'All About Pickles' Air Fryer Deviled Eggs Recipe

If there's a pickle lover in your life, 'all about pickles' air fryer deviled eggs might be their dream come true. Pickles are in every part of these deviled eggs: the filling is flavored with pickle brine, minced pickles, and fresh dill, the crispy coating is made out of crushed dill pickle-flavored potato chips, and the egg whites are dipped in a pickle brine egg wash. If dill pickles could be distilled into egg form, this recipe would be it.

As a Russian-heritage recipe developer and blogger, it's safe to say I love pickles. I make pickles at home throughout late summer, I ferment during winter, and I layer them in salads, sandwiches, drinks, and charcuterie platters year-round. So when I wanted to make an original deviled eggs recipe, I knew that I wanted to incorporate pickles in some ways. What proceeded was a mad scientist-style round of imagination and experimentation that gave me some of the best deviled eggs of my life, if I do say so myself.

The thing that makes these deviled eggs stand out, beyond the pickle flavor, is that they are made entirely in the air fryer. There's no cooking the eggs separately; instead, you fry them in the air fryer, peel them, fill them, and then coat the egg whites in a delicious, crispy coating that makes something familiar feel genuinely new. The coating shatters on the first bite and gives way to a creamy, briny filling that tastes deeply of dill. These are genuinely moreish.

For his recipe, you'll need large eggs, cold from the fridge, mayonnaise, preferably Kewpie, Dijon mustard, dill pickle brine, finely minced dill pickles, fresh dill, kosher salt, white pepper, and celery salt. 

For the crispy coating, you'll need a large beaten egg, dill pickle brine, and finely crushed dill pickle flavored chips. For garnish, slice some thin dill pickle rounds, and tear off small but pretty fresh dill fronds.

Preheat the air fryer to 250 F.

Place the cold eggs directly in the basket without stacking.

Cook for 15 minutes.

Submerge the eggs immediately in a large bowl with ice and enough cold water to submerge them. Cool 10 minutes.

Peel one egg at a time: Gently tap the wide end on the counter, then roll firmly with your palm to crack the shell all over.

Halve the eggs lengthwise.

Pop the yolks into a bowl and arrange the whites on a plate.

Mash the yolks until no lumps remain.

Add the mayonnaise, mustard, pickle brine, minced pickles, dill, salt, white pepper, and celery salt. Mix until completely smooth.

Transfer the yolk mixture to a piping bag, and refrigerate it while you crisp the whites.

Increase the air fryer to 400 F.

Whisk the beaten egg with 1 tablespoon of pickle brine in a shallow bowl. Spread crushed chips in a separate shallow dish.

Dip each egg white half in the egg wash, then press it firmly into the crushed chips, coating the outside and rim. Try to avoid getting the pickle mixture moist; work in batches if needed.

Place the coated whites in the air fryer basket in a single layer, open side up. Work in batches if needed.

Air-fry for 4 to 5 minutes until the coating is golden and set. Let the whites cool for 2 minutes so the coating firms up.

Pipe the filling into each crispy white.

Top with a pickle round and a dill frond.

Serve immediately.

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Deviled eggs are the ultimate party food: they are portable, easy to eat in one bite, require no special cutlery, and look absolutely marvelous sitting on a platter. But to make them ahead of time and to ease your life, you need to know which components hold, and which don't. And of course, you need to follow our deviled egg-making tips!

The filling can be made up to two days in advance and kept in the fridge. Simply mix it, transfer it to a piping bag, and keep it refrigerated with the tip clipped or folded shut. If you don't feel like making the full filling, you can boil and peel the eggs a few days in advance, and keep them in a sealed container in the fridge.

What you cannot do ahead of time is make the crispy coating. Once the air-fried whites sit for more than an hour or two, especially once filled, the chip crust softens from the moisture in the filling. For the crunchiest result but to still save some time, crush the chips the night before and store them in a well-sealed bag or container. Then coat and air fry the whites in the hour before guests arrive. If you're transporting these to a party, carry the coated whites and filling separately and assemble right before serving. That way, your air fryer deviled eggs will still look impressive, while also making your life a bit easier.

To change up the recipe a bit, start with the chip coating, which is the easiest part to switch up. You can use Panko breadcrumbs for an easier-to-work-with coating, and add some dried dill or Parmesan to give them a more dill-pickle vibe. I have also made these with jalapeno or spicy chips, and they worked like a charm, and I imagine salt and vinegar chips would also lean into the acid in a beautiful way.

On the filling side, swap the dill pickles for pickles with a kick for a spicier version, or bread and butter pickles for a sweeter flavor. A teaspoon of hot sauce would also add spice and depth, as would half a teaspoon of horseradish.

If you don't have Kewpie mayo, regular full-fat mayo works, but Kewpie is richer and slightly sweeter and works better for deviled eggs. For a more complex and tangy flavor, try adding a small amount of cream cheese to the filling.

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