There are deviled eggs, and then there are these Million Dollar Deviled Eggs. This is my favorite, best recipe, and it includes a secret ingredient that notches up the filling to the next level. Top everything off with paprika and bacon (if you feel so inclined) and enjoy!
The Best Deviled Egg Recipe
Let’s start the week off with a classic. While Monday morning might have you reaching for a peach bellini kind of classic, I have something slightly different for you today: the best deviled egg recipe that I have in my repertoire.
It’s also a little different from the classic deviled egg recipe that you might have stowed away, scribbled on a scrap of paper in the back of your kitchen cabinet, and that’s largely due to my addiction to secret ingredients.
That’s right, there’s a secret ingredient in these deviled eggs. Can you spy it below?
What Ingredients Do I Need for Deviled Eggs?
- Hard Boiled Eggs
- Mayo
- Butter. This is it, the secret ingredient! We’re going to talk a little bit more about why we add butter below, but this is what makes these “Million Dollar” Deviled Eggs.
- Mustard (you’ll need yellow and dijon mustard)
- Sweet pickle juice
- Sugar (just a pinch!)
- Salt & pepper
- Tabasco sauce (optional, just a dash of heat is a great addition, though!)
- Optional toppings: paprika, sweet pickle slices, crumbled bacon.
The Secret Ingredient
Do you see it? Right there ⬆️⬆️, at 11 o’clock. That’s one tablespoon of pure, delicious, sweet cream butter.
Have you ever made deviled eggs with butter before? It’s a sneaky secret ingredient, nearly imperceptible except that the filling is just a touch creamier, just a tad more velvety, there’s just something about it that you probably won’t quite be able to put your finger on…
Something really, really good, but not overpowering. Just a little bit extra without being overwhelming, subtle, but so important.
In addition to preferring my deviled eggs with a spoonful of butter, I also prefer them to be slightly on the sweet side of things. To this end I’ve added a splash of sweet pickle juice and a sprinkling of sugar.
I’m told sweeter deviled eggs are a southern thing (while sweeter cornbread is a northern thing, go figure), but I happen to live just a notch above the Mason Dixon Line and can vouch for their deliciousness here, too.
I topped off about half of these eggs with bacon (mostly for my Zach’s benefit, he prefers deviled eggs with bacon) and cross-sections of sweet pickles, and all of them got a sprinkle of Paprika.
How Far In Advance Can I Make Deviled Eggs?
For best results, you should not assemble your deviled eggs more than a day in advance. If you’d like to make them two days in advance you can boil, cut, and remove the yolks from the whites. Make your filling and then store the eggs and the prepared filling in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to serve the eggs, give the filling a quick stir and everything can be quickly assembled.
Deviled Eggs should always be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Let me know what you think!
And if you happen to have some really amazing tricks for peeling fresh eggs, I want to hear them! My parents have chickens so I’m lucky to have a constant flow of farm-fresh eggs BUT those eggs cling to their shells like they were laid by hens with superglue diets. We’ve tried the baking soda trick, the ice bath trick, the spoon trick… none of it has worked here! I’ve heard great things about using an Instant Pot, though, and am considering getting one solely for this purpose!
Other Recipes You Might Like:
- Broccoli Salad
- Macaroni Salad
- Ramen Noodle Salad
- Corn Salad
- Pulled Chicken
- If you appreciate secret ingredients, check out my “Worst” Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Million Dollar Deviled Eggs
Ingredients
- 12 large eggs
- ¼ cup (55 g) mayo
- 1 Tablespoon butter softened to room temperature
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons sweet gherkin pickle juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- dash Tabasco sauce optional
- paprika for sprinkling
- bacon pieces optional
Instructions
How To Hard Boil Eggs
- Place eggs in a large saucepan and cover with water.12 large eggs
- Transfer to stovetop over high heat until water begins to boil.
- Boil for one minute, cover with lid, and remove from heat. Allow to sit for 17 minutes and then drain and transfer to an ice bath.
- Peel eggs and set aside.
How To Make Deviled Eggs
- Slice eggs in half lengthwise.
- Remove yolks and transfer to a medium-sized bowl.
- Add mayo, butter, mustards, pickle juice, sugar, salt, pepper, and Tabasco sauce. Use a fork to mash well.¼ cup (55 g) mayo, 1 Tablespoon butter, 2 teaspoons yellow mustard, 2 teaspoons dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons sweet gherkin pickle juice, 1 teaspoon sugar, ⅛ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper, dash Tabasco sauce
- Spoon filling into each egg white. Sprinkle with paprika and bacon (if using) and serve.paprika, bacon pieces
- If desired, top with a small slice of sweet gherkin pickle, as seen in pictures.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
This Million Dollar Deviled Egg recipe was originally published 07/24/2017. Recipe remains the same but post has been updated as of 05/08/2019.
Crystel
Soooo delicious! Best ever
Sam
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed, Crystel!
Kathy
Little vin. with little baking soda in pan of water boil 15 min. put eggs in ice water, shells fall off!
Mary Y Shore
If I cook 10 eggs..I use 5 yolks and a small can of deviled ham,mayo,pickle relish,white pepper and you have deviled ham eggs. Our chef at work makes these for parties and tops them off with a slice of black olives.
Sam
That sounds good, I will have to try it! Thanks Mary! 🙂
Aletha
I steam my eggs in my Instant Pot. They have come out perfect every time!!!
William Fisher
Microwave eggs for 10 minutes, shells are gone.
M
Yummy. My easy peek idea is to boil, ice bath and then stick in a Mason jar with a lid, give it a couple good shakes and the shell comes right off.
Christa
This sounds like a just what I’m looking for. Thank you.
I’d like to share my way of making easy-peel eggs. Don’t put them in water and then bring it to a boil. The secret is extremes: going from cold to boiling to icy. No in-betweens.
Leave the eggs in the refrigerator while bringing the water to a boil. Once boiling, remove the eggs from the fridge and put in the boiling water. I use a slotted spoon. Bring it back to a boil. Let it boil for 10 minutes. Get a bowl of ice water ready. Turn off the heat but leave the pot in place. Using a slotted spoon, fish the eggs out of the boiling water and put into the ice water, immediately. Stir them in the ice water. Wait about a minute then begin peeling. So easy!
Alisa
Put a drop of vinegar in the water with the eggs before boiling. They will peel perfectly.
Mark
Awesome with crispy bacon and I added a little Tabasco to the mix
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Mark! 😊
Earl
The way I boil my eggs so they peel well,is bring water in pot to a boil,them use spoon to raise the raw eggs in pot without breaking them. Then continue to medium boil them for about 15 minutes. Cool under tap with cold water and peel.
Vickie Gasiorowski
This method works all the time. Put your eggs in the pot and fill with cold water. Place pot on stove with burner turned on. Once the water starts to boil, cover the pot and turn off the heat, leave on stove top. Leave lid on and set your timer to 25 minutes. When the time is up, dump the hot water and cover the eggs with ice cold water. When the water is warm, dump out and shake the eggs around the empty pot to crack the shells. Cover with cold water again until eggs are cold to the touch. Dump water and peel away! Eggs will be beautiful inside and out.
T
Easy and quick! Just too salty and too much mayo for me. But the butter is an interesting idea!
Tiziana
Yup… I put mine 4 minutes in the instapot and then ice bath until cold. Easy easy peel even with eggs laid that same day!
Janice
For easy peeling, there is a little egg cooker called Dash egg cooker that costs about $25 for the one that holds a dozen. There are many companies now making the same thing, so you might be able to find an off brand for less. The shells practically fall off. Also, as others have mentioned, the electric pressure cooker (any brand will work, it doesn’t have to be an Instant Pot). I have the Ninja Foodi, so 5 cooking, 5 natural release, and 5 minute cold water ice bath, and you are done. The shells practically fall off with this method, too. I usually gently roll my eggs on the counter to shatter the shells, and they come right off. I learned about the Dash egg cooker from a woman who had her own chickens, so I’ve used that the longest.
Amber
Steaming eggs in my electric pressure cooker is the ONLY way I’ve found to peel them without frustration. Maybe something about the steam + pressure? Also they are ready really fast!
Melinda Pettey
Hi
I panicked when I saw the fresh egg warning.
That’s all I have.
So, I added a teaspoon of olive oil to the water and voila!
The peeled perfect.
Just thought I would share.
Melinda