Has this ‘retro classic’ ever really gone out of style? Well, there was that blip in time when eggs had a bad rap, so maybe then. Thank goodness we know better now!
Deviled, or stuffed eggs, are still being served up in homes all year around, and you’ll find bougie versions on many a restaurant menu today. They are a great make-ahead appetizer (a bonus for holiday entertaining!) and always a crowd-pleaser.
Gather Your Ingredients
- Hard-cooked eggs – I recommend pasture-raised! (See Helpful Recipe Tips below for my cooking & peeling method.)
- Mayonnaise – provides that creamy tanginess we’ve come to expect in deviled eggs. Use your favorite brand or homemade.
- Sour cream – provides a more subtle tang and also a lightness to the filling.
- Pickled jalapeños & their juice – bring just a bit of heat and acid to balance the rich yolks.
- Bacon – just a little adds a crunchy, umami component.
Garnishes – charred corn, cilantro, and smoked paprika.
A Trick for Fluffy Yolks
I once read that pressing egg yolks through a mesh strainer helps eliminate any large, dry chunks in your filling. It is so true and worth the extra couple of minutes!
Not only do you end up with fluffy mashed egg yolk, the end product is light, smooth, and not at all cloying on the palate. (Swapping out some of the mayonnaise for sour cream also helps!)
Let’s Make Deviled Eggs!
- Prep the corn garnish – heat a small skillet over medium heat. Spritz with a little cooking spray, then saute the corn until it begins to char lightly around the edges. Remove to cool and season with salt & pepper.
- Mash the yolks – cut the eggs in half and pop the yolks into a mesh strainer. Use the back of a metal spoon to press the yolks through the strainer and into a bowl.
- Mix the filling – to the yolks, add mayonnaise, sour cream, minced jalapeños and a little of the pickling juice. Blend together until well combined.
- Fill the eggs – transfer the filling to a piping bag to fill the egg whites, or use a spoon.
- Garnish – add a halved jalapeño slice to the top of each egg. Sprinkle the smoked paprika, crumbled bacon, charred corn, and chopped cilantro over the eggs to finish.
Helpful Recipe Tips
I ‘peel’ your frustration – peeling eggs is one of my least favorite things to do, but I have found that steamed eggs (not boiled) are definitely the easiest to peel! If other cooking methods work for you, please keep doing what you’re doing.
If you want to try steamed eggs for this recipe, here’s what to do:
- Place a steamer basket in a saucepan. Fill it with water to the bottom of the basket and bring it to a boil.
- Turn off the burner. Gently place the eggs in the basket in a single layer and put the lid on. Turn the burner back on to medium-high. Set a timer for 13 minutes (this yields a fully-cooked, crumbly yolk and a white that is firm enough to stand up to the filling).
- Remove the eggs to a bowl filled with ice water and set a timer for 15 minutes.
- To peel, tap the large end on the counter then gently roll the egg on the counter or between your hands to crack the shell. Begin peeling at the large end (where the air pocket is). If it resists at all, place the egg under a small stream of water as you peel.
Make ahead & storage tips – Store cooked and peeled eggs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. Store filled eggs in an airtight container (without garnish) for up to 24 hours; prepare your garnishes shortly before serving. With this in mind, you can hard cook your eggs a few days in advance and prepare and fill them one day before serving.
Substitutions & Variations
- Make them non-dairy – replace the sour cream with chickpea or black bean hummus, mashed avocado, or use all mayonnaise.
- Greek yogurt – replace the sour cream with greek yogurt to increase protein, potassium, and probiotics.
- Adjust for heat – omit the jalapeño entirely and substitute with diced green pepper or scallions to eliminate the spice. Amp up the heat by replacing some or all of the pickled jalapeño with fresh jalapeño. Temper the heat by replacing the pickling liquid with white vinegar, another vinegar, or lemon juice.
- Smoked paprika – you could instead use chipotle chili powder. If you have dried peppers, try grinding some in a mortar & pestle for a really fresh earthy note.
- Seasonal garnishes – I took these to a neighborhood block party and they were gone in seconds, so I think it’s safe to make and serve these as-is. But, for an easy holiday dress-up, replace the corn with finely diced red bell pepper for a pop of red that’s still sweet. Super thin slices of red or watermelon radish would be festive, too.
Linda Feller has been a Plan to Eat superfan since 2013 and will whip out the app to share with anyone who expresses the least bit of interest. She is a recipe developer, food photographer and the gal behind Sip + Sanity, a blog for recipes, entertaining and lifestyle. www.sipandsanity.com
FB & Instagram: @sipandsanity
Twitter: @SanitySip
Pickled Jalapeño + Bacon Deviled Eggs
Source: Sip + Sanity | Linda Feller for Plan to Eat
Course: Appetizers
Prep Time: 17 min
Cook Time: 3 min
Total Time: 20 min
Serves:
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 3 tbsp frozen corn thawed
- kosher salt + fresh cracked black pepper
- 6 large hard cooked eggs* peeled (pasture-raised is best)
- 5 tbsp mayonnaise
- 5 tbsp sour cream
- 12 slices pickled jalapeños divided
- 1-2 tsp pickling juice from the jalapeños (or white vinegar)
- 2 tbsp cooked bacon crumbled, from about 1 slice
- smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp cilantro finely chopped
Directions
- Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Spritz with cooking spray, then add the thawed corn and sauté until it begins to brown or char a bit around the edges. Drain on a paper towel + season with a bit of salt and pepper.
- Cut the eggs in half and place the yolks into a mesh strainer. Using the back of a spoon, push the yolks through the strainer into a bowl (this helps to achieve a smooth, light texture).
- Add mayo and sour cream to the bowl. Mince 6 of the jalapeno slices and add them to the bowl along with the pickling juice (or white vinegar). Use a handheld electric mixer to blend the ingredients together. Transfer to a piping bag or use a spoon to fill the egg whites.
- Slice the remaining jalapeño slices in half and nestle one into each egg. Garnish with corn, crumbled bacon, smoked paprika and cilantro.
- *I've found that steam-cooked eggs are the best method for deviled eggs: 1) Place a steamer basket in a saucepan. Fill it with water to the bottom of the basket and bring it to a boil. 2) Turn off the burner. Gently place the eggs in the basket in a single layer and put the lid on. Turn the burner back on to medium-high. Set a timer for 13 minutes (this yields a fully-cooked, crumbly yolk and a white that is firm enough to stand up to the filling). 3) Remove the eggs to a bowl filled with ice water and set a timer for 15 minutes. 4) To peel, tap the large end on the counter then gently roll the egg on the counter or between your hands to crack the shell. Begin peeling at the large end (where the air pocket is). If it resists at all, place the egg under a small stream of water as you peel.
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