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.
Linda
This is how my family makes deviled eggs and they are the only ones I’ll eat. Delicious. From Pittsburgh pa
Erica Carper
We use the Dash Egg Cooker that we bought on Amazon. You can get similar ones at Walmart from “Copper Chef.” We LOVE our egg cooker because we make hard boiled, poached, and even quick dump and go omelets. It is soooooo easy and they come in different sizes. We had the smaller one that cooks 6 eggs at one time, but loved it so much…we upgraded to the larger size. Is is worth one more small appliance? I say absolutely “YES!” It saves us so much time just waiting for the water to boil. Check them out, you won’t be disappointed. I am looking forward to trying some of these other tricks. The boil and ice (even with vinegar and salt) have NEVER worked for me. Love this recipe and the comments too! Thank you!
Lauren
Trick to peeling fresh farm eggs?
They need to be a least a week old before you hard boil them!! We struggled with this for months, until an old farmers wife taught me the secret. Now we always keep a dozen in rotation with the dates on them so we know which ones are ready to hard-boil/steam/insta-pot (and yes, we use all 3 methods).
I have tried evey trick in the book, and farm fresh eggs just don’t want to peel when they are fresh laid!
Now that we’ve learned this trick, they peel like a dream!
Sam
Thank you for sharing, Lauren! 🙂
Terry
Just amazed at all the comments about how to boil eggs!! How about the recipe?? 🤦♀️
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Terry! Everyone has their own tricks to share. lol 😉 If you’re wondering if you should try it, it gets a rating of 4.89 out of 5 from 152 votes. So I would go for it! Keep me posted on how they turn out if you do! 🙂
Linda Hensens
Hi! You asked for foolproof ways of boiling eggs. Well, I know you will think I am nuts but this method works like a charm! I saw Tammy on Collard Valley Cooks on YouTube do this. At first I thought she had bumped her head cause my mom always said to put the eggs in cold water. But Tammy boiled her water first, used a slotted spoon to place the eggs into the boiling water, (It is TRUE!), let them boil for 2 minutes then put the lid on the pot, turned the heat off, (she let them stay on the burner that they were on with the heat off). They sat there for 14 minutes and she drained the hot water off and ran 2 pots of cold water over them and then she peeled the eggs. I tried that with 1 egg just in case it didn’t work. Well, it worked like a charm! I have since started boiling my eggs this way and every single time the eggs have been fresh and they peel like a dream! Give it a try! It is so cool!!
Sugar Spun Run
That is wonderful, Linda! Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂
Cathy
Had 4 HB eggs left from a bag Egglands Best HB eggs. Husband wouldn’t eat them. So decided to try your recipe. Didn’t have quite the right ingredients, had to use Miracle Whip, spicy and dry mustard, and then had to try to cut down for only 4 eggs, but WOW! And yes, the butter makes all the difference…so rich, but not sure why, unless you know what’s in them. Will never use another recipe! Thanks!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for trying my recipe, Cathy! I am so glad that you enjoyed them! 🙂
MERCEDES G RAMOS
I am so very anxious to try your pizza dough recipe. It looks good.
In terms of boiled eggs: I put the eggs in tap water, on the stove, on medium-high heat, after pricking the fatter part of the raw egg. I have a timer that includes a sharp object that will prick the egg when you press down on it. (Sur La Table is where I purchased this a while ago.) You can also use a to make a very small hole with a pin or safety pin to prick the fatter part of the egg. This will ensure that the eggs will not crack when boiling.
After the water comes to a hard simmer or boil, cover and remove the eggs from the heat. Leave covered for 15 minutes.
Drain the hot water from the pan, fill with ice cubes and cold tap water. Swirl the eggs around in order to begin to make cracks in the shells.
After 5-10 minutes, remove the cracked egg shells.
This method usually works for me. Good luck
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for sharing your method with me, Mercedes! I appreciate it. I hope that you enjoy the pizza dough when you try it as well. Stay safe. 🙂
Keree
The best way to make farm fresh hard boiled eggs is to steam them. Use a stainless steel veggie basket, steam for 20 mins, and then put in an ice bath. Works like a charm! You don’t even get a green ring in your egg white either. Saves on feeling like you need to get an Instant pot.
Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much for sharing the helpful tips, Keree! I appreciate it! 🙂
Shirley
I use an instant pot for 5 minutes then put the eggs in an ice bath. My eggs peel so easy! Perfect egg whites every single time with every egg. My eggs are also fresh from our chickens. I’ve not tried your recipe yet but plan on using it tomorrow!
Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for sharing your helpful tip, Shirley! I hope that you enjoy the deviled eggs when you make them. Keep me posted on how they turn out. 🙂
Tara
My family and friends liked them so much, I now make them every week and everyone gets an “allowed” amount so I’m not making them 5 days a week LOL thank you so much!
Can u make this into an egg salad?
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that your family has enjoyed them, Tara! Thank you so much for trying my recipe. I haven’t tried making it into an egg salad, however, I think that it would work just fine. If you try it, let me know how it turns out. 🙂
Ed
Cool to 11 degrees celsius
Carla
OMGoodness! Best deviled eggs I’ve ever made! Used the Instant Pot 555 method for 8 eggs but everything else I followed the recipe! Yummy!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you loved them, Carla! Thank you for the 5-star review. 🙂
Becky
Just tried the instant pot 555 method, yes eggs peeled perfectly! Looking forward to Easter brunch.
Lora
Poke a little hole in the top of the eggs before boiling. They will come off almost whole.
Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for sharing, Lora! 🙂
Charlotte
Lemon juice, squeeze some into water when you boil and the shells will fall off. I’m looking forward to trying this recipe for my son on his tenth birthday, he loves eggs. Thanks!
Sam
Thank you so much for the tip, Charlotte! I hope everyone loves the eggs. 🙂
Lauren
Hey! My secret, even for farm fresh eggs, is to steam them instead of boil. I put the water in the bottom of the pot and put the steamer basket in, put the eggs in, put the lid on, turn the burner on med/hi and set the timer for 10 minutes. Cool them down with some cold water when they’re done and the shells will slide right off.
Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for sharing, Lauren! 🙂