The Best Deviled Eggs Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why put white vinegar in 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.

First she slices peeled hard-boiled eggs in half. She scoops the cooked yolks into a bowl and sets the egg whites in an egg tray. She mashes the yolks and adds mayonnaise, mustard and sweet pickle relish. She thoroughly mashes everything together so there aren't any lumps and adds pepper and salt to taste.

If you are responsible for bringing deviled eggs, you can give yourself a head start with these tips: Boil the eggs up to 48 hours in advance. Peel, cut in half, and remove yolks. Place egg whites on tray, cover with plastic wrap, and store in fridge.

Instant mashed potatoes (which doubles as a surprising thickener for soups) can save your deviled eggs. To pull this off, all you need to do is add the flakes directly to your filling in small doses, mixing well each time.

Add vinegar: I always recommend adding a tablespoon of vinegar (preferably a mild-tasting vinegar, like rice or apple cider vinegar) to the water before adding your eggs. It helps the whites to coagulate more quickly. And don't worry — you can't even taste it.

The vinegar in the water makes the eggs easier to peel. Here's why: The vinegar's acid not only dissolves some of the calcium carbonate in the shell, it also helps the whites set faster. Running the hard-boiled eggs under cold running water as you're peeling, meanwhile, helps the shell separate from the membrane.

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.

Lower the heat slightly – so the eggs don't crack due to being bashed around but water is still at a gentle boil. Start the timer – 6 minutes for runny yolks, 8 minutes for soft boiled, 10 minutes for classic hard boiled, 15 minutes for unpleasant rubbery whites and powdery dry yolks.

How many deviled eggs do you need per person? Plan 2 to 3 deviled eggs per person for your get-together. A dozen eggs will make 24 deviled eggs, and that will be enough for 8 to 12 people. If you have leftovers you can store them in the fridge for 24 hours and snack on them the next day.

As soon as the water begins to boil, turn off the heat and cover the pot. Leave the eggs in the hot water for anywhere from 10-12 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs. The 10-minute eggs will have vibrant, creamy yolks, while the 12-minute yolks will be paler and opaque, with a chalkier texture.

What to use instead of mustard in deviled eggs? ›

This recipe for Deviled Eggs Without Mustard tastes just like classic deviled eggs but with apple cider vinegar in place of dijon mustard. They're a creamy, delicious appetizer everyone should try!

The first step to avoid weeping deviled eggs involves using proper cooking techniques. When eggs are cooked too quickly, over high heat, the protein seizes as it cools and water leeches out.

Press the yolks through a sieve

Using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, push the yolks through the sieve and into a bowl. The tiny mesh texture will break the yolks into tiny pieces, which will make them less prone to lumps. (This is the same reason we recommend using a potato ricer for lump-free mashed potatoes).

To thicken up runny deviled egg filling, adding in some extra egg yolks is the first easy fix to try. This method thickens up the base of the filling without altering the taste. Now for a more out-of-the-box (literally) fix, try mixing some instant mashed potatoes into your filling instead.

The vinegar contains ethanoic acid (also known as acetic acid), which reacts with calcium carbonate in the eggshell. One product of the reaction is carbon dioxide gas, which appears as little bubbles forming on the eggshell. Over time, this chemical reaction dissolves away the hard eggshell.

In scientific terms the acid helps to denature, or break down, the coils of amino acids in the egg white's proteins so that they become long strands instead. When these strands are whisked they join together around the bubbles of air and make a foam which can then have sugar added to make meringue.

"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."

Now, don't confuse distilled with basic white vinegar, which is stronger and has up to 25% acetic acid. That vinegar is sold exclusively for cleaning purposes and is not a good idea to ingest. However, beyond cooking, distilled white vinegar can be used for many of the same household chores.