Growing up in the South, I never went to a single family gathering without a platter of deviled eggs already half gone by the time I reached the table. My grandmother made hers with sweet pickle relish and a whisper of dry mustard, and she guarded that ratio like state secrets. I still use her recipe when I want something that tastes like home.
But I also developed a second version over the years, one built on fresh dill and Dijon mustard with a bit of smoked salmon tucked in. It is a different direction entirely. Both belong on the same Easter spread, and I have been making them side by side for long enough that the pairing feels like tradition now. Pick one or make both. They share the same base technique.
How to Make Southern Deviled Eggs
Get the eggs right
Start eggs in cold water, bring to a boil, then cover and remove from heat. Let them sit for 12 minutes before transferring to an ice bath. 
Peel under cool running water. Slice each egg in half lengthwise and tip the yolks into a bowl.
Mix the filling
For the classic version, mash yolks with 2 to 4 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish, 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, a drop of hot sauce, salt, and pepper. For the dill version, swap in 1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard instead of the relish and dry mustard.
Fill and finish
Spoon the filling into a piping bag or zip-top bag with one corner snipped. Pipe into each egg white half.
Sprinkle the classic eggs with paprika. Top the dill version with small dill sprigs or a piece of smoked salmon.
Deviled Eggs
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 12 1x
Description
Below are two versions of Deviled Eggs, one classic southern recipe from my childhood and one that I make today. I hope you enjoy them both as much as I do.
Ingredients
CLASSIC SOUTHERN DEVILED EGGS
- 6 hard boiled eggs, peeled
- 2 to 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise or light mayonnaise (homemade mayo is a nice touch)
- 1 tablespoon of sweet pickle relish (or dill pickle relish like my family did)
- 1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard powder
- 1 drop of hot sauce such as Tabasco
- Pinch of salt
- A couple of grinds of fresh pepper
- Paprika for sprinkling over the top
DEVILED EGGS with dill
- 6 hard boiled eggs, peeled
- 2 to 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise or light mayonnaise (homemade mayo is a nice touch)
- 1 tablespoon of fresh dill, chopped (1 teaspoon of dried dill can be substituted)
- 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
- 1 drop of hot sauce such as Tabasco
- Pinch of salt
- A couple of grinds of fresh pepper
- Optional: 2 tablespoons of smoked salmon chopped and added after the egg mixture is combined or a small piece for the top of each egg.
- Extra dill for garnish or chopped capers (very delicious)
Instructions
- Slice the eggs in half lengthwise. Remove the yolk by turning it over a bowl, with a little gentle nudging it should come right out.
- Add the remaining ingredients and smash together until fairly smooth.
- Add salmon or save to top eggs with small pieces if you choose to.
- Take a sandwich bag or piping bag and put the filling it it. Cut the bottom corner tip and squeeze or pipe the egg yolk filling into the egg white half.
- For the classic recipe: Sprinkle with paprika and place on serving dish.
- For the Dill recipe: Decorate with small sprigs of dill and place on a serving dish.
Notes
The basis for deviled eggs are the yolks and the mayo. Here are some other variations that I have enjoyed in the past or you can get creative and come up with your own version.
-1 or 2 Anchovies smashed or chopped capers, a squeeze of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
-1 to 2 tablespoons of Blue cheese, 1/2 teaspoon of mustard and 1 tablespoon of chopped chives
-1/2 teaspoon of curry powder and 1 tablespoon of chopped green onion or chives
Remember to add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make deviled eggs a day ahead?
You can prepare the filling and store it separately in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Pipe or spoon it into the egg whites a few hours before serving. Cover the assembled platter tightly with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.
What is the best way to prevent green rings around the yolk?
The green ring forms when eggs are overcooked. Remove the pot from heat right when the water reaches a rolling boil, cover, and let sit for exactly 12 minutes. Transfer immediately to an ice bath. That timing gives you a fully set yolk with a bright yellow center.
Can I use dill pickle relish instead of sweet in the classic version?
Yes, and I grew up eating them that way. Dill relish gives a tangier, more savory result. If you go that route, you might want to cut the hot sauce since the overall flavor leans sharper already.
If you let the eggs sit on the counter for an hour or so (until they are room temperature). Then let the water boil for 8 mins then add the eggs with tong.Wait until the water boils again and time them again for 8 mins if cooled completely the shell will come off with no problems at all. Also if you set the carton on its side while waiting to achieve room temperature the yolk will be in the center of the egg 90% of the time. I hate it when you get all egg with no yolk. TRY IT OUT YOU WILL BE AMAZED
I have a trick to easy to peel eggs! I saw it on Dr. Oz and it works! Sprinkle a few tablespoons of baking soda in with the boiling eggs. Works like a dream and doesn’t affect the taste of the egg.
I owned a restaurant for 3 years and one of our sides was deviled eggs. we boiled 7-12 dozen eggs every morning. The only way to guarantee any egg will peel easily (fresh or old)was to peel them as hot as possible after they came off the stove. we left them in the hot water, used tongs to get them out 3 or 4 at a time, ran quickly under cold water so the shell wouldn’t be too hot to handle, and then cracked and peeled them before the membrane shrank back to the size of the egg white.
in a restaurant…you can’t have something that works one day on one kind of egg and work differently the next day.
Blake is CORRECT!!!! Peeling eggs easily has nothing to do with how you cook them or a cold water bath! It’s simply life taking over what it does best. As the egg gets “older”, the membrane between what would have been a chicken and the inner egg shell breaks down. That’s how chicks can get through the shell to be born. But these are unfertilized eggs so just buy your eggs 2 weeks in advance (they’ll last 2 months or more) and after a couple of weeks, the shell will almost fall off after a soft or hard boil. Doesn’t matter. Basic biology, friends. :)
The best remedy for hard-to-peel eggs is to use older eggs. Buy your eggs two weeks before you need to make them and they will peel beautifully. The FDA suggests that eggs be used within 30 days of the sell-by date so letting them sit for 2 weeks, if properly refrigerated, should be safe.
and no, they will not go bad in a week. I have used eggs that were weeks old. I have a hunting/fishing camp without electricity and always have eggs. You can put them in water glass,(sodium silicate} or just coat them in oil or grease,Vaseline works well, and they will keep for several weeks, unrefrigerated. The shell is porous and as long as you keep the air from entering, eggs will stay good for a very long time.
Fresh eggs do not peel well. The membrane separates as they age, and pulls away from the white and makes them easier to peel. I buy them a few days before and let them sit for as long as a week if I am making anything that requires that they be peeled. It works…every time.
My mother always showed me to peel an egg the best way to do it is lightly tap on hard surface such as counter or cutting board untill the eggs shell cracks then use the side of your thumb to slowly peel away the shell! If you use the tips of your fingers sometimes your nails will puncture the egg. Also what I like to do is after you get the first crack in the egg after its done is roll it on the counter with your hand with slight pressure which allows the shell to crack in more places without making a mess either and its so much easier to peel at that point.
I have never had trouble peeling an egg, and it has never taken me more than 8 seconds! Hold the cooled, cooked egg in your hand and crack the shell all around it by whacking it gently with the back of a spoon. Pick off a piece or two of shell to make a little hole. Then turn the spoon over (so that the curve of the spoon, well, SPOONS the egg), and slip the spoon between the shell and the egg. The shell will come off in one or two pieces. Easy peasy.
Deviled egg salad sandwiches are the best. First time exposure was at a pub called Three Birds, fallen in love ever since.
The Clumsy Eater.
I have had success by pouring vinegar in the water with the eggs when boiling them. About 1/2 cup. Makes for easier peeling.
The best way to get perfect boiled eggs is to put them in cold water, bring them to a boil, remove from heat, cover and let stand for 10 minutes. No yucky dark circle around yoke!
Daniel’s peeling method is a good one as is cracking them and rolling them on a counter to loosen the shell and skin.
I have to admit that Keith’s method sounds like fun for immediate family provided no one is ill. My grandkids will love to try that trick! LOL
Trudy, this basically how I have been doing it, but I do wait until the eggs are completely cold. It still seems to be hit or miss. One thing I have noticed, that fresher eggs may be more difficult that older eggs! I agree with you on Keith’s methods, it does sound like fun and someone will probably make a mess!
This may not be a peeling method that you want to share with everyone, but it works wonders.
After the ice bath break a small hole in the large end (there’s usually an air pocket there) and blow vigorously into it. The air pressure separates the membrane from the shell and it lifts off cleanly. If you have the lung capacity, you can break a hole in both ends, blow into the small end and the egg will shoot out the large end, leaving the hollow shell intact.
I would love to share this with everyone. It sounds like too much fun not to try. And if it works, then all the better. And if anyone is concerned with germs then rinse them off when you are done! I say definitely make this a group effort and have a little fun!
Your deviled egg recipe is perfect, just like we make them in Texas. Love the rooster dish too.
As for peeling–that step used to bedevil me too, until I read or heard a trick, can’t remember where or when but it really seems to help. First, yes, the harder boiled the egg is, the easier to peel, but one or two extra minutes can produce that telltale gray-green ring and sulphurous taste, and we don’t want that. Your boiling method is almost exactly the same as mine, down to the minute. But here’s my trick: After the eggs are drained but before the cold water is added, r I shake the pan fairly vigorously, letting the eggs collide into each other, giving each egg a series of uniform cracks. Cover with the cold water and add ice if you want. The cold water seems to seep in between the eggs and their shells and ease separation when time to peel them.
I like this idea and I am going to try this sometime. I am guessing that as the the egg cools down and contracts, that a little water gets in between the shell and egg which helps the separation of them. Makes sense. Thank you for your input on egg shell removal!
I love deviled eggs! These are great