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Niçoise deviled eggs with tuna are a super-savory, totally fabulous mashup of two classic dishes. Here’s how to make them shine.
Why we love this recipe
This super-savory deviled egg variation brings together layer upon layer of beautiful, punchy flavor. Niçoise deviled eggs with tuna are:
- Nostalgic
- Crowd-pleasing
- Make-ahead friendly
- Low-carb, keto-friendly, dairy-free, and gluten-free
- A truly easy addition to your next buffet
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 2018. 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.
- If you’re using sun dried tomatoes from a jar like the ones pictured here, be sure to drain them well and blot them dry. Whenever possible, I like to use the ones from Trader Joe’s that come in a pouch. They’re nice and soft and not oily.
- Kalamata olives are a great fit for this dish. They bring both vinegary tang and tons of umami to this recipe, and the aubergine color is gorgeous, too.
- You can use any canned or jarred tuna that you like. See the section below for some expert tips on tuna shopping.
Shopping for tuna
Shopping for canned tuna can be more confusing than you’d think. You can use whatever canned or jarred tuna you like for this recipe, but here’s what we like to use, and what it means.
We prefer either solid white tuna or solid-packed light tuna that’s salted and packed in olive oil. I also look for pole-and-line caught, troll-caught, or MSC certified designations. Here’s what it all means:
- White tuna is albacore, a larger fish with a firmer, more steak-like texture. That’s great, but not strictly necessary for tuna salad. Albacore tend to be less sustainable these days, though this isn’t a hard and fast rule.
- Light tuna is usually skipjack, a smaller fish that can have a darker color, less-firm texture and fishier taste. If you buy light tuna (which we often do for tuna salad), look for “solid-pack” in olive oil. Both these terms yield light tuna with a good texture and flavor. Light tuna tends to be less expensive than white.
- Pole-and-line fishing and troll fishing are the two best ways to avoid trapping other animals when fishing for tuna, so those designations are a good bet that your tuna brand is making good environmental choices. You can read about the Marine Stewardship Council’s criteria for certification at the link above. I find it to be super-helpful when faced with a zillion options at the grocery store.
How to make it
Here’s an overview of what you’ll do to make a great batch of Niçoise deviled eggs with tuna. 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, mustard, salt, pepper, and mix well until creamy. Flake the tuna with a fork. Stir it into the yolk mixture along with the shallot, olives, sun-dried tomato, and parsley.
- Pipe or spoon the filling into the whites. Garnish each piece with a small parsley leaf, if you like, and serve.
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 garnishing 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 recipes with canned tuna
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Niçoise Deviled Eggs with Tuna
Ingredients
- 12 large eggs
- ½ cup (124 grams) mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons (10 grams) dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 5- ounce 142-gram can tuna, drained
- 1 small shallot, finely minced
- 24 pitted kalamata olives, minced
- 4 sun-dried tomato halves, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
- 24 small parsley leaves, to garnish (optional)
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 and carefully remove yolks to a medium bowl.
- Mash yolks well with a fork.
- Add the mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper to the bowl and mix well, until the yolks are incorporated into the mayo and the mixture is smooth and even.
- Use a fork to flake the tuna into the mixing bowl.
- Add shallot, olives, sun-dried tomato, and parsley and mix until nice and creamy.
- Using a piping bag fitted with a star 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.
- Garnish each piece with a small parsley leaf, if you like, and serve.
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, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives as finely as you can.
- If you're using oil-packed sun dried tomatoes from a jar, be sure to drain them well and blot them dry. Whenever possible, I like to use the ones from Trader Joe's that come in a pouch. They're nice and soft and not oily.
- You can refer to the section of the post above to learn more about buying tuna.
- 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 garnishing 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.
Hungry for more?
Subscribe to Umami Girl’s email updates, and follow along on Instagram.
