Southern Deviled Eggs Recipe

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Southern deviled eggs, otherwise known as stuffed eggs or dressed eggs, are hard-boiled eggs that you shell, half, and fill with a mixture made of the egg yolk and other ingredients. Generally, southerners serve these deviled eggs cold as an appetizer or side dish during potlucks, holidays, picnics, and family gatherings. 

In our family, we ate southern deviled eggs during Easter, church homecoming, and summer picnics while growing up! Then, because it is one of my favorites, deviled eggs were the first southern food I introduced to my husband when we met in college. Whatever the occasion or holiday, deviled eggs are a delicious, simple, and easy food you can share among friends and family. People tend to love these even if they didn’t grow up eating them.

So, this week, we wanted to share a simple southern deviled eggs recipe for you to enjoy! 

Deviled Eggs Preparation:

To make the southern version of deviled eggs, you need to start by first cooking the eggs until they are hard-boiled. Then, peel off the shell and half the egg lengthwise with a knife. Once halved, remove the yolks and set them aside in a bowl. Then, once you remove all the hard yolks from all of your boiled eggs, mash the egg yolks together with the other ingredients until they combine into a paste-like mixture. Finally, you spoon or pipe your egg yolk mixture back into your egg white halves. 

Traditionally, southern deviled eggs use dijon mustard, mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, and pepper in the mixture. Other traditional versions can use pickled sweet relish as well. While these listed ingredients tend to be ‘traditional,’ many southerners have their family recipes that use unique ingredients fit to their taste.

Further, outside of the southern and midwestern parts of the United States, deviled eggs are popular throughout Europe. These different countries and cultures tend to have their own versions that use their cultural ingredients. For example, some countries such as Belgium, France, and Germany refer to deviled eggs as Russian eggs. In this version, they use mayonnaise, parsley, tomato, and a vegetable salad called macédoine. At the same time, in Sweden, they use sour cream, caviar, and red onion. You can find many variations based on country, family recipes, and personal taste. So, let us look at some variations below! 

Deviled Egg Variations:

While the traditional version of southern deviled eggs uses very few ingredients and simple flavors, you can find different versions that use complex flavors. Variations beyond the most basic and classic recipes can include:

• Caviar Deviled Eggs
• Cheese and Bacon Deviled Eggs
• Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs
• Crab Deviled Eggs; and more.

These days, there are even fusion versions. For example, try making kimchi deviled eggs for a Korean twist! I have also seen Thai red curry versions! 

Before we share the recipe, we want to give some tips for peeling the hard-boiled eggs. After all, it can sometimes be a pain in the butt! 

Tips for Peeling Eggs 

Sometimes, eggs can seem impossible to peel once boiled. The unrelenting shells often stick to the egg whites, causing chunks of the egg to come off as you peel. This can be a pain when trying to make beautiful deviled eggs for holidays, parties, and events. After all, it ruins the presentation. Not only does it ruin the presentation, but it can also feel like a waste to lose chunks of the egg while removing the shell.

So, we listed a few tips and tricks to help you successfully peel a boiled egg below. While this cannot 100% guarantee a perfectly peeled egg, it can help!

Older Eggs: 

When hard-boiling an egg, make sure to get older eggs. The fresher the egg, the more likely the shell will stick. So, don’t use the fresh eggs from your neighbor’s chickens. Instead, use store-bought! When making deviled eggs, I always look for the oldest date on the carton when at the grocery store. 

Also, when picking out eggs, remember to always check the carton for any broken egg shells! 

Water Temperature:

Thankfully for us, J. Kenji López-Alt, the author of The Food Lab and a columnist with Serious Eats, did all the research necessary to find out how to best boil an egg. He tested how best to boil eggs so that we do not have to!

His findings: ‘A hot start produces easier-to-peel eggs.’ In other words, place your eggs in an already hot pot of water instead of a cold pot. You can read further via the article Kenji López-Alt wrote on his findings. He notes that while starting an egg in cold water helps cook the hard-boiled egg more evenly, it makes the egg harder to peel. So, you need to pick your poison when boiling an egg: presentation or evenly cooked eggs. 

For deviled eggs, presentation wins in my book! 

Ice Bath:

After boiling your eggs, drain out the water and directly place your eggs into an ice bath. First, the ice bath shocks the eggs and prevents them from continuing to cook. An overcooked egg yolk gets a grayish-greenish color that does not look attractive in the yolk mixture. Also, when overcooked, the yolk gets a flakey and chalky flavor. This flavor makes the deviled egg yolk mixture taste a bit dry. 

Secondly, the ice causes the cooked eggs to contract away from the shells. This allows you to peel the shells away more easily. For those who are extra cautious, take it a step further and quickly crack your eggs BEFORE placing them in the ice bath. You may find cracking them before makes the task much easier. 

Frequently Asked Deviled Egg Questions:

How Far In Advance Can You Make Deviled Eggs?

We recommend making southern deviled eggs the day you want to consume them. BUT, if you need to prepare them in advance, we recommend making them one day in advance. More than a day starts getting iffy–After all, we recommend keeping deviled eggs for only two days after they are made. 

How Long Do Deviled Eggs Keep?

Once made, deviled eggs need to be chilled unless they will be consumed right away. This is because eggs are a perishable item. 

In the refrigerator, deviled eggs can keep up to two days. We do not recommend keeping them any longer as they can go bad quickly. When storing your deviled eggs, place them in an airtight container in a single layer. 

What Recipes Can You Make With Leftovers? 

If you rather not eat deviled eggs two or three days in a row, we have a few options for you! Below are some ideas for your leftover deviled eggs:

• On Top of Salad: Many spring and summer salads include eggs on top. Slice your leftover deviled eggs and place them on top of a salad!
• Egg Salad: Place all of your leftover deviled eggs in a bowl. Then, with the back of your fork, smush the eggs until you break them into pieces and they combine into an egg salad. You can serve egg salad next to some greens or in a sandwich! 
• Potato Salad: Many potato salad recipes use hard-boiled eggs. Instead of boiling more, skip the step and add your leftover deviled eggs into the mix! Your potato salad will taste yummy with your deviled egg ingredients. 

If you have any leftover ideas, let us know in the comments below! 

Do You Like Southern Deviled Eggs?  

In the end, did you enjoy our southern deviled eggs recipe? We would love to hear in the comment section below! We would also love to hear about any deviled egg variations you enjoy.

If you want further recommendations for southern recipes check out:

• Southern Bourbon Slush Cocktail 
• Hot Pepper Jelly 
• Southern (Lowcountry) Grits 

If you have any questions or comments, you can also email us at [email protected]. Finally, we would love to hear from you through our social media as well! You can follow us at @carvingajourney on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. Or, if you would like more articles like these, you can subscribe to our blog by joining our mailing list. We hope you enjoy our southern deviled eggs recipe. Thank you so much for stopping by! 

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