Spring 2026 | Tips & Tricks

Deviled Eggs for a Crowd

A beloved snack gets an upgrade.

A springtime celebration is not complete without a tray of flavorful deviled eggs. These classic hors d’oeuvres have a rich culinary history that traces back to Ancient Roman and Medieval times.

While the preparation of hard-boiled, stuffed eggs highly seasoned with ingredients such as herbs, dried fruit, and cheese goes way back, referring to this style of eggs as “deviled” is relatively recent and found only in English starting circa 1796. These eggs that we know and love today came to America by way of Britain a century later in the late 1800s, and by the early 1900s, they became a quintessential part of backyard barbecues and dinner parties.

Making deviled eggs is not difficult, but it does require a little bit of patience and technique. Hard-boiling eggs in higher altitudes takes a few minutes longer, and the trick to easily peeling eggs is to use older eggs in which the membrane can release more easily from the egg white, due to the gradual release of carbon dioxide over time.

For the filling, I like to use Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise, which is a little sweeter than traditional mayonnaise and is available in most grocery stores in the Reno-Tahoe area. The addition of crème fraîche provides body and richness for a flavorful filling that is ready to be piped into the delicate halves of cooked egg whites.

For this issue, I’ve developed a base recipe for traditional deviled eggs, along with three variations: one that highlights the flavors of bacon and caramelized onions, another made with lobster and delicate tobiko eggs, and a deep-fried tempura shrimp version.

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TRADITIONAL DEVILED EGGS

Servings: 12 halves

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 2 tablespoons Kewpie mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons crème fraîche
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon fresh parsley
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• For garnish: paprika to taste

Instructions

• Place eggs in a pot and cover with cold water an inch above the eggs. Heat until water reaches a rolling boil, then cover pan and turn off heat. Let eggs steep in the hot pan for 15 minutes, then, using a slotted spoon, remove eggs from the pan and transfer into a bowl filled with ice water.
• Let eggs sit in ice water bath for at least 10 minutes. Once eggs have cooled, gently crack them all over and peel carefully in a bowl of cool water. Once peeled, slice eggs in half lengthwise and scoop out yolks. Reserve egg white halves until you’re ready to serve.
• Press yolks through a fine-mesh sieve to gently break them up. Then combine egg yolks, mayonnaise, crème fraîche, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, parsley, kosher salt, and black pepper in a food processor and run until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary.
• Once mixture is smooth, place filling in a piping bag fitted with a plain or star tip. Let mixture chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour to help the flavors develop. Once chilled, remove bag from refrigerator and pipe filling into the reserved egg white halves. Garnish with a sprinkling of paprika to taste.

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BACON AND CARAMELIZED ONION DEVILED EGGS

Servings: 12 halves

Ingredients

• 6 eggs hard-boiled
• 2 strips bacon cooked
• 3 tablespoons onions caramelized
• 2 tablespoons Kewpie mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons crème fraîche
• 2 tablespoons scallions white parts only
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• For garnish: chopped green tops of scallions and pieces of crispy bacon

Instructions

• Prepare bacon and caramelized onions and remove scallion tops, reserving tops and chopped bacon for garnish. Follow instructions for hard-boiling deviled eggs, then combine all ingredients in a food processor and run until smooth. Garnish with chopped green onion tops and pieces of crispy bacon.

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LOBSTER AND TOBIKO DEVILED EGGS

Servings: 12 halves

Ingredients

• 6 eggs hard-boiled
• ⅓ cup cooked lobster chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons Kewpie mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons crème fraîche
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon fresh tarragon
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• For garnish: Old Bay seasoning chunks of cooked lobster, and a small amount of tobiko fish eggs

Instructions

• Follow instructions for standard deviled eggs, but with additional ingredients; combine in a food processor and run until smooth. Garnish with Old Bay, any remaining cooked lobster pieces, and a small spoonful of tobiko eggs.

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DEEP-FRIED TEMPURA SHRIMP DEVILED EGGS

Servings: 12 halves

Ingredients

• 6 eggs hard-boiled
• 2 eggs stirred in bowl until blended
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• Kosher salt to taste
• ¼ cup Kewpie mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons scallions white parts only
• 1 tablespoon gochujang
• ½ tablespoon white miso paste
• ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
• ½ teaspoon mirin
• ½ teaspoon sriracha
• Vegetable oil for frying
• For garnish: cooked bay shrimp and chopped green tops of scallions

Instructions

• Push cooked egg yolks through a fine-mesh sieve to break up, then combine in a food processor with scallion whites, gochujang, miso paste, rice vinegar, mirin, and sriracha. Process ingredients until smooth. Place filling in a piping bag and reserve in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
• While filling chills, make a standard breading station of all-purpose flour, blended eggs, and panko breadcrumbs that have been lightly seasoned with kosher salt. Dredge hard-boiled egg white halves in flour, then in egg mixture, then in panko breadcrumbs to coat.
• Heat vegetable oil to 375 degrees F, then carefully drop breaded egg whites into oil. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown. Once fried, drain egg whites on a tray lined with paper towels. Pipe filling into the fried egg whites and garnish with cooked bay shrimp and chopped green scallion tops.