You can never have too many recipes for deviled eggs, and here’s one with a spicy twist. Pick up some fresh kimchi and a jar of Korean gochujang at the store, and you’ll be set!
These kimchi deviled eggs transcend your average deviled egg by incorporating classic Korean ingredients such as kimchi, sesame, and gochujang, a Korean chili paste.
The result is wildly exciting. The sesame and gochujang add nuttiness, sweetness, and spice while the kimchi contributes a bright, sour flavor with a hint of funk.
HOW TO MAKE EASY-PEEL HARD BOILED EGGS FOR DEVILED EGGS
Many folks dread peeling hard boiled eggs for deviled eggs, but if you have a pressure cooker, like an Instant Pot, you’re in for a treat. Pressure cooked eggs are easy to peel and reliably perfectly boiled—just follow our easy tutorial!
No pressure cooker? Try steaming your eggs.
With either these two methods, you can a dozen eggs in a couple of minutes. The old-fashioned way works, too—just make sure you use old eggs, which peel more easily.
WHAT IS KIMCHI AND WHERE DO I GET IT?
Kimchi is a spicy side dish made of fermented cabbage, and it’s very much beloved in Korea where it is served with virtually every meal. There are many kinds of kimchi, but here I’m using the popular cabbage kimchi known as baechu kimchi.
These days, you can find kimchi in the refrigerated section of most well-stocked grocery stores, though if you have an Asian market nearby, you will be stunned by the array of different kimchi options available there. Some Asian markets even make theirs in house!
Since kimchi is a living food, it can range in flavor from fresh and just a little sour all the way to super sour, very soft, and even a bit fizzy.
I prefer my kimchi on the fresher and crunchier side for these eggs, so I look for a container that doesn’t feel too pressurized or that has a best-by date that is further out.
But don’t worry if your kimchi is fizzy or very sour; it’s still perfectly fine to use in this recipe.
WHAT IS GOCHUJANG AND WHERE DO I GET IT?
The other ingredient you may not know well is gochujang. It’s been cited as a key ingredient to making Korean food taste—well, Korean!
This red chili paste adds sweet, salty, and spicy flavor to almost any food. Although you will only use a small amount for this recipe, I encourage you to try it in fish, burgers, roasted veggies, on eggs, and in fried rice!
If you can’t find gochujang in an Asian market or the international section of your local supermarket, don’t let that stop you from making these kimchi deviled eggs! You can make a substitute by combining mild miso with a few squirts of sriracha.
THE BEST WAY TO FILL THE DEVILED EGGS
Another trick to make the process of making deviled eggs go more easily is to pipe your filling. It’s much tidier and it looks nicer. I’ve used a piping bag with a tip for these, but you can also just use a zip-top plastic bag and cut off a corner for a makeshift piping bag.
Your kimchi deviled eggs will go fast, so rest assured, you can easily double or triple this recipe up for a crowd.
More Great Deviled Egg Recipes!
Kimchi Deviled Eggs Recipe
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 24 deviled eggs
Wondering how to make easy-to-peel hard boiled eggs? Try one of these methods.
Ingredients
For the deviled eggs:
- 12 large eggs, hard boiled
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon gochujang, plus more to taste
For the garnish:
- 1/2 cup finely diced kimchi
- 1 bunch chives, cut into 3-inch sections or minced
- 1 tablespoon white or black sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon Korean red chili, paprika, or cayenne (optional)
Method
1 Separate the yolks and the whites: Peel the eggs and slice them in half. Place the yolks in the bowl of a food processor and arrange the whites on a platter.
2 Make the deviled egg filling: Add the mayonnaise and gochujang to the food processor with the yolks. Blend until smooth and creamy. (You can also use an immersion blender or mash thoroughly with a fork.)
Taste the filling and add additional gochujang to taste. If the filling seems loose or if it is very warm in your kitchen, cover and refrigerate it for 20 to 30 minutes to stiffen it up before piping.
3 Fill the eggs: Transfer the filling to a piping bag or a plastic zip-top bag (cut the corner of the bag after filling). Fill each empty egg white.
4 Garnish the eggs with kimchi: To finish, top each egg with about a teaspoon of diced kimchi, a piece of chive (or a sprinkling of chives, if minced), a sprinkling of sesame seeds, and chili powder (if using). The eggs will keep in the fridge for a couple of hours.
You can make and refrigerate the filling up to 8 hours in advance. These deviled eggs will keep, covered and ungarnished, for a couple of hours.
