Easy Tuna Deviled Eggs

These spicy tuna deviled eggs with capers, mayonnaise, and chili are the perfect appetizer for any celebration.

The creamy deviled eggs with tuna make the perfect finger food and are great for many occasions. You can make them for a party, to take on a picnic, or a potluck, you can serve them for Easter, Christmas, or New Year’s Eve, or you can make them just for breakfast, as a snack, a light lunch, or a quick dinner.

What are deviled eggs?

Hard-boiled eggs that have been shelled, halved and stuffed with a filling made from egg yolks mixed with other ingredients. Their origins go back to ancient Rome, and nowadays, they are popular worldwide.

You could try "oua umplute" - the Romanian Deviled Eggs (with Liver Pate) or the German “gefüllte Eier” with lots of mustard; you can make some American-style ones with bacon, some Mexican Deviled Eggs with Avocado or Russian-style with caviar. Or try a Deviled Egg Potato Salad or a Deviled Egg Pasta Salad.

Actually, you cannot say what kind of deviled egg is from what country; everybody in the world seems to love them, and the way of filling the eggs knows no borders anymore.

Recipe ingredients

• Hard-boiled eggs: I always use the largest ones I can find. Eight of them make sixteen deviled egg halves, which should be enough when serving as an appetizer for a party.

• Canned tuna: I prefer to use tuna in water (in brine); I find tuna in oil too heavy for this recipe, especially as the filling contains mayonnaise.

• Mayonnaise: Use your favorite brand. I always have to mention that homemade mayonnaise is the best (try this incredibly easy-to-make and delicious Whole Egg Mayonnaise Recipe), but as you will only need a few teaspoons for this tuna deviled egg recipe, using bought mayonnaise makes more sense.
  • Unless you plan to use the homemade mayonnaise for another recipe, like this Romanian Boeuf Salad, Salad Russe, or Romanian Cauliflower Mayonnaise Salad.

• Cream cheese: It makes the egg yolk mixture even creamier and helps stabilize it a little, as cream cheese is stiffer than mayonnaise.

• Dijon mustard or another kind of mustard you like.

• Capers: They add a wonderful zing to the filling and perfectly complement the tuna fish and heavy mayonnaise.

• Onion: A tiny red onion, or half of a medium one. You can replace it with finely chopped green onions.

• Cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes: Just a pinch. Always use them to taste.

• Dill: I adore fresh dill when combined with tuna and mayonnaise; it’s my first choice when making tuna deviled eggs. You can use either fresh or frozen dill, but not dried dill.
  • If you don’t like or don’t have dill, you can replace it with other fresh or frozen herbs like parsley, chives, or basil.

How to make deviled eggs with tuna?

How to cook perfect hard-boiled eggs?

• Place them in a pan and cover them with water. Add a large pinch of salt and bring the water to a boil.
• Place a good-fitting lid on the pot and remove it from the heat. Let sit for 12 minutes.
• Drain and rinse the eggs in cold water. Place them in a bowl with ice water to stop them from cooking further.
• When cold, refrigerate them until needed (unpeeled). You can cook them well in advance, which will make them easier to peel as well.
• You can also learn How to Cook Quail Eggs if needed.

How to cut the eggs for stuffing?

• The traditional way: Slice them lengthwise and remove the yolk.
• Standing eggs: They look particularly pretty, but you must be more careful when you remove the yolk. Cut the top of the eggs and carefully remove the yolk using a teaspoon. Chop the sliced pieces of egg whites finely and add them to the filling.

How to make the tuna caper filling?

• Remove the yolks and place them in a medium mixing bowl.
• Prepare ingredients: Drain the can of tuna. Chop the capers, onion, and dill very finely. From each chopped component, save a little bit for the garnish.
• Blend filling: Add drained tuna, capers, cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes, onion, dill, mayonnaise, mustard, and cream cheese to the bowl containing the egg yolks. Process with an immersion blender until you have a smooth paste. Adjust the taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Fill tuna deviled eggs: Transfer the tuna mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large (star) nozzle and pipe it into the prepared egg white halves. If you don't have a piping bag, transfer the egg yolk mixture to a freezer bag or something similar. Cut a small hole into the corner of the bag and use the bag as a piping bag.
• Garnish: Arrange the stuffed eggs with tuna on a serving platter and sprinkle them with the chopped ingredients you put aside for the garnish and some freshly ground black pepper. If you have it, smoked black pepper is excellent for garnishing the tuna deviled eggs.

Expert Tips

• Eggs: Older ones are easier to peel than fresh ones. You can also cook them in advance, which will make them easier to peel.
  • You can use leftover eggs from Easter, for instance. And if you have lots of them, check out What to Do with Hard-Boiled Eggs.

• Should you have a bit of extra filling left over, serve it as a bread spread or dip. You can also use it to fill mini-peppers or small tomatoes.

• Mayo: If you don't want to use mayonnaise, replace it with a little more cream cheese and a few drops of milk if necessary to make the mixture easier to pipe. You can also use light mayo.

Recipe FAQ

More delicious recipes with eggs

Spicy Deviled Eggs with Tuna

These spicy tuna deviled eggs with capers, mayonnaise, and chili are the perfect appetizer for any celebration.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: German, American

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 deviled eggs

Calories: 190kcal

Author: Adina

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Ingredients 

• ▢ 8 eggs large, Note 1
• ▢ 1 can tuna in brine/water
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons capers
• ▢ 1 pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to taste
• ▢ ½ red onion or a very small one
• ▢ 3 teaspoons mayonnaise
• ▢ 1 teaspoon medium-hot mustard
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cream cheese
• ▢ a few sprigs of dill
• ▢ fine sea salt
• ▢ freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Eggs:

• Cook eggs: Place the eggs in a pan, cover with water, add a large pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Cover tightly and remove from the heat. Let sit for 12 minutes, then drain and rinse well in cold water. Place them in a bowl with very cold water to stop them from cooking further (Note 2).
• Prepare eggs for filling: Peel them.

  If you want them to stand, remove one-third of the top of the egg and a very thin slice of the bottom part of the egg so it can stand easily without falling (Note 3). Chop these leftover egg white pieces and add them to the filling.

  If you want to make your deviled eggs traditionally, slice them in half lengthwise.

  Remove the yolks and place them in a bowl.

Tuna filling:

• Make the filling: Drain the can of tuna. Chop the capers, red onion, and dill very finely. From each chopped ingredient, save a little bit for the garnish.
• Blend filling: Add the tuna, chopped ingredients, cayenne pepper or pepper flakes, mayonnaise, mustard, and cream cheese to the bowl containing the egg yolks. Process with an immersion blender until you have a smooth paste. Adjust the taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Fill deviled eggs: Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large (star) nozzle (Note 4). Carefully pipe the filling into the prepared eggs.
• Garnish eggs: Sprinkle the eggs with the chopped ingredients that you put aside for the garnish and with some more freshly ground black pepper.

Notes

1. Older eggs are easier to peel than fresh ones. You can use leftover hard-boiled eggs as well.
2. When cold, refrigerate until needed. You can cook the eggs well in advance, which will make them easier to peel as well.
3. If you make standing eggs, you will have some leftover egg whites from the top of the eggs. Chop them finely and stir them into the leftover mixture. You will now have a delicious bread spread as well.
4. If you don't have a piping bag, transfer the egg yolk mixture to a freezer bag or something similar. Cut a small hole into the corner of the bag and use the bag as a piping bag.

Nutrition

Serving: 2egg halves | Calories: 190kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 210mg | Sodium: 567mg | Sugar: 1g

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