Egg Salad

If you’re just learning how to make egg salad, this may be the best egg salad recipe. Truly. It combines perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs, celery and basic pantry staples. The mayonnaise dressing is creamy without being too rich or heavy, and the simple seasoning blend adds just enough savory, herbaceous spice. It’s wonderful tucked into lightly toasted bread slices or served over tender leafy greens. Or, if you enjoy egg salad as much as I do, you may enjoy this served in a bowl with a little spoon.

The key to any excellent egg salad is the eggs, of course. It doesn’t matter if you like your boiled eggs jammy or firm—they’ll work for egg salad. This is the time to use any extra eggs from Easter or when you made too many for your favorite deviled eggs recipe.

Egg Salad Ingredients

• Mayonnaise: Mayo is essential to an easy egg salad recipe. You can use Miracle Whip or mayo, depending on your preference. Or, make a batch of homemade mayonnaise.
• Lemon juice: Always use fresh lemon juice for egg salad. It delivers a more vibrant aroma and brighter citrus flavor than bottled.
• Dried minced onion: Just a little onion adds sharpness to the eggs, which pairs well with the dish’s rich, salty tones. Dried onion is far less harsh and spicy than raw onion, so it’s easier on the stomach (and palate) for many people.
• Salt and pepper: This recipe for egg salad calls for equal amounts of salt and pepper. Use more or less of each to taste.
• Hard-boiled large eggs: You could also use soft or medium-boiled eggs for this recipe, but we like the firm-meets-creamy texture of hard-boiled eggs.
• Celery: Fresh celery adds familiar crunch and herbaceous sweetness to most egg and chicken salad recipes.

Directions

Step 1: Combine the egg salad ingredients

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In a large bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, onion, salt and pepper until smooth. Add the eggs and celery.

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Stir everything until evenly dispersed.

Step 2: Refrigerate the salad

Cover the egg salad and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Ellie Crowley for Taste of Home

Ways to Serve Egg Salad

• Egg salad sandwich: Egg salad sandwiches are the only thing better than an easy egg salad recipe. Popular bread choices include lightly toasted white or soft pumpernickel bread, croissants and fluffy pitas. Top your sandwich with thinly sliced tomatoes, avocados or cucumbers.
• Egg salad wrap: Use a tortilla, flatbread or a lettuce leaf to make an egg salad wrap. Include the same ingredients you would for a sandwich, like tomato, avocado or cucumber.
• Egg salad cups: Make mini pastry cups with frozen puff pastry, biscuit or croissant dough and fill them with egg salad. Top each cup with a slice of olive, chives or a sprig of dill.
• Egg salad-stuffed vegetables: Bell peppers, celery sticks and hollowed-out tomatoes are all fantastic vessels for egg salad.

Recipe Variations

• Add Dijon: For a gentle tang, add a dot of Dijon mustard, a dash of ground mustard or another favorite mustard to the salad.
• Include fresh herbs: Fresh herbs will enhance most egg salad or chicken salad recipes. Go for tender leafy herbs like tarragon, thyme, parsley or basil. Avoid woodsy or dried herbs, as they will add a hearty, heavy note that can be overwhelming.
• Try Japanese mayonnaise: Kewpie, the beloved Japanese mayonnaise, is made with plenty of egg yolks for a richer, creamier, slightly sweeter mayo. You can even make Japanese mayonnaise from scratch.
• Swap in chicken (or tofu): Convert this into a chicken salad by swapping in pulled or chopped cooked chicken for the eggs. For a vegan version, use a vegan mayonnaise and swap in chopped or crumbled tofu for the eggs.

How to Store Egg Salad

Egg salad is best stored in the refrigerator. Never keep mayonnaise-based salads at room temp for longer than two hours—by that time your food may grow harmful bacteria, putting you at risk of food poisoning.

How long does egg salad last?

Store your egg salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Can you freeze egg salad?

You can technically freeze your egg salad for two or three months. However, we don’t recommend freezing egg salad, as the texture changes for the worse when it freezes and then thaws.

Egg Salad Tips

Ellie Crowley for Taste of Home

What’s the best way to make hard-boiled eggs for egg salad?

It’s not difficult to make perfect boiled eggs. You can make hard-boiled eggs in an Instant Pot, oven, slow cooker, air fryer or egg cooker. While every method works, we think stovetop-boiled eggs are the most foolproof.

What can you serve with egg salad?

Egg salad is delightful with breakfast and brunch foods, such as omelets, green salads, fresh fruit, and cheese and crackers. Homemade potato chips, crisp vegetables like carrot sticks or celery, and air-fryer snacks like sweet potato fries or crisp spiced chickpeas also make fine companions to egg salad sandwiches.

What else can you add to egg salad?

Depending on the occasion, you can add creamy or crunchy ingredients to your egg salad. For a side dish at a potluck or cookout, add cooked diced potatoes—skin-on for more texture. Or, for a heartier but just as fresh lunch, add all sorts of finely chopped vegetables to your salad. I enjoy adding colorful, crunchy veggies like bell peppers and carrots. For a near-diplike creamy salad, I’ll add tomatoes and/or avocados.