How To Make Perfect Deviled Eggs - Inspired Taste

This deviled eggs recipe is creamy, tangy, and downright irresistible. They’re perfect for holidays, parties, or any time you need a quick appetizer.

This is our go-to recipe for deviled eggs. The filling is simple and silky smooth. You can keep these classic or have fun with toppings. We’ve shared plenty of ideas and variations below.

To make truly great deviled eggs, you need to start with perfectly cooked eggs. Overcooked eggs can turn rubbery or gray, but when you get them right, the yolks stay bright and tender. Find my foolproof method for boiling eggs for deviled eggs below, plus all my tricks for making them the best.

Key Ingredients

• Eggs: I go for large or extra-large, and find that they are the perfect size for halving, and hold just the right amount of filling.
• Mayonnaise: This is what makes the filling rich, creamy, and smooth. Use a good-quality store-bought mayo or make homemade mayonnaise.
• Vinegar or Lemon: A little bit of acid, whether from white wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice, brightens the flavor and balances the richness of the yolks and mayo.
• Mustard: I usually reach for yellow mustard, which adds that classic tangy flavor. Dijon mustard works, too, but has a bit more of a tangy bite.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make the Best Deviled Eggs

Tip 1: Make hard-boiled eggs. I have two foolproof methods for making hard-boiled eggs. The first happens in a saucepan on the stove, and the second calls for an Instant Pot (or pressure cooker):

• Stovetop: Add your eggs to a wide saucepan in a single layer and cover them by 2 inches with water. Bring the water to a simmer, let it bubble for 30 seconds, then turn off the heat. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and let the eggs sit for 12 minutes (for large eggs). Transfer them to an ice bath to cool, then peel. For other egg sizes, see our guide for how to cook hard-boiled eggs.
• Instant Pot: Pour 1 cup of water into the Instant Pot, then place a trivet or steamer basket on the bottom. Arrange the eggs in a single layer on top. Cook on Manual or High Pressure for 8 to 9 minutes, then manually release the pressure. Immediately transfer the eggs to an ice bath to stop the cooking. For more, see our recipe for Instant Pot boiled eggs.

Tip 2: My #1 trick for easy-peel eggs. I’ve tried just about every trick for easy-to-peel eggs, and the one that works best is cooling them completely in an ice water bath. If the shells are still stubborn, crack the cooled egg all over, submerge it in the ice water for 5 minutes, and then peel. The water seeps underneath the shell, helping it slide off easily.

Tip 3: Make the filling. Once you have hard-boiled eggs, making deviled eggs is easy! Peel and cut your eggs in half, then scoop out the yolks into a bowl. Use the back of a spoon to mash them (perfectly cooked yolks will break down easily). Then, stir in the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy.

Tip 4: Fill the egg whites. To fill your egg white halves, you can use a spoon, a piping bag, or my favorite shortcut: a small cookie scoop. It makes filling faster, neater, and they look really pretty.

Recipe Variations

Above, I’ve shared our basic recipe for deviled eggs, but there are so many ways to make them your own. Here are some of our favorite ideas:

• Classic: Keep it traditional with a light dusting of smoked or sweet paprika. I also love adding a sprinkle of flaky sea salt just before serving.
• Add relish: Stir in a spoonful of sweet or dill relish to the filling. Or, top each egg half with a small slices of dill pickles or bread and butter pickles.
• Make them spicy: Add a few drops of sriracha or your favorite hot sauce to the filling. You can also top with thinly sliced pickled jalapeños for a little kick. Cowboy candy (candied jalapeños) is really great, too.
• Add herbs: Fresh herbs brighten everything up. Try chives, dill, parsley, or a mix of your favorites, either in the filling or on top.
• Add some protein: Dress them up with a small slice of smoked salmon, crispy bacon crumbles, or a sprinkle of feta cheese.

Make Ahead and Storing Tips

After making your deviled eggs, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. They’re best served cold. For food safety, don’t leave them at room temperature for more than 2 hours. If you’re serving a crowd, keep a second tray chilled in the fridge and replenish your serving plate as needed.

To make them ahead, you have two options. You can prepare the deviled eggs completely and refrigerate them, or boil your eggs in advance and assemble them the day you plan to serve them. If preparing in advance, keep the boiled eggs unpeeled (the shells help protect them), and store them in the refrigerator for up to one week.

How long do deviled eggs last? Freshly made deviled eggs keep well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. We don’t recommend freezing them, as the filling’s texture changes once thawed.

More Egg Recipes

• Easy Egg Salad
• Avocado Egg Salad
• Perfect Eggs Benedict

Perfect Deviled Eggs

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• PREP 15 mins
• COOK 15 mins
• TOTAL 30 mins

This is my favorite way to make deviled eggs! We like a little less mustard than some, so you may want to add more than we suggest in the recipe below. I share how to cook the eggs on the stovetop below, but you can also use an Instant Pot to hard boil eggs. Feel free to add more ingredients to the recipe, suggestions are provided in the tips and article!

Makes 12 halves

Watch Us Make the Recipe

You Will Need

6 large eggs

¼ cup mayonnaise, see our homemade mayonnaise recipe

1 teaspoon white vinegar, white wine vinegar or lemon juice

½ teaspoon yellow mustard

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions

1Cook the eggs: Place the eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and cover with cold water by about 2 inches. Set over high heat and bring to a rolling boil. Once boiling, cover the pan with a lid, cook for 30 seconds, then remove from the heat. Let the eggs stand, covered, for 12 minutes (12 to 14 minutes total, depending on egg size).

2Prepare a bowl of ice water. Transfer the eggs to the ice bath with a slotted spoon and cool for 5 minutes. Crack the shells and peel carefully. If the shells don’t release easily, crack them in a few places, submerge again in the ice water for 5 minutes, and try peeling once more.

3Prepare the eggs: Pat the peeled eggs dry, then slice each in half lengthwise. Gently remove the yolks and place them in a medium bowl. Arrange the egg whites on a serving platter.

4Make the filling: Mash the yolks with a fork until they form a fine, powdery texture. Stir in the mayonnaise, vinegar, and mustard. Season with salt and a few grinds of black pepper, then mix until smooth and creamy.

5Assemble: Use a small cookie scoop or spoon to fill each egg white half evenly. (Alternatively, spoon the filling into a resealable plastic bag, snip off a corner, and pipe it in.) Finish with a sprinkle of paprika for a classic look, or try one of the toppings suggested below.

Adam and Joanne's Tips

• Storing: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. We don’t recommend freezing them, as the filling’s texture changes once thawed.
• Optional ingredients: flaky sea salt, smoked or sweet paprika, cooked bacon, pickles, pickled jalapeños, pickled onions, Sriracha, crumbled feta cheese, or fresh herbs (like chives, dill, or parsley).
• The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.

Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1 deviled egg half / Calories 67 / Protein 3 g / Carbohydrate 0 g / Dietary Fiber 0 g / Total Sugars 0 g / Total Fat 6 g / Saturated Fat 1 g / Cholesterol 94 mg / Sodium 91 mg AUTHOR: Adam Gallagher