Southern Style Deviled Eggs (gf) Recipe

Hard-boil eggs

Place 12 large eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and add enough cold water to cover by about 1 inch. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, cover the pan, remove from heat, and let sit for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, transfer eggs to an ice bath for at least 5 minutes to stop cooking and make peeling easier.

Peel and halve

Crack and gently peel the cooled eggs. Rinse to remove shell fragments. Slice each egg lengthwise and carefully remove yolks to a medium mixing bowl. Place the egg white halves on a serving platter or tray, cut side up.

Make filling

Mash the egg yolks with a fork until mostly smooth. Add 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons yellow mustard, 3 tablespoons Olli pickle relish, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Stir (or use a small whisk) until the mixture is smooth and spreadable. Taste and adjust seasoning — add up to 1 additional tablespoon mayonnaise if you prefer a creamier texture, or more relish/mustard to taste.

Pipe or spoon filling

Transfer the yolk mixture to a piping bag fitted with a medium round or star tip (or use a zip-top bag with a corner snipped). Pipe or spoon an even amount of filling into each egg white half, mounding slightly to create a classic deviled-egg look. This recipe yields about 24 filled halves.

Prepare bacon

While eggs are cooling or before assembling, crisp the 4 slices of house-smoked bacon in a skillet over medium heat until golden and crisp (about 6–8 minutes), turning as needed. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, then chop into small pieces for sprinkling.

Finish and serve

Sprinkle each filled egg with a pinch of smoked paprika, a small sprinkle of chopped smoked bacon, and a few slices of finely chopped chives. Arrange on a platter and serve chilled or at cool room temperature. Keep leftovers refrigerated in a covered container up to 2 days.