These Green Goddess deviled eggs are the taste of spring! They’re bursting with fresh herbs, avocado, and lemon juice, and perfect for Easter, Mother’s Day, or any spring (or summer!) gathering.
The first time I had a salad with Green Goddess dressing, I was hooked. It was at a small restaurant in my hometown, St. Louis, half a country away from California, where the dressing was invented.
Back when I tasted it in the early 1990s, St. Louis was not known for its farm-to-table, seasonal, and local food ethics. But this restaurant catered to a somewhat hippie clientele and the name “green goddess” seemed appropriate.
The dressing was bursting with herbs and salty flavor—which I later found out was anchovies—and I fell in love with it!
What Is Green Goddess Dressing?
Of course, the name Green Goddess is evocative of a statuesque woman, a sort of princess of mother Earth, so it makes sense that it would be packed full of fresh grown herbs. Parsley, tarragon, and chives all blended together make the dressing ideal for a spring salad.
But this mix of herbs also add a brightness to classic deviled eggs as well! Do not substitute dried herbs for fresh herbs in this recipe—the flavor will be dull. Fresh herbs are key to creating these deviled eggs.
There’s Anchovy in Green Goddess Dressing?
Anchovy is a classic addition to Green Goddess dressing, and I’ve added it to this recipe as well. The anchovy adds a salty umami dimension, but the small amount doesn’t make the filling taste fishy at all.
I use anchovy paste, which comes in a tube. It lets me use a little bit at a time, without having to open up a whole can of anchovies for just as single small portion.
However, if you are really anti-anchovy or wish to make this recipe vegetarian-friendly, feel free to omit it and substitute two or three Kalamata olives, or just add 1/2 teaspoon of salt. If you are using salt, the deviled eggs won’t quite have the same depth of flavor, but will still be great.
How to Make the Best Hard-Boiled Eggs
Deviled eggs are a crowd favorite for pretty much any buffet or party. But all deviled eggs start out as hard-boiled eggs. I have found the easiest and best way to make hard-boiled eggs is with a pressure cooker. The shells practically slide off the egg in a magical way!
But if you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can steam your eggs, which leads to a great hard-boiled egg as well. Steaming also leads to an easier-to-peel egg than the traditional boiling method. Either way, your deviled eggs will look picture perfect with great hard-boiled eggs.
Make-Ahead Deviled Eggs
In addition to the herbs, these Green Goddess Deviled Eggs use avocado to give them a creamy green color with a rich buttery (but not heavy) texture. You don’t taste the avocado as much as feel it, when you take a bite of the egg and its creamy filling.
Although avocado has a habit of browning fast, there is enough lemon juice and acidity in the filling to allow you to make these eggs up to 24 hours in advance. Just make the filling and keep it in a sealed plastic bag to prevent air exposure. Pipe the eggs right before you serve them!
If you’d like to pipe the eggs ahead of time, place them in a plastic container with a lid, and serve within eight hours.
CHECK OUT THESE OTHER DEVILED EGG RECIPES!
Green Goddess Deviled Eggs Recipe
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 deviled egg halves
You can easily double this recipe if you are feeding a crowd.
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 1/2 medium ripe avocado
- 3 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley leaves, plus extra whole leaves for garnish
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, coarsely chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste, or 1 small anchovy, minced finely or mashed with a fork
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
1 Hard boil the eggs: To hard boil the eggs and ensure you can easily remove the shells, you can either steam them on the stovetop or in a pressure cooker. (You can also cook your eggs using the traditional boiling method, but the results don’t always peel easily.)
2 Prepare the filling: Peel the eggs and cut them in half lengthwise. Scoop out the egg yolks and place them in the bowl of a food processor along with the remaining ingredients.
Process until smooth. It’s ok if there are still some noticeable chunks of green in the filling. Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking.
3 Fill the eggs: Scoop the filling into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe the filling into the eggs. Alternatively, you can just scoop the filling with a couple of spoons into the eggs.
4 Garnish and serve: Sprinkle the tops of the deviled eggs with extra parsley leaves. Crack some extra fresh pepper on top and serve.
