Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs Recipe

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Deviled eggs are already beloved for their rich, creamy, and often tangy flavor profiles, and this pimento cheese deviled eggs recipe takes all of those flavor elements up a notch. This recipe retains that mustardy, creamy filling that we all know and love in deviled eggs, but adds sharp cheddar cheese and subtly sweet pimento peppers to the mix, resulting in a fun appetizer with a Southern flair. 

Even though this recipe is a little more elaborate than one for standard deviled eggs, it's ultimately relatively easy to throw together, and the upgraded flavor profile is well worth the extra effort. A hand mixer does a large amount of the work, whipping the yolks with cheese, mayo, and mustard to form that rich, smooth, creamy base. You can even boil the eggs and prep the filling the day before, so all you need to do when it comes time to serve is fill the eggs, place them on a serving platter, and add garnishes as desired. You can get as creative as you'd like with the garnishes or keep it nice and simple, but I found that extra chopped pimentos, fresh chives, and a classic sprinkling of paprika were the perfect toppers for these pimento cheese deviled eggs.

To make this recipe, start with eggs and shredded or grated sharp cheddar cheese. Other cheeses that work well here are smoked cheddar or pepper Jack. You'll also need a jar of pimento peppers, Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Instead of Dijon mustard, any grainy type or even yellow mustard will work instead. For a bit of freshness, grab some chives for topping.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.

Using a slotted spoon, gently lower the eggs into the boiling water and cook for 12 minutes.

Transfer the eggs to an ice bath and chill for 15 minutes, until completely cool to the touch.

Peel the eggs.

Cut each peeled egg in half lengthwise.

Pop the yolks into a medium bowl.

Add the cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, mustard, and mayonnaise to the yolks.

Beat with a hand mixer until the filling is smooth and creamy with no visible chunks of yolk.

Stir in the pimentos by hand until evenly distributed.

Spoon the filling into each egg white half.

Sprinkle the deviled eggs with smoked paprika, chives, and extra chopped pimentos before serving.

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If you've ever made a batch of hard-boiled eggs and found them impossible to peel, you're not alone. Fortunately, there are some tips and best practices to keep in mind to make those eggs a little easier to cleanly peel. To start, it's worth noting that old eggs are easier to peel than fresh ones — so if you have a carton of eggs that have been sitting in your fridge for a week, it will come in handy. Another hard-boiled egg hack to keep in mind is to start the eggs in boiling water (as opposed to cold water), as called for in this recipe. This process helps keep the egg whites from bonding to the shells, and in turn will give you eggs that are much easier to peel. Although there's some debate as to whether an ice bath helps make the eggs more peel-able, it is useful to stop the eggs from cooking. An ice bath is also essential in this recipe to ensure that your eggs cool down enough to be safely handled.

When it comes time to do some actual peeling, start by tapping the fat end of the egg on the counter. There is a small air pocket there that will allow you to get under the membrane. Once you start peeling under the membrane, the rest of the peeling process should go smoothly with clean removal of shells.

If you've never had pimento peppers before, then you may think that they add a certain level of heat to these deviled eggs, but this isn't the case. Pimentos are notoriously mild peppers, offering up a very low spice level and instead leaning more into a sweet profile. Of course, if you did want to add a spicy kick to these deviled eggs, you've got plenty of options to do so. To add a subtle heat, swap in pepper Jack cheese with the sharp cheddar. For a little more heat, dice up a jalapeño or Serrano pepper and fold it into the egg yolk mixture along with the pimentos. You can also use pickled jalapeños for tamer heat and tang that will complement the pimentos. 

For a smokier type of heat, use a diced-up chipotle pepper from a can (like one that comes in adobo sauce). Add it to the mixture when you stir in the pimentos — it will change the color a bit but provide a great smoky flavor. Or, try adding ½ teaspoon of chipotle powder for the similarly smoky effect. A dash of hot sauce into the mix before beating works well also. Try Louisiana-style hot sauce, Tabasco, or Cholula for a nice vinegary heat that will pair well with the pimentos.

If you want to add spice to just some of the deviled eggs, then leave the base recipe the same and get creative with the toppings. Try garnishing some of the eggs with jalapeño slices, red pepper flakes, or a drizzle of hot honey.

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