How Many Deviled Eggs Per Person?

Deviled eggs are a crowd favorite. Whether it’s Thanksgiving, Easter, or just a family get together, they don’t last very long on the table. That’s why I decided to find out how many deviled eggs you’ll need per person so you’ll have plenty for everyone.

Have at least 2 deviled eggs prepared per person. While most people won’t eat them all at once, people will come back to them throughout the day both prior to and after a meal. This is a balanced number for the occasion as some people will not eat any, and others will eat more than their share.

If you’re wanting to prepare deviled eggs, but aren’t sure how, or need to know what goes well with deviled eggs, we’ve got it covered in this article.

How Many Deviled Eggs Per Person?

Defining how many deviled eggs you should make “per person” is a complicated endeavor, as it can depend greatly on the people involved. 2-3 per person is a good baseline, and we would almost never recommend going with more. (Note: The numbers we’re using denote deviled egg halves, i.e., 1 full egg would make two deviled eggs). However, there’s something about deviled eggs that seems to make people like them more once they hit adulthood.

Deviled eggs with smoked paprika, bacon, and basil
Deviled eggs with smoked paprika, bacon, and basil

For children—unless you are certain that they like deviled eggs—we would never plan more than two per child. In fact, sticking closer to 1 per child is probably a safe bet, as children don’t seem to enjoy deviled eggs. When asked how many deviled eggs they would eat, one child respondent replied, “none, deviled eggs are gross!”

By the time they reach 18, most people will probably eat around 2 deviled eggs, though some won’t eat them at all, and others will eat more than 2. Although some people believe that elderly individuals will eat even more deviled eggs than younger adults, we recommend sticking with the prescribed 2-3 per person for them as well.

In the table below, we give estimates for the number of deviled eggs you’ll want to have prepared per person. Note that these are minimums (based on two per person), and we recommend shooting more in the 2-3 range. Also, it’s a good idea to have some extra eggs cooked in case some don’t turn out. Cook between 5-10% more, or one extra egg for every 10-20 you plan on having prepared.

Number of PeopleNumber of Deviled Eggs
1020
2550
50100
100200
200400

When Are Deviled Eggs Good to Serve?

Most of us are accustomed to eating deviled eggs as an Easter dish, a sort of appetizer to a ham-&-potato extravaganza. It’s unclear exactly how deviled eggs became an Easter tradition in America. Nevertheless, deviled eggs can be served year-round, and with a wide variety of dishes.

Deviled egg with paprika
Deviled egg with paprika

In America, we typically eat deviled eggs as an appetizer or an h’ors doeuvres. Both of these are great ways to prepare and serve deviled eggs, and people love being able to eat deviled eggs throughout the day before and after a meal. Describing their experience with deviled eggs, one American respondent said that they would eat “one as I walk by and another on my plate,” implying that being able to eat them as they go was important. It is perhaps for this reason that deviled eggs may be particularly suited for picnics and luncheons. Don’t let this discourage you, however: deviled eggs can be a great option for other parties and gatherings as well.

While nowadays most people consider deviled eggs an appetizer, they are also popular in certain areas of Europe as a main dish. If you want to have a foreign experience with some friends, consider making some variations on deviled eggs, like stuffed eggs, or Russian eggs (discussed in greater detail below) as the main dish.

How To Prepare Deviled Eggs?

If you’ve ever boiled and peeled eggs, then you know that making deviled eggs is no simple endeavor. While it might seem straightforward to put eggs on a stove and boil them, there are many factors that go into making the perfect deviled egg. The key is to cook them just enough to make them hard-boiled. You also want them to be easy to peel and get the yolk out when that time comes. We explore some common tips and tricks for deviled eggs below.

Boiling the Eggs

A good deviled egg always starts with a good hard-boiled egg. Do not use soft-cooked eggs in any capacity for deviled eggs. Not only are they not cooked all the way, but they simply won’t work for making deviled eggs.

There are many ways to cook hard-boiled eggs (scroll down a bit on this article to see just a few). However, the simplest and most consistent way is to boil them on a stovetop. Even then, there are two main methods for stovetop boiling: the hot start, and the cold start. There is some debate about which one is actually better, so we’ll include both here and you can experiment with them.

Boiling eggs in a hot pan with boiling water
Boiling eggs in a hot pan with boiling water

To cook a hard-boiled egg using the hot-start method, bring a pot of water to a boil on the stove. You’ll want to make sure that you have enough water to completely cover the eggs plus at least an inch so that they stay completely submerged while boiling. The timing and methods for boiling eggs vary widely. Typically. you’ll leave the eggs on a high boil for less than a minute before turning the pot to a low simmer for between 12-15 minutes. After this, most people recommend doing a cold shock and immediately throwing the eggs into a bowl of water and ice. You’ll then want to chill the eggs in the fridge until they’re cold all the way through, probably at least two hours.

To use the cold-start method, you’ll place the eggs into a pot of cold water and then place the pot on the stove. Bring the eggs to a rolling boil. Leave the eggs to boil for less than a minute, and then remove from heat and cover. Leave covered for between 12-15 minutes before doing the cold shock as described above.

After the eggs are cooked and chilled, they should last up to 7 days in the refrigerator, though keep in mind that if you’re making deviled eggs, deviling them doesn’t change that time span.

Peeling the Eggs

After the eggs are boiled and chilled, they’re ready to peel. While hard-boiled eggs can stay good outside of the shell for a few days if placed in the refrigerator, we recommend not peeling them until the day of to ensure the highest level of freshness.

There are as many methods of peeling hard-boiled eggs as there are cooking them (see that same article above for methods of peeling as well). Whatever method you choose to use, it seems almost universally agreed-upon that using water to help separate the egg from the shell is helpful. We like the traditional method with a bit of cold water: crack the egg all around, start at the wide end and peel while running under cold water.

Deviled eggs and deli meat appetizers for Easter
Deviled eggs and deli meat appetizers for Easter

Mixing/seasoning the Yolks

Now that the eggs are cooked and peeled, it’s time to devil them! To devil means to make it heavy and full of flavor, so don’t hold back on those seasonings. Start by slicing the eggs in half lengthwise, and placing the yolks in a mixing bowl. The yolks should be fairly easy to remove if cooked properly. You can make this process easier by pulling lightly on the egg white and inserting a spoon underneath the yolk. If you don’t have an egg platter (like this one from Amazon), you can also cut off a small slice from the back of each egg-white half so that they are less prone to rolling.

Before seasoning your egg yolks, be sure to mash them. This ensures that there will be no large chunks of yolk that don’t get mixed in with the rest of the seasoning. You can use a fork to crumble them, though some people prefer to use graters to make them crumble more finely. In general, the finer you crumble your yolks, the better.

After crumbling your yolks, you’re ready to season them! There are countless numbers of deviled egg recipes online, though all deviled eggs will need mayonnaise and mustard. The most simple recipe calls for mixing the yolks with mayonnaise and mustard and then sprinkling paprika on top. We explore some other recipes below.

With the mixture ready, all you need to do is put the mixture back inside of the egg whites. You can do this simply with a spoon, or if your mixture is smooth enough, you can cut off the corner of a bag and spread it like frosting. Chef’s preference here. Just be careful to ration your yolks to your egg whites—you don’t want to end up with white halves and no filling! If you’re feeling like your deviled eggs just never get full enough with your mixture, consider adding some extra ingredients to your mixture, like in these pimento cheese deviled eggs.

Voila! Your deviled eggs are done and ready to serve. To devil your eggs even more, consider adding some of the following when seasoning your yolks:

  • Relish
  • Onions/green onions
  • Bell peppers
  • Fresh herbs
  • Cheese
  • Garlic
  • Celery
Deviled eggs with chives and avocado
Deviled eggs with chives and avocado

How to Keep Deviled Eggs Fresh

Now that you’ve cooked and prepared your deviled eggs, you’re ready to serve them! Do yourself a favor and make sure that they stay fresh. You don’t want all of that hard work to go to waste!

Keeping deviled eggs fresh is crucial to good deviled eggs. When asked how many deviled eggs they would eat, one person responded “two, but if they were sitting out for a long time, probably none.” Deviled eggs are best when served chilled. Once they hit room temperature, they will do what eggs start to do at room temperature; and that will not be appetizing.

If chilled, deviled eggs should be good for about two hours outside of the refrigerator. Adjust this time lower if you’re serving food outside, or if the temperature is above around 80º. They won’t last quite as long in these conditions.

If you’re storing deviled eggs overnight, consider storing the yolk mix separate from the egg whites. This will ensure maximum freshness on the day that they’re actually served. Even then, you won’t want to keep them for more than 4 days maximum, and they will be best before 2 days have passed. And don’t forget, you have 7 days from the time that you boil them, whether you devil them on the first day or the sixth day. Try not to cut it too close!

If you have deviled eggs that are already made that you need to store, do so in a single layer (avoid double-stacking them as much as possible), and if you haven’t already, wait to season them until the day of. This will help them not dry out during their storage period.

Deviled eggs with ham, chives, radish, and cucumber on a white plate
Deviled eggs with ham, chives, radish, and cucumber on a white plate

What Goes Well With Deviled Eggs?

Deviled eggs can work as an appetizer for just about anything. As mentioned above, they work particularly well as a finger-food or h’ors d’oeuvre, and so work well for parties and luncheons. However, they can function as a side dish as well! Consider pairing deviled eggs with the following dishes for a savory, filling meal:

  • Ham (classic for Easter)
  • Sandwiches (good option for Spring/Summer parties—so long as you’re not serving egg salad!)
  • Burgers & hot dogs
  • Steak
Boiling eggs in a hot pan with boiling water

You could also consider using deviled eggs in place of hard-boiled eggs in dishes containing hard-boiled eggs, such as egg noodles, or potato salad.

It’s also possible to serve deviled eggs as the main dish. We mentioned above that in areas outside of North America (particularly Europe), it is more common to see dishes that are similar to deviled eggs served as the main dish instead of as an appetizer or side dish.

For something more similar to American deviled eggs, try stuffed eggs, like this recipe that adds parmesan cheese and ketchup to a normal deviled egg recipe.

For something a little more exotic, consider something like these Russian eggs, that use caviar as a garnish, or these bacon deviled eggs. If you’re going exotic, feel free to get creative and try different combinations of the above seasonings as well.

Finally, don’t be afraid to serve “main dish” deviled eggs as a side dish as well. Want to serve ham and bacon deviled eggs? Go for it. We’re fairly certain that your guests will be too busy chowing down to form any complaints.

Bon appétit! Good deviling!

Anna Silver

Anna Silver is the principal creator of CookForFolks.com, a website dedicated to new go-to original recipes. Inspired by her grandmother’s love of cooking, Anna has a passion for treating the people in her life to delicious homemade food and loves to share her family recipes with the rest of the world.

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