Deviled eggs are a classic appetizer and perfect for parties, potlucks, and holiday dinners like Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas! They’re easy to make with a few simple ingredients. And a little sprinkle of paprika on top adds that extra pop of flavor!
Why You’ll Love These Deviled Eggs
I have been making this exact deviled eggs recipe for decades now. My friends are obsessed with them, my family raves about them, and thousands of Downshifters make them year after year. Follower Sandra even said, “Made these then immediately had to make another batch because the first one was GONE!” In other words, there’s no need to look anywhere else for the best way to make deviled eggs! Here’s what you’ll love about this classic appetizer:
- So easy to make. Once you follow my foolproof method for perfect hard-boiled eggs the rest comes together easily.
- #1 holiday appetizer. Whether it’s for a Thanksgiving side dish, Christmas appetizer, or Easter recipe, it’s always a hit!
- It can be made ahead of time. I’ll provide more tips on that below!
The Reason They’re So Devilishly Good
A few years ago, I asked the question that had long been rolling around in my brain: “why are deviled eggs called that?” So I Googled it. And here’s the response from Wikipedia: The term “deviled” in reference to food was in use in the 18th century, with the first known print reference appearing in 1786. In the 19th century, it came to be used most often with spicy or zesty food, including eggs prepared with mustard, paprika, or other peppery ingredients stuffed in the yolk cavity. So there you have it! And now you can rest assured that there’s nothing truly sinister about deviled eggs.
Deviled Eggs Ingredients
- Eggs: You’ll need 6 large eggs that will be hard-boiled, then sliced in half for 12 deviled eggs.
- Mayonnaise: I typically prefer to make my own mayonnaise, but feel free to use any brand you like.
- Dijon mustard: I recommend Dijon mustard over yellow mustard for its richer flavor.
- Apple cider vinegar: I love using a dash of vinegar for tang (I find this is more common on the west coast). But if you’re not a fan of vinegar, you can also use pickle juice (more common on the east coast and in the south).
- Salt, pepper, and paprika: I’m adding paprika for a pop of red, but there are endless topping ideas. I’ll share a few favorites below!
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Deviled Eggs
Step one: Let’s make the perfect batch of hard-boiled eggs! And pro tip: you can make this recipe even easier by hard-boiling your eggs ahead of time. I like to boil my eggs for 14 minutes. This is key to getting the BEST deviled eggs. If you overboil, you run the risk of getting that green tinge around your yolk. And trust me, no guests want green-tinged deviled eggs. If you need a visual reference, make sure to watch my video on how to boil eggs!
Step two: While the eggs are boiling, prepare an ice water bath. When the 14 minutes are up, remove the eggs and place them in the ice water bath to cool completely.
Step three: Prepare the egg components. Slice your eggs in half lengthwise, scoop out the yolk into a small bowl, and place the egg whites on a serving tray.
Step four: Lastly, make the filling and assemble. Mash the egg yolks with a fork, then add the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper, and stir until creamy. Then, use a small spoon to scoop out some of the deviled egg mixture to place it back into each egg white. Alternatively, you can use a piping bag if you have one on hand! Sprinkle a little paprika for that extra dash of devil-ness and they’re ready to serve.
Flavor Variations
Here’s a reminder to have fun with the filling flavors and toppings! Make them sweeter, more savory, more spicy, or just more jazzed up. Consider additional ingredients such as bacon, chives, shallot, sriracha sauce, jalapeno, goat cheese, and more. Of course, a variety of herbs such as dill, basil, and tarragon would also pair beautifully with those ingredients. Here’s a few ideas:
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
Deviled eggs are best the day you make them, but if you have extras, you can store them for a short time. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
If you’re prepping for a party or holiday, you can easily make them ahead of time! Just boil and peel the eggs up to 3 days in advance and store them in the fridge. Then, whip up the filling up to 2 days ahead and keep it in a sealed bag or small container. When it’s time to serve, add the filling into the egg whites and they’ll taste as fresh as new. Just don’t sprinkle the paprika on top until right before serving, as the color can spread.
More Holiday Appetizers
- Stuffed mushrooms: Best savory, umami bite.
- Baked brie: With a festive cranberry sauce topping.
- Jalapeno poppers: A perfect party nibble
- Antipasto skewers: Great for any occasion!
- Crab dip: Always a holiday favorite.
If you make this deviled eggs recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free newsletter here.
Description
Video
Equipment
- skimmer I love this skimmer for getting eggs in and out of boiling water.
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- paprika, for garnish
Instructions
- Boil the eggs. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low (or off) to ensure the water is no longer boiling or has any bubbles. Use a skimmer to place the eggs in the water. Then, increase the heat back to high and set a timer for 14 minutes.
- Make an ice water bath. While the eggs are boiling prepare an ice water bath and set aside. After 14 minutes, remove the eggs from the water and place them in the ice water bath.
- Peel and slice the eggs. Once the eggs have cooled completely, peel them and slice in half lengthwise. With a small spoon, remove the yolks to a mixing bowl and place the egg whites on a plate.
- Make the filling. Mash the yolks with a fork and add the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir everything together until it's smooth. Pro tip: If you'd like it extra smooth and fluffy, you can also use a hand mixer.
- Fill and serve. Use a spoon to add a portion of the deviled egg mixture back into the hole of each egg white. Add a little sprinkle of paprika for garnish.
Lisa’s Tips
- Make sure to watch my video above for a tip on easily removing the egg yolk from the white. You can also use a piping bag to make the yolk mixture prettier if you’d like.
- I do recommend Dijon mustard rather than yellow mustard for more flavor. This Dijon mustard is also Whole30 compliant, if you’re doing a Whole30.
- Please watch the measurements on the vinegar as well, some people have accidentally added 1 tablespoon of vinegar, but it’s 1 teaspoon of vinegar. If you’re not a fan of vinegar, you can use pickle juice as well.
- If you’re in need of a platter to display your deviled eggs, this ceramic one is my favorite. And if you’re transporting them, this travel carrier is great.
- Storage tip: Store deviled eggs in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
- Make-ahead tip: Boil and peel the eggs up to 3 days in advance, and make the filling up to 2 days in advance. Keep the two separate until serving, then pipe or spoon the filling into the egg whites when ready to serve.
- If you have leftover hard-boiled eggs, you can make egg salad the next day!
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally posted October 2018, but updated to include new photos and information for your benefit!
I think next time I’ll try the pickle juice vinegar came out more bitter than I am used to maybe because I only have regular mustard instead of the Dijion mustard. I love it, but it’s expensive, and I rarely use it. I was completely happy with the way they turned out. ill see how my finance likes it. Thank you for your recipe
I’m glad you enjoyed this deviled eggs recipe!
It was an ok recipe. If I were to make it again I’d cut back on the mayo and mustard. That’s all I could taste.
Thank you! This recipe was both easy to follow and so delicious! I felt a bit of pressure making them to celebrate my recently passed neighbor. Her family remarked how delicious they were! I often refer friends to your recipes! Thank you!
Thanks so much, Tina! I’m glad everyone enjoyed these deviled eggs.
This has been my recipe for decades with the sub of sweet pickle relish instead of ACV and I add a little onion powder.
I’m glad you love the recipe, Kari!
When I’m making 3 dozen deviled eggs, how long should I let the eggs boil…?! ????
I’m so sorry to leave 1 star but the amount of apple cider vinegar is so jarring and so incredibly overwhelming. It truly ruined 20 eggs for me. I couldn’t even fix it. I definitely learned my lesson and will not even use apple cider vinegar in deviled eggs ever again. And next time they get a splash of white vin only.
Hi Allison – sorry you didn’t enjoy this recipe. The vinegar flavor is definitely personal preference, but now you know how to tweak it to your liking in the future. :)
This was so good I loved them🥰
So happy you loved these deviled eggs, Brooklyn!
Great instructions. I want to subscribe but I don’t see that icon.
Hi Jane – You can subscribe to my emails through the top bar where it says “sign up for free weekly recipes”.
These are sooooo good!!
If you love pickles, dice one up and add it instead of vinegar.
Yum!!!
Hi Pam – Happy to hear you love these deviled eggs :)
Hi Pam,I also want to use pickle juice instead of vinegar.did you use sweet pickle juice or dill pickles?thank you
Deviled eggs are my mom’s specialty at get together and I miss them when I’m not with her. I can’t remember the recipe off the top of my yet and have referred to this one multiple times with great results. 14 minutes was the perfect amount of time for the hard boil. I sub pickle juice for the acv since that’s the way my mom does. Love it, thanks!
Hi Heather – I’m glad you’re able to make similar deviled eggs to your moms with this recipe!
Yummy. The original, old fashion recipe.
Hi Eva – Glad you love this classic deviled eggs recipe!
Love the filling mix and party guests raved over the deviled eggs! However, using the ingredient measurements resulted in a very stiff filling that couldn’t easily be spooned or piped. Added more mayo, mustard, and apple cider vinegar to get a more nuanced flavor and ability to pipe. I don’t usually follow recipes for deviled eggs, but I was making 36 and it behooved me to at least start with a recipe before tinkering. Thank you and I’ve bookmarked this for the future!
I’m glad you and your guests enjoyed these deviled eggs, Carol!
I made these but I added extra vinegar because I’m pregnant and craving vinegary things… sooo good! Hit the spot!
Hi Brooke – I’m so happy they hit the spot for you. Enjoy!
Perfect!
Lisa, I googled “perfect boiled & peeled eggs”. Your instructions & recipe came up & it all was perfect indeed! Thank you!
Hi Susan – Great! Glad this method worked out perfectly.
I’m very disappointed. I followed recipe exactly and my yolks were undercooked. Even after fourteen minutes. The shells were difficult to get off and the whites broke. Not much to do with this mess.
Hi Virginia – your eggs should certainly have been hard after 14 minutes. Did you watch my tutorial on how to boil eggs?
I use Coleman’s English Mustard and no vinegar. Just Coleman’s and mayonnaise.
Great recipe. I love to cook this and create my own add ins.
Hi Marybeth – There’s so much room for customization with these deviled eggs!
Eggs were NOT cooked after 15 minutes
Hi Jenna – your eggs should definitely be cooked through (and certifiably hard) after 15 minutes. Not quite sure what you might have done.
You probably did not remember to increase the heat back to high BEFORE setting the 14 minute timer, and instead cooked them on low for 14 minutes.
She doesn’t say to increase back to high before setting the timer. This seems silly. Boiling eggs is not hard. Good tips in the video but I’m not boiling on low for 14 mins.
Did you add your eggs to the water after the water began to boil or before? I boil my eggs for 12 min, yours should definitely be fully cooked at 15. I add mine after the water begins to boil then I set my timer.
Great eggs
Hi Jerry – Glad you enjoyed this deviled eggs recipe!
Made these last night. Instant favorite. Nice complex flavors.
Hi Shawn – Happy to hear you enjoyed this deviled eggs recipe!
Best deviled eggs recipe! My only addition would be to also garnish with celery leaves and hot pepper (eg Caribbean wiri wiri 🌶) right in the centre, on top of the deviled egg.
Hi Navi – Happy to hear you love these deviled eggs!
Wonderful tips for boiling the eggs and removing the shells. This is always the worse part of deviled eggs! Thai you!
Hi Kate – Happy to hear those tips were helpful!
Not bad, quick and easy. Hold the acv, add a diced pickle and a tablespoon of pickle juice instead. You’ll thank me.
This is the second time I made this recipe. I followed the recipe as written, I omitted the salt and pepper. My family loves them. I found that if you prepare these ahead of time, the flavors blend more and the acv is not as noticeable. I like to put the paprika in my hand then take a pinch at a time and rub my fingers back and forth to get the perfect amount on each egg. I made 18 eggs, and put them in the fridge, for when everyone gets home from school and work.
Glad everyone enjoyed this coleslaw recipe!
Great flavor with your homemade mayo recipe, which is the only mayo on my house now!! Thank you Lisa!
Hi Susan – Thanks for leaving a review! Glad this worked out great.
Delicious recipe but I found the apple cider vinegar gave it a bit of a weird taste.
These deviled eggs were just like what I grew up on except mom used 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to a 12 eggs and yellow mustard. I made yours just the way your recipe said to and we loved it, Thanks.
Hi there – Nothing like a nostalgic recipe from mom! I’m glad you loved this one.
These are so good! We made a dozen this weekend and I was so happy to see your recipe. They hard to make but knowing the ratios is so helpful! We used smoked paprika on top and loved them. Thank you for another great recipe!
You’re more than welcome, Kristi! So thrilled you loved the recipe. Happy Easter!
When looking for a deviled egg recipe, I really wanted to finally find a recipe that cooked the eggs perfectly. I wasn’t as worried about the “filling.” However, since your ingredients were pretty spot on to my standard, I decided to try it.
The eggs are cooked perfectly with this method! And, they are delicious, too! Thank you so much!
Wonderful! I’m happy to hear your eggs were cooked perfectly. Enjoy!
Easy to make and great eggs. Made for party. Really enjoyed by the group as hoid. Thank you for your help. Jp
I made 6 classic deviled eggs and 6 avocado deviled eggs and the vote was unanimous that the classic deviled eggs were the best ever. My family said that they would prefer the avocado eggs on toast – so we pivoted and brought out the sourdough bread and added avocado toast to the menu.
Oh fun, love that approach! And happy these classic deviled eggs were the winner as well. :)
Not my favorite, ACV was to overpowering, threw out after one bite.
Hi Chris – you can always tweak the ACV or sub with pickle juice, as I mention in the notes.
Great recipe, everyone was very happy! Thanks a lot. I added bacon bits as a garnish🤭
Happy to hear everyone loved these deviled eggs!
We love this recipe! I did 4x the recipe and did 24 eggs. I measured out everything but the salt and pepper. I thought I only sprinkled a little sea salt but I got a tad too much salt. Easy on the salt! Also watch the apple cider vinegar. I’m gonna do a bit less next time on the apple cider vinegar. This recipe is a winner at our house.
Happy you love these deviled eggs, Tressa! Sounds like a delicious party at your house. ;)
This was great! I had pickle juice on hand. I was oddly out of apple cider vinegar. I did everything as said and it was very tasty.
So happy you loved them, Amy! Happy Easter!
We loved these! I made these for a big deviled eggs fan, and ever since then he’s requested this specific recipe when we have them. They’re my favorite too.
Yay, love to hear that!
I’ve used this recipe 100 times – comes out perfect. Given it to friends they love it too!!
Thanks so much, Karen!
Great site. ❤️ Deviled eggs were awesome.
Thanks so much, Deborah!
Found this to be way too heavy on the ACV. Maybe half a tsp instead
Hi Dave – you can definitely tweak the vinegar to your liking. Enjoy!
It’s simple and delicious 🤤. Love this recipe. I used smoked paprika on top for a little extra something
Thanks, Lydia! I’m so thrilled you loved the recipe. :)
Eggs cooked perfectly. I thought this recipe was very bland though. Too much mayo and not enough vinegar. I ended up adding an extra teaspoon of white vinegar, which helped a lot but still not very tasty.
Hi Chloe – the tang of vinegar is definitely personal preference, but always feel free to add more if you’d like. :)
Delicious. We found it a bit too strong on the dijon mustard. Will go a bit lighter on it next time.
Glad you enjoyed them!
Great recipe! We loved some of the suggestions. We used siracha and it made it so spicy and fun! Thanks for the great recipe!
I followed your directions to boil the eggs. Eggs came out perfect. And this recipe for Deviled Eggs, were absolutely delicious. I do not leave comments for the recipes I try (which is often). But, I had no choice today😜
Hi Donna – Thanks so much for leaving a review and glad you loved these deviled eggs!
I love using this recipe for deviled eggs.
Hi Erika – Happy to hear you’ve found a winning deviled eggs recipe!
The vinegar was way too overpowering I would recommend using half or swapping for pickle juice.
The vinegar vs pickle juice is definitely personal preference. :)
Big hit and so easy. Based on one of the reviews I used only 1/2 tsp vinegar and added 1/8 tsp Worcestershire sauce. For paprika I used smoked paprika. All around yum
Hi Leeann – I’m glad these deviled eggs were a hit!
Great, easy classic recipe. I opt for the pickle juice. These are just like what I grew up with.
Hi Kevin – Sometimes, classic deviled eggs are always best!
Gave it a try, I made it and I loved it so much.
Hi Albert – I’m glad you love these deviled eggs!
Not my favorite, too tart.
Awesome. Switched out the mayo for fat free Greek yogurt.
Hi Karen – I’m glad these deviled eggs worked out great with Greek yogurt instead!
These are just wonderful! I used pickle juice instead of vinegar and added a couple of splashes of Worcestershire. Thank you for the great recipe!
Hi Blaine – Glad you love these deviled eggs!