Why It Works
- Cooking half of the eggs just until the yolks are jammy rather than fully set ensures they still have just enough of the yolks’ original emulsifying power to combine with the oil, while still yielding solid whites and a cooked yolk flavor.
- Grating the remaining hard-boiled eggs yields pieces of egg white that integrate well into the mayo mixture while still providing textural contrast to the creamy base.
Creamy, rich deviled eggs are delightful, but let’s be honest—they’re a lot of work. I’m not always up for taking the time to perfectly peel and slice each egg, then scoop, prepare, and intricately pipe the yolk filling into each individual egg. But sometimes I still really want the rich, tangy, flavor of a well made deviled egg. This deviled egg dip, developed by our Birmingham, Alabama–based test kitchen colleague Craig Ruff is the perfect solution.
Craig has developed a recipe for a creamy, punchy egg dip that really tastes just like a deviled egg. It’s a great addition to any brunch spread or an easy crowd-pleasing party appetizer. It has just the right velvety texture, which makes it ideal for scooping up with crudités, crackers, or Craig’s favorite, wavy potato chips—the dip clings so nicely to those little wavy chip ridges!
Though you may have seen versions of this dip making the rounds on social media recently, the basic concept is nothing new: It draws direct inspiration from the French sauce gribiche. Gribiche is a cold sauce in the family of mayonnaise-based sauces in which cooked egg yolks are emulsified with oil and seasoned with capers, fresh herbs, and a healthy splash of red or white wine vinegar. Sauce gribiche can be made with either jammy, partially cooked egg yolks for a well emulsified sauce, or with hard cooked egg yolks, which produce a more broken sauce (rest assured that despite its name, a “broken” gribiche can be a very good thing).
Taking a cue from both of gribiche’s styles, in this recipe Craig’s recipe calls for cooking half of the eggs just until they’re still jammy in the center, then continuing to cook the other half for an additional few minutes until hard-boiled. The jammy yolks are used to emulsify the mayo base mixture—a combination of fruity extra-virgin olive oil with a neutral oil yields the best balanced flavor—while the hard-boiled eggs are grated and folding into the mixture to add body and texture to the sauce. Grating the hard-boiled eggs yields the perfect sized whites—they’re not too big for scooping up but they also integrate well into the mayo mixture. Grating them is quick and easy with the help of a box grater.
A healthy dose of Dijon mustard, a dash of Louisiana-style hot sauce and Worcestershire, and chopped cornichons and chives galore round out the dip’s dynamic flavors. We guarantee that at first bite you’ll fall in love with this dips’ unmistakable deviled egg flavor.
This recipe was developed by Craig Ruff; the headnote was written by Leah Colins.
Transform Classic Deviled Eggs Into This Party-Friendly Dip
Cook Mode
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6 large eggs
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1 1/2 tablespoons (27 ml) Dijon mustard
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2 teaspoons (10 ml) Louisiana-style hot sauce (such as Crystal)
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1 teaspoon (5 ml) Worcestershire sauce
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1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt use half as much by volume
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1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for garnish
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1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika, plus more for garnish
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1/3 cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
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1/3 cup (80 ml) neutral oil such as canola oil
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2 tablespoons finely chopped cornichons
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2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish
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Crudités, potato chips, or crackers, for serving
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Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat and fill 2 medium bowls with ice water. Carefully lower eggs into saucepan using a slotted spoon or spider skimmer, and boil for 30 seconds. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer, undisturbed, for 7 minutes. Transfer 3 eggs to 1 bowl of ice water. Continue simmering remaining 3 eggs, covered, for 3 minutes more; transfer to second bowl of ice water. Let eggs cool completely, about 15 minutes.
Serious Eats / Victor Protasio
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Peel jammy 7-minute eggs under cool running water, and halve lengthwise. Spoon yolks into a large bowl; chop egg whites, and set aside. Add Dijon, hot sauce, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, and paprika to bowl with egg yolks, and whisk until completely combined with no yolk chunks remaining, about 1 minute. Slowly stream in olive oil and canola oil, whisking constantly, until emulsified. Set aside.
Serious Eats / Victor Protasio
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Peel remaining 3 hard-cooked eggs, and grate on large holes of a box grater. Add to large bowl with yolks and oil mixture along with chopped cornichon, chives, and reserved egg whites; fold until combined. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with additional black pepper, paprika, and chives. Serve with crudités, potato chips, or crackers.
Serious Eats / Victor Protasio
Special Equipment
Large saucepan, slotted spoon or spider skimmer, box grater
Make-Ahead and Storage
The dip can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.