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.
Carole Hancock
My best tip for easy peel eggs is 2-3 TABLESPOONS salt in water when boiling. Then when you peel them hold them under running water so the water can get between the egg & the”skin” under the shell.
Shirley
I put all of my ingredients in a food processor and it only takes a minute to stir everything up. It works great for me.
Andy Foley
The problem with peeling is the chickens diet.they not eating enough small rocks! You can buy crushed sea shells to add with there food and there shells will be much harder and they will peel fine
Sue
Recently I bought a small electric egg cooker for about $15 on line (Amazon) To make hard boiled eggs, you first puncture the larger end of egg with the tool provided. Put them into the cooker per instructions. Put cooked eggs in cold water for several minutes, and they peel so easily you will be amazed.
Worth the money. Can also be used for soft boiled eggs.
Dale Harris
The secret to easy peel is: cold, hot, cold. Easy peasy! Get water boiling first. Take the cold eggs from the fridge, gently place them in the boiling water, boil for 23 minutes, immediately place the eggs from the hot water to an ice water bowl (add more ice if needed). Stir and allow to cool in the water until u can handle them. Immediately peel! Voila!!! Cold, Hot, Cold! Works every time.
Ellen Hardy
I use this same recipe but I mix until creamy with a mixer. Pipe in the shells for design and add pickles and bacon on top.
McGee
For easy-peeling boiled eggs, after taking them off the stove & draining them, rinse w cold water, then fill again w cold water & add ice cubes (4-6 cubes for a small pot).
Let sit for at least 15-20 min. Works for fresh or old eggs.
Bob Foerster
The butter was a nice addition! I discovered that you can bake your eggs hard in the shell! Put a sheet of aluminum foil over a muffin tin, then push down each cup to make a dent. Place twelve eggs on the foil “nests,” and then bake at 325 for 30 minutes. Use a gravy ladle to move hot eggs to a ice water bath for 10 minutes. The shells will just slide right off! If you put the eggs directly in the muffin tin, they will be fine, but have a small dark spot where the shell touched the hot tin. Try it, it really works with fresh eggs. Great for making large batches.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed and thank you so much for sharing your tricks for baking the eggs! 🙂
Penelope Allingham
To remove shells: Cook eggs, place in ice bath, then back in pot again. Cover with lid and shake them like crazy. The shells should disintegrate and will just slide off.
Sam
Thank you for the tip and I hope you love the deviled eggs, Penelope! 🙂
Tawanda Cosby
I add a little vegetable or olive oil in the water with salt. Run cold water on them for a little while. Sometimes I add baking soda and they peel easy. Sometimes I add crabmeat or shrimp. Declious 1!!!
JENNIFER LIZOTTE FIGGS
Trying this tomorrow for cook-out. I use my farm fresh eggs for everything EXCEPT anything hard boiled. That’s the only reason I buy store eggs. Tried everything as well and end up with butchered looking eggs. Let you know it goes! I am replacing the pickle juice for apple cider vinegar. Fingers crossed.
Sam
I hope you love them, Jennifer!! 🙂
Dru
I use boiling water. Place cold eggs into the boiling water to which I have added baking soda AND white vinegar. It foams up for just a few seconds so don’t be surprised. 15 minutes to boil and another 15 minutes to rest in the water. Cool off in cold water. The shells become very thin and peel off very very easily. Give it a try. And, YES, it has ALWAYS worked for me on fresh or older eggs. GOOD luck!
Dan Varga
They’re very good like you saying that’s case to Sweet with the savory bacon bits for a great addition pickle excellent. Thank you very much .
Daniel Varga Lincoln Nebraska
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed! Thank you for commenting 🙂
cybrhawg
I got the secret to peeling hard boiled eggs from an elderly woman at the grocery store I helped reach her eggs, She was in one of those electric carts. Don’t use fresh eggs! Fresh eggs are as you sad super glued inside. Older eggs are the best!
Anne
Hi Sam, I have chickens and make deviled eggs often. The idea of using butter is genius! I can’t wait to try your recipe. Now on the topic of peeling eggs. It basically boils down to this, the eggs need to be at least 2 or more weeks old. I date mine and keep in fridge with a note that says “do not eat, for deviled eggs.” I’ve tried all the tricks in the book and this is the only way. I add about a tablespoon of baking soda to my water, bring the eggs just to a boil and immediately cover and remove from the burner. I set the timer for 20 minutes. afterward I drain the water and put cold water on them and then in ice. I just do all this in the pot I cook them in. It doesn’t take long at all for them to cool down. I drain them again, shake the pot to crack the shells and peel under cold running water. if a shell gets stuck running the cold water over the section helps loosen it up from the shell. Then I set them to dry on a towel for a bit and proceed with making the deviled eggs.
Sam
Thank you so much for the tips, Anne! I hope you love the deviled eggs!
Jean Burkholder
I made these for a 4th of July picnic. My daughter in law said she loves them and they are even better than hers. What a compliment!! For mayo I used pomegranate mayo by Walden Farm and I used smoky paprika. They were quite good I must say.
Sam
I’m so happy to hear they were such a hit! Thank you so much for commenting, Jean! 🙂
Misty
Hey, Sam. Like your parents, I have chickens, so we have nothing but fresh eggs. I use my rice cooker and steam my eggs between 9 and 14 minutes, depending on the size. As soon as they’re done, I transfer them to an ice bath and wait for them to cool. I don’t run the cold water constantly over them like my grandma taught me, as we are on a well and septic system. I tap the bottom on a hard surface before peeling and the shell basically falls off. Thank you for sharing your recipe with us.
Sam
Thank you for the tips, Misty, I’ll have to try that next time! Thank you for commenting! 🙂
Marisa
If you want shells that just fall off try putting slightly room temperature eggs into boiling water. Once it comes back to the boil lower heat to simmer and cook for approximately 8-12 minutes depending on the size of egg. I’ve also found the farm fresh eggs take a minute or so longer to cook all the way through…don’t know why. Remove from heat and run under cold water to stop cooking. I’ve peeled immediately and also several days later without a problem. I’ve not had a shell stick for the 6 years I’ve been doing them this way. BTW, these deviled eggs are delicious. Everyone sure enjoyed them. Thank you.
Sam
Thank you for the tips, and I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the deviled eggs, Marisa!!