If you’re in the market for a simple, crowd-pleasing appetizer for the holidays, stop your scrolling. My Million Dollar Deviled Eggs may taste fit for royalty, but they’re actually quite affordable. Made with just 6 basic ingredients and about 20 minutes of active work, they’re the ideal company-worthy snack to whip up on a moment’s notice.
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About This Recipe
While I’m a big fan of taking traditional recipes and turning them on their head (remember my Rum White Russian and my Sourdough Walnut Banana Bread?), there are some dishes that simply require no tinkering. This classic Southern deviled eggs recipe is one of them.
Aside from being super flavorful and a perennial crowd-pleaser, this recipe for deviled eggs is:
- Made With Just 6 Ingredients - If you have eggs and are in the habit of making sandwiches, chances are you have everything you need.
- Quick & Easy - If I’m being honest, the hardest part of making these simple deviled eggs is peeling the eggs. The rest is a snap!
- Rich & Filling - Hard boiled egg whites are stuffed with a creamy, dreamy, yolk-y mixture for an uber-satiating snack. Plan on no more than 2-3 pieces per person, especially if you’re serving other hors d’oeuvres or dinner.
- Budget-Friendly - You can make 24 pieces for at or under $5, making these deviled eggs a great go-to for rent week, the holidays, and anytime the purse strings are a little tight.
Ingredients & Substitutions
As promised, you don’t need much to make these “million dollar” Southern-style deviled eggs. Here’s what to grab:
- Eggs - If possible, reach for Certified Humane and/or pasture-raised eggs. Not only are they more likely to come from happy chickens, but they’re also more nutrient-dense and, in my opinion, flavorful. Plus, those saffron-yellow yolks are stunning!
- Mayonnaise - Feel free to use homemade aioli or your favorite store-bought mayo brand. I’m a sucker for Best Foods (also known as Hellman’s further east), but any high-quality brand will do.
- Mustard - I love using dijon mustard and/or whole-grain mustard, but you can also use spicy brown mustard, beer mustard, yellow mustard, or even mustard powder if you need to.
- Cayenne Pepper - For just a *hint* of heat.
- Coarse Salt - For seasoning and a bit of crunch.
- Capers, Chives, & Paprika - For garnishes. Capers add bright brininess, chives have gorgeous color and a hint of allium goodness, and paprika offers a lovely color contrast. Feel free to swap in other garnishes (e.g. chopped cornichons for capers, parsley or scallions for chives, etc.) depending on your preferences and what you have on hand.
Equipment
Classic deviled eggs have been part of the American home-cooking lexicon since the 1800s, so you can rest assured you don’t need any crazy equipment to make them. Here are the tools I suggest you grab:
- Saucepan - Or any pan deep enough to cover your eggs with water to boil them.
- Mixing Bowl - To keep it from sliding around under you while you mix the egg filling, place it on top of a damp kitchen cloth.
- Piping Bag & Decorative Tip - If you do a lot of cake decorating, these are a worthwhile investment. If not, you can always use a zip-top bag with the corner cut out or use a piece of parchment paper instead.
- Deviled Egg Tray - Definitely not required, but oh-so-kitschy and adorable.
How To Make Million Dollar Deviled Eggs
This easy deviled eggs recipe comes together with very little fuss. Here’s how it’s done:
Step 1: Boil Eggs. Cover the large eggs over one inch of cool water. Bring to a rolling boil. Remove pan from heat; cover, and let stand for 10 minutes. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and place eggs into an ice bath to cool.
Step 2: Make Deviled Egg Base. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise, mustard, and a large pinch of cayenne pepper.
Step 3: Peel Eggs, and halve them lengthwise. Carefully remove yolks to a bowl with the mayonnaise mixture, setting the egg whites aside.
Step 4: Assemble. Mash egg yolks with the mayonnaise mixture until smooth, then season with salt as needed. Pipe or spoon the mixture into each egg white cavity and a sprinkle of paprika powder, chopped chives, and capers. Enjoy these flavorful deviled eggs with at brunch with a bloody mary!
Optional Variations
While I think this is pretty much the best deviled egg recipe I’ve ever tried, there are always plenty of opportunities to add your own flair to most recipes. Here are a few fun ways to customize these tasty little appetizers to your liking:
- Extra Spicy Deviled Eggs - Love spicy food? Take these deviled eggs to the next level and add an extra hefty pinch of cayenne pepper, tabasco sauce, some chopped pickled jalapeños or a pickle relish, and drizzle with a touch of sriracha. Sriracha deviled eggs? Wasabi deviled eggs? Yes please, my new favorite!
- Deviled Eggs Without Mustard - No mustard on hand? No worries! Swap in prepared horseradish, sriracha, lemon juice, pickle juice, garlic powder, green onions, crisp bacon, cajun seasoning, hot sauce, black pepper, green olives or your favorite vinegar instead.
- Devilled Egg Salad - Don’t want the hassle of stuffing eggs with creamy goodness? Chop up those white halves and mix everything together for the tastiest dang sandwich of your life. I've seen family members use sour cream, greek yogurt or even a touch of cream cheese in their egg salads - but my preference is to stick to this classic recipe.
Have a delicious twist on deviled eggs the world should know about? Let me know in the comments below or tag me in your Instagram photos so I can cheer 👏 you 👏 on!
Expert Tips
I love this easy recipe for deviled eggs because it’s super simple and straightforward as the perfect appetizer. That said, I’ve learned a few tricks along the way when making this classic recipe:
- To make peeling your fresh eggs easier, store them in the ice bath (or with cold water in a covered container in the fridge) for at least an hour and up to 4 days. Then, when it’s time to peel, tap them all over, then roll the eggs on your work surface to create lots of tiny cracks. Now, place the eggs back in a bowl filled with water and peel them underneath the surface; the water helps to separate the shell membrane from the egg whites and they slip right off!
- To make deviled eggs ahead of time, feel free to boil the eggs and make the filling made with simple ingredients up to 4 days in advance. I prefer keeping them unassembled until I’m ready to serve so they take up less space in the fridge in an airtight container, but that’s a personal preference.
Frequently Asked Questions
I like to start my eggs in *cool* tap water, bring them to a boil, and then immediately remove them from heat and leave them to steep for 10 minutes.
While there seem to be different ideas of how many carbs makes something “keto,” these bad boys are definitely very low in carbohydrates. I’d imagine they’re fine on a keto diet!
For food safety, try to eat any cooked eggs within 4 days. This includes deviled eggs.
“Deviled” became a term for describing zesty or spicy foods in the late 1800s. Since deviled eggs had a zippy punch from the use of mustard and pepper, they were given the moniker.
In some Christian denominations, using the term “devil” is prohibited, so they’re also sometimes referred to as “stuffed eggs,” “dressed eggs,” or “salad eggs.”
More Appetizer Recipes
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Million Dollar Deviled Eggs with Paprika and Chives
Ingredients
- 6 Eggs, large
- Ice bath, water and ice combined in a bowl
- ¼ cup Mayonnaise
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Mustard
- Cayenne pepper
- Coarse salt
- Capers, chives, paprika as garnishes
Instructions
- Place the eggs into a saucepan and cover with cold water, filling until it’s covering the eggs over one inch.. Bring to a rolling boil. Remove pan from heat; cover, and let stand for 10 minutes. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and place them into an ice bath to cool.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise, mustard, and a large pinch of cayenne pepper.
- Peel eggs, and halve lengthwise. Carefully remove yolks to a bowl with the mayonnaise mixture, setting the egg whites aside.
- Mash egg yolks with mayonnaise mixture until smooth; season with salt. Pipe or spoon the mixture into each egg white cavity and top with paprika, chives and capers.
Notes
- Extra Spicy Deviled Eggs - Love spicy food? Take these deviled eggs to the next level and add an extra hefty pinch of cayenne pepper, tabasco sauce, some chopped pickled jalapeños instead of pickle relish, and drizzle with a touch of sriracha. Sriracha deviled eggs? Wasabi deviled eggs? Yes please, my new favorite!
- Deviled Eggs Without Mustard - No mustard on hand? No worries! Swap in prepared horseradish, sriracha, lemon juice, pickle juice, garlic powder, green onions, crisp bacon, cajun seasoning, hot sauce, black pepper, green olives or your favorite vinegar instead.
- Devilled Egg Salad - Don’t want the hassle of stuffing eggs with creamy goodness? Chop up those white halves and mix everything together for the tastiest dang sandwich of your life. I've seen family members use sour cream, greek yogurt or even a touch of cream cheese in their egg salads - but my preference is to stick to this classic recipe.
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