Whip up these Dinosaur Deviled Eggs for an easy dinosaur themed appetizer or snack! Simple, quick, and SO YUMMY.
How to Make Dinosaur Deviled Eggs
- Boil them: Add the eggs to a pot of boiling water and cook for exactly 10 minutes. Use a spoon to remove the eggs from the pot and put them in a bowl of iced water to cool. Allow to sit for five minutes.
- Stain the eggs: Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, and tea bags to the hot water in which you boiled the eggs. Stir to combine and set aside. Gently tap eggs with a small spoon to create little cracks over the eggs. Add the hard-cooked eggs to the pot. Bring the soy mixture to a boil over medium heat and simmer on low for three hours. Let eggs chill in the fridge overnight, sitting in the sauce they simmered in.
- Prepare the yokes: Peel the eggs, cut them in half, and remove the yolks. Add the egg yolks, Dijon mustard, mayo, basil, dill, spinach, and scallions to a mini food processor and process until smooth — season with salt and black pepper.
- Fill the eggs: Using a teaspoon or piping bag, fill the egg whites with the processed yolks. Decorate each egg with a black olive strip (if using). Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions
To Make Ahead: You can do the preparation of the eggs up to two days in advance. Keep the egg whites and yolks separate until just before you serve them.
To Freeze: Egg whites do not freeze well. They tend to turn rubbery. You can, however, freeze the yokes to use in other dishes or as a garnish.
Recipe Variations for Dinosaur Deviled Eggs
Veggie edition: Substitute spinach with finely diced bell peppers and carrots. Use a quarter cup of each and mix with the yolk mixture for a colorful twist.
Avocado twist: Replace mayo with one mashed avocado for a creamy texture. Skip the mayo entirely.
Smoky flavor: Improve the flavor of the yoke mixture with a dash of smoked paprika. Start with a quarter of a teaspoon and adjust according to taste.
Spicy twist: Mix in a pinch of cayenne pepper to the yolk mixture for a fiery twist. Start with ⅛ of a teaspoon and adjust for desired heat.
Mediterranean twist: Replace the soy sauce with four tablespoons of balsamic vinegar for a tangy flavor.
Herby eggs: Swap the basil with chopped cilantro. Use the same amount as basil, about four leaves, finely chopped.
Pickle deviled eggs: For a tangy crunch, add two tablespoons of finely chopped pickles to the yolk mixture.
Bacon twist: Stir in two slices of finely crumbled crispy bacon bits into the yolk mixture for a smoky crunch.
Tomato twist: Add two tablespoons of chopped sun-dried tomatoes drained of oil.
Greek option: Blend a quarter cup of crumbled feta cheese into the yolk mixture for a creamy, salty bite.
Dinosaur Deviled Eggs
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 2 black tea bags
- ¼ cup mayo
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 4 basil leaves
- 2 scallions green parts only, chopped
- a small handful fresh dill
- a small handful baby spinach
- 2 black olives, pitted and cut into thin strips (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the eggs to a saucepan of boiling water and cook for 10 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon and remove eggs from the pot to a bowl of iced water to cool.
- Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
- Add the soy sauce, brown sugar and tea bags to the hot water you were boiling eggs in.
- Stir to combine and set aside.
- Gently tap eggs with small spoon to create little cracks over the eggs.
- Add the hard-cooked eggs to the pot.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 hours.
- Let eggs chill in the fridge overnight, sitting in the sauce they simmered in.
- Peal the eggs.
- Cut the eggs in half.
- Remove the egg yolks.
- Add the egg yolks, Dijon mustard, mayo, basil, dill, spinach and scallions to a mini food processor and process until smooth.
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Using a spoon or piping bag, fill the inside of the egg whites with the yolk mixture.
- Decorate each egg with black olive strip (if using).
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Boiling tip: Make sure the water is boiling before adding the eggs. Use room-temperature eggs to reduce the likelihood of cracking. Add them to the pot with a spoon to further reduce the chances of cracking.
- Soaking time: Refrigerate the eggs overnight for optimal flavor infusion and staining.
- Peeling technique: Immediately cool the eggs in ice water to make peeling easy. Gently tap eggs to create cracks for perfect staining and easier peeling later.
- Seasoning reminder: Taste the yolk mixture before filling. This allows you to make minor adjustments for the perfect flavor.
- Decoration tip: Add olive strips to create a dinosaur-eye effect.
