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This Southern Deviled Eggs recipe with relish is an all time favorite and perfect for family get togethers and holiday parties! They’re so simple to make and are sure to be a crowd favorite!
And if you’re looking for more easy appetizers, I suggest trying my sweet and savory stuffed dates, these delicious cream cheese stuffed mushrooms, OR my easy black bean dip.
If there’s one thing that the internet does NOT need, it’s another deviled eggs recipe. I KNOW, trust me. But I grew up eating deviled eggs on a very regular basis and so I wanted to share my own Southern Deviled Eggs version of this recipe.
So, we’re doing this despite my inner voice advising me against it.
It’s deviled egg season so you should probably just ignore all of those other recipes and whip up a batch of these…Southern style.
You might be wondering “Brita, what makes Southern Deviled Eggs different than regular ones”. Very good question! Relish. After a bit of research, I discovered that a deviled egg recipe with relish is something that you see much more often in Southern cooking. And, it’s the way that I grew up eating them.
I love the tangy, salty flavor that relish adds to deviled eggs and it’s by far my preferred way of making them!
Ingredients needed
- Eggs. Since this is the STAR of the recipe, I suggest getting high quality eggs if possible. For easier peeling, use eggs that are about a week old.
- Mayo. this adds so much richness and smooth texture to the filling! Homemade mayo works beautifully for enhanced flavor, but light mayo or Greek yogurt can be used as lighter options if you want!
- Dijon Mustard. This provides tanginess and depth, balancing the creaminess of the mayo. Yellow mustard offers a milder substitute, while spicy brown mustard delivers a bolder flavor. Dijon mustard would also be great!
- Dill Relish. This is largely what makes this recipe SOUTHERN :) It gives it a nice tangy flavor that I love! You can substitute finely chopped dill pickles or sweet relish for a different flavor profile.
- Paprika. For topping the eggs. Smoked paprika brings a deeper, smoky note, while regular paprika keeps it traditional.
How to hard boil eggs for deviled eggs:
I’ve learned over the years that every. single. person. has a different opinion on the best way to hard boil eggs and I’ve discovered that most of them work great. So, it’s really just a personal preference. While I often make my hard boiled eggs in the instant pot, my preferred method is the simple stove top method which I outline below in the recipe card.
But if you’re interested in other simple ways to hard boil eggs, here are some options for you:
- Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs: You can make them in the Instant Pot using THIS RECIPE from my good friend at Green Healthy cooking. She tested out a ton of different cook times and methods in the Instant pot to get perfect eggs for you.
- Hard Boiled Eggs in the oven: Lee from Fit Foodie Finds recently posted a clever way to hard boil eggs in the oven. You can learn how to do that HERE. I tried it out and they turned out great but do note that the outside of the egg can burn ever so slightly and leaves small dark spots on the eggs. They’re on the under side so it’s not something you would even notice when the eggs are laying on a plate and they still taste PERFECT!
- Stove-top Hard Boiled Eggs: while I like making them in the instant pot, more often than not I find myself using this classic method. I put my eggs in a pot with water and set it over medium-high heat. The water comes to a boil and then the pot is covered and removed from the heat. That is left to sit for about 10 minutes before the eggs are then put in an ice bath.
How to make Southern Deviled Eggs
The hardest part of this recipe is hard boiling the eggs. And, we’ve gone over that part already so all that is left is to simply make the filling!
Once your eggs have cooled, carefully cut them in half and remove the yolks. Mash the yolks until they’re creamy and very few lumps remaining. Mix in the remaining ingredients. Once fully combined, simply add the filling back into the cavities of the eggs and ENJOY!
If you want to be all fancy about, you can put the filling into a plastic bag and pipe it into the egg whites. I’ve done this a few times and while it looks very pretty, it’s an extra step that I most often just do NOT have time for. Additionally, this particular recipe results in a slightly more moist filling that doesn’t hold form very well if you’re wanting a peaked look to the filling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Deviled eggs are best eaten within 2 days- no one likes stinky eggs! Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator to keep them fresh. Avoid letting them sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Yes, you can! Prepare the egg whites and yolk mixture separately. Store the whites covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator and the yolk mixture in a separate container. Then, simply assemble the deviled eggs just before serving to ensure they stay fresh and don’t dry out.
I HATE when this happens so to avoid cracking, start with room-temperature eggs and place them in cold water before boiling. Avoid crowding the pot, and bring the water to a gentle boil. Adding a teaspoon of salt can also help the shells peel more easily.
Yes, if you don’t have dill relish, you can use finely chopped dill pickles. If you prefer a sweeter flavor, you can substitute sweet relish, but it will slightly alter the traditional Southern flavor.
To get a smooth mixture (for optimal flavor), ensure the yolks are mashed *thoroughly* before adding the other ingredients. You can use a fork, a whisk, or even press them through a fine mesh sieve for a SUPER creamy texture!
If your filling is too watery, it might be due to excess liquid from the relish. Make sure to drain the relish well before adding it to the yolk mixture. You can also add a bit more mayo or a mashed yolk to thicken the mixture.
Southern Deviled Eggs
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- ¼ cup mayo, LOVE homemade mayo in this recipe
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 ½ tablespoon dill relish, try not to get too much of the liquid*
- Pepper to taste*
- Sprinkle of paprika for serving
Instructions
- Hard boil your eggs: put the eggs in a pot and cover them with water so that there's about an inch of water above the eggs. I've found that a teaspoon of salt in the water helps the eggs to peel quicker. Set the pot over medium hight heat and bring to a rolling boil. Once at a boil, remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes. Remove the eggs from the pot and place them in an ice bath to cool completely.6 eggs
- Peel your cooled eggs and slice them in half lengthwise. Gently remove the yolks and place in a medium bowl. Mash the yolks until they’re creamy and very few lumps remain.
- Add the dijon, relish, mayo, and pepper to the yolks and mix well to combine.¼ cup mayo, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, 1 ½ tablespoon dill relish, Pepper to taste*
- Spoon the mixture into the egg whites and sprinkle with a bit of paprika. Serve and ENJOY!Sprinkle of paprika for serving
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Just wanted to say your recipe is on point; I’ve eaten the finest of southern cuisine, so I know the truth. Happy holidays and Thankyou for reminding me of the devils eggs…
I am 86 yrs old and have been making Dressed Eggs (good Baptists in the South did not talk about the devil) like my grandmother’s since I could boil an egg. According to your recipe they are not Southern, so I’ll call them Rural Kentucky Dressed Eggs Before People Had Mayo and Relish in Their Iceboxes (no electric refrigerators either).
Boil eggs, cool, peel, cut in halves, smash up yellows. Mix in salt, some butter, dribble in white vinegar until the correct taste and consistency. Put back in whites and sprinkle lightly with black pepper. After I was 8 or 10 yrs old, my mother began using paprika for sprinkling. Real gourmet!! Over the years when I’ve taken these to parties or pot lucks, they always go first. My children never eat Deviled Eggs unless mummy made them.
My Potato Salad without Mayo is mighty tasty too.
P Maclean. prm720@aol.com
I add bacon bits also and sweet pickle relish is good
I’m going to be trying the Southern deviled egg recipe but adding bacon bits for something a little different for our Thanksgiving.
What relish pls am in the uk
I used a dill relish. If you can’t find that, you can finely shop up dill pickles to mix in but maybe need a little additional moisture as well. I usually put in about a teaspoon of the pickle juice from the jar.
What did you too the eggs with? Is it chives?
It’s fresh dill!