Spicy deviled eggs are simple to make for a holiday appetizer, game day food or potluck. Save time by making this recipe up to 5 days ahead!

If you host parties for game day or holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s Eve, you may need a couple of quick and easy appetizer ideas. Deviled eggs fit that description perfectly!

They come together quickly, and can even be made ahead to save more time.

I was never a big fan until I started seasoning the egg mixture with more flavor. That’s why I love egg salad sandwiches – they have FLAVOR!

Traditional deviled eggs are popular for Easter, but when you make them spicy, they become the perfect food for almost any type of party! It doesn’t hurt to add a crunchy topping on deviled eggs either, which is what I did with this recipe.

Spicy deviled eggs

The spicy deviled egg filling is seasoned with Tex-Mex spices, plus a boost in creaminess from Greek yogurt, lemon juice and zest. The crunchy topping comes by way of a spicy sausage known as chorizo.

Ingredient notes and substitutions

• Hard boiled eggs – Thanks to technology, making hard boiled eggs on the stove top is just one option. You can make Instant Pot hard boiled eggs, use a slow cooker, or make hard cooked eggs in the oven!
  I go even easier and buy them from supermarkets or Costco already shelled!

• Chorizo – There are two types of chorizo, Spanish and Mexican. Either will work for this recipe, but Mexican chorizo is much easier to find. Both types of chorizo are made from pork and both have chile powder and other spices added. The difference is, Mexican chorizo is uncooked while Spanish is a cured and smoked sausage, made with bits of smoked pork and pork fat.
  
  Substitutes for chorizo are limited only by your imagination. You can use any type of uncooked spicy sausage or smoked sausage, or use a non-spicy meat like bacon or salami.

• Plain Greek yogurt – You can use mayo if you prefer, but I think the tangy punch of flavor from Greek yogurt and lemon is what makes these spicy deviled eggs so special.

• Spices – The other source of spicy flavor comes from homemade chili seasoning. You can use your favorite kind, or for more spiciness, use cayenne powder plus the chili powder.

How to make spicy deviled eggs

After the eggs are hard boiled, making this egg appetizer is a snap. Just make the filling and then pipe it into the hard boiled egg whites. It’s so easy!

1. Hard boil and cool the eggs.

Use whatever method you’d like to cook the eggs, then set them in a bowl of ice water. Not only does this cool them down, but it also makes them easier to peel.

2. Cook the meat until crispy.

If you’re using Mexican chorizo, brown it in a skillet like you would for ground beef or other ground meat.

Cooking Notes

Chorizo has a good amount of fat in it, plus chile powder and achiote. As it cooks, you’ll notice the grease has a bright red color. That’s from the achiote; it’s perfectly normal.

Also, be sure to reserve a tablespoon of the cooking oil to use in the filling. It adds fantastic flavor!

3. Slice the eggs and make the filling.

Start by slicing the eggs in half, from top to bottom. Use a spoon to gently remove the yolks, then place the cooked egg whites on a serving platter.

I mix the filling for the spicy deviled eggs in a mixing bowl, but if you want to use a food processor that’ll work too.

4. Pipe filling into the eggs and garnish.

If you have a pastry piping bag and tips, you can use that to give the spicy deviled eggs a really fancy appearance. Otherwise, keep it simple and use a closeable food storage bag, like a quart sized Ziploc.

Use a large spoon or silicone spatula to transfer the filling into the bag, then snip a tiny portion of one corner off.

Other spicy filling ideas

There are lots of ways to adapt the filling for spicy deviled eggs. Aside from using a different meat, consider these ideas:

• Mexican – Fill the eggs with guacamole salsa and top with fresh pico de gallo.
• Spicy shrimp – Use Cajun remoulade sauce instead of yogurt or mayo. Top the eggs with blackened shrimp!

Making deviled eggs ahead of time

You can definitely make the components of this deviled egg recipe ahead. However, if you want to fully prepare them ahead, they’ll only stay fresh for 2 days or so in the fridge.

A better idea is to fry up the chorizo and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. Make the filling, but keep the whites and filling separate. Just place the egg white halves on a tray and cover the tray with plastic wrap.

You can do those things up to 5 days ahead of time. Then, all you need to do on the day of serving is assemble them!

I’m hoping these spicy deviled eggs will be a new favorite. Enjoy!

This post, originally published on Kevin is Cooking Jan. 25, 2017, was updated with new content on Dec. 30, 2021.