There are so many different ways to make egg salad out there, but like everything in life, we’ll never agree on which one is the best.

That’s why this is a simple base recipe for egg salad. Once you master the classic egg salad recipe, you can take it from there. 

Egg Salad

Table of Contents

A Perfectly Good Egg Salad 

The basic elements of egg salad are hard-boiled eggs and mayonnaise. What you do from there is up to you.

Here’s the trick though. Don’t put everything into the bowl at once. You wouldn’t dress a green salad with a dressing you’ve never tasted, so why would you dress your hard-boiled eggs before tasting the mayo mix?

Instead, make the creamy dressing first. Adjust it to your taste buds. You might like dill pickles, sweet pickles, olives, extra salt, onions, spicy mustard, yellow mustard, etc. Once you create a nice balance of creaminess, saltiness and bite, add the eggs.

Some people like really creamy egg salad, and others like it on the drier side. Add eggs and dressing to the bowl, until you reach the creaminess you prefer.

Lastly, butter your bread if you want to take your egg salad sandwich from good to great. It adds a richness that accentuates the dressing, eggs and bread.

Below is the recipe I like to use. It’s great on homemade milk bread with alfalfa sprouts. But again, feel free to use watercress or arugula for extra color and crunch. 

Bon appétit!

Egg Salad
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Simple Egg Salad Recipe

I'm letting you in on my classic egg salad recipe, but then you can take it from there with your favorite add-ins.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients 

  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp creamy Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp onion, minced
  • 1 tbsp cucumber , minced
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice or vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp sugar

Sandwich Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp butter, softened
  • 4 slices bread
  • 1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts or lettuce

Instructions 

  • BOIL: Hard boil eggs in your preferred method, whether that be on the stove or in an instant pot. Or buy pre-boiled eggs. Peel and chop.
  • PLACE: Add everything but the eggs into a large bowl.
  • WHISK: Mix ingredients together and taste. Adjust mustard, salt, lemon juice and sugar to your preference.
  • MIX: Add chopped eggs until you reach the egg-to-mayo ratio you prefer.
  • SPREAD: Butter two slices of bread.
  • ASSEMBLE: Spoon egg salad on one side of bread. Top with alfalfa sprouts or lettuce. Add the other slice of bread.

Notes

For perfect hard-boiled eggs every time, place them in a single layer and just cover them with cold water. Let them come to a gentle boil and cook for about 10 minutes. Once boiled, immediately place eggs in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. The ice bath will also speed up the process and make them the right temperature for your sandwich. 

Nutrition

Serving: 2gCalories: 724kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 18gFat: 59gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 28gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 366mgSodium: 1455mgPotassium: 250mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 711IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 135mgIron: 4mg

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

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Did you try this recipe?Be sure to rate it, leave a comment and save it so you can make it again. Show off your awesome results on social by tagging @zestuous

Ingredients for egg salad

  • Mayonnaise
  • Dijon Mustard
  • Onion: Any type of onion would be great here, but red onion will add a nice color to your egg mixture. 
  • Cucumber: I love the freshness and crunch this adds. 
  • Kosher Salt
  • Fresh Lemon Juice or Vinegar. A little acidity brightens up the mayo dressing. Red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar and even white vinegar are all great.
  • Granulated Sugar
  • Large Eggs: To make this recipe even easier, you can buy store-bought pre-boiled eggs.

Substitutions: Whatever you like! This recipe is a jumping-off point for your personal best egg salad sandwiches.

See the full recipe card for servings and a full list of ingredients.

How to make egg salad

  1. Boil: Hard boil eggs in your preferred method, whether that be on the stove or in an instant pot. Peel and then chop. 
  2. Place: Set everything but the eggs into a mixing bowl.
  3. Whisk: Stir ingredients together and taste. Adjust mustard, salt, lemon juice and sugar to your preference.
  1. Mix: Add chopped eggs until you reach the egg-to-mayo ratio you prefer.
  2. Spread: Butter two slices of bread. I like to use Milk Bread or brioche.
  3. Assemble: Spoon egg salad on one side of bread. Top with alfalfa sprouts or lettuce. Add the other slice of bread.

✔️ PRO TIP

For perfect hard-boiled eggs every time, place them in a single layer and just cover them with cold water. Let them come to a gentle boil over high heat and cook for about 10 minutes. Once boiled, immediately place eggs in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. The ice bath will also speed up the process and make them the right temperature for your sandwich. 

How to serve homemade egg salad

I love how a few simple ingredients can make so many different variations of the classic egg salad sandwich.

While I usually love milk bread, it’s delicious on whole wheat bread, wrapped in lettuce leaves, or straight out of a bowl, but I always like to serve it with a side of potato chips for some crunch and added texture and a simple salad for a balanced meal. 

Add smashed avocado to make avocado egg salad or swap the mayo for plain Greek yogurt for a healthier take.

Add fresh dill, sweet pickle relish, diced celery or black pepper to your egg salad mixture for a different flavor profile. Like I said, this is egg salad your way! 

Tell me your secret ingredient for the perfect egg salad below.

Storage

Leftover egg salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and is best consumed within two days. However, you can keep unpeeled hard-boiled eggs in the refrigerator for up to a week, so go ahead and make extra to have some on hand for snacks or more sandwiches. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my sandwich soggy?

No one likes a soggy sandwich. This may be due to the amount of dressing you used. I recommend using a little less dressing or even toasting your bread to avoid this. 

What’s the best way to chops eggs for egg salad?

​It’s up to you! I like to dice mine so that the egg pieces are evenly distributed, but I’ve seen some people mash and whip the eggs to a super creamy texture and some people even keep large chunks of egg in their mixture. Go wherever your egg salad-loving heart takes you. 

What is egg salad made of?

Egg salad is a cold dish made with chopped up hard boiled eggs and dressing. The dressing usually contains mayonnaise, mustard, an acid like fresh lemon juice or vinegar and salt.

If you start with that easy egg salad recipe, you can add any other ingredients you want like fresh herbs, chopped celery or onion or even mashed avocado.

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Christie Vanover

About Zestuous

Hi. I’m Christie, the head cook and award-winning competitive pitmaster for Team Girls Can Grill. I have won multiple grand championships and have dozens of top ten category finishes. People know me as the girl who is forever hovering over a grill, smoker or campfire with tongs in one hand and a glass of wine in the other.

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4 Comments

  1. This looks excellent and your photos are beautiful. Egg salad is one of my favorite lunches and the idea of alfalfa sprouts I am sure adds little extra texture and great contracting colors. love it.
    Laura @ A Healthy Jalapeño

    Reply

  2. I like your tips on not adding all the ingredients at once. I like my egg salad creamy but chunky. Good looking sandwich there with those alfalfa that you added. Have a wonderful week! 🙂

    ~ ray ~

    Reply