Pour 1 cup of water into your Instant Pot and place the trivet (steamer rack) inside. Arrange the 6 cold eggs directly on the trivet in a single layer. Seal the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. This timing ensures perfectly cooked eggs with creamy yolks that are ideal for deviled eggs.

While the eggs cook, fill a bowl with ice and cold water. Once the 5-minute cook time is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer the hot eggs to the ice bath and let them sit for another 5 minutes. This stops the cooking process immediately and makes the eggs much easier to peel without the shell sticking to the white.

While the eggs are cooling, combine the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, pickle juice, hot sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk these ingredients together until smooth and well combined. I like to taste as I go and adjust the mustard or hot sauce slightly depending on my mood—sometimes I want more tang, sometimes more heat. This base can be made ahead if you prefer.

Remove the cooled eggs from the ice bath and gently peel away the shells, starting from the wider end where the air pocket is. Rinse each egg under cool water to remove any remaining shell pieces. Once peeled, use a sharp knife to carefully cut each egg in half lengthwise, creating two equal halves with the yolk intact.

Carefully separate the yolks from the egg white halves, placing all yolks into a bowl. Add the yolks to the filling mixture from Step 3 and mash everything together with a fork until you reach your desired consistency—I prefer mine with just a slight texture rather than completely smooth, as it gives the eggs more character. Transfer the yolk mixture to a piping bag fitted with a star tip, or simply use a small spoon to fill each egg white cavity with a generous dollop of the mixture. Arrange the filled eggs on a serving platter, dust the top of each with paprika for color and a subtle smoky flavor, and serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.