Do you love Deviled Eggs? See I just love them so much I assume everyone does! So when I realized I’ve been blogging for so long and never posted my Classic Deviled Eggs, well I had to get “cracking.” (I’m so sorry for that!! Couldn’t help myself!)
Classic Deviled Eggs
When I was younger, no one had a “recipe” for Deviled Eggs – you’d have been laughed out of town for even entertaining the idea. You just added a bit of this and that and tasted it and thought “Oh it needs a little more of this or a little more of that” and when you thought you had it right, you spooned it in the egg halves, which was always a messy proposition. Done.
About Deviled Eggs in General:
Somewhere along the line, I think around the turn of this last century, a Deviled Egg book came out. Deviled Eggs: 50 Recipes From Simple to Sassy by Debbie Moose and Deviled Eggs had a heyday.
Before that, the old Deviled Egg had definitely been declining in popularity.
- For one, people thought deviled eggs were a “Grandma” food at a time when the internet as we know it was taking hold, the Food Network was getting popular, and “cheffy” recipes ruled.
- At the same time, eggs (and fat) had been vilified for decades (wrongly) for their dietary cholesterol. It’s taken a long time to convince people that myth has been somewhat debunked!
I remember that book becoming wildly popular (even several of my friends bought it) and I had more than a few Deviled Eggs made from it. One standout that I’d rather not repeat was a chocolate deviled egg!
About Classic Deviled Eggs:
The Deviled Egg recipe here is a classic that I’ve been making forever (literally decades) and my guess is that I adapted the recipe originally from Cook’s Illustrated.
These are fabulous and so good people will ask you how you made them. And guess what? I like having a recipe for them. I love being able to measure with no standing at the counter adding bits of this or that (and God forbid you add in too much of something) until it’s just right.
I love both the flavor and consistency every time. Not that you can’t riff on it if you want to. Sometimes I give a nod to the Deviled Eggs I grew up with and add a touch of sweet pickle juice, and almost always a pinch of cayenne or a dash of Tabasco. And ya gotta have a few chives or very thinly sliced green onion and/or a sprinkle of paprika for the top. Hey, we need to get those veggies in, lol!
Classic Deviled Eggs
Making Classic Deviled Eggs:
For the hard-boiled eggs:
- If you want a great Deviled Egg, you’ve got to start with a great hard-boiled egg. If possible, buy your eggs ahead of time; I try to make sure I have a carton “aging” in the fridge before any holiday or party when I know I’ll be making Deviled Eggs. It makes them easier to peel. I learned my lesson when I was late for a party because it took 40 minutes to peel the darn eggs and they were a mess! Impossible to peel eggs doesn’t happen often but when it does it always happens at the most inopportune times!
- How you make your eggs makes a big difference in how they peel. There’s always the old Classic Recipe: bring the eggs to a boil, cover them, turn off the heat, and then let them sit. Once the timer is done, plunge them into ice water. That usually helps with peeling. Some people add a tablespoon of vinegar and swear by it.
- These days I either make my Easy Peel Steamed Eggs or my recipe that turns out gorgeous hard-boiled eggs, A Dozen Instant Pot Eggs. Both of those methods make a huge difference in how easily the eggs peel and I use an ice-water (or very cold water) bath with both. With either recipe, the shells practically fall off, every single time.
For the egg yolks:
- Back in the day, I’d mash my yolks with a fork, but for the smoothest filling with the least amount of effort, sieve your yolk.
- Just put a metal strainer over a bowl and push the egg yolks through with the back of a spoon. It’s fast and the sieved egg yolk is so light and fluffy and mixes beautifully with the other ingredients in seconds.
To fill the deviled eggs:
- Another thing about Classic Deviled Eggs? It is soooo much easier to pipe in that filling than to use a teaspoon. Far less messy and it takes like two minutes, literally. You might want to make an extra egg and use an extra yolk to compensate for any filling left behind in the piping bag as well as to make sure the egg halves are nice and full.
- If you pipe, the eggs are gorgeous and it’s easy to get all the halves filled evenly. Ya gotta love it if it’s easier and looks fancier! Use a Ziploc with the corner cut off if you don’t have a piping bag and tip.
A few more tips:
- The filling is always smoother and easier to work with if you cook your eggs and mix the filling before the eggs are refrigerated.
- And this one sounds weird: cut the eggs with a thin knife that’s been run under hot water and dried and the cut edge of the egg white will have a cleaner cut with little to no egg yolk smeared across from the cut.
Classic Deviled Eggs
Saving Money on Classic Deviled Eggs:
Mayo and other condiments are always cheapest during the Summer Grocery Sales when most condiments are sales priced and coupons are available. Check for specials and coupons for condiments around the Super Bowl, too; see my post on Super Bowl Savings for more items to look for on sale.
Stock up on eggs when they’re inexpensive, and watch for rock-bottom pricing during Holiday weeks, especially holidays when brunch is often served. Sometimes they’re “free” with other purchases. Know the regular pricing in your area so you can know if it’s a great deal or not. Aldi and Lidl have great pricing on eggs. Your Buyer’s club will, too, but you’ll need to buy a larger quantity.
The date on the container is a “buy by” date and you can expect eggs to last a good four to six weeks past that date. Do get in the habit of picking up and eating more eggs when they’re on special. We have so many holidays that I often pick up several packages when they’re on sale and it lasts me until the next holiday, but if you go through a lot of eggs, that strategy may not work for you.
Refrigerate eggs right away and never store them in the door; eggs keep best in a colder part of the refrigerator, in their own box. (Then put your partially used vegetables in the door where you’ll see them and remember they need to be used ASAP.)
If in doubt about an egg, place it in water. As the egg ages, the egg begins to dry out and as they shrink, the space is filled with air. It’s a process; the newest ones will lay at the bottom of the container, the slightly older ones will begin to stand up and the oldest will bob up to the top of the water.
The chances of ever getting a “bad” egg, meaning a spoiled one are slim. A floating egg isn’t “bad” and doesn’t reflect a safety issue, but in my opinion is thicker, a little sludgier, and not as nice. I don’t keep discard them.
To learn more about eggs, see the American Egg Board, the folks known for their “Incredible Edible Eggs” ads.
Classic Deviled Eggs
Classic Deviled Eggs
These really are the best Deviled Eggs!
- Total Time: 30 minutes plus refrigeration
- Yield: 14 deviled eggs 1x
- Category: Appetizers
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 7 large eggs, hard-boiled
- 3/4 teaspoon Dijon or 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- salt and pepper to taste
- dash of hot sauce or a pinch of cayenne
- paprika and/or thinly sliced chive or green onion for garnish
Instructions
Cut eggs in half and remove yolks to a sieve set over a bowl. Using a large spoon or spatula, rub and push the yolks through the sieve.
Add remaining ingredients to yolks and spoon or pipe into the egg halves. Garnish as desired.
Note: for an old fashioned Deviled Egg add a little sweet pickle juice to taste.
Notes
Piping, even if just using a Ziploc with the corner cut off, is so much easier than trying to fill with a spoon.
Cooking & Kitchen Hacks
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I’ll be bringing this recipe to Fiesta Friday 201, hosted this week by Monika @ Everyday Healthy Recipes and Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook. Fiesta Friday’s already filling up with all kinds of holiday goodies & recipes, so be sure to stop by!
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