Keto Deviled Eggs are a classic appetizer that you'd expect to find at a holiday party. They are about as easy and basic of an appetizer as it gets; however, that doesn’t mean that they will go unnoticed. The best part about this recipe is that they are extremely quick and easy to make. If you already have a batch of boiled eggs in your fridge, mixing them up to make deviled eggs doesn't take a lot of extra effort.
A Brief History of Deviled Eggs
Believe it or not, the deviled egg can be traced back as far as ancient Rome. They were often served as hard-boiled eggs with a spicy sauce as a first course. The name didn’t really become popular until the 18th and 19th centuries when foods that were spicy were referred to as “deviled”.
Why Keto Deviled Eggs?
What we love so much about keto deviled eggs, in general, is how great of a low-carb appetizer they are. This keto egg recipe is as low carb as it can get! If you're like me, you often make a bunch of boiled eggs and keep them in the fridge as an easy snack. Since I switched to a keto diet, I now eat them all the time. They've become one of my favorite snacks. Boiled eggs are a fantastic zero carb food, packed with protein and healthy fats, and great for breakfast, snacks, or used in recipes.
Essential Ingredients
Check your pantry; you probably have what you need to make the best deviled eggs right now! This recipe requires just a handful of ingredients and is super versatile. The pictured ingredients are the basics that you'll need. We used large eggs. You can use small or extra-large instead. You may end up with more or less filling. A keto-friendly home generally has eggs, avocado, and sour cream.
- Eggs: Start with room temperature eggs. They won't cool down the water as much and will cook more evenly. Keep on your countertop for 15 - 20 minutes. You'll start with 6 hard-boiled eggs that have been peeled and sliced in half.
- Mayonnaise: Depending on which brand of mayonnaise you buy (or which one you make), it is a fantastic keto condiment. I prefer a homemade mayonnaise, but if you choose a store-bought one, look for one with no added sugar or thickeners. I strongly recommend staying away from mayo that uses refined and chemically processed vegetable oils, such as soybean oil. These damaged oils can wreck havoc on your body. Instead, try to get a mayo with avocado oil as its base, such as the Avocado Oil Mayonnaise by Sir Kensington, Chosen Foods, or Primal Kitchen.
- Dijon Mustard: The perfect deviled eggs require just that pinch of spiciness that mustard can provide.
- Vinegar: Adding acidity is always a good idea, no matter what savory dish you cook. White wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar will work.
- Seasoning: Let's keep our low carb deviled eggs recipe simple by adding a simple seasoning like salt and pepper.
- Water: Add enough water to cover the eggs by about 1.5 inches.
Cooking the Eggs: Multiple Methods
The stumbling block for many (me included) is taking the time to cook the eggs in the first place. Problem solved! Use an air fryer to hard boil them! Of course, you can cook them the traditional way too. We'll go over the options. The more you make these keto deviled eggs, the more creative you'll become. We are partial to the air fryer method, but you can hard boil eggs any way you like!
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Air Fryer Method
Place eggs in the air fryer basket. Cook at 250 °F for about 16 minutes. The exact timing may vary depending upon your make and model. If this is the first time making cooking eggs this way, cook only 1 or 2 eggs to ensure that the timing is correct and then cook the rest.
Stovetop Method
Place eggs in the bottom of a pot and add water so that they are covered with water with an extra inch or two to spare at the top. Bring the water to a rolling boil, then turn off the heat and allow the eggs to sit for 10-12 minutes. The exact time will vary depending upon your stove, pots, etc. However, the time is very forgiving and it's hard to overcook eggs using this method. When the water comes to a rolling boil, turn off the heat and let the eggs sit for 12 - 14 minutes.
Instant Pot Method
Add 1 cup of water along with the eggs to the pot, seal, and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Do a natural release for 5 minutes and then open the valve. This method is easy enough, but you do have to pay to attention so that the eggs don’t overcook. If you want to use this appliance to do the job, then check out Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs by A Mindful Mom.
Cooling and Peeling
The next step under any of the methods is to immediately transfer the eggs to a bowl filled with ice-cold water for at least 5 minutes or until cool to touch. The ice bath stops the cooking process. When finished cooking, immediately transfer the eggs to a bowl filled with ice cold water for at least 5 minutes or until cool to touch. Moving quickly, transfer the boiled eggs into a bowl of iced water. Chill for 20 minutes. Peel the eggs. Gently tap the end of each egg and then roll and crack the rest of the egg. The egg should pop right out. Start by lightly tapping your egg against a flat surface so that the shells don't pierce the eggs. Remove the shells under cold running water and place them on a paper towel.
Assembling the Filling
Slice the eggs in half lengthwise. When cooled completely, slice the eggs in halves lengthwise. Cut each egg in half lengthwise and place the egg yolks in a small bowl. Gently scoop out the yolk with a small spoon and add all the seasoning to a small bowl. Pop out yolk from all halves into a separate bowl and mash. Use a fork to finely crumble the yolks. Mash the yolks with a fork until you get a smooth texture. For a smoother texture, you can use a hand mixer or food processor. Add mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and apple cider vinegar to the bowl and mix well to combine. Add the mayo, vinegar, Dijon mustard, and garlic powder to your egg yolks and start mashing them together until you get a smooth mixture. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Filling the Eggs
Place the egg white halves on a serving dish. Fill each egg white half with even amounts of the yolk mixture. Pipe about a teaspoon of filling to the center of each egg white half. Scoop some of yolk mixture into each hole of the egg white. Using a small spoon, scoop the egg yolk mixture and fill in the dip in the empty egg whites.
Piping Method
You can get fancy and pipe the egg yolk mixture into the center of each egg white half. To pipe, place egg yolk mixture in the corner of a plastic bag. If you don't have a professional piping bag, make your own with a plastic bag. Scoop the mixture into the corner of the bag and then snip the corner to allow the yolk filling to ooze out as you squeeze the bag. Finally, transfer the filling into a piping bag and carefully pipe them into the egg white halves.
Simple Scoop Method
I think the best way to do this task is with a little scoop that releases. It's quick and easy and filling isn't lost on the side of a bag. A spoon works too!
Topping Ideas and Variations
The best part about this is you can use any 2, 3, or 4 ingredients of your choosing or just whatever you have leftover in the fridge. You can even change them up drastically by adding a spice or sauce such as seen in our Curry Deviled Eggs and Sriracha Deviled Eggs! The more you make these keto deviled eggs, the more creative you'll become. Switch up the ingredients! Don't like mustard? Don't put it in. Prefer sour cream to mayo? Go for it. Add in spices, sriracha, chives, bacon or anything else you would put in an omelet. They're just eggs after all. Combine them with different seasonings and toppings for more variety.
- Bacon and Chives: For these keto deviled eggs, I chose bacon and chives for the simple facts that I had them in the fridge and I knew the flavor profiles would work magically together. I mean really, who wouldn’t like deviled eggs with bacon? Fold in bacon and chives. Garnish with piece of bacon and chives. Feel free to sprinkle on some more cheddar or bacon! Personally, we all think that the smokiness of the bacon combined with the cheddar really makes these eggs special and the onion and relish would detract from that.
- Pickled Red Onion and Bacon: This one is my favorite topping, even though it takes a little bit of effort. First of all, let's pickle our red onion (or use white or yellow onion if you like). Chop it finely, place it into a small mixing bowl, and pour in red wine vinegar (white wine vinegar will work too). Let it marinate for at least 10 minutes, then drain well and set aside. Meanwhile, prepare the bacon. Fry it over a medium-high heat until it's reduced in size and turned a deep golden-brown color on both sides. Then remove it onto a paper towel and let it dry until it becomes crispy. Lastly, finely chop the bacon and sprinkle it on top of our keto deviled eggs. Don't forget about the onions!
- Smoked Paprika and Chives: After your delicious deviled eggs are ready for their toppings, sprinkle on some smoky paprika and freshly-chopped chives. Lightly sprinkle the tops with paprika and/or turmeric.
- Seafood: If you're into seafood, small shrimps on top of our healthy deviled eggs are what you're looking for.
- Cheese: Make it cheesy. Fold through some finely shredded parmesan cheese into the filling and sprinkle some extra on top. These keto deviled eggs are full of cheddar and bacon.
- Spicy: You could spice these keto deviled eggs up a bit by mixing in some chopped jalapeno. Some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes are another simple addition.
- Sriracha: Add mayo, sriracha, and garlic powder with egg yolks and combine.
- Curry: Add mayo, curry powder, and salt to egg yolks and combine.
- Avocado: Mash up the avocado and add it to the yolks along with the sour cream, lime juice, cayenne, pepper, and salt.
Make-Ahead Instructions
If you're having a party, then make deviled eggs ahead of time! Ideally, cook the eggs, prepare the filling, and store separately. Plate and fill the egg centers and add optional toppings close to serving time. To make ahead: If you’d like to make these in advance, refrigerate the boiled and cooled eggs for up to one week. To prep low-carb deviled eggs in advance, you can store the egg whites and yolk mixture separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to two days. These Easy Keto Deviled Eggs can be made the night before and kept in the fridge (just don't set anything else on top of them). They're great served cold or at room temperature, either way.
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Storage Instructions
Either way, cooked eggs and filling should be eaten or moved to the refrigerator within 2 hours of cooking to prevent the growth of bacteria. Deviled Eggs will should only be kept in the fridge for a couple days, so don't make a huge batch that is more than you'll eat within a 2-day period. You can keep these cheddar bacon deviled eggs stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Common Questions
Are Deviled Eggs Keto?
Most deviled egg recipes should be keto-friendly. However, it all depends on the ingredients used to devil them. For example, many brands of mayonnaise have added sugar, which is a no-go for someone following strict keto. The simple solution? Use a sugar-free mayonnaise to make this deviled egg recipe keto. Deviled eggs, when made as written here, have virtually zero carbs. There are trace carbs from the Dijon mustard.
Why Are They Called Deviled Eggs?
Deviling is actually an 18th-century cooking term. It refers to a dish that has been fried or boiled, then liberally seasoned. Some other common deviled foods include deviled ham and deviled crab.
How Many Calories and Carbs are in a Deviled Egg?
The calories in this dish come from the mayonnaise and the egg itself, so a whole deviled egg (two halves) will have about 127 calories. This does not include the optional bacon topping. 1 egg contains about 0.4 grams of carbohydrates, and the carbs in mustard and hot sauce are negligible in this recipe due to their serving size. So, it’s safe to say there are less than 1 g net carbs per serving in this Keto Deviled Eggs Recipe!
Are Deviled Eggs Gluten-Free?
As long as the ingredients used - the mayonnaise, mustard, hot sauce, and pickles - are gluten-free, then yes! If you are very sensitive to gluten, just make sure to double-check your labels.
Can I eat boiled eggs on keto?
Boiled eggs are a fantastic zero carb food. It’s packed with protein and healthy fats, and great for breakfast, snacks, or used in recipes.
Is mayonnaise keto friendly?
Depending on which brand of mayonnaise you buy (or which one you make), it is a fantastic keto condiment. I prefer a homemade mayonnaise but if you choose a store bought one, look for one with no added sugar or thickeners.
How long can I keep boiled eggs for?
Boiled eggs can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.
How many eggs a day on a keto diet?
Research and science show individuals they can consume three eggs per day. Eating this many per day has no effect on bad cholesterol levels. With that said, everybody is different and some may tolerate more than others.