Deviled Eggs Are Good, But Try Doing This With Them For Ultimate Flavor

Deviled eggs are a perennially popular appetizer — a 2019 survey by the spice and condiment company McCormick found that nearly ⅔ of us enjoy them as part of an Easter spread, while countless others take them along to picnics and potlucks throughout the summer months. There are numerous ways to change up the basic recipe, such as adding butter for richness or horseradish to punch them up a bit, but true deviled egg perfection starts with a smoker. Nicole Johnson, who blogs about recipes at a website called OrWhateverYouDo, likes to smoke the whites of the eggs.

Johnson told The Takeout, "The gentle heat and smoke add flavor that plain boiled whites just don't have ... Instead of just being soft and neutral, they pick up a savory note that makes the deviled eggs stand out." Flavor isn't the only thing that smoking can do for an egg white, though. As she added, "The heat also firms them up slightly and dries the surface, which creates a texture contrast when you fill them."

Nicole Johnson prefers to use a pellet grill for egg smoking, although you needn't go out and buy one strictly for this purpose since a gas or charcoal smoker will also work nicely (a grill can easily be transformed into a smoker, as well). Before you put the egg whites on the grill, cover the grates with foil so they don't slip through. You can also season them with whatever spice blend you like, but no oil is necessary.

Halved egg whites should be smoked with their cut sides down for about 20 minutes at a temperature of anywhere between 200 and 250 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have a charcoal grill, the way to check this is to hold your hand about four to five inches from the heat. If you can count from 11 to 15 seconds before your hand becomes too hot, the grill temperature should be about right. If you have to pull your hand away sooner, the heat is likely too high. You don't want to cook the eggs too hot or too long, because if you do, Johnson cautioned, "The eggs can get rubbery and overpowered with smoke flavor."

If you're a real fan of smoky flavor, you might be wondering if it's okay to smoke the yolks as well as the whites. Of course it is! In fact, you can even skip the pre-boiling step and cook the eggs entirely on a smoker grill. How you do this is to heat the smoker to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (at this level, you can hold your hand a few inches from the heat for six or seven seconds), then put the raw eggs, shells and all, right on the grill grates. Let them cook for half an hour.

After half an hour, stick the eggs in an ice water bath and peel them, the same as you'd do if you'd boiled them. (You can also sub in boiled, peeled eggs at this point.) The eggs will then go back on the smoker so they can absorb even more flavor. For this step, you'll want the smoker set as low as it will go — no more than 180 degrees Fahrenheit, but 150 or under would be even better. Smoke the eggs for another half hour to an hour, then slice them open and add mayonnaise, dry rub, and a tiny bit of barbecue sauce to make the ultimate BBQ deviled eggs.