Classic Deviled Egg 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.

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 have a baby in the home, baby cereal can work as a thickener. Baby cereal is typically made from neutral-tasting rice, so using it shouldn't impact the flavor of your deviled eggs too heavily. Alternatively, if you really have nothing else to work with, all you need is more eggs.

The longer the deviled eggs sit, the more likely they will lose flavor and dry out.

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.

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.

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.

The eggs are served in a ceramic egg holder, which is good because they definitely need to be in something sturdy. Each half of an egg is filled pretty high with a smooth and creamy egg yolk mixture. Each deviled egg is then topped with a piece of bacon, smoked paprika, and chives.

When eggs are cooked too quickly, over high heat, the protein seizes as it cools and water leeches out. To prevent this error, it is best to allow the eggs to cook slowly, shock them in ice water to stop the cooking process abruptly, and then allow them to cool completely before moving on to the next preparation step.

If you add too much mayo, it may overpower the filling and make it runny. For a dozen eggs, ½ cup mayonnaise will make a smooth, creamy filling that can sit up high when spooned into the egg. One way to ensure you get a good yolk-to-mayo ratio is to cook a few extra eggs.

What to do if deviled egg filling is too runny? ›

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.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make with deviled eggs happens before you even get started: using eggs that are too fresh. Food scientist Harold McGee said in "On Food and Cooking" that older eggs peel easier.

If you feel nauseous after eating eggs, you may have an intolerance or allergy to egg yolks, egg whites, or both. Some people may experience nausea after eating eggs. If you feel nauseous after eating eggs, you may have an intolerance or allergy to egg yolks, egg whites, or both.

Fresh eggs, with their smaller air sacs, are more likely to have a smooth ovoid shape when peeled, which looks more appealing in applications as deviled eggs. OFF-CENTER YOLK: Fresher eggs are more likely (though not guaranteed) to have centered yolks, again leading to more attractive deviled eggs.

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.

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.

"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."