The Best Deviled Eggs (2024)

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ByBrandie March 9, 2024March 12, 2024

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This classic, best ever deviled eggs recipe is a must serve every holiday or cookout. Plus, tips on how to make the perfect hardboiled egg every time!

A FOOLPROOF DEVILED EGGS RECIPE

No holiday meal (or cookout) is complete without a plate of deviled eggs. I don’t now what it is about these things, but I promise, folks will not stop eating them and you will have wished you made two or three plates of them. I think it’s just one of those things we don’t make very often so when we see them turn up, we all get a little excited. Let me show you how to make best deviled eggs each and every time along with how to make the perfect hardboiled egg!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’S)

Why are they called deviled eggs?

The word “deviled” actually comes from an 18th century English cooking term that referred to any dish that was fried or boiled.

Why do some people put vinegar in deviled eggs?

Vinegar adds a hint of acidity which works well with the fats in the egg yolks to create a surprisingly light and fluffy filling (it also gives it a beautiful bright yellow color!) I am using mustard (which contains vinegar) instead of vinegar to get that same effect.

How many deviled eggs does this make per person?

I always account for at least 2 deviled eggs per person when trying to decide how many to make. If you know your crowd are major deviled egg lovers, then you’ll want to double that amount.

Will deviled eggs keep overnight?

Yes. It is recommended that you cover them and store them in the refrigerator. They will be best if eaten within 2 days. So if you need these to serve tomorrow, you can certainly make them today!

Can deviled eggs be frozen?

No. It changes the texture of the egg white. The only part you can freeze is the yolk filling.

How do I store leftover deviled eggs?

Keep them in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)

large eggs – I’ve always been told that super fresh eggs don’t peel as well as eggs that are a little older (but not too old).
mayonnaise – I prefer Hellman’s or Dukes but use a mayonnaise that you really enjoy. I am not a fan of Miracle Whip so I personally would not use that but this is all about your tastebuds.
sweet pickle relish – some folks like dill relish instead of the sweet. Again, that is totally a taste preference and up to you. I think it might be a regional thing. Based off comments I get, folks from the northern states tend to like the dill and the southern folks tend to like sweet. It would be the same amounts.
mustard – this might seem a bit strange but the vinegar in the mustard brightens up the other flavors and gives you a great yellow color in the yolks and the vinegar in the mustard actually helps to give you a slightly fluffier filling.
paprika – I just use regular paprika but some people enjoy using the smoked.

HOW TO MAKE DEVILED EGGS

Get a pot of water to boiling. Once it’s boiling, gently and carefully add the eggs into the pot. Set a timer for 12 minutes. Once the timer goes off, drain the water out of the pot and add the eggs into an ice both (just fill a large bowl with lots of ice and cool water. Let the eggs sit in that ice bath for at least 30 minutes.

The key to peeling hardboiled eggs is that little thin membrane that is attached the egg shell. Gently tap the fat end of the egg to get it to crack.

Pick off the shell then look for that membrane. Take your fingers and pick off some of that membrane. The membrane is attached to the shell so if you get it off, then the shell comes with it.

Now, continue to slide your fingers or the inside of a spoon under that membrane to lift the shell off. Sometimes it helps to roll the egg gently on the counter to get that shell to loosen up a bit. You can also peel it under some cool running water.

Once you have them all peeled, set them on a paper towel and gently dry them off. Slice eggs in half lengthwise. Carefully remove all the yolks and set aside the egg whites for now.

Mash yolks with mayonnaise. Add relish, mustard, salt, and pepper; stir well.

Spoon yolk mixture into egg whites that you set aside earlier.You can also put the filling mixture into a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the tip cut off and pipe it into the eggs. Sprinkle with a bit of paprika.

Then enjoy! Keep eggs covered and refrigerated if not serving right away.

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Originally published: April 2017
Updated photos and republished: March 2024

Best Deviled Eggs Recipe

Brandie @ The Country Cook

These classic deviled eggs are a must serve every holiday or cookout. Plus, tips on how to make the perfect hardboiled egg every time!

5 from 45 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Calories 54 kcal

Ingredients

6 large eggs
2 ½ Tablespoons mayonnaise
1 ½ Tablespoons sweet pickle relish (or dill pickle relish)
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
⅛ teaspoon salt
dash of fresh black pepper
paprika (for garnish)

Instructions

Get a pot of water to boiling. Once it's boiling, gently and carefully add the eggs into the pot. Set a timer for 12 minutes.
Once the timer goes off, drain the water out of the pot and add the eggs into an ice both (just fill a large bowl with lots of ice and cool water. Let the eggs sit in that ice bath for at least 30 minutes.
The key to peeling hardboiled eggs is that little thin membrane that is attached the egg shell. Gently tap the fat end of the egg to get it to crack.
Pick off the shell then look for that membrane.
Take your fingers and pick off some of that membrane. Now, continue to slide your fingers or the inside of a spoon under that membrane to lift the shell off. Sometimes it helps to roll the egg gently on the counter to get that shell to loosen up a bit. You can also peel it under some cool running water.
Once you have them all peeled, set them on a paper towel and gently dry them off.
Slice eggs in half lengthwise.
Carefully remove yolks (so you don't tear the egg whites) and add them to a bowl. Set aside the egg whites for now.
Mash yolks with mayonnaise.
Add relish, mustard, salt, and pepper; stir well.
Spoon yolk mixture into egg whites.You can also put the filling mixture into a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the tip cut off and pipe it into the eggs.
Sprinkle eggs lightly with a bit of paprika. Then enjoy! Keep eggs covered and refrigerated if not serving right away.
See Also
Frog Eye Salad - Homemade Hooplah

Notes

I always boil a couple of extra eggs in case I have issues peeling one or two. Save those mistakes and use them for a little egg salad sandwich. Or use the extra yolks to add to your filling so that you have nicely stuffed deviled eggs.
If you don’t like sweet pickle relish, you can leave it out.
You can make these up to one day ahead of time.

Keyword Best Deviled Eggs, Best Deviled Eggs Recipe, Best Ever Deviled Eggs, Deviled Eggs Recipe

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Perfect every time! Thank you.
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Delicious! Thank you for giving me the recipe to make deviled eggs the way my mom’s tasted. I also appreciated the tip about peeling the eggs.
I am so confused about the time you estimated to make this dish. I agree with 20 minutes of cooking because you have to get the water boiling and then begin the timer for 12 minutes. BUT TEN MINUTES OF PREP TIME??? I wish I could give the eggs an ice bath, peel six eggs, remove the yolks, mix the ingredients, and refill the eggs within ten minutes.
Again, thanks for the wonderful ingredient list and clear instructions.
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This is our favorite deviled egg recipe! Don’t tell my grandma I said so. Hers were good and everyone bragged on them but now everyone tells me that mine are even better than hers. Ha! Thank you for making me look like a star 🙂
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This is my favorite deviled egg recipe. Whenever I take them anywhere they disappear very fast. This is also my favorite cooking site.
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simple and my first time ever making deviled eggs and yummy! thank you!!
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1. Yay!! So happy it was a success and I am grateful you gave my recipe a try!
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These are just like my Mom used to make! Yummy!
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1. Now that is a HUGE compliment! It’s hard to make things exactly like Mom used to make – thanks SO much Kat!
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Great classic recipe and the pro tip to use Eggland’s Best boiled/peeled eggs was GENIUS! I’m not a cook and have NEVER made deviled eggs, but was asked to bring some to a gender reveal party, which also meant I need to dye the egg whites pink & blue. Long story short, the eggs were a hit at the party and you saved me a TON of time/stress by using the already boiled/peeled eggs–THANK YOU!!
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1. I love hearing that Christina! I’ve tried a lot of those already boiled eggs from different brands. Some of them taste gross or rubbery. That brand is the only one I’ve found that taste like you made them at home!
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I’ve been experimenting with deviled eggs for some time, trying to get them to taste just like my Mom’s did. To me, the mustard used varies the taste. I’ve tried yellow and spicy, but ground comes closest to what I remember. Your recipe is delicious and close to what I’ve been trying to achieve. I thought Mom added some french salad dressing, but I’ve had no luck with that yet I missing a subtle hint of zing.
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1. I’m not sure we can ever make things quite like our Moms did. There’s just something about their touch and a “little dash of something special” that makes all the difference. 🙂
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2. Are. you using the same brand of Mayo your Mother used? They all taste different. My Mom always used Miracle Whip in everything. Completely different taste. I can’t stand the smell of MW to this day.
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  1. VERY good point. Yes!!!
  2. I detest miracle whip down to the tips of my toes. LOL! But around here we love good ole Hellman’s or JFG (which is a brand you see around Tennessee and Southwest Virginia).
3. It’s the smallest EVER dash of white vinegar. The. SMALLest. EVEEEEERRRRRR. Then taste and give a dash more if you like. Be careful.
  Reply
Love this reçipe. Cant wait to try it myself…and I found other hints here to add to them like the celery sounds really good as well. Cant wait to try&serve..(yummy)..but would also love to know how to get the best hard boiled eggs without the green line in them.
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1. Hi Tammy! Great question! If you look above in the recipe post, I give instructions on how to make the perfect hard-boiled egg with no green ring! 🙂
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This is the way I’ve been doing it for 50 years. Sometimes I change it up and add a hint of curry powder.
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I make my deviled eggs just like that as well but put a little celery as well
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This is the very best deviled eggs. I made them for Christmas appetizer and they were gone right away. I will not make my deviled eggs any other way. Thank you for sharing and Hapoy New Year!!!
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Best deviled eggs I have ever had. Very similar to how my mother in law made them. Thank you for this recipe.
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Amazed and so are all the people who has tried it.
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Taste just like my Mothers,thank you .
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Great recipe! I also added a little pickle juice and a bit of red pepper for kick. Awesome!
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For years I have heard my husband speak about ‘Deviled Eggs’ and how his aunt made the best. Someone made them at my husband’s job and he brought some home for me to taste, because I never had them before. They were very good… so I looked to find recipes that matched what I tasted. I needed something basic, simple… clean. and I found THIS!!! THIS IS THE BEST ONE BY SO FAR!!! Everyone else that I found added vinegar… or sugar and other things. This recipe is AMAZING!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING!!! You are GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!
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These have great taste! I just add little pickle juice with relish instead of apple cider vinegar and not with sugar if someone who has diabetes and ketosis. its great…thanks
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Same as mine except I use except I add a little apple cider vinegar and sugar to mine.
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