Perfect, Party-Ready Deviled Eggs

Everything you need to know to create perfect, party-ready Deviled Eggs! Included are tips for making hard boiled eggs easier to peel, creating new and interesting flavors, plus easy garnishing ideas and a delicious recipe for Ginger Chili Deviled Eggs!

Jump to:

• What's the Story Behind this Recipe?
• Deviled Eggs Ingredients
• How to Make Deviled Eggs
• Variations
• Easy Deviled Egg Garnishes
• Top Tips
• FAQs
• More Boiled Egg Recipes
• What to Serve with Deviled Eggs
• Ginger-Chili Deviled Eggs

What's the Story Behind this Recipe?

Some years ago, I had the opportunity to meet celebrity chef and mixologist Kathy Casey and check out her micro-focused cookbook, D'lish Deviled Eggs.

Kathy's book is so much fun! The recipes are unique, creative, and tasty; and by the time you are done leafing through it, not only will you be more excited about deviled eggs than you ever thought you could be, but you will be inspired to come with egg-deviling ideas of your own!

Today I'm sharing my top tips for making deviled eggs, plus an adaptation of one of my favorite recipes from Kathy's cookbook: Chili Ginger Deviled Eggs. 

Deviled Eggs Ingredients

Basic Deviled Eggs

• Eggs: If you have the choice between boiling the eggs you bought today and the ones you bought last week, use the older eggs. Older eggs are usually easier to peel.
• Mayonnaise: You can skip the Miracle Whip and use all mayonnaise for this recipe.
• Miracle Whip: We prefer the tangy-sweetness that Miracle Whip brings to the plate, so we add it 1:1 with the mayo. It's a personal choice.
  • Substitution: You can change the color of the filling to a wasabi-green by replacing ¼ cup of the mayo or Miracle Whip with smooth mashed avocado.

Ginger Chili Deviled Eggs

Ginger Chili Deviled Eggs, with just a hint of sweetness, are just one example of how you can bring new and interesting flavors to classic deviled eggs. Try experimenting with other herbs, spices, and flavor profiles (i.e., Italian, Greek, South American, etc.) 

• Sambal oelek: Samgo oelek is an Indonesian chile paste made of crushed raw red chiles, vinegar, and salt. It can be found in most grocery stores in the Asian food section, near the Sriracha (rooster sauce). If sambal oelek isn't a staple in your kitchen, you can substitute Sriracha. If you do this, use 1½ teaspoons of Sriracha and ¼ teaspoon of sugar.
• Ginger: Use fresh ginger if possible. You can substitute ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger in place of the grated ginger.

How to Make Deviled Eggs

Prep the Eggs

UPDATE August 2023: My new favorite way to "hard-boil" eggs is in an air-fryer!

Easy Air-fryer "Hard boiled" Eggs

Preheat your air fryer to 250°F (132-135°C) for 2-3 minutes. Place the eggs in the air-fryer and set the timer for 16 minutes.

Remove from air-fryer using tongs and place in water bath as directed below.

NOTE: Not all air fryers work the same, so we recommend testing the process using just one or two eggs. If it doesn't turn out the way you'd like, adjust the time and temperature accordingly.

Perfect Traditional Hard Boiled Eggs

It seems as though there are nearly as many ways to hard-boil eggs as there are cooks to make them. Below is the method we prefer, but you do whatever works best for you. 

Start with room temperature eggs. Cold eggs added to boiling water are more likely to crack.

Fill a pot of water 2 to 3 inches deep and bring it to a boil over high heat.

Reduce the heat to medium, and use a slotted wooden spoon to gently lower the eggs into the boiling water. Don't crowd the eggs: they should be in a single layer in the pan.

Simmer the eggs on medium-low to low, uncovered, for 12 minutes.

While the eggs are cooking, prepare an ice bath. Fill a bowl large enough to hold all the eggs with room to spare halfway with ice. Add enough water so that it is level with the ice.

After 12 minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs from the hot water and immediately transfer them into the ice bath to cool. Let the eggs set in the ice bath for 15 minutes before peeling.

Peel the eggs under cold water; or refrigerate them if you don’t want to peel them right away.

According to the USDA, hard boiled eggs will last a week in the refrigerator, peeled or unpeeled.

Peel and rinse the hard boiled eggs. Slice them lengthwise and remove the yolks to a medium-size bowl. Set the egg white halves aside. 

Make the Filling

Smash the yolks with a fork. You can also run them through a potato ricer, or use a hand mixer for the whole process. Add the remaining ingredients to the smashed yolks and mix well to combine. The mixture should be quite smooth.

Taste the filling before proceeding. Season to taste. (Do not skip this step.)

Refrigerate the filling until you are ready to fill the egg white halves.

Fill & Finish

You can use a spoon to fill the eggs; however, if you have a lot of eggs to fill (or you want them to look especially nice) we recommend using a disposable pastry bag.

The bags allow you to prepare everything ahead of time and pipe the filling in right before serving. If you want your deviled eggs to be uber-fancy, add a decorative pastry tip to the pastry bag before filling them. 

Garnish the deviled eggs as desired and serve immediately. Refrigerate any leftovers. 

Variations

The Ginger Chili Deviled Eggs recipe included with this post, made with sambel oelek and ginger, is just one example of how you can bring new and interesting flavors to classic deviled eggs.

Try experimenting with other herbs, spices, and flavor profiles. Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

• Greek Deviled Eggs: Add crumbled feta, sub in greek yogurt for the mayo, season with Greek seasoning, and garnish with fresh basil or mint.
• Italian Deviled Eggs: Add chopped garlic and finely chopped tomatoes, and garnish with fresh basil.
• Pesto Deviled Eggs: Add 2 teaspoons pesto to the egg yolk mixture, and garnish with fresh basil and pine nuts.
• Avocado Deviled Eggs: Sub in mashed avocado for half the mayo. Garnish with a roasted garlic clove.
• Bacon Deviled Eggs: Mix in 2-3 tablespoons of finely chopped cooked bacon into egg yolk mixture. Garnish with additional bacon bits.

Easy Deviled Egg Garnishes

You can serve deviled eggs as is, or with the traditional sprinkle of paprika. However, if you take just a minute more to add a simple garnish, your party-eggs will sparkle.

Here's a short list of easy deviled egg garnish ideas, but once you get going, you'll likely think of more!

• Avocado cubes or slices
• Bacon bits
• Black sesame seeds
• Capers
• Celery leaves
• Cucumber fans
• Cilantro flowers: These are my all-time favorite deviled egg garnish! Sometimes my cilantro gets a little out of hand, and deviled eggs are a perfect way to use those dainty little cilantro flowers.
• Borage flowers (or starflowers): This European herb has lovely little star-shaped flowers that come in colors ranging from delicate periwinkle to royal purple, and has a flavor reminiscent of cucumber.
• Dill fronds: The delicate, lacy fronds from the dill plant are perfect for deviled eggs.
• Pickled Mustard Seeds (Poor Man's Caviar)
• Radish slices
• Sliced green onions
• Sliced olives
• Sliced jalapeños

Top Tips

How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs Easier to Peel

• Start with eggs that are about a week old. Generally, the older the egg, the easier it will be to peel.
• Use an ice bath immediately after the boiling process to promote rapid cooling. This causes the egg white to contract, releasing it from the egg's membrane. The shock of cold water also firms the egg white proteins, making the egg easier to peel.
• Peel hard-boiled eggs under cold, running water.

How to Dye Hard-boiled Eggs with Beet Juice

You may have noticed those beautiful, bright fuchsia colored deviled eggs on the plate. They get their color naturally - from beet juice.

Dying hard-boiled eggs with beet juice is a simple process.

First, peel an egg you want to dye under running water, and then immerse the whole egg in beet juice for about an hour. After an hour, remove the egg from the beet juice and rinse in cold water.

Don’t soak your eggs for longer than an hour, especially if you use pickled beet juice. The vinegar in the pickling juice can change the egg’s texture, making it less tender and more bouncy.

Where to buy beet juice: You can buy beet juice at almost any grocery store, or you can use the beet juice from a can of pickled beets.

FYI: You can change the color of the filling to a wasabi-green by replacing ¼ cup of the mayo or Miracle Whip with thoroughly mashed avocado.

FAQs

More Boiled Egg Recipes

What to Serve with Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are always a welcome addition at any party, picnic, or potluck! They pair well with BBQ meats, savory sandwiches, and salads of all kinds, and make a delicious addition to any family gathering or holiday table.

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Originally published July 20, 2014. This post has been updated with new content, images, and recipe directions to improve reader experience.