27 March 2026
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Deviled eggs have long graced picnic tables, Easter spreads and cocktail gatherings. Chefs clearly have a soft spot for them too, placing the old-school snack front and center on menus across the U.S. Just don’t expect Grandma’s version.
The earliest record of stuffed eggs was discovered in ancient Rome in the 13th century, but the term “deviled” stems from 18th-century England, when it was used to describe foods that were heavily seasoned or spiced.
For centuries, the basic composition has remained the same: eggs are boiled, chilled, peeled, halved and the yolks scooped out. What comes next is where chefs get creative. Some fold the yolks with mayonnaise, mustard and herbs, while others add ingredients like fresh tuna or shiro koji, a seasoning made from fermented grains. Toppings run the gamut as well, from indulgent accents like bacon, lobster and caviar to bold flavors such as chopped kimchi or Turkish tomato paste.
Read on to see how chefs in MICHELIN Guide kitchens are reinventing and elevating deviled eggs.
Apéro
Washington, D.C.
You’ll find Apéro tucked inside a historical row house in Washington, D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood. At this Parisian-style boîte, a French-leaning menu highlights classics like beef bourguignon and French onion soup, but Champagne and caviar take center stage.
Enter Apéro’s deviled eggs. “It’s an amazing Champagne pairing, the perfect rich, savory snack for our extensive Champagne-by-the-glass program,” says owner and sommelier Elli Benchimol.
The dish takes its cue from classic oeufs mimosa: hollowed hard-boiled egg whites filled with a blend of egg yolks, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and fresh herbs, then topped with sieved yolks meant to resemble the delicate mimosa flower.
At Apéro, the eggs come from a nearby Pennsylvania farm. Once hard-boiled, the yolks are whipped with housemade aioli and piped back into the whites. They’re finished two ways: one topped with house osetra caviar from Black River in Uruguay, the other with crisp bacon and chives.
Aubergine
Carmel, California
Justin Cogley, the chef at Aubergine at the L’Auberge Carmel, has a knack for capturing a sense of place on the plate. Fitting then, that his recipe for deviled eggs was born from a unique Carmel tradition.
“My partner, Janet, sources eggs from a ranch in Carmel Valley through a specific local process: after receiving a call, she brings an empty carton and $7 to a house in Carmel-by-the-Sea to collect her ‘allocated eggs,’", says Cogley.
Inspired to make something special with the eggs, Cogley developed his take on the classic snack. The eggs are hard-boiled in salted water, chilled and halved. The yolks are blended with shiro koji, mustard and cultured butter from Stepladder Creamery, before being piped back into the whites. Each egg is then finished with diced Baja tuna dressed in lemon oil, a generous portion of chopped kimchi and sliced chives.
Coolinary and The Parched Pig
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Who better to inspire a deviled egg recipe than Grandma? That’s who did it for Tim Lipman, the chef and owner of Coolinary and the Parched Pig, an eclectic American restaurant with a menu that offers something for everyone.
“My grandmother came from a Sicilian immigrant family who lived in central Florida most of her life. Her Sicilian roots blended with the influences of Southern cooking crafted her style,” says Lipman. “These eggs are almost identical to her recipe, though she would add a sweet pickle directly to the yolk mix. I use pickled green tomato, paying homage to her well-known Southern charm.”
Lipman sieves the yolks until fine, then blends them with Duke’s mayonnaise, yellow mustard and kosher salt until “smooth like whipped cream.” The mixture is piped into the whites, then topped with a combination of diced pickled green tomatoes and pickled yellow mustard seeds, as well as Fresno chili hot sauce and fresh dill.
Oleana
Cambridge, Massachusetts
At Oleana, the beloved Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern restaurant in Cambridge, Chef Ana Sortun looked to Northern Spain for inspiration when creating her deviled eggs — specifically a tapa she once had in San Sebastián in the Basque Country, well before opening Oleana.
Sortun begins by poaching fresh tuna with celery, shallots and curry until just cooked through. Once cooled, the tuna is chopped and mixed with hard-boiled egg yolks and housemade aioli, then seasoned with lemon and pepper. The filling is spooned back into the whites and topped with grated fresh tomato, “a great Turkish tomato paste” and dry-cured black olives. Slivered parsley finishes the dish.
The eggs reflect Sortun’s broader philosophy: “It’s really important to create rich flavors, but not have them be heavy.”
Pappas Bros Steakhouse
Houston, Texas
The lobster deviled eggs at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse have been a staple on the menu since it opened more than 30 years ago.
They start with gently boiled eggs that are cooled, peeled and halved. The yolks are blended with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, black pepper, paprika and just a touch of cayenne for heat. The filled eggs are topped with lobster and finished with a light drizzle of chili oil.
For an extra indulgent touch, a jar of chilled deviled egg filling with crisp candied bacon and petite cornichons is served on the side. “Guests can build each bite themselves, just as they like,” says Michael Velardi, Corporate Executive Chef.
“Deviled eggs are a classic Southern dish, and we wanted to take something familiar and elevate it,” he says. “By pairing the traditional deviled egg with lobster and our signature candied bacon, the dish feels both nostalgic and indulgent.”
Tuome
New York, New York
At the very top of the menu at Tuome sits the egg: “crispy, deviled, chili.” This is one of many of Chef Thomas Chen’s clever dishes, which reflect his classical training and Chinese-American roots.
This is no ordinary deviled egg. Chen’s hard-boiled whites are coated in panko and deep-fried until crunchy. They’re piped with an egg yolk filling that includes minced bread-and-butter pickles as well as pickling brine and mayonnaise. The pièce de résistance is the spicy housemade chili-garlic sauce on top.
“I wanted to make a simple ingredient shine,” says Chen. “Something as simple as an egg can be transformed into a special dish. The hot crispy egg white and creamy yolk creates a nice balance of texture.”
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Hero image: Tuome deviled eggs. © Noah Fecks/Tuome
Thumb image: Pappas Bros Steakhouse deviled eggs. © Brian Kennedy/Pappas Bros Steakhouse
