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.
Kristina
Thanks for such a great recipe!! I had to make changes to use what I had on hand, but they were still delicious. I used dill pickle juice instead of sweet gherkin and crispy prosciutto instead of bacon (which I had to pulverize into dust because my husband thought the texture was too similar to eggshells 😐 ). I definitely make these again soon.
Sungina
Love this recipe- it has made it’s way onto my Thanksgiving table. But, every time I try to pipe the filling into the eggs the tip gets clogged. Do you have any tips for stuffing them and making them look pretty?
Sam
Hi Sungina! It sounds like the egg yolks may need to be mashed just a little bit more. You can beat them with an electric mixer or even try using a bigger tip. 🙂
Char
Use a sandwich baggie. Cut a corner off to the desired size. Toss when done. Easy clean up!
Linda
Turned out fantastic! Lovely flavors and very delicious with a side of bread. Definitely going to make this again!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy to hear that you liked them, Linda! Thanks so much for your review ❤️
Debbie
I too have fresh superglue eggs. I steam mine 18 minutes with a little vinegar in the water, drain, shake and drop in an ice bath. Works great every time.
Rosie Real
Best way to make boiled eggs that easily peel is to not boil them. Steam them in a pot the way you do vegetables with a small amount of water with a steaming try. For hard boiled eggs, I steam for 15 minutes but you can do less for softer eggs etc. Look on the internet for specifics. Peels perfectly every time!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for the tip, Rosie! We hope you loved this recipe 😊
Danielle
Delicious, perfectly creamy eggs! I had never heard of adding butter, but I believe that it helps! I, too, struggled with peeling eggs. My mom taught me completely differently and told me to use older eggs. Still no luck, until I happened upon a tip that has worked every time! I can even use fresh eggs! Bring cold water to a boil with a tablespoon or so of white vinegar per six eggs, carefully drop eggs in with a slotted spoon, boil for exactly five minutes, turn off heat and let sit for 15. Dump the water and shake the eggs around the pan. Running a steady stream of cold water, peel the eggs. The vinegar is supposed to help break down the inner skin. I hope it works for you!
Janie
Thx! For this tip! I’m trying it now!!
Amatista
I place my cold eggs in a pot and cover then with an inch of *cold* water. I bring them to a boil and allow them to boil for 1-2 minutes, turn off the burned (this works best on an electric stove), cover with a lid and allow it to continue cooking on the residual heat of the burner for 10 minutes. Then I remove them from the stove, drain the HOT water rinse in cold water until they are easily handled. I return them to the pot, put the lid back on and do a little dance, make a little noise, (do the Hokey Pokey and turn myself around) and the eggs literally peel themselves!
Alicia Pewenofkit
after boiling my eggs, I put them in ice water for a few seconds then get a glass drop egg inside glass give it a shake and whala ! shell comes off super easy !!
Eric A,
I followed the recipe exactly, I had to use dill pickle brine because I had no sweet pickles, Absolutely one of the best deviled eggs I have ever had. This recipe is a keeper. Please try. Hot boiling water, add eggs for 12 minutes, ice bath, peel by cracking the fat end.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you loved them, Eric! Thanks so much for the tip 😊
Lou Tobin
I also have tried everything for years to get farm fresh eggs to peel. Today I cooked them in my Instant Pot following the Instant Pot recipe and putting eggs in ice water for 2 minutes. Every egg peeled easily. It was awesome.
Duane Davis
Cooking in an Instant Pot makes eggs peel so easy!
Jessica Esselburn
The absolute BEST deviled egg recipe I have tried! Usually I just wing it and the filling is too loose, tasty but loose.
Thank you!
Also, since it’s a thing, I had better luck peeling my eggs after boiling by refrigerating in shell overnight (and they were “new” eggs).
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for your review, Jessica! We’re so happy you loved this recipe. Thanks for the tip–we’ll have to try that one.
MLC
Cover eggs with water. Bring eggs to a boil in a heavy pot with tight fitting lid. Put on lid and reduce heat to a simmer for 12 min. Turn off heat and let eggs sit on stove for an hour or until convenient for you to peel. Pour off water and immediately cover with cold water. Starting at the narrow end crack each egg. Proceed to crack all around the egg and drop it back in cold water. Once all the eggs are cracked gently roll them between your palms. Shells easily slide off.
jamie falgoust
i haven’t tried the recipe yet. But using an egg cooker makes the eggs peel really easy.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for the tip, Jamie! Let us know how you like the eggs ❤️
Jillian
Great recipe! This will be my go-to deviled egg recipe from here on out.
Nicholas
Fun fact, older eggs peel better because the gasses released as the egg ages helps to separate the membrane so it comes off with the shell. You should always have two cartons of eggs, one for when you need to boil eggs and one for everything else
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for the tip, Nicholas! 😊
Emily
Hey, looking forward to trying the recipe! I have a tip to get easy-to-peel hard-boiled eggs: bring the water to a boil before adding the eggs. I’ve found that adding eggs to cold water and then bringing it to a boil basically bonds the membrane to the shell. It’s a shame because it’s a convenient method but once I realized it was making my eggs impossible to peel I switched and never looked back 🙂
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much for the tip, Emily! We hope you love this recipe ❤️
Linda Hepburn
I can’t wait to share these deviled eggs with the ladies at Bunco tonight. As far as preparing the eggs, try steaming them. (Do not let them sit in water). I’ve never had a batch that gave me a problem with peeling. It’s incredible the difference between boiling and steaming. The shells practically come off whole.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We hope everyone loves them, Linda! Thanks for the tip 😊
Elizabeth healy
totally agree! Discovered the steaming method for my fresh eggs and they peel easily
Marjorie Burba
My mom has been using her deviled egg recipe for over 40 years. After trying this recipe My daughter my mother and I all agree this is our new go to recipe.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Wow, we love hearing this Marjorie! So happy you found your new favorite with ours ❤️
Don
I just started using my pressure cooker for eggs (I have my own chickens and always really fresh eggs) and the pressure must make the differences. I’ve tried it twice now and easy peeling with near all of them both times.
Lenda
Don, how do you cook them in the pressure cooker?
Joanne
Go this site for instructions on how to steam the eggs. Per the site, steaming the same day farm fresh eggs allows for easy peeling of the eggs.
https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2014/04/the-easy-way-to-peel-farm-fresh-hard-boiled-eggs.html
Crystal
Pressure cookonhighforfive mins, slow.realease for five mins then ice bath for five mins in pressure cooker.
Shannon
5 minutes pressure cook on high
5 minutes natural release
5 minutes in ice water
They come out perfect every time. Never ANY problems peeling eggs after 4 years using this method. I never hard boil eggs any other way!