Chili Crisp Can Make Your Deviled Eggs Exciting Again

Chili crisp puts the devil in deviled eggs. Red, hot, and spicy, chili crisp is one of the best flavor enhancers out there. This is the OG hot sauce, made with fried chiles, Sichuan peppercorns, spices, garlic, and scallions. This spicy and umami-rich condiment from China is delicious worked into homemade ramen, added to fried rice, and it's an incredible pizza topping. It gives any dish the extra oomph, including dotted right on top of deviled eggs.

Deviled eggs already have a creamy yolk filling. Dressing them with a contrasting texture and flavor with crunchy and spicy chili crisp will make them oh-so elevated, and it's really not that far out of left field. We already know that hot sauce is delicious on eggs; it's a standard addition to fried and scrambled eggs. Paprika is also commonly dusted on deviled eggs. Adding chili crisp to deviled eggs is a similar idea, and it might be even better.

Because of its versatility, chili crisp is growing in popularity in the United States. Most grocery stores and online shops carry the well-loved Lao Gan Ma Chinese brand, and you're also likely to see new and trendy chili crisp brands like Fly by Jing, Momofuku, and Trader Joe's Crunchy Chili Onion versions on shelves. Having chili crisp in your arsenal is well worth it. It will help bring even the most boring dishes, like deviled eggs, back to life. Or to the pits of hell, more like.

Chili crisp oil offers a hit of delicious spicy flavor, a satisfying crunch, and a burst of bright red color to everything it's added to, no matter how you incorporate it into your recipes. The options are seemingly endless, and the condiment's versatility is part of its magic. 

For simplicity, you can whip chili crisp right into the yolk mixture — this will add texture to the yellow filling. Alternatively, you can drizzle some on top of your deviled eggs. Whichever way you decide to use it, the red color in the oil and the beautiful fried bits spooned over the whites and yellows of the eggs will make the dish look stunning. Most importantly, it'll taste better, too. 

Worried about making things too spicy? Don't worry. If mega heat and texture are not your thing, just use the flavored oil from the chili crisp jar and drizzle it on top of the eggs. That should give you a more controlled burn rather than a mouth-numbing fire.  For a sweet and spicy version, mix chili crisp with some soy sauce and honey before drizzling on eggs. This mixture can also be jarred for future use. You can even use this trick to enhance store-bought deviled eggs; we won't tell.

You'll never run out of options when it comes to adding chili crisp to dishes. Add it to ice cream (trust us), enrich a pasta sauce or a potato gratin, this workhorse condiment is a pantry must. You'll thank us later.