Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a medium saucepan, place your eggs in a single layer. Pour cold water over the eggs and stop after they have been covered by the water.
- Turn the heat to medium-high. Let the water come to a rolling boil.
- Next, turn off the heat after it starts boiling and cover the saucepan with a lid. Let the hard-boiled eggs sit for about 13-15 minutes.
- Carefully pour out the hot water from the pan, making sure not to pour out the eggs as well. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice cubes and cold water. This cools the eggs down and stops them from continuing to cook.
- Let the eggs cool in the ice bath for about 10 minutes.
- To peel the eggs, gently crack the egg shells on a hard flat surface like your kitchen counter. Then using your fingers, carefully peel off the shell. You can also peel eggs under a tap that has running water.
- After the eggs have cooled, slice them in half lengthwise and then remove the yolks. Place the egg whites on a plate or cutting board and then place the egg yolks in a medium bowl.
- Mash the egg yolks with a fork or whisk, then add the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, and butter (if using). Season with salt and pepper and add the pinch of sugar if the filling tastes too vinegary. Continue to stir until the mixture is smooth. Taste to see if the yolk filling is to your liking.
- Return the egg yolk mixture to the egg white halves using a piping bag, a resealable plastic bag whose corner has been cut, a small cookie scoop, or a small spoon. Then garnish the deviled eggs with a little bit of smoked paprika and top them with the chopped chives.
- Place your deviled eggs in an airtight container or cover them with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Take them out about 15 minutes before serving and serve on a platter. Don’t leave them out for more than 2 hours.
Notes
Vinegar: This recipe calls for apple cider vinegar but you can use distilled white vinegar. Vinegar is used to add flavor to the egg yolks. This recipe is very versatile so feel free to use pickle juice, relish juice, or your favorite hot sauce.
Eggs: Large hard-boiled eggs are perfect for this recipe. There are so many ways to boil eggs perfectly. We have included our favorite way but feel free to use the method that works for you. When it comes to picking eggs, pick week-old eggs because they peel easily. Younger eggs are a pain to peel.
Mayonnaise: Homemade mayonnaise works great too. It’s made with lemon juice, egg yolks, Dijon mustard, and oil.
Dijon Mustard: We love using Dijon mustard in our deviled eggs but yellow mustard will do just fine. If you like horseradish, don’t hesitate to add a teaspoon to your mustard. Spicy mustard is also an alternative to Dijon mustard but it tends to have more intense flavors. If you were to pick one kind of mustard, our recommendation is that you use Dijon mustard.
Smoked Paprika: Smoked paprika adds a warm, smoky flavor to the deviled eggs. If you aren’t into smoked paprika, feel free to use a dash of sweet paprika, curry powder, celery salt, berbere, chili powder, taco seasoning, or hot pepper powder.
Chopped Chives: Chopped chives are typically used to garnish the deviled eggs. You can use fresh dill, minced celery, chopped parsley, or dry dill weed instead.
Butter: Butter is pretty much a secret ingredient. Mashed into the yolks, it transforms the filling from a normal filling into a creamy filling.
Toppings: The sky’s the limit when it comes to topping deviled eggs. These delicious eggs have been known to be topped with bacon bits, minced shrimp, diced jalapeños, asparagus tips, chopped pepperoni, and much more!