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.
KELLy
The ONLY way to hard boil fresh eggs is to STEAM them for exactly 20 min & then into ice bath. The peeks come off in 2 peices. Out of 18 eggs for this batch, I only had one that didn’t come out of shell perfectly!
Sam
I’m looking forward to trying this!
Debra
I have found the eggs peel easier if they are still warm. I don’t put mine in cold water.
Maureen
I find I can easily peel eggs—fresh feombthe butt nugget factory—after I steam them for 5 minutes in my pressure cooker. I do a quick release, and then they go into a bowl in the sink with cold water running over them. They peel beautifully. I just finished up 6 dozen (all laid as recently as this morning or as late as a week ago) for deviled eggs for a church party. And I will try your butter trick, but yuk on the sweet pickles…I always add dill pickle juice, though. Just thought I would read through some recipes this morning and saw yours. I also add dill weed, and sprinkle a touch of it along with paprika on the tops.
Frank Filtrante
Sam, these are delicious and you are Beautiful!
Ela Stephens
My grandson made the million dollar egg recipe. We all agreed they were fantastic.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed them. ☺️
Chell
I have been making Deviled Eggs for years but tried this butter thing today and WOW you weren’t kidding, it really does make it better and add that smooth, creamy taste. Thanks so much!!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them! ☺️
Wild Bill
While it seems odd claiming butter as a “secret” ingredient when it’s a fairly common fat addition, and that you would treat bacon as a novelty (as opposed to say a bit of anchovy and currant for fun), here’s a tip for all your devillish fans: just put a few tablespoons of olive oil in your boiling water before spooning in eggs, fresh and cuticled from the yard or sanitized, aged, and grossified from the grocer just the same. Believe it or not, that’s the trick to many happy future sessions shelling those hard boiled eggs in seconds rather than minutes… It’s OK to laugh out loud when you peel your first one, just don’t look back over your life wondering what other hobbies or passions you might have explored with all that extra time lost… Forward friends, forward.
Chells
I strongly disagree, that tiny piece of butter made it soooo much better, stop hating. But thanks for the olive oil tip, I will try it next time.
Wild Bill
Butter makes most things better. It’s a fine recipe.
Ken
Add a little bit of vinegar and salt to the water when you boil them and they will peel perfect everytime
Bill
Easy peeling fresh eggs, just add a couple drops of olive oil to water before boiling.
Sam
Great tip Bill! I have never tried that before.
Brian
Came across this recipe and made these for guests yesterday. They were delicious. Lots of compliments. Thanks!
Sam
I’m so happy you enjoyed them!
Charmaine Wade
Hello Sam,
After cooking for over 50 years, I think I have
Found a way for easy peel. After they have boiled
For 15 minutes, drain; then run cold water over them. Put in a bowl with ice cubes; then roll them
Around in the pan or bowl until the whole shell
Is cracked; then let sit in the water for a little while.
The water seeps into the shell; then peel; the shells
Practically peel themselves.
Sam
Thank you! I will try this!!
Janina Hobday
After several failed attempts at boiling fresh eggs with salt or baking soda or specific cold water baths I found that steaming them in a vegetable steamer for 16 minutes works great. It’s similar to the Instapot method which requires an Instapot. ; ) So instead of boiling, I steam my girls eggs. Picked up this trick from Fresh Eggs Daily!
Sam
Thank you for sharing this tip, Janina!!
Jennifer
Just made your recipe and loved it. I’ve never added sugar to this dish and that was the clincher! Yum!
And I agree with the little egg cooker (steamer) device. It’s so easy to do. I believe the trick is to puncture a small hole in the egg before cooking, which my egg cooker includes a device to do that.
Before this gadget, I was ready to just take a paring knife and peel hard-boiled eggs. Lol.
Now I can make them without much anxiety! And I’m very happy to have stumbled upon your recipe. Thank you.
Savannah
To peel the eggs: boil them til they’re done, then take the pan to the sink and drain, and then sit the entire thing under running cold water. Take an egg, crack the shell against the divider between sinks, rotate it, and do it again til the whole thing is cracked all the way around. Crack the top (point end) and then the bottom. Peel it from the bottom (there’s an air pocket, pinch it and peel) and it should pretty much unravel. Easy as pie.
Sam
Thank you, Savannah!!
Ken
Fresh vs older egg is a myth. Secret is to add eggs to water after it is boiling. Let eggs come to room temp before adding to water or they may ‘explode’ upon going into boiling water. Simmer in rolling boil for 14 mins. Drain. Cool. Easy peel. Just did 3 dozen for deviled eggs and egg salad. Took me a while to figure out the perfect method… this is it. No vinegar. No salt. Just patience.
Sam
I don’t know, the more aged my chicken eggs are the easier they are to peel, and the fresher they are the harder. I will definitely be trying your tips though, thank you for sharing!
Laura
I put my eggs, fresh or old, in a well salted pot of cold water. Turn on high and set the timer for 16 minutes. Remove from heat and let it stand for 10. Rinse with cool water and theyre perfect every time!
Sam
Thanks for the tips, Laura!! 🙂
Aylene
I bought an Elite Cuisine egg maker and I love it. I have tried the scrambled or inlet option but the eggs are always perfect and the easiest to peel. If you get one be sure and put the eggs in bigger side up. Mine were exploding until I reread the instructions. Not expensive either.