These Crab Deviled Eggs are an elegant spin on a classic. Picture sweet lump crabmeat folded into a creamy yolk filling, then topped with quick-pickled onions. Heaven!
Are deviled eggs my love language? Possibly. Certainly you will never find me far from the platter when deviled eggs are served. Luckily, during my career as a personal chef, I had the excuse to make these frequently. Because it turns out most party guests feel the same way as I do about deviled eggs!
I’ve got a base recipe that I have used for years, but for this version I wanted to put a little Maryland spin on them. Enter a succulent crab filling, a little Old Bay for spice, and a fun pickled onion topping. I’ve got all the tips you need, and a shortcut method for pickling you’ll love.
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Why Make This Recipe
- Chef-tested and party-ready: this recipe will have people asking whether you catered your spread
- Made for crab lovers: crab in both the filling and topping, and not drowned in mayo or excess seasoning
- Perfect flavor balance: those tangy onions really pop next to the creamy egg filling
- Good for make-ahead: see my tips below!
🥗 Ingredients
- Crab Meat: Use fresh lump crab if you can—it has the best texture and flavor. Because you’re going to mix most of it into the filling, you don’t need to spend the big money on jumbo lump crab meat.
- Eggs: I find large eggs are the best size for deviled eggs. Use your favorite method to hard boil them. I’m sharing mine below.
- Mayonnaise: You need this for creaminess, so go with a full-fat version.
- Dijon Mustard: You can substitute brown mustard for this, but I wouldn’t recommend using yellow mustard.
- Old Bay Seasoning: A classic here in Maryland that pairs beautifully with the fresh crab. You could sub in some chili powder or smoked paprika as substitutes, or add in a little bit of hot sauce.
- Red Onion: So pretty when pickled, and they have a milder flavor than yellow onions. If you don’t want to pickle onions, try topping with some sliced green onions.
- Rice Vinegar: I love pickling with this as it is not as strong as white vinegar. You can substitute red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or cider vinegar if needed.
- Fresh Dill: Pairs really nicely with all the flavors in this recipe. Dried dill can be used as a substitute, though use only ½ the amount of the fresh dill. You could also try substituting a different fresh herb such as basil, cilantro, or thyme.
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
Start by making the pickled onions.
1. Peel and thinly slice ½ red onion into half-moons.
2. In a small saucepan, combine ¼ cup rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ cup water. Bring to a simmer, and whisk until the salt and sugar have dissolved.
3. Add sliced onions to a small mason jar, then pour hot brine over them.
4. Let sit for 15 minutes, then drain. Put back into the mason jar and refrigerate until ready to use.
Next, we’ll make the deviled eggs.
1. Peel 6 hard-boiled eggs and slice them in half lengthwise.
2. Gently remove egg yolks and place in a mixing bowl. Arrange egg whites on a serving platter or large plate.
3. Mash yolks with a fork, then stir in 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, ¼ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper until smooth.
4. Pat crab meat dry with a paper towel. Use your fingers to feel around the crab meat, removing any small pieces of shells. Fold 2 ½ ounces crab meat (roughly ½ cup, loosely packed) into the egg mixture, reserving the rest for topping.
5. Transfer filling to a piping bag fitted with an open star tip. Pipe yolk mixture generously into the egg white halves.
6. Garnish with remaining crab meat, a few pickled onion slices, and sprinkles of fresh dill and Old Bay.
Storage Tips
Store pickled onions in a mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Store leftover deviled eggs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
🧐 Recipe FAQs for Crab Deviled Eggs
Yes, most deviled egg recipes are gluten-free, and this one is no exception. The perfect appetizer for all GF eaters. These are dairy-free too!
A plain fork works beautifully for breaking down yolks. If you want an ultra-fine texture, run the yolks through a potato ricer and they’ll come out perfectly fluffy.
Older eggs peel much more cleanly than very fresh eggs, as fresh eggs really cling to their shells. For this reason, store-bought eggs often peel more easily than eggs from the farmers’ market. Steaming the eggs instead of boiling can also help, and an immediate plunge into an ice bath keeps the shells from sticking.
Unfortunately, no. Hard-boiled egg whites turn rubbery in the freezer, and the process of freezing and defrosting stuffed deviled eggs will make them watery and sad.
👩🍳 Expert Tips for Deviled Eggs with Crab
My long-time favorite method for hard boiled eggs is to use Cooks Illustrated’s method. Start by placing eggs in a saucepan and covering them with cold water by at least an inch. Bring them to a hard, rolling boil, then turn off the heat, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes. Perfect hard-boiled eggs every time!
That said, I now have a 7-egg Dash Egg Cooker (affiliate link), and I absolutely love it! It’s now my favorite way to make soft-boiled or hard-boiled eggs. As with the saucepan method, cool your hard-boiled eggs in an ice water bath as soon as they are done. That makes it easier to peel eggs.
You can let the onions sit in the pickling liquid longer if you like. You can even store it in the refrigerator in the liquid. But note that they will taste stronger the more they sit in the liquid.
Make sure to dry the crab before folding it in so that your filling does not get watery.
Choose a piping bag with an open tip of some kind—if you choose one with a smaller opening, the crab meat will get stuck and won’t pipe smoothly.
Want to make this ahead of time? You can make the pickled onions several days in advance. You can also hard boil the eggs a few days in advance. A few hours before serving, make the filling and pipe into the egg white halves. Keep in the refrigerator and garnish right before serving.
Don’t have a piping bag? No worries! Scrape the filling into a ziptop bag and cut the corner off. Squeeze the filling out of the hole like it’s a piping bag.
Want to try another fancy version of deviled eggs next? These Truffle Deviled Eggs are the height of sophistication and flavor!
Other Delicious Crab Recipes
Do you also think that a crab cake is one of the world’s most perfect foods? You’ll want to check out this roundup of my favorite Crab Meat Recipes. Or start with these favorites:
If you try this Crab Deviled Eggs recipe, I would love to hear from you! Please rate this recipe and leave a comment below—your feedback is invaluable to me.
And please follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or subscribe to my newsletter. I’d love to inspire you with more delicious, healthy, and seasonal recipes!
📖 Recipe
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Crab Deviled Eggs with Pickled Onions
Ingredients
Pickled Onions
- ½ red onion
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
Crab Deviled Eggs
- 6 large hard-boiled eggs
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill plus more for garnish
- ¼ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning plus more for garnish
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 ounces fresh lump crab meat divided
Instructions
Pickled Onions:
- Peel red onion, then slice into thin half moons.
- Combine vinegar, sugar, and salt with ½ cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, and whisk until sugar and salt have dissolved.
- Add sliced onions to a small mason jar, then pour hot brine over them.
- Let sit for 15 minutes, then drain. Return to the mason jar, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Crab Deviled Eggs:
- Peel eggs, then slice them in half lengthwise.
- Carefully scoop out yolks, and place in a medium mixing bowl.
- Transfer cooked egg whites to a serving platter.
- Mash yolks with a fork, then stir in the mayonnaise, mustard, fresh dill, Old Bay, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Pat crab meat dry with a paper towel. Use your fingers to feel around the crab meat, removing any small pieces of shells. Fold 2 ½ ounces crab meat (roughly ½ cup, loosely packed) into the egg filling, reserving the rest for topping.
- Scrape mixture into a pastry bag fitted with an open star piping tip. Pipe generously into the egg white halves.
- Garnish with the remaining crabmeat, pickled onions, more chopped dill, and a sprinkle of Old Bay.
Notes
Nutrition
Instagram Users: Now that you've made this deviled eggs with crab recipe, tag me @vanillabeancuisine or #vanillabeancuisine because I’d love to see your results!
More About Molly
Cooking healthy(ish) meals with seasonal ingredients is my passion. Trained as a French pastry chef, I spent over 10 years as a personal chef. Here you'll find well-tested recipes that you and your family will love!
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