Jump to Deviled Eggs with Chipotle and Chives Recipe
If you are looking to give your Easter brunch a little kick or need an idea for all those leftover colored eggs, try this version. The smoky, spicy chipotle flavor is balanced with a little sweetness from bread and butter pickles and the chives add color and freshness.
Best of all for me, there is no mayonnaise involved. I am not a fan. Usually, I just use Greek yogurt, which I’ve used here, and/or sour cream as a substitute but this time I used plain hummus as well. I was looking in my fridge when I saw the big box of individual hummus packs from Costco and a little lightbulb went on. In my head, not in the fridge, that one only comes on randomly when it feels like it. I thought why not try it out? It actually has a very similar consistency to traditional deviled egg filling and a nice lemony kick, it worked beautifully. This wasn’t an original idea. I then looked up hummus deviled eggs and found many others who had already figured it out. New to me though. My taste testers never guessed it was there.
There are a couple different schools of thought when it comes to boiling eggs. Some insist on starting the eggs in cold water, some say it’s best to put them in after it boils. I will not pretend I’m an expert on this matter because I really haven’t had a ton of practice. This time I started them in cold water but next time I might try the other method because, although the whites and yolks were properly cooked, they still made me use profanity when I peeled them, as they usually do.
Update 4/1/19: I now only use my Instant Pot to boil eggs. They peel like a dream.
It was my original intention to make these deviled eggs with canned chipotle in adobo sauce but I found none in my pantry so I used chipotle powder instead. They turned out great but the canned chipotle would be at least as good, if not better, so use what you like or have on hand.
DEVILED EGGS WITH CHIPOTLE AND CHIVES
(20 deviled eggs)
10 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled, cooled
3 tablespoons plain hummus
1/4 cup Greek yogurt (I used non-fat) OR sour cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons bread and butter pickle juice
4 slices bread and butter pickles, chopped
1 teaspoon chipotle powder OR 1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo, pureed (adjust measurements depending on how spicy you want them, you might start with less or end up adding more)
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon (approximately) sweet smoked paprika
fresh chives, chopped
Place the eggs in a large pot and fill it with water until it covers the eggs by 1 inch. Over medium-high heat, bring the water to a boil (not just a simmer) then remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let stand for 12 minutes.
Transfer pot to the sink. Dump as much hot water out as you can without dumping the eggs then run cold water over them to cool them down and stop them from cooking more. You could also transfer them to an ice bath.
Peel the eggs. I find leaving them in a bit of water helps the process.
Place the peeled eggs on paper towels to dry then slice them in half lengthwise.
Separate egg yolks from whites into a mixing bowl. Break up with a wire whisk so it’s easier to mix in the other ingredients.
Stir in hummus, yogurt/sour cream, and mustard. Whisk until smooth or, if your yolks are a little on the tough side, you could use an electric hand mixer.
Whisk in pickle juice to thin it out a bit then add chopped pickles. (TJ’s Bread and Butter Pickles are one of the few brands I’ve found that are made with cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.)
Whisk in chipotle powder or pureed chipotle in adobo. Taste it. Add a little salt, if necessary, and more spice if you want.
NOTE: If you are serving these the same day, go ahead and follow the steps ahead to fill and garnish them, otherwise, cover and refrigerate the filling and the whites separately and fill them the day you plan to serve them. I think they are best when eaten within 24 hours although, safety wise, they will be fine for a couple days in the refrigerator.
Fill the halved egg whites so they are a bit overstuffed.
Sprinkle sweet smoked paprika over the filled eggs. If you don’t have a shaker, a mesh tea ball works nicely, or you can sprinkle with your fingertips.
Chop chives to garnish the eggs.
Refrigerate if you’re not serving them immediately.
A sweet Easter greeting from me to you. Hoping those skies of blue come soon!
