easier-to-peel eggshells. That's because the acid in vinegar dissolves some of the calcium carbonate that makes up the egg's hard exterior.