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.
Monica Moritz
Putting a splash of white vinegar in the boiling water makes eggs peel easily. I’m not sure why but it definitely works and doesn’t change the flavor of the eggs.
K. K.
I’d been wanting to try these and with a breakfast carry in tomorrow at work I thought it’d be a special treat as deviled eggs are a huge part of my Midwestern life. but here in Germany many have never even heard of them.b
unfortunately these were sweet and just overall not the experience I wanted to share. should have trusted my gut and stuck with my own recipe.
too bad.
JJ Monte
Peeling Eggs:
1. Bring pot of water to boil with NO EGGS.
2. Once boiling, now add all the eggs, and boil 7 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, prepare a pot of COLD water.
4. At 7+ minutes, discard the egg water, all at once.
5. Then, add ALL the eggs to the cold water, at the same time.
6. The shock of cold water on the outside of each shell will cause each egg to shrink on the inside of its shell.
7. Peel.
7.
Lisa
WOW. Love love love the flavors happening in these. THANK YOU!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you love them, Lisa! 😊
Stephie
In regards to why your freshly-laid eggs don’t peel easily: it’s because they’re TOO fresh! Eggs develop air pockets as they age a little, and those air pockets make them MUCH easier to peel. If you put the (uncooked) eggs in a bowl of water, fresh eggs will sink, but eggs with a bit of air in them will stand up; use those to hard-boil!
Ginny Kio
Thank you for this great recipe!!! I loved it! I did increase the mayo and pickle juice slightly to make the filling a little more creamy.—- could be because I used jumbo home raised eggs!
Have you ever used the Insta pot to hard boil the eggs?
Add 1 cup water and as many eggs— even fresh eggs to the pot. Close lid with vent coded. Set on vegetables or soup setting for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes is up, let steam naturally release for 5 minutes . Then remove eggs to ice water bath for 5 minutes. Crack, roll and peel—- the shells come right off!!!
Monica
This recipe is delicious and is the only one worth spend $7 on eggs.
Jim
I found America’s test kitchen recipe for easy peel eggs. bring over inch of water to a boil on high heat. carefully lower the eggs in either a steamer basket, or one by one with tongs or spoon. cover then lower the heat to medium and cook for 13 minutes. prepare an ice bath. when time is up place eggs in ice bath for 15 minutes. the shells will peel right off, no worries!
Daniel Herberg
America’s Test Kitchen is a pretty good source for solid recipes and techniques. I’ve been making boiled eggs like this most of my life for the very reason of easy peeling and perfectly cooked yolks
jo
Eggshells are semi-permeable. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the water while cooking them. Boil for 14.5 minutes (I live about 5000 feet above sea level. Check if there are differences for elevation because I don’t know). When done transfer eggs to an ice water bath and let stand 5 minutes. The shells come off with VERY few trouble spots 🙂
Juliette Johnson
The tastiest eggs I’ve ever had! definently reccomend
Allana Warkentin
If you steam farm fresh eggs for 10 min from boiling point, they peel soooooo easy!!
Kayla
These were a HUGE hit at a work potluck! I didn’t use the Dijon or sugar mostly cause I didn’t have any lol. But I used Dill pickle juice and chalula 10/10 I’m sure the regular recipe would’ve been 100/10.
Teresa Fran
The trick to getting perfectly cracked egg shells is to put the uncooked eggs in boiling hot water (I use a thong or a big spoon to gently place one by one in the water) and after its cooked empty the hot water from the pan and place with very cold water. Let sit for a few minutes then crack the shells. This method never failed me.
Denise C
Thanks for the recipe…I took these to a Superbowl party last evening… they were gone before the coin toss! The Chiefs lost but these eggs were a definite winner!! (one young Mom told me that she would dream about them 😋)
Jack Rayban
These are too sweet and are nowhere near the best deviled eggs that I have had. We followed the recipe because we did not want to second-guess the sweet gherkin pickles, and the sugar that was put into the recipe because we felt like it was going to enhance the flavors but instead it overtook the flavor and these are not impressive.. I am very surprised that all of the reviews are five star because I have had a lot of deviled eggs from a lot of different places made by a lot of different people and these are not five star deviled eggs nor are they million dollar deviled eggs
Shahna
Great recipe! I didn’t add the bacon bits but I will next time. FYI on hard boiling fresh eggs. Fill a sauce pan with enough water to cover the eggs, add a generous amount of salt and boil. Once the water is boiling add the eggs one at a time with a pair of tongs, boil for 15 minutes, once done transfer the eggs to an ice bath with the tongs to cool and stop the cooking process. Your eggs will peel perfectly!
Irish Plant
Hello! I love every recipe of yours I have tried, and this one is just as great! Proportions are perfect! Thank you! To answer your question, we have had great success with six eggs at a time in a steamer basket with just enough water boiling to touch the bottom of the basket. Steam for 10 mins covered, remove from heat, leave cover on an additional couple of mins, and then let cool. Eggs peel like magic! Even fresh ones. Hope this works for you! Have a great day, and thank you for all you do! = ) irish
Brenda
These are fantastic. I just made a half recipe and they are the best I’ve ever had. I’ve tried so many recipes over the years and have always been underwhelmed. I didn’t get fancy with presentation and toppers but I will in the future. Thank you and Happy New Year.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy you enjoyed them, Brenda! Thanks for giving our recipe a try 😊