Southern Deviled Eggs
This Southern Deviled Eggs recipe is a classic appetizer for family gatherings and picnics. The eggs are filled with a creamy, delicious filling – perfect finger food!
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What’s the deal with that term ‘deviled?’ These Southern Deviled Eggs have nothing to do with the little red guy with the pointy tail and pitchfork. So why the name deviled? The term deviled actually originated in the 1800’s, and it was used to describe foods that were spicy thanks to the addition of pepper and mustard.
In the Deep South, deviled eggs are sometimes called ‘dressed eggs.’ The reason being is that deviled eggs are common church picnic food, and church-going folks wanted to avoid using the term ‘deviled.’ Whether church picnics, funerals or family reunions, these Southern Deviled Eggs are a popular – some might even say required – appetizer.
Deviled eggs are such a popular food for gatherings that you can even buy containers made specifically for deviled eggs. Now that’s crazy – but also incredibly useful if you make deviled eggs often!
Southern Deviled Eggs
These Southern Deviled Eggs are absolutely fantastic, and the good news is you can prep a whole bunch of them in under an hour. This recipe scales well, so you can make a batch of 2 dozen deviled eggs in about the same time as it takes to make 6 deviled eggs. Go ahead and make extras – you’ll be glad you did!
In keeping with the true meaning of deviled, this classic Southern Deviled Eggs recipe features both mustard as well as a generous amount of black pepper. Add in some pickles, garlic and lemon, and you’ve got a fantastic recipe!
Ingredients for Deviled Eggs
The ingredients needed to make these Southern Deviled Eggs are pretty straight-forward. Chances are you might already have them all in your kitchen!
- Eggs – I used the steaming method (see below) for cooking the eggs. Both the egg whites and egg yolks will be used in this recipe.
- Mayonnaise – the egg yolks tend to be a little dry, so the mayo helps turn them into a creamy filling
- Dijon mustard – I personally love the added flavor of Dijon mustard, but some folks swear by yellow mustard. Use whichever version you prefer!
- Lemon juice – adds a brightness and acidity that balances the filling
- Dill pickle relish – for added flavor. I always use dill relish, but if you prefer your deviled eggs a bit sweeter, then you can use sweet pickle relish.
- Garlic Powder, Salt and Pepper – seasonings for added flavor and taste
- {garnishes} hot sauce, paprika and/or sliced gherkin dill pickles – classic garnishes for topping the deviled eggs before serving
How to Make Southern Deviled Eggs
This recipe is incredibly easy! As noted above, it’s always a great recipe for a crowd because you can make a whole bunch of deviled eggs at once.
The first step is to cook the eggs. For years, I’ve always hard-boiled the eggs using the standard method of putting eggs in cold water and bringing the water to a boil. However, this time I tried a new method that I read about – steaming the eggs. Holy cow – so much easier! And the shells came off easily without losing half of my egg. I highly recommend giving the steaming method a try when it comes to hard-boiled eggs!
From there, the cooked egg yolks are separated from the egg whites. The ingredients above all get mixed in with the egg yolks to create a creamy filling. Spoon that filling back into the egg whites, and you’re all set! (If you have time and want to get fancy, I’ve seen folks use a piping bag with a large star tip to put the filling back into the egg whites.)
Once made, these Southern Deviled Eggs can be served immediately, but deviled eggs taste better when chilled. Refrigerating the eggs for 1 hour (or up to 24 hours) is recommended.
How long do deviled eggs last in the refrigerator?
Deviled eggs can last 3-4 days in the refrigerator as long as they are covered. Deviled eggs do not freeze well as the egg whites can become rubbery.
We make this recipe several times a year – at least once for a summer picnic and usually again for a holiday meal at Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas. There are never any leftovers! I hope you enjoy this deviled eggs recipe as much as we do here. Cheers!
Did you make a batch of these Southern Deviled Eggs? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see how you garnished your eggs!
Southern Deviled Eggs
Ingredients
- 12 large eggs
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard can use yellow mustard
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 3 Tbsp dill pickle relish can use sweet relish if you prefer the sweetness
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- several dashes hot sauce optional
- paprika for garnishing
- sliced gherkin pickles for garnishing
Instructions
For the Eggs
- Note: This method for steaming the eggs makes it much easier to peel the shells off. Feel free to go the traditional route and cook the eggs in boiling water if you prefer!
- Using a saucepan with a steamer basket, add ~1” of water, or enough water to just reach the bottom of the steamer basket. If you don’t have a steamer basket, just fill the saucepan with ~½” of water.
- Place the pot over high heat until water begins to boil.
- Remove pot from heat and gently place eggs in the basket (or directly into the hot water if you don’t have a basket).
- Cover pot with lid and place it back over medium-high heat.
- Cook eggs for 15 minutes. (Note: If your eggs are stacked on top of each other in a double layer, cook for 17 minutes instead.)
- Transfer eggs into a bowl of cold water to let them cool completely.
For the Filling
- Peel the eggs and slice each egg in half lengthwise.
- Gently remove the egg yolks and place in a separate bowl. Set egg whites aside for later.
- Add the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, garlic powder, pickle relish, salt and pepper to the bowl with the egg yolks. Using a fork, mash the egg yolks and stir until yolk mixture is creamy and well combined.
- Spoon deviled egg filling back into the egg whites.
- Garnish with hot sauce, paprika and/or sliced gherkin pickles.
- Cover and refrigerate filled eggs for 1-2 hours, or until chilled.
Looking for more tasty picnic recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
Cant wait to make this soon for me i never had southern deviled eggs before perfect for my after office snacks love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
Deviled eggs are a common picnic / party appetizer here, Ramya. I hope you enjoy this recipe!
So what you’re saying is that the southern remedy to the devil’s eggs is to simply call them by a different name? With no exorcism? I’m skeptical. I myself have never liked deviled eggs – even as much as I love eggs. I’m sure it’s because of my natural purity. Anyway, that’s how things were until my nephew’s girlfriend made some kind of ungodly version that I absolutely could not resist! She says it’s the pickle, which I see is featured prominently here. My downfall!
Hmmm, you make an excellent observation, Jeff. Can you hold an exorcism over deviled eggs? What would happen? I prefer to just eat my deviled eggs (or dressed eggs) instead! Either way, pickles are the way to go when you’re making deviled eggs…or angelic eggs…or whatever you want to call ’em! 🙂
I’ve never met a deviled egg that I’ve not enjoyed. 😊 Much nicer than their name implies.
Haha – you are totally right, Karen! The name just doesn’t do justice to the actual recipe.
I love deviled eggs, but I haven’t made any for years (need to make some around Easter!) I never would have thought of using pickle relish for them, and that’s such a great and delicious idea!
Oh I love the pickle relish in these eggs, Ben! For some reason, the dill pickle flavor pairs so well with the creamy eggs. Give it a try if you’re a pickle fan!
I bet these are delicious David. Tho here in Australia, we tend to make them with curry powder. Nothing better than a devilled egg or a curried egg sandwich for that matter 🙂
Curry powder? That sounds awesome, Sherry! I have seen curried egg salad sandwiches, but I’ve never thought about doing the same with deviled eggs. I need to try that next time!
Can’t wait to try making these for my next get-together, it sounds absolutely delicious and is such a classic appetizer for gatherings!
This is a classic side dish/appetizer for all sorts of picnics and gatherings here in the American South. I do hope you enjoy these Raymund!
Forget prepping a bunch in an hour -I could devour a batch of these in an hour!! I live deviled/dressed eggs and these would not last long if I was around them! Btw- so do you happen to have one of those deviled egg carriers??? 🙂
Haha – I hear ya on devouring these, Shashi! It’s crazy how easy you can eat like 3-4 (dozen!) eggs when they’re in deviled egg form. I don’t own a deviled egg carrier…they never last long enough to need one!!
The simple truth is that I’m powerless in the presence of deviled eggs and OMG do these look amazing! That little pickle slice garnish takes these right over the top.
Haha – you and me both, Marissa! I do love a good deviled egg, and this version is fantastic!
Southern Deviled Eggs. Is there anything like it!! No! This is a great recipe.
Hope you are enjoying this holiday weekend.
Velva
I couldn’t agree more, Velva! Deviled eggs are a staple at spring and summer picnics and parties. 🙂 Hope you enjoyed the holiday weekend, too!!
Who doesn’t love delicious devilled eggs right? And that’s a great tip about steaming. I always struggle when the eggs are really fresh and like you say, I tear apart half of the egg in the process of removing the shell. I’ll be trying steaming next time!
Yes! Give steaming eggs a try next time. I was surprised at how easily they peeled. Thanks, Simone!