For many people, a picnic, family celebration, or any other major food gathering isn’t complete without deviled eggs.
If you have never had one, a deviled egg consists of a hard-boiled egg that has been sliced in half, the yolk is removed, mayonnaise and a dash of mustard are combined with the yolk, and the revised mixture is added back into the egg in the opening where the yolk was before being removed.
Some versions may include pickle relish, cheddar cheese, hot sauce, chopped celery, and a number of other condiments and seasonings. While the original recipe is simple to make, there are occasions where the deviled egg mixture may turn out a little too watery.
There are several ways to correct this situation, but first, here is the correct way to make (almost) perfect deviled eggs.
How to Make Perfect Deviled Eggs
The recipe for deviled eggs appears very simple to begin with, but the most challenging thing is making perfect boiled eggs.
There are a few fool-proof methods that will help you get the right color and firmness of the egg, but the other issue is making a hard-boiled egg that peels easily and does not break down into pieces.
If you have never made deviled eggs don’t be scared off. This recipe will lay out the proper procedure from start to finish.
After researching the best way to make hard-boiled eggs, most of the instructions online say the same thing, whether you are making one egg or a dozen.
1. Put eggs in a medium-sized pan and cover with water.
2. Bring the water to a boil then cover it and take it off the heat. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
3. Get a large bowl and fill it with ice cubes. Put the eggs in the bowl to chill for about 5 minutes.
4. Remove eggs and roll them on the counter before removing the shell. It should come off easily in long strips. Rinse the eggs to make sure there are no small pieces of shell on them.
Now you are ready to prepare your deviled eggs. Slice the eggs in half lengthwise and remove the yellow yolk. Put all the yolks into a bowl then add 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise (this recipe is based on making 6 deviled eggs). Add in a teaspoon of Dijon mustard and salt and pepper to taste.
Mix it until smooth and either scoop it back into the whites of the eggs or put it into a pastry bag and pipe it into the area neatly. You can sprinkle paprika over the top to give your eggs the perfect finishing touch.
What Do You Do if Your Deviled Egg Mixture is Too Runny?
If you need to thicken the mixture here are some products you can use to rescue your runny eggs.
1. Make a few extra hard-boiled eggs and remove the yolks. Add some mayonnaise and add this mixture to the thin batch and it should thicken it right up.
2. If you have a box of instant mashed potatoes on hand you can try adding them in a little at a time until you get your deviled eggs mixture to the right consistency.
3. You can use the same procedure using bread crumbs to thicken up your deviled eggs. Make sure you use regular bread crumbs, not the seasoned Italian style.
4. Do NOT use flour to try to thicken your egg mixture. You will be left with a different taste and texture for your deviled eggs you will not be happy with.
Variations on Your Deviled Egg Mixture
Here are some ways you can switch things up a little when making deviled eggs.
- If you love guacamole you can add 1/4 to 1/2 of a cup of mashed avocado to your mixture along with a little lime juice and a couple of tablespoons of sour cream.
- Crispy bacon crumbled up is a delicious and easy addition to deviled eggs. You can add it as is or combine it with some shredded cheddar cheese.
- Smoked salmon is another special ingredient that will make your simple deviled eggs even more special.
- A chopped-up dill pickle can give your deviled eggs a nice taste that pairs nicely with the Dijon mustard.
- If you love everything bagels and you happen to have a bottle of the everything bagel seasoning in your spice rack, try sprinkling some on your eggs for a savory taste treat.
- With such an emphasis on buffalo wings, you can leave out the mustard and add in a few teaspoons of Frank’s Hot Sauce and make your deviled eggs buffalo style.
What is the Best Way to Serve Deviled Eggs?
After spending a good amount of time putting together your deviled eggs, what is the best way to serve them? If you put them on a plate you can circle them around a round plate but if you pick them up to serve them they are going to start moving around and you are going to run the risk of ruining your perfect filling.
That’s the bad news. The good news is this specialty item actually has serving pieces made just for it.
There are dishes made just for deviled eggs that have egg-shaped dips in the plate so you can safely nestle your little gems right in there and they will not move around. They even have plastic pieces that have spaces for the eggs as well as a cover so you can bring them to the next cookout or picnic with no worries.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Film/Video/Media Studies, as well as an associates degree in Communications. I began producing videos and musical recordings nearly 15 years ago. I am a guitarist and bassist in Southwest MI and have been in a few different bands since 2009, and in 2012 I began building custom guitars and basses in my home workshop as well. When I’m home, I love spending time with my three pets (a dog, cat, and snake) and gardening in my backyard.