Consider this a public service announcement: You should be using your Instant Pot to hard-boil eggs. The texture is better, you have more control, they’re easier to peel, and they won’t bop around in the boiling water, risking cracked shells. It’s also summer, and you probably have parties to go to, or cookouts, and you may be expected to bring a contribution. Enter deviled eggs.
You could just pressure-cook your eggs for four minutes, peel them, halve them, mix the yolks with mayonnaise until creamy, put the filling back in the whites and sprinkle with paprika. You know, how grandmas across the country have been making deviled eggs for generations. Don’t let me stop you.
But because I can’t leave well enough alone, I tinkered with the formula. My deviled eggs borrow the flavorings of another all-time great summer snack: jalapeño poppers. Truly, is there a greater flavor combination than jalapeños, bacon, and cream cheese? Is there a dish that can’t be improved through the addition of this legendary trio? Probably. But they make for a significant deviled eggs upgrade.
If you have a pastry bag, it will make filling these easier. Just make sure the tip is big enough to let the bacon and jalapeño chunks through. Otherwise, just use a spoon and don’t fuss too much about how they look—they’ll taste good regardless. This is one case where the devil isn’t exactly in the details.
Instant Pot Jalapeño Popper Deviled Eggs
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 3 slices bacon, diced
- 1 jalapeño, stem and seeds removed, minced
- 3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- salt and pepper to taste
- pinch cayenne or several dashes hot sauce, optional
Directions
- Add 1 cup water to the Instant Pot. Add the steam rack and place the eggs on top, so they’re not touching the walls of the pot or each other. Close the lid and set the pot to cook for 4 minutes at high pressure. While it is cooking, prepare a water bath by adding equal parts water and ice to a large bowl. When the 4 minutes are up, manually release the pressure and use tongs to remove the eggs from the pot and place them in the water bath.
- Meanwhile, sauté the bacon pieces over medium heat until just crisped (timing will depend on how thick your bacon is). Use a slotted spoon to remove them to a plate lined with paper towels, leaving the bacon fat behind. Sauté the jalapeño in the fat until softened, about 2 minutes. Let everything come to room temperature.
- Put the softened cream cheese into a medium mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the mayonnaise and again whisk until smooth. Peel the eggs and cut them in half lengthwise. Use a small spoon (or your finger) to scoop out the cooked yolks and add them to the filling mixture. Whisk to combine.
- Add the jalapeño with the bacon fat to the mayonnaise mixture along with half the bacon and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (If your jalapeño was a dud and it’s not spicy enough, you might add cayenne or a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce.) Spoon the filling into the holes of the halved whites and sprinkle with the remaining bacon bits. Chill until ready to serve.
