Even for people who enjoy cooking, making deviled eggs is a tedious process. Between peeling the shells, slicing the eggs, and scooping out the yolk, the hors d’oeuvres are often more trouble than they’re worth. The viral food hack below does the impossible—it makes preparing deviled eggs look kind of fun.
As Today reports, Andrea VanDerwerker (@andrealanev) posted this genius tip to TikTok on November 16. It requires no specialized techniques or fancy equipment—all you need is a long kitchen knife.
Once your eggs are boiled and peeled, take one and gently lay your knife against it longways. As you press the blade into the egg white, pull it toward you so that the egg rolls backwards along your cutting board. This trick allows you to slice the egg whites in half in one fluid, circular motion without cutting straight through the egg. Once your knife has made a full rotation, the yolk will pop out clean, intact, and ready to be whipped into a filling.
VanDerwerker told Today that she spontaneously discovered the hack while preparing deviled eggs for her Friendsgiving dinner. She thought it was clever enough to share with the internet, and the internet apparently agreed. Her TikTok has garnered more than 25 million views since it was published ahead of Thanksgiving.
Scooping egg yolks is just one part of the dish that makes it a hassle. VanDerwerker’s trick is impressive, but it doesn’t get you out of peeling dozens of boiled eggs by hand. For that annoying step, try poking a pinhole through the bottom of the shell before submerging the egg in hot water. Famous French chef Jacques Pépin came up with that cooking hack long before the days of TikTok.