Bacon Deviled Egg Salad (Whole30, Keto)

This creamy, protein-packed salad with deviled eggs and bacon is perfect for picnics and picnic lunches. Topped with bacon, this keto-friendly dish is sure to be a crowd pleaser!

A closeup shot of deviled egg salad with bacon on a lettuce leaf in a blue and white bowl.

Easier than making deviled eggs

Longtime readers know that I’m not patient enough to roll up my sleeves and make classic deviled eggs—you know the type, with elaborate yolks and prettily garnished tops. That’s why I came up with a recipe for Lazy Devils. However, I love the flavor profile of traditional deviled eggs, slightly tangy and creamy, and when they’re topped with crunchy morsels of bacon, I devour them like pork candy.

So I decided to put on my grown-up pants and, for once, make some deviled eggs. I put on my apron, pulled out the piping bag and decorating tips from the messy kitchen junk drawer, and cracked my knuckles. IT’S TIME TO DO SOME WORK, MICHELLE!

But then, about halfway through, just as I was scooping the yolks out of the hard-boiled eggs to make a big bowl of filling, I realized something: WHO CARES? Seriously: Every time I see a plate of beautifully prepared deviled eggs, I spend about zero seconds total admiring their appearance before shoving them into my open mouth. So unless the Queen of England is coming for tea, all I care about is how these babies taste.

So what’s a shortcut like me supposed to do? Answer: Put away all the extra equipment and make a big bowl of deviled egg and bacon salad instead!

An overhead shot of deviled egg salad with bacon divided into serving bowls.

The perfect make-ahead salad!

This make-ahead Whole30 egg salad is one of my staple summer BBQ sides. Like traditional deviled eggs, I start with hard-boiled eggs and scoop out the yolks to create a smooth, tangy base. However, instead of carefully piping the sunshine-colored filling into a bundle of halved egg whites, I simply cut the egg whites and add some herbs and flavor enhancers to turn them into my favorite egg salad. It’s even easier to prepare if you already have pre-cooked eggs in the fridge.

How to do it in advance

You can store the egg salad in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days—just leave the sprouts and bacon bits aside until you’re ready to serve!

Now let’s make my recipe for deviled egg and bacon salad and make you the star of the block party!

ingredients

Large eggs: You will need ten eggs to make enough salad to feed you
Bacon, chilled in the freezer for 20 minutes: If you don’t eat pork belly, you can replace it with turkey belly. If you don’t like bacon, you can simply sprinkle a little smoked paprika at the end for red color and smoky flavor.
Homemade Paleo Mayonnaise or Mayonnaise from Primal Kitchen:Who am I kidding? Nowadays I don’t make my own mayonnaise because I can buy some great paleo-friendly ones at the store.
Dijon mustard
Fresh lemon juice
Chopped shallots
Fresh Italian parsley leaves
Chopped fresh chives
Kosher salt from the Diamond Crystal brand (use half the amount if using fine salt)
Ground black pepper
Lettuce leaves (optional)
Sprouts (optional)
Small peppers (optional)

How to Make Deviled Egg Salad

Hard cook your eggs the old fashioned way, in a steameror in an Instant Pot. (I won’t tell anyone if you buy pre-cooked peeled hard-boiled eggs at the store.)

An overhead shot of hard boiled eggs in a blue and white bowl.

For those of you who don’t have a pressure cooker, steaming eggs is another cooking method that makes them super easy to peel. I follow this technique from Serious Eats, which involves filling a large pot with an inch of water, placing it in a steamer insert, covering the pot, and bringing the water to a boil over high heat. Once the water boils, carefully arrange the eggs in a single layer in the steamer insert. Cover the pot and steam the eggs for 12 minutes.

Eggs in a silicone steamer in an open pan.

When the eggs are cooked, drain them with a slotted spoon and transfer them to an ice bath to cool for at least 5 minutes.

Cooked hard boiled eggs cooling in an ice bath.

While the eggs cook, slice the cold bacon crosswise into ¼-inch pieces. Place the bacon slices in a large cast iron skillet and raise the heat to medium. Slowly blend the bacon until the fat is released and thinThe pieces become crispy (about 15-20 minutes).

An overhead shot of bacon bits frying in a large cast iron skillet.

Transfer the crispy bacon pieces to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside to cool.

The crispy bacon bits are drained onto a paper towel-lined plate.

Shell the eggs…

…and cut them in half, lengthwise.

Someone slices a pile of hard cooked eggs on a wooden cutting board.

Pour the egg yolks into a bowl…

Someone takes out the yolks from cooked eggs cut in half.

…and add the mayonnaise, mustard and lemon juice.

Mayonnaise, mustard and lemon juice are added to a bowl filled with hard cooked egg yolks.

Mix and blend the egg yolk mixture until it is almost smooth.

Egg yolks, mayonnaise, mustard and lemon juice are mixed until smooth.

Coarsely chop the egg whites…

Hard cooked egg whites are cut into small pieces.

…and add them to the bowl together with the chopped shallot, parsley, chives, salt and pepper.

Diced egg whites and herbs are added to the creamy mixture of egg yolks and mayonnaise.

Stir carefully to combine. Taste the seasoning and adjust if necessary.

All ingredients for deviled egg salad with bacon are mixed thoroughly.

Pour into serving bowls (and line with lettuce leaves if desired). Top with sprouts and crispy bacon bits.

The Bacon Deviled Egg Salad is topped with sprouts and crispy bacon bits.

Serve!

An overhead shot of deviled egg salad with bacon in a pile of blue and white bowls.

I know, some of you are probably upset that I never ended up making deviled eggs after all. Well, if you really feel like it filling something, I advise you to put the egg salad in mini sweet peppers. The peppers offer a brilliantly sweet and crunchy balance to the creamy, rich egg salad.

Deviled egg salad with bacon and small hollowed out red peppers.

Looking for more recipe ideas? Go to my recipe index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017) and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).

EASY TO PRINT RECIPE CARD

Hard cook your eggs the old fashioned way, in a steameror in a pressure cooker. (I won’t tell anyone if you buy pre-cooked peeled eggs at the store.)
For those of you who don’t have a pressure cooker, steaming eggs is another cooking method that makes them super easy to peel. I follow this technique from Serious Eats, which involves filling a large pot with an inch of water, placing it in a steamer insert, covering the pot, and bringing the water to a boil over high heat. Once the water boils, carefully arrange the eggs in a single layer in the steamer insert. Cover the pot and steam the eggs for 12 minutes.
When the eggs are cooked, drain them with a slotted spoon and transfer them to an ice bath to cool for at least 5 minutes.
While the eggs cook, slice the cold bacon crosswise into ¼-inch pieces. Place the bacon slices in a large cast iron skillet and raise the heat to medium. Slowly blend the bacon until the fat is released and the pieces are crispy (about 15-20 minutes).
Transfer the crispy bacon pieces to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside to cool.
Shell the eggs and cut them in half, lengthwise. Pour the egg yolks into a bowl and add the mayonnaise, mustard and lemon juice. Mix and blend until the mixture is almost smooth.
Coarsely chop the egg whites and add them to the bowl along with the chopped shallots, parsley, chives, salt and pepper.
Stir carefully to combine. Taste the seasoning and adjust if necessary.
If desired, spoon into serving bowls lined with lettuce leaves. Top with sprouts and crispy bacon bits.
If you really want to stuff something, I recommend putting some mini sweet peppers in the egg salad. The peppers offer a brilliantly sweet and crunchy balance to the creamy, rich egg salad.
You can store the egg salad in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, just don’t add the sprouts and bacon bits until you’re ready to serve!

If you already have some hard-boiled eggs in your fridge, whipping up this dish is a breeze.

Calories: 407kcal | Carbohydrates: 5G | Protein: 18G | Fat: 34G | Fiber: 1G

Nutrition information is calculated automatically, so should only be used as an approximation.