Smoked Pastrami Deviled Eggs Recipe

Hard boil eggs

Place 8 large eggs in a single layer in a medium saucepan and add enough cold water to cover by about 1 inch. Bring water to a rolling boil over high heat. Once boiling, cover the pan, remove from heat and let sit 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water and chill at least 5 minutes to stop cooking. This yields firm, fully set yolks.

Peel and halve

Crack shells and gently peel eggs under running water to remove shells easily. Pat eggs dry with paper towels. Slice each egg lengthwise and remove yolks, placing yolks in a medium mixing bowl and whites on a serving plate or tray cut-side up.

Make filling

Mash the reserved yolks with a fork until crumbly. Add 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon Dijon, 1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Stir until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning — add a little more vinegar or mustard if you prefer tang, or a bit more mayo if you prefer looser filling.

Prepare pastrami mixture

Finely chop 3 ounces of smoked pastrami. Fold about half (reserve the rest for garnish) of the chopped pastrami into the yolk mixture along with 2 tablespoons finely grated Swiss and 2 tablespoons very finely diced cornichons. Stir gently to distribute evenly so the filling has flecks of pastrami and pickle for texture and flavor.

Fill egg whites

Transfer yolk-pastrami filling to a piping bag fitted with a medium round or star tip (or use a plastic bag with a corner snipped). Pipe or spoon the filling into the cavity of each egg white, mounding slightly for a neat presentation. You should have enough to fill all 16 halves; if mixture is very thick, thin with a small splash (1/2 tsp) of milk or extra mayo.

Garnish

Sprinkle a light dusting of smoked paprika over the filled eggs for color and smoky aroma. Top each egg with a small pinch of the reserved chopped pastrami and a few strands of thinly sliced chives. Add a tiny dot of coarse or whole-grain mustard to each egg half if using for an extra tangy visual accent. Finish with a small flake of Swiss on a few of the eggs, and scatter microgreens or parsley if desired.

Arrange deviled eggs on a platter chilled briefly in the refrigerator (10–15 minutes) to set the filling. Serve at room temperature within 1 hour or keep chilled until serving. These are best enjoyed the same day; store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 24 hours—store filling and whites separately if you need longer.