Deviled Eggs Recipe

Prep bacon

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top. This allows fat to drip and helps crisp the bacon.

Coat bacon

In a small bowl combine brown sugar, black pepper, and optional cayenne. Pat bacon slices dry with paper towels. Sprinkle and press the brown sugar mixture evenly onto one side of each bacon slice so it adheres.

Bake

Arrange the bacon, sugared side up, on the wire rack in a single layer. Bake 15–20 minutes, rotating the pan once at 10 minutes, until edges crisp and sugar is caramelized. Watch carefully near the end to prevent burning.

Cool and chop

Transfer bacon to a sheet of parchment to cool and set (it will crisp further as it cools). Once cool, roughly chop into 1/4–1/2-inch pieces. Set aside. Reserve any rendered bacon fat on the baking sheet for discard or other use.

Hard-boil eggs

Place eggs in a single layer in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water by about 1 inch. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then cover the pan, remove from heat, and let sit 10–12 minutes. (For very large eggs, favor 12 minutes.)

Shock and peel

Drain hot water and immediately transfer eggs to an ice bath for at least 5 minutes to stop cooking and make peeling easier. Gently crack and peel the eggs; rinse to remove shell bits and pat dry.

Prepare filling

Slice eggs lengthwise and gently remove yolks into a medium bowl. Place whites on a serving platter or tray. Mash yolks with a fork until crumbly. Add mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, granulated sugar, kosher salt, and black pepper. Stir until very smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning; if mixture is too thick, add up to 1 tsp water or more mayonnaise to reach desired pipeable consistency.

Fill whites

Transfer yolk mixture to a piping bag fitted with a medium star or round tip (or use a zip-top bag with a corner snipped). Pipe or spoon the filling evenly into the egg white halves.

Top with candied bacon

Sprinkle the chopped candied bacon pieces over the filled eggs, distributing evenly so each egg gets some bacon. Reserve a few larger pieces for visual tops if desired.

Finish and garnish

Lightly dust eggs with smoked paprika, sprinkle with sliced chives, and add a few microgreens or parsley leaves if using. Chill for at least 15 minutes before serving to meld flavors, but serve within 4 hours for best texture.