What Are Smoked Eggs And What Do They Taste Like?

Everyone knows how delicious hard-boiled eggs are. The silky whites and tender yolks are perfect eaten as a snack all on their own, or turned into delicious deviled eggs or used in recipes like kedgeree. You can chop them up to use in egg salad, or add them to bowls or any tossed salad. They are also delicious sliced on toasted bread with mayo for an egg sandwich.

But there's a different way to make hard-boiled (hard cooked) eggs. And it doesn't use a pan on the stovetop, or the microwave oven, or even the air fryer. Rather, you smoke the eggs. That may sound improbable. It's fairly easy and common to smoke a chicken, or a rib roast, or a burger, but smoking an egg? But believe it or not, there are four ways to smoke eggs, according to Fine Dining Lovers, and they are all delicious and simple. 

Smoked eggs are eggs that are cooked in smoke and heat rather than water or fat. The four ways to smoke eggs are cold smoked, tea smoked, hot smoked, and BBQ smoked. Cold smoking eggs isn't really cooking them, since the cooking temperature is only around 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The eggs are first boiled, then smoked until they absorb the smoke flavors and change color, according to Bradley Smoker. 

Tea smoked are how they are made in China, with the eggs first cooked in tea to add color and flavor, then cold smoked, per Saveur. Hot smoked eggs are prepared in a smoker, with the temperature around 225 degrees Fahrenheit, and BBQ smoked eggs are made, logically enough, on a grill, per Fine Dining Lovers. The uncooked eggs are put in the smoker or barbecue, then cooked for about an hour and a half, according to Masterclass. The egg white turns a golden brown on the outside, and the yolks turn very golden or even take on a brown tinge. You can even double smoke your eggs, first cooking them until they are firm, then removing the shell and smoking them again until the whites get crisp, per BBQ Hero. The eggs are smoky and rich tasting, intensely egg-y and smooth.

To peel your eggs, put them in cold water for about 10 minutes, then gently crack the shells and peel them off (or you can try this mind-blowing egg peeling hack). Many people think that the best way to eat a smoked egg is straight. Peel the eggs and wolf them down. But you can also make things a little fancier depending on what you sprinkle on the eggs. Plain salt is great, of course, but why not try smoked salt, via Amazon, for a double smoke whammy? Sprinkle them with paprika or barbecue seasoning, or chives or cayenne pepper. 

The smoked eggs will keep in the fridge up to a week, per Masterclass. You can use them in many different recipes. Try a deviled egg salad with your smoky eggs, or use them in this sriracha avocado egg salad sandwich or a Tex-Mex egg salad. The eggs would be delicious in egg salad and bacon cups for a fancy appetizer, or bring a nicoise salad to the next level.