Deviled Eggs with Smoked Paprika
Hard-boiled yolks whipped into a sharp, creamy filling and piped back in — the classic potluck starter that needs no stove after the eggs come out of the pot.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Written
Method
-
Lower the eggs gently into a pot of boiling water and cook for 11 minutes.
-
Transfer the eggs straight to an ice bath and leave until the shells are cool to the touch.
-
Peel the eggs, slice in half lengthwise, and pop the yolks into a bowl.
-
Mash the yolks with the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, and smoked paprika until no lumps remain.
-
Season with salt and pepper, tasting until the filling is sharp enough to stand up to the bland whites.
-
Pipe or spoon the yolk mixture back into the whites, mounding it above the rim.
-
Dust with more smoked paprika and scatter chives over the top just before serving.
Notes
The vinegar is doing the work most versions leave to mustard alone — it cuts through the mayonnaise in a way that reads as bright instead of just rich. Skip it and the filling tastes flat no matter how much you season it.
Boil and peel the eggs a day ahead if it helps your schedule, but keep the whites and the yolk filling in separate containers in the fridge and don’t fill them until you’re ready to serve. Filled early, the whites weep and the filling slides right off.