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.
Danielle J.
Made these for the 1st time today and I think they taste amazingly good!! I suppose the real test will be tonight when everyone tries them! Pretty confident they will love them too.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We hope everyone loved them, Danielle! Thanks so much for trying our recipe ❤️
D. E. Zaad
I can tell you with complete confidence that if you cook your ‘hard boiled’ eggs in a pressure cooker, they will peel with total ease. Every time.
Each brand of cooker probably works differently, so you’ll have to experiment with yours. I set my eggs for cooking on high for 2 minutes, and then a 10 minute ‘cool down’ after which I release the steam. You can experiment with both the cook time and cool down time.
I am doing deviled eggs right this minute for an appetizer at a party tonight, and from experience I am certain I will have perfectly peeled eggs. It’s a good thing I discovered this use for my cooker because I have failed to use it for much else 🙂
Elissa A
I love this recipe. The only changes I make is I use dill pickle juice instead, I don’t use any Tabasco sauce and I add lots of fresh dill in it. Sooooo amazing.
Rebecca
These were definitely Million Dollar Deviled Eggs! I’ve never used butter before, both yellow mustard AND Dijon, or pickle juice, but I did use smoked paprika instead of just paprika. I will definitely be making my deviled eggs like this Always!! YUMMY!! xoxo
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
So glad you enjoyed them, Rebecca! Thanks for the review 🥰
Martha
For removing shells easier: An amazing food science cookbook I have says to put the eggs in the water after the water starts boiling, not before (12min for hard and 7min for soft). There’s a science behind it but I can’t remember exactly what it is but I think it has to do with the airpocket and the membrane. We’ve done it ever since and unless the eggs are older, they usually always slide off.
Sandy M
So close to my own recipe but the dijon added some yummy zest! Also I added a tablespoon of sweet relish.
Great recipe!
Thank You!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you enjoyed the recipe, Sandy! Thanks for the review 💜
Riley
Just made these for tomorrow and they taste amazing! I hate runny deviled eggs and the ones people like to add relish to. The gherkin juice is the perfect amount of sweet pickle taste!
For peeling, I use my grandmother’s method. Cool in ice water and then when you’re ready to peel, crack them starting on the bottom of the egg (the South Pole, essentially) where the air pocket is. Then hold the egg in your fingers and use just your thumbs in quick little motions to crack the shell around the entire egg from the bottom crack up to the top. Then pinch the shell pieces at the South Pole and pick them off. From there I tear into the membrane and many times the shell will peel around the egg like spiraling off an orange peel. I usually do all the cracking and peeling under running lukewarm water but I’m not really sure the temperature matters much. Whatever is comfortable for you. I find this helps get a layer of water in between the egg and the membrane while peeling, making it come off very smoothly! Hope this helps!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you liked the recipe, Riley! Thanks for commenting ❤️
Brittany
I was skeptical of this recipe because I’ve never used some of these ingredients in devilled eggs before. So I made 1/3 classic recipe and 2/3 this recipe. Then we taste-tested them… I should have made 100% this recipe. They are AMAZING. We haven’t even added the bacon yet, and they’re delicious.
Adam
I plan to try this tomorrow and just did my hardboiled eggs. I use a Cuisinart egg cooker for the eggs. I cook the eggs, put them in an ice bath for a little, and then peel. I don’t have any issues peeling. This recipe looks very similar to many I’ve used in the past (and they are always wonderful) with the addition of butter. Looking forward to this.
Sarah Niday
I’m planning on making these tomorrow. My question is we don’t eat sweet pickles so would regular pickle juice taste the same?
Sam
Hi Sarah! Lots of people have made this recipe with Dill pickles and enjoyed it 🙂
Sarah Niday
Thank you very much! Merry Christmas!
Esther
I’m getting ready to make these for Christmas dinner and wanted to share my tip for peeling fresh eggs. It’s not always perfect but it helps. I peel them hot. Very hot. Burn my fingers hot. And I use cool water instead of an ice bath. Finally, I roll them on the counter to crack up the shell all the way around. The first ones sometimes slip off. I also sometimes let a batch of super fresh eggs sit for a month and they peel easier too.
Sam
Thank you for sharing!
Kelly Lee Butler
If you have an instant pot cook them in the instant pot with 1 cup water for four minutes. Before releasing the steam let them sit for five minutes. Release the steam carefully and run cold water over them and they basically peel themselves. I’m not even joking.
Have a very Merry Christmas! (If you don’t have an instant pot maybe Santa will bring you one!) 😃
Alice
can I replace mayo with Japanese mayo?
Sam
I would think so, though it will alter the end result slightly since the texture is a little different.
Amanda Oneal
Your life is about to change forever. No more egg peeling issues ever again! Trust me on this and just give it a shot. I forever had issues with peeling eggs until I read some man’s comment under another recipe a year ago. I tried it. The first time I did I kid you not it was so easy fast and came right off. I was skeptical thinking maybe it was just luck. But after the 5th time doing exactly what the man said and not once have an issue since. I’m a firm believer it works!. Here it is.
1. Fill your pan with water. Bring to it to a boil on high. Don’t add eggs till your water is at a full Boil!
2. add your eggs…( I use a big serving spoon to gently lower them to the bottom so no cracking)
3. Still on high Boil them for 14 minutes.
4. Drain the hot water. fill pan with the Coldwater….. I keep my pan of eggs in the sink with the cold water continously running or till the pan is cold …. I peel my eggs while the water runs mainly cause I use to have to get tiny pieces of shell off… with this method the shell doesn’t even Crack in tiny pieces. It comes off in 2 halves. No mess!
No salt No baking soda No Ice bath.
Simple as 1234
Boil water on high
add Eggs
Boil on high 14 minutes No less No more…. 14 minutes!
Drain and run cold water in pan peel eggs!
Kevin F
I use a vegetable steamer pan. just place the pan over boiling water, cover for 14 minutes. transfer to sink full of ice water and presto… easy cook, easy peel eggs.
Kelli
Can confirm this worked perfectly! Thank you for the tip.
5of9
I’ve been making deviled eggs since i was a kid. I never had a recipe, just knew about the right mix and would tweak it as needed. Came across this recipe and it uses all the same ingredients I have always used but the butter was a new twist! I did end up adding a tad more mayo and a tad more dijon mustard but let me tell you…these tasted like what my family is used to but better! So, now getting ready to make a double batch for a work event tomorrow! Thanks for a great recipe!
Page Siegler
My aunt made these for a family party once. They are the BEST. I immediately asked for the recipe. Everyone wants to know how I make mine. Also I find it easier to peel eggs if you do it under running water, I usually use cold water I guess warm would work too
Denise
I made these for Thanksgiving and they were the best I’ve ever tasted! Everyone loved them, I will definitely make these again.