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Bagel and lox deviled eggs combine two of the very best brunch foods in the world into a dreamy, show-stopping two-bite wonder. Don’t miss them.
Why we love this recipe
I incorporated all the best elements of a great bagels and lox platter into this savory, fun deviled egg variation. They’ve got:
- Buttery, toasted panko breadcrumbs — a crunchy but not overwhelming nod to bagels
- Smoked salmon, cut into manageable pieces
- Capers
- Minced chives, which, along with the shallot in the yolk mixture, gently evoke the red onion on a bagel platter
- A dollop of crème fraîche stirred into the yolk mixture, in place of cream cheese
Find all of our gourmet deviled egg recipes here. They all work well individually (and fully dressed by the chef) or as part of an epic deviled egg bar.
I first published this recipe here in 2019. I’ve since updated the post for clarity, but the recipe remains the same.
What you’ll need
Here’s a glance at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.
- You’ll start with a batch of perfect hard-boiled eggs. This reliable method yields eggs that are cooked just the right amount and easy to peel. The recipe card below includes full cooking instructions.
- Regular, good-quality mayo from the supermarket works beautifully in this nostalgic recipe.
- Use a small shallot and mince it as finely as you can.
- Crème fraîche adds a gentle tang and evokes the cream cheese on a bagel platter, but with a more amenable texture. If you can’t find it, you can substitute sour cream.
- Panko (Japanese-style breadcrumbs) cooked in a little bit of butter lends a satisfying crunch to this deviled egg variation. I really love it, but if you need this recipe to be gluten-free or just don’t want to bother, they’ll still be fabulous if you leave it out.
- You can use your favorite variety of smoked salmon or gravlax — whatever makes you happy.
How to make it
Here’s an overview of what you’ll do to make bagel and lox deviled eggs. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.
- First you’ll cook, cool, and peel the eggs. Slice them in half lengthwise, and gently remove the yolks.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash the yolks with a fork.
- Add the mayo, crème fraîche, mustard, salt, and pepper and mix well until creamy. Stir in the shallot.
- In a small pan, toast the panko in the butter and let cool. Pipe or spoon the filling into the whites. Garnish each piece with a generous amount of blue cheese and Frank’s and a celery leaf.
Expert tips and FAQs
You can boil, cool, and peel the eggs up to three days in advance. After that, it’s up to you how to proceed.
You could make the filling and keep it separate, with both filling and whites tightly covered in the fridge, up to two days in advance and assemble at the last minute.
Or you could even make the deviled eggs entirely up to two days in advance and just hold off on prepping and adding the garnishes until right before serving.
Leftovers will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for a week, as long as they haven’t been left out on a buffet for a long time.
More favorite bagels and lox recipes
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Bagel and Lox Deviled Eggs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 large eggs
- ½ cup (124 grams) mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) crème fraîche
- 2 teaspoons (10 grams) dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small shallot, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon (14 grams) butter
- ¼ cup (15 grams) panko
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) capers, drained
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
- 4 ounces (114 grams) smoked salmon
Instructions
- Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. See note 1 below.
- Arrange eggs in steamer basket, if using. Lower basket into water. Or use a spider strainer or large spoon to gently submerge eggs a few at a time until you've added them all.
- Set a timer for 12 minutes.
- When the water begins to bubble vigorously again, reduce heat to maintain a brisk simmer so the eggs don't jostle around too much.
- While the eggs cook, fill a large bowl halfway with ice water.
- When timer rings, pull eggs out of pot and plunge into ice water.
- Cool for 15 minutes.
- Peel carefully and give a quick rinse under running water to remove any remaining bits of shell.
- Slice each egg in half lengthwise.
- Carefully remove yolks and place into a large mixing bowl. Mash well with a fork.
- Add mayonnaise, crème fraîche, mustard, salt, and pepper and continue mashing and blending until yolk mixture is creamy.
- Stir in shallot.
- In a small frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Add panko and cook, stirring frequently and watching carefully, until lightly browned. Let cool for a few minutes before proceeding.
- Using a piping bag fitted with a plain tip, a resealable plastic bag with one of the bottom corners snipped off, or a spoon, pipe or spoon the yolk mixture back into the egg halves.
- Shortly before serving, garnish each deviled egg with a small piece of smoked salmon, a few capers, a sprinkle of chives, and a sprinkle of toasted panko.
Notes
- If you have a collapsible steamer basket and would like to use it to lower the eggs into the pot, makes sure it fits snugly. A 7 ½ quart Dutch oven works well.
- Regular, good-quality mayo from the supermarket works beautifully in this nostalgic recipe.
- Mince the shallot as finely as you can.
- Make-ahead options: You can boil, cool, and peel the eggs up to three days in advance. After that, it’s up to you how to proceed. You could make the filling and keep it separate, with both filling and whites tightly covered in the fridge, up to two days in advance and assemble at the last minute. Or you could even make the deviled eggs entirely up to two days in advance and just hold off on prepping and adding the garnishes until right before serving.
- Leftovers will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for a week, as long as they haven't been left out on a buffet for a long time.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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