How To Thicken Deviled Egg Filling With Potato Flakes

Deviled eggs are pretty close to nature's perfect snack: Compact, protein-packed, and absolutely delicious. You can even carry them effortlessly in the carton the eggs came in, making them a lot more portable than most people assume. If you have (rightfully) embraced making deviled eggs on the regular, you may occasionally run into the frustrating issue of the filling being too runny. All the scrumptious mustard, mayo, and relish that make your eggs sing can also make the filling overly liquidy if you aren't careful with your ratios. Luckily, there's a hack to revive loose deviled egg filling and make the consistency perfect again — and it involves a common pantry staple.

Unflavored potato flakes are the save-the-day kitchen MVP that you aren't giving enough credit. They can thicken soups or savory sauces without the hassle of preparing a roux or cornstarch slurry. Moreover, a tiny amount of instant mashed potatoes simply stirred into the yolk mixture can restore runny deviled egg filling to fluffy, towering glory. Whether you are deep-frying your deviled eggs or serving them Southern-style with a sprinkle of paprika, flaked potatoes not only ensure the texture is ideal, they may also add a little special something to the taste.

If you are concerned about keeping the flavor of your deviled eggs eggy enough, you need not be concerned about the addition of potato flakes. Adding a scant couple of teaspoons to your egg filling reconstitutes the texture without any lingering potato flavor. At first, the flakes may be a bit crunchy, but they rehydrate in the filling as they soak up the excess liquid. Plenty of gentle stirring makes this process faster, although you can certainly use a blender or mixer to guarantee a homogeneous filling.

On the other hand, don't be afraid to embrace the potato-y goodness; on the list of ingredients that make deviled eggs better, you probably weren't banking on potato flakes, but with some minced green onion and bacon bits they yield a yummy cross between loaded mashed potatoes and a deviled egg. You can also get really fancy and whip up some spicy, tangy pimento cheese to take your deviled potato-egg over the top. Whether you lean into the potato taste or not, keep a box of instant spuds close on hand when you make deviled eggs to keep the process easy as can be.