Classic Deviled Egg Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why do you add vinegar to deviled eggs? ›

A light-colored vinegar, like the white-wine vinegar we use in these creamy deviled eggs, brings a touch of acidity to the filling and balances the richness of the yolks and the mayonnaise.

Going overboard with the mayo.

But when you're heavy-handed with this ingredient, not only will it overpower the taste of the filling, but it can also make for a loose, runny filling that's tough to pipe into the egg white.

If you're looking for a classic, no-frills deviled eggs recipe this is it. The filling for Southern-style deviled eggs is nothing more than egg yolks, mayonnaise (Duke's if you can find it), mustard, and sweet pickle relish.

Prep deviled eggs too far in advance, and you'll have dried out filling and stinky boiled egg whites. For the best results, prep your deviled eggs up to two days in advance and keep the egg whites and filling separate until you're ready to serve. This prepping method also applies if you're not even leaving the house.

Mash yolks with a fork and stir in mayonnaise, pickle relish and mustard. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Fill egg whites evenly with yolk mixture. Garnish with paprika, pickles and pimentos.

Dijon Mustard - Yellow mustard can be used as a substitute. Salt - Be sure to taste the yolk mixture to see if you need any additional salt before filling the eggs. Sweet Pickle Relish Juice- Relish juice is a good substitute for vinegar that many people use when making deviled eggs.

Standard deviled eggs are undeniably good, but adding a touch of tomato paste and a generous pinch of smoked paprika makes them a bit more sophisticated. The flavor is gently sweet, forcefully spicy and perfectly smoky.

If you keep the heat turned up too high or too long when you cook an egg, the proteins in the egg white form more and more bonds, squeezing some of the water out of the protein network and making the egg white rubbery.

The term dates to the 19th century, and it was used to refer to foods that were spicy or zesty with the addition of mustard or pepper. In some regions of the South and the Midwest, deviled eggs are also called salad or dressed eggs when they are served at a church function, to avoid the term "deviled."

Making them too far in advance. Deviled eggs can be watery, dry, or lose flavor the longer they sit, so don't make them too far in advance. For the best results, prep your eggs and make the filling up two days in advance, and store them separately. Assemble the eggs before serving.

What can I use instead of mustard in deviled eggs? ›

If you preferred to have no mustard flavor, a prepared curry powder or paste adds delicious flavor to deviled eggs. You could also reach for sriracha, smoked paprika, harissa, horseradish, wasabi, pesto, pureed avocado, pickle relish, I could go on forever.

This amount can vary depending on the crowd size and how many appetizers are served at the same time. If you have a smaller group of 4-12 people, 2-3 deviled eggs per person are plenty, but you may want to reduce the serving size to just 2 for larger crowds and if other appetizers are present.

I cook the eggs the day before and (when cooled) cut them in half. I prep the egg yolk mixture (and refrigerate). I place the egg whites, cut side down, onto 1-2 paper towels in a container with a lid. I put one or two paper towels between each layer of egg whites.

Once your eggs are cooked, making deviled eggs is easy!

I use the back of a spoon and smoosh the egg yolk. Since we cooked our eggs perfectly, they should break down easily. Then, we can stir in our mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Acid can help with cooking other styles of eggs, too

Adding a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a pan of roiling water helps poached eggs to set better, and to maintain their shape while cooking, rather than the whites spreading haphazardly all across the pan.

"Vinegar is an inherently acidic material, so if we add a few drops of vinegar into that boiling water that is going to increase the rate of denaturing and it's going to make that happen faster and help the poached egg hold its shape better."

c) Vinegar - Alongside the mustard this helps cut through the richness of the eggs and mayonnaise. Malt vinegar is most traditional in the UK, but apple cider vinegar can sub. I actually prefer dill pickle juice for its flavour. In all cases though you only need a tiny amount, otherwise it'll turn the egg mayo sour.

Adding white vinegar or apple cider vinegar to your pot of water allegedly results in softer, easier-to-peel eggshells. That's because the acid in vinegar dissolves some of the calcium carbonate that makes up the egg's hard exterior.