Your deviled eggs will be Instagram-worthy with these few simple tips.
It's deviled egg season and there's nothing more frustrating than trying to get 12 perfectly formed, perfectly peeled egg white halves to fill with your favorite filling.
Deviled eggs aren't difficult to make, but to achieve picture perfect deviled eggs, there are a few important things you should keep in mind.
My tips require getting into some of the science-y magic that surrounds eggs. Once you understand that, you'll be turning out plate after plate of perfect deviled eggs using your favorite recipe.
Of course we shouldn't always judge a book by its cover, but it's always nicer to present a pretty finished dish. And it's honestly not that difficult using my tips.
These tips will ensure that your yolks are centered, your eggs are perfectly egg-shaped and you'll be able to peel them without leaving any egg stuck to the shell.
Nothing will ruin a plate of deviled eggs more than misshapen eggs that look like you hacked the shells off with a machete! If you raise chickens and have fresh eggs, you know what I mean.
9 Tips for Perfect Deviled Eggs
Use Fresh Eggs for Perfect Deviled Eggs
Use the freshest eggs possible for deviled eggs. As an egg ages, air enters the egg through the shell and moisture evaporates, creating an air sac in the blunt end of the egg. This will result in oddly misshapen deviled eggs.
The older the egg, the larger the air sac and the less desirable that egg will be for deviling.
Store Your Eggs Correctly for Perfect Deviled Eggs
You should always store eggs with the pointed end facing down. This keeps the yolk centered in the middle of the white.
There are thin strands of protein called chalazae that anchor the yolk in the center top to bottom, but not side to side, so keeping the eggs standing upright will help keep the yolk in the center and prevent it from drifting through the egg white towards the shell.
When you store your eggs on their side, the yolk will gradually rise to the top since it's lighter than the white and that will result in a super thin wall of egg white on one side of your deviled egg.
Not pretty, and prone to break when you are filling your egg whites.
Note: if you store your eggs pointy end down, the air sac will be at one end of the egg. If you store your eggs on their side, the air sac and resulting dip will be on the long side of the egg.
Steam the Eggs Don’t Boil Them for Perfect Deviled Eggs
Steam your eggs instead of boiling them.
Fresh eggs are notoriously hard to peel, but if you steam them in a colander or vegetable basket over simmering water for 12 minutes then put them in a bowl of ice water until they have cooled enough to peel them, they’ll not only peel perfectly, you won’t get that weird grayish green ring around the edge of the yolk.
There’s also less chance of an egg breaking since the eggs aren’t bouncing around in the simmering water.
I've been steaming my eggs for more than a decade and will never boil "hard boiled" eggs again!
Cook a Few Extra Eggs for Perfect Deviled Eggs
Cook a few extra eggs and add the extra yolks to your filling mixture to ensure there’s enough filling to pile all your egg white halves high. This also gives you more options to choose the 12 best-looking egg white halves to fill.
Your chicken will love to munch on the extras that you don't use, so nothing will go to waste.
Start Peeling from the Blunt End
If there is an air sac in the egg, and you've stored your eggs correctly, it will be at the blunt end, so if you start peeling there, it will make peeling the eggs easier.
Roll the egg on the counter to break the shell a bit, then crack the blunt end against the counter or cutting board and start peeling.
Make Sure the Filling is Super Smooth for Perfect Deviled Eggs
Use a blender or food processor to make the filling super smooth and then pipe it into the egg whites with a pastry bag and piping tip for a fancy presentation. Or you can use a small ice cream scoop for a more domed look to your deviled eggs.
Use an Egg Tray for Perfect Deviled Eggs
Invest in a pretty egg tray like I have to serve your deviled eggs on. They’ll slide around too much on a regular plate and likely end up on the floor.
But if you have to use a regular plate or tray, reserve some of the filling and put a dab underneath each egg white half to anchor the eggs in place.
Pay Attention to Food Safety
Deviled eggs that you bring to a picnic or barbeque shouldn’t be left out for longer than 2 hours (or an hour outside in the sun on an extremely hot summer day).
Leftovers should be refrigerated and eaten within 4 days (2 days for the best quality).
So to Summarize my 9 Tips for Perfect Deviled Eggs |
- Use the freshest eggs you can
- Store the eggs pointy end down
- Steam the eggs, don't boil them
- Cook at few extra eggs more than what you need
- Start peeling at the blunt end
- Puree the filling in a food processor or blender
- Use a piping bag to fill the eggs
- Invest in a pretty egg tray
- Refrigerate the eggs after an hour or two
