Southern-Style Deviled Eggs Recipe

If there's one appetizer that's guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser, it's deviled eggs. Recipe developer Michelle Bottalico has created a recipe for Southern-style deviled eggs, which ups the ante by incorporating pimento peppers and pickle relish into the mix. That latter ingredient is something of a staple in Southern-style deviled eggs, although folks are divided over whether sweet or dill pickle relish is best, with some family recipes going one way or the other. Either way, the tangy, crunchy spread enlivens the deviled egg filling and makes it unique. The red garnishes — paprika and a piece of pimento — stand out against the classic yellow filling, making this dish a bright and colorful addition to your table as well as a tasty one.

These deviled eggs are the perfect finger food for parties, holidays, and picnics at any time of year. As for the relish debate, this recipe works equally well with sweet or dill relish, so choose the one you like the best. If you want to get fancy, you can pipe the filling into the egg whites rather than spooning it in. It's a more elegant look, but it's likely won't matter too much considering how fast these delicious eggs will fly off the plate.

For this recipe, it all starts with large eggs. The filling ingredients are mayonnaise, yellow mustard, sweet or dill pickle relish, salt, and black pepper. You will also need paprika and pimento pieces for garnish.

Place the eggs in a medium pot in a single layer.

Pour cold water over the eggs until they're just covered. Heat on medium-high until the water comes to a boil.

As soon as the water boils, remove the pan from the heat, cover it, and set a timer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare a large bowl of ice water.

After 10 minutes have elapsed, drain the eggs and transfer them to the ice bath. Let cool for about 10 more minutes.

Remove the eggs from the ice bath and peel them.

Cut the eggs in half lengthwise. Carefully remove the yolks and place them in a bowl. Place the whites on a serving dish and set aside.

Add the mayonnaise and mustard to the bowl with the yolks and mash with a fork until well mixed.

Add the relish, salt, and black pepper and stir until combined.

Using spoons, evenly divide the yolk mixture into the egg white depressions.

Garnish the yolk mixture with a pimento piece and paprika.

Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

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Simply topping these deviled eggs with paprika is often enough. Or, if you're out of paprika, black pepper works as well. If you'd like to get fancier, though, you have plenty of options. Besides the piece of pimento that this recipe calls for, you could use a black olive slice, a caper, or a small slice of a gherkin. They're all small enough to fit on an egg and would each add a unique salty, tangy flavor. You could even fit all four on each egg if you wanted to, or alternate one or two per egg.

Fresh herbs provide both bright flavors and a visually appealing touch. A sprinkle of fresh dill would go well with the relish in the filling if you choose dill relish. Parsley, chives, basil, and mint are other worthy herb choices. For a bolder addition, top the eggs with chopped red onion, shallots, or scallion. Crispy fried onions or shallots would contribute a crunchy texture and a noticeable salty flavor.

Don't shy away from spice if you're a fan of heat. One of the many creative ways to use chili crisp in your cooking is on deviled eggs. This crunchy and spicy condiment features red chili pepper and fried garlic or onion in oil and is great on everything. Otherwise, cayenne powder, hot sauce, or sriracha are the ticket. Sriracha is a great choice to heat up Southern-style deviled eggs since pickle relish is one of the ingredients you should be mixing with your sriracha anyway.

First of all, the selection of eggs matters. Don't use fresh eggs when making hard-boiled eggs. While fresh may be best when it comes to most foods, it's better to use older eggs (ones that were purchased about a week in advance). As the eggs age, they dry out a little inside and shrink back from the shell, which will make peeling that much easier. Follow the instructions carefully for placing the eggs in the pan in a single layer just covered with water, heating up the water, removing the pan from the heat, covering it, and letting the eggs sit in the hot water for 10 minutes. Don't forget to set a timer, or the eggs can overcook and dry out. The ice bath is an important step as well, because it cools the eggs down fast to stop them from cooking any more. 

When the eggs are sitting in the ice bath, gently crack the shells to allow the ice water to infiltrate the shells and cool the eggs more. This will help them cool down faster as well as make it easier to peel them. When you peel the eggs, first remove a bit of shell from each end, making sure to get under the membrane separating the white from the shell. If you leave the membrane, it will be hard to peel the eggs, so make sure that is coming off as you peel around each egg.

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