Fried deviled eggs are an elevated version of the traditional Southern hors d’oeuvre. They’re golden brown, crisp, flavorful, and topped with fried shallots!
Fried deviled eggs are 10 times better than any deviled eggs you’ve ever had. Instead of the entire appetizer being relatively soft, there’s a satisfying crunch, and the garnish on top makes each bite utterly divine. I’ve tested several versions and this recipe is slightly tangy with a nice heat and a pleasant oniony flavor throughout, plus they’re mayonnaise-free.
Why You’ll Love Fried Deviled Eggs
A crunch that won’t quit – The deviled eggs are dredged, dipped in beaten egg, and then coated in panko breadcrumbs, which are lighter, airier, and oil-resistant, so whatever food you cover them with gets golden brown instead of soggy and oil-soaked.
Lighter, fresher filling – Greek yogurt and lemon juice replace the usual mayonnaise-vinegar duo, and the result is a fresher, lighter, more enjoyable filling that pairs well with the deep-fried whites. It brightens the flavor of the appetizers instead of weighing them down and making them feel overly rich and challenging to eat.
Protein – Double the egg (the hard-boiled eggs themselves and the quick dip to help the breading stick), plus Greek yogurt makes these fried deviled eggs a good source of protein.
Fried Deviled Eggs Ingredients Notes
- Eggs: Large chicken eggs are best for deviled eggs; there’s no need for extra-large or jumbo eggs. If you have hard-boiled eggs that are cooled and ready to go, great. If not, hard boiling is easy to do. The recipe will just take a bit more time to complete.
- Yogurt: Plain Greek yogurt, to be exact. The fat content is up to you. 0%, 2%, and 5% are OK.
- Lemon juice: I suggest fresh lemon juice for this recipe.
- Hot sauce (optional): Hot sauce is a must in every deviled egg recipe, and fried deviled eggs are no exception. The heat balances the rich egginess. Although you can use any hot sauce you like, something like Tabasco Original is preferred because it adds heat and not much else, so no bold flavors interfere with the other flavors already going on. As for how much hot sauce to add, that’s entirely up to you.
- Green onions: The oniony flavor and pops of green they add elevate fried deviled eggs.
- Shallots: Fried shallots replace the usual dusting of paprika. They serve as a nice textural garnish. This way, the creamy yolk mixture is essentially sandwiched between two textural elements.
- Panko: Stick with unseasoned panko for this recipe. If you don’t have panko in your pantry, you can make your own by grating sandwich bread with the crust removed and then dry it in the oven.
- Parmesan cheese: Although its uses are limited, canned Parmesan cheese is the way to go if you want to add cheesy nuttiness to a batter, dredge, or breadcrumb coating on fried food. Not only does the flavor lend itself well to the fried deviled eggs, but it also withstands the heat of hot oil.
How to Make Fried Deviled Eggs
- Hard-boil the eggs: There are a few methods to choose from, but the one that yields perfect results every time involves adding eggs to a saucepan, covering them with water, bringing that water to a boil, then removing the saucepan from the heat, and letting the eggs cook.
- Prepare the filling: Once the hard-boiled eggs have cooled, peel each one, cut them in half, then carefully remove the yolks. Combine the yolks, yogurt, lemon juice, and other filling ingredients before transferring the mixture to a piping bag.
- Fry the shallots: This is done before frying the egg whites so the oil is infused with the flavor and aroma of shallots.
- Fry the whites: After you dredge the whites in flour, dip them in beaten egg, then coat them in panko and fry them until golden brown.
- Fill: Pipe the yolk mixture into the fried egg whites once they’ve cooled a bit. Remember, you can use a food-safe bag if you don’t have a piping bag.
- Garnish and serve: Top each deviled egg with some fried shallots, arrange the fried deviled eggs on a serving platter, and enjoy.
Variations, Substitutions, and Cooking Tips
Wipe your knife – For clean cuts, wipe the knife between cuts when you halve the hard-boiled eggs. Although the whites will be battered and fried, keeping everything neat is always good.
Go with the usual garnish – If you wish to skip the fried shallots, finish the fried deviled eggs with a dusting of paprika or some thinly slice green onions.
Use mayo instead of yogurt – If you prefer mayo in the filling, use it. Replace the yogurt 1:1.
Sprinkle crumbled bacon – Sprinkle the yolks with 1 slice of cooked crumbled bacon.
Add shrimp – Place a cooked or fried shrimp on top of each deviled egg.
Add garlic – Minced garlic that has been briefly sautéed will work equally well in the filling if you don’t want to use green onion.
Fried Deviled Eggs
Fried deviled eggs are an elevated version of the traditional Southern hors d’oeuvre. They’re golden brown, crisp, flavorful, and topped with fried shallots!
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, divided
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Hot sauce, to taste (optional)
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup unseasoned Panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup canned parmesan cheese
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Vegetable or canola oil for frying
Instructions
- Add the eggs to a saucepan. The saucepan should be large enough to accommodate all the eggs without overcrowding.
- Add enough cold water to cover the eggs by 1 inch. Bring the water to a boil, cover the pan, and remove it from the heat.
- Set a timer for 8-12 minutes. Stay at the lower end for softer yolks or the higher end for harder yolks. No matter what you choose, the yolks will be set and not jammy.
- Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process and cool the eggs down quickly.
- Peel the eggs, then cut each one in half and carefully scoop the yolks into a small bowl.
- Add Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and mustard to the yolks with half the salt, half the black pepper, paprika, and a few dashes of hot sauce (depending on your preferred spiced level). Mix well with a fork until relatively smooth, fold in the green onions, then transfer the mixture to a piping bag or a zipper bag cut on one corner. Fit the cut corner with a piping tip.
- Add 1 ½ inches of oil to a heavy-bottomed skillet with high sides or a Dutch oven and heat to 350°F.
- Sprinkle the sliced shallots into the oil and fry until golden brown. Keep a close eye on them so they do not burn.
- Remove the shallots with a spider strainer or skimmer and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
- Turn off the heat, but keep the pan on the stove with the now shallot-infused oil.
- Add flour and ¼ teaspoon of salt to a shallow bowl (combine). Add the beaten eggs to a separate bowl, and combine the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, remaining salt, black pepper, and cayenne into a third one.
- Return the oil to 350°F. Meanwhile, dredge each egg white half in flour, then shake off the excess.
- Dip in the beaten egg, allowing excess to drip off, then coat in panko breadcrumbs.
- Fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Drain excess oil on a paper towel-lined plate once done.
- Pipe the egg yolk mixture into the fried whites once they’ve cooled slightly. Next, top each one with fried shallots.
- Arrange on a platter and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 153Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 126mgSodium: 343mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 8g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.
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