I tried Alex Guarnaschelli, Rachael Ray, and Paula Deen’s recipes for deviled eggs. The best one was also the cheapest to make.

Guarnaschelli’s recipe is similar to the classic eggs I grew up eating. I had most of the ingredients needed in my kitchen already, so I knew I could whip these up in no time. 

The ingredients included eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, white-wine vinegar, paprika, lemon juice, hot sauce, and salt. Since the ingredients are simple, these are also the cheapest eggs I made.

The recipe says you can also add scallions at the end for a little flair.

I simply tossed my egg yolks into a bowl with the other ingredients and mixed them for a couple of minutes until everything was really smooth and creamy.

The resulting mixture was creamy enough that it was pretty easy to pipe back into the egg whites.

The eggs weren’t super attractive because the dark Worcestershire sauce and red hot sauce made the yolk mixture a darker yellow color. But this was remedied by dusting the eggs with paprika and sprinkling on scallions for a finishing touch.

Overall, Guarnaschelli’s eggs were delicious.

The yolk mixture was smooth and soft, the white-wine vinegar and lemon juice gave them a nice tang, and the Worcestershire sauce and paprika combined to give a slightly smoky, umami flavor.

The scallions also added a nice freshness and a slight crunch to contrast. I really loved that the hot sauce gave these eggs a bit of a bite to add another flavor dimension.

Ray has a recipe for Caesar deviled egg that stands out from the crowd — but with this originality comes several ingredients. Luckily, most of them are simple and were already in my pantry and fridge.

This recipe called for eggs, mayonnaise, grated garlic, Worcestershire sauce, anchovy paste, lemon juice, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt, pepper, and finely chopped romaine hearts.

Since I don’t eat fish, I replaced the anchovy paste with olive juice, which packs a similar briny flavor. I also used an anchovy-free Worcestershire sauce that I found at the grocery store.

It was easier to organize the ingredients and measure everything out first before diving in.

The yolk mixture had a slightly thicker texture and turned dark yellow, likely because of the dark olive juice and Worcestershire sauce. But it piped into the egg whites fairly easily even though I made a mess using a plastic bag.

These eggs were simple to garnish, too. Just a few romaine heart ribbons turned the deviled egg into a little work of art.

Of the deviled eggs I tried, these had the most umami flavor.

The yolk mixture had a nice savory flavor, thanks to the Parmesan and Worcestershire sauce. The texture was smooth, but not quite as smooth as Guarnaschelli’s deviled eggs.

Although the romaine looked nice, it added a weird texture and an even weirder aftertaste for me. Romaine is great with the rich flavors of a Caesar salad, but it doesn’t meld well with the taste of eggs.

Deen touts a “Traditional Southern Deviled Eggs” recipe that calls for eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, sweet pickle relish, salt, pepper, paprika, sweet gherkin pickles, and pimiento peppers.

I don’t know many people who keep sweet pickle relish, sweet gherkin pickles, or pimiento peppers on hand, but luckily, these are cheap ingredients that were easy to find.

The process of making these eggs was fairly simple. I cut the hard-boiled eggs and put the yolks in a bowl; mixed the mayonnaise, relish, mustard, salt, and pepper with the yolks; and finally, garnished the eggs with paprika, pickles, and pimientos.

I noticed this recipe called for more mayonnaise than the others, which resulted in a really creamy, fluffy yolk mixture. The minimal ingredients for the mixture also meant it retained its appealing, bright-yellow color.

The star of the show here is the garnish, which consists of a light dusting of paprika, carefully placed pickle slices, and a few bright pimiento slices.

The eggs looked pretty fancy.

Deen’s eggs looked very nice with all of the fixings on top, but these eggs had a distinct pickled, briny flavor that was a bit overpowering for me.

With all of that mayonnaise, the yolk mixture was also a bit bland and could have used more mustard to balance the flavors.

The worst part, however, was that the sweet pickle relish made the yolk kind of chunky, which isn’t exactly a texture that I find appealing in my food.

Why do people love deviled eggs? They are simple, cheap, and delicious. It’s always fun to try something new in the kitchen, but sometimes, a classic is a classic for a reason. 

This is exactly how I felt about Guarnaschelli’s deviled eggs, which were so delicious and only required a few ingredients and steps. The overall texture was smooth and creamy, and the flavors were well-balanced without being bland.

Still, I enjoyed Ray’s unique take on deviled eggs. By employing the classic ingredients of a Caesar salad, the chef created eggs packed with a rich, umami flavor. To make these eggs even better, I would just replace the romaine garnish with scallions.

If you love briny flavors, Deen’s recipe could be a winner for you. For my own tastes, I’d cut back on some of the briny ingredients and reduce the amount of mayonnaise.

All in all, each recipe has its merits, but Guarnaschelli’s won me over.

 This story was originally published in May 2020 and most recently updated on September 19, 2024.

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