The best and easiest Deviled Eggs + 10 Flavor Topping Variations to mix things up! These classics are made easier by using the Instant Pot for the fastest peeling possible. From there you can eat these as a yummy snack or a grab-and-go breakfast. They’re also a staple at almost every holiday and potluck occasion, especially Easter. You’ll find all sorts of fun flavor variations below from the kid-friendly ranch to spicy buffalo, and the ‘fancy’ smoked salmon and capers.
Apparently, when I was a kid, I called deviled eggs ‘egg fillet’. I thought they were super fancy, and I was pretty much smitten with them. Well… I’m still crazy about them, so I’m sharing my classic version along with 10 fun flavor toppings to try out.
These are perfect for making after Easter of course when you have hard-boiled eggs to use up. But they’re also great year-round for healthy grab-and-go snacks as well as for an appetizer.
There’s a little something for everyone today with the kid-friendly ranch, or for those who love spice with sriracha lime or buffalo. Each of the 10 flavor variations is made by adding toppings to the classic deviled egg. This way it’s nice and easy with no extra complications.
I like to think of the flavors as different ‘toppings’! But you can also add ranch dressing in place of some of the mayo for #2, or mix in some extra curry powder into the filling for #1.
Either way you go, these are so tasty and super easy to make. By keeping each one basic, you can make 1-2 batches, then top them with your choices of flavors, and serve all 10 without a ton of time in the kitchen!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Hard-boiled eggs – made any way you’d like. I’ve included Instant Pot instructions below because they are far and away the easiest to peel!
- Mayonnaise – or another creamy dressing like ranch or Caesar work if you really don’t like mayonnaise. Also, consider making your own following my recipe for mayonnaise listed in my Curried Chicken Salad. Homemade mayo is so tasty you might change your opinion on mayonnaise.
- Dijon mustard – just a touch adds depth of flavor here without it being a strong mustard flavor. I wouldn’t use yellow mustard in this case because it’s too strong and will overwhelm the flavors.
- Vinegar – cider vinegar, white wine, or champagne vinegar all work really well here.
- Paprika – for the sprinkle over the top and a touch of flavor.
- Extras – see below for the full list of all 10 fun ways to dress up these Deviled Eggs.
How to make this recipe step by step
Step 1:
Start by making hard-boiled eggs. I like to make mine in the Instant Pot because the eggs are so easy to peel in comparison to hard boiling them in water on the stovetop.
Step 2:
When the eggs are finished, cool them down in an ice bath for 10 minutes.
Step 3:
Next, peel the eggs one at a time, run each one under running water to wash away bits of shell, and set them aside.
Step 4:
Slice each egg in half lengthwise, (or the long way) and gently scoop out the egg yolks, adding them to a separate bowl.
Step 5: Mash with a fork, then add the vinegar, mayo, mustard, sea salt, and pepper. Mash again to make the filling as smooth as possible.
For the smoothest filling, pass the finished filling through a fine mesh sieve, forcing it through with a spatula. This removes any lumps, and you can also make this in a mini food processor. I don’t recommend regular-sized food processors because they’re too big for this small amount of filling.
Step 6:
Finally spoon or pipe the filling into each egg half, and sprinkle with paprika before serving.
Let’s talk about each of the Deviled Eggs + 10 Flavor Topping Variations
- Curry – a sprinkle of curry powder over the classic deviled eggs is a super tasty version made even yummier with a small dollop of mango chutney, 1/2 – 1 teaspoon (from the jar, no need to make anything homemade here).
- Ranch – a drizzle of a ranch dressing of your choice over the top and garnish with a couple of lengths of chives or thinly sliced green onions. You’ll need about 1 teaspoon per egg. To keep it dairy-free, try Primal Kitchen Ranch or my Easy Blender Whole30 Ranch Dressing.
- Sriracha Lime – add a squeeze of sriracha, and top with a small slice of lime, (cut the rind off to eat the lime slice). You can also add lime juice in place of the cider vinegar if you’re making a full batch of sriracha lime.
- Dill Pickle – add 1-2 thin slices of dill pickle on top of each deviled egg along with a smidge of finely diced pickle.
- Smoked Salmon – plus 2-3 capers to top each deviled egg makes a ‘fancy’ version that’s incredibly tasty.
- Everything Bagel – sprinkle your favorite Everything Bagel seasoning over the top and omit the paprika.
- Buffalo – drizzle a bit of your favorite buffalo sauce over the finished deviled egg and top with chives and/or a few crumbles of blue cheese. To keep this dairy-free I love using Primal Kitchen’s buffalo sauce which is incredibly good.
- Pesto – dollop a small amount of 1/2-1 teaspoon on top of each finished deviled egg and garnish with a basil leaf. You can also omit 1/2 of the mayonnaise and substitute it for pesto in the filling.
- BLT – adding crumbled cooked bacon on top with 1/2 a cherry tomato and a small basil leaf (as the ‘lettuce’) to garnish the classic deviled egg.
- Smoked Paprika – this is the simplest, but still distinctive, omit the paprika and sprinkle smoked paprika over the top.
Ways to serve this
- At any holiday, (especially Easter) or potluck.
- I love to meal prep these and eat them for ‘grab and go’ breakfasts. These keep well for 2 days, but I’ve kept them for 3-4, (please use your own judgment for food safety).
FAQ’s
Deviled Eggs are hardboiled eggs cut in half and the yolks removed. The yolks are mashed together with mayo, mustard, and cider vinegar, then piped back into the egg whites and sprinkled with paprika. They’re also called ‘stuffed eggs’, ‘salad eggs’, or ‘dressed eggs’.
According to Wikipedia, the word ‘deviled’ began to be used in conjunction with food in the 19th century and indicated that the food was either spicy or zesty.
Storing leftovers
- To store – you can store the finished eggs for 2 days in the refrigerator. I’ve had no problems keeping them for 3-4 days when the eggs are fresh.
- Freezing – Deviled eggs are best eaten fresh and don’t freeze well.
Tips & Tricks
- If you don’t have a piping bag, you can cut a small hole in the corner of a resealable plastic bag, (Ziplock) and place a piping tip into the corner. Then fill the bag and pipe it into the eggs.
- Cook your eggs in the Instant Pot to make these super easy to peel.
- Spoon the filling into the eggs for casual eating, and pipe with a frosting piping bag for a ‘fancy’ look. These come together even faster with fewer dishes when you spoon the filling into the eggs, making it the best option for snacks or breakfast meal prep.
- Always chill the eggs in an ice bath! This stops the cooking process so the eggs don’t overcook leaving a green ring around the yolks.
More Appetizer Recipe Inspiration
I really hope you enjoy these Deviled Eggs + 10 Flavor Topping Variations! If you do get a chance to make this recipe, be sure to leave a review below, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
Deviled Eggs + 10 Flavor Topping Variations
INGREDIENTS
Deviled Eggs:
- 6 eggs - see notes
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise - add an additional tbsp if needed
- 1 tsp cider vinegar - or white wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp sea salt - or to taste
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- Paprika for sprinkling over the top
10 Flavors:
- Curry: sprinkle curry powder over each egg and top with 1/2-1 teaspoon mango chutney
- Ranch: 1 teaspoon ranch dressing per eggs and chives or green onions to decorate
- Sriracha: squeeze a small amount of sriracha over the top and add a small piece of fresh lime without rind
- Dill Pickle: add 1-2 thin slices dill pickle along with a sprinkle of minced pickle over the top of each egg - or 1/2 teaspoon sweet pickle relish for a sweeter version.
- Smoked Salmon: add a small thin piece smoked salmon and 2-3 capers on top of each egg
- Everything Bagel: sprinkle a small amount of everything bagel seasoning over the top
- Buffalo – drizzle about 1 teaspoon your favorite buffalo sauce over each egg and garnish with chopped chives or green onions with an option crumble of blue cheese - about 1 teaspoon
- Pesto: dollop 1/2-1 teaspoon over each egg and top with a basil leaf - or replace half the mayo for pesto
- BLT: sprinkle crumbled bacon over each egg and top with 1/2 cherry tomato and 1 small basil leaf for ‘lettuce’. 1 strip of cooked bacon will garnish about 6 eggs.
- Smoked Paprika: omit the regular paprika and sprinkle with smoked paprika instead – so tasty!
INSTRUCTIONS
- Start by hard boiling the eggs as you’d like. You can place them in a large saucepan, cover with water to 1″ above the eggs, then bring to boil. Next turn off the heat, cover and let sit 10 minutes, drain and place them in an ice bath.
- Or you can place them on the metal trivet in the Instant Pot, add 1 cup of water then set the lid to seal. Select pressure cook for 5 minutes. When the cooking time is up, let sit 1 minute, then release the pressure valve. When the valve drops and the Instant Pot is safe to open, add the hard boiled eggs to a cold water ice bath to cool completely 10-15 minutes.
- Once you have cooled hard boiled eggs, peel, then run under water to remove any shells.
- Cut the eggs in half lengthwise and using a spoon, pop the egg yolks out and into a medium sized bowl.
- Using a fork, mash up the yolks, then add the Dijon mustard, 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, vinegar, sea salt, and pepper. Mash again until smooth, add the additional tablespoon of mayo if the filling isn’t creamy enough.
- For the smoothest filling, pass the egg yolk mixture through a fine mesh sieve using a spatula, or make the filling in a mini food processor.
- Spoon or pipe the filling into each of the egg white halves, then sprinkle with paprika just before serving. Omit the paprika if you’re going to top the deviled eggs with the other flavor options.
- Refrigerate and serve within 2 days. Top with your flavors of choice just before serving.