Best Egg Salad Recipe | Downshiftology (2024)

Home Recipes Courses Salads Egg Salad

by Lisa Bryan

155 Comments

Updated Dec 29, 2023

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.

Jump to RecipeJump to Video

Egg salad! It’s the classic egg salad recipe that can be eaten plain or turned into a delicious sandwich or wrap. All you need are hard-boiled eggs and a few other simple ingredients for this quick and easy recipe.

Best Egg Salad Recipe | Downshiftology (2)

Before I dive into this recipe I have to be honest with you. Until recently, I was not a fan of most egg salad recipes. I found them to be far too mushy with too much mayonnaise. But good news – my version is different! It has texture and it’s chunky so you can see all the ingredients. There’s no mushiness around these parts! And of course, my version tastes amazing (if I do say so myself).

This classic egg salad recipe is what you’ve likely come across at parties, picnics, and holidays (like Easter). Or what you’ve purchased at the deli counter or enjoyed for a healthy lunch layered in a sandwich. It’s a true delight for a light and fresh meal.

Once you’ve mastered this classic recipe, make sure to give my curried egg salad and avocado egg salad a try for tasty variations.

Best Egg Salad Recipe | Downshiftology (3)

Egg Salad Ingredients

I’m sticking to simple ingredients in this recipe with nothing funky to surprise you. But I do add more fresh herbs than other recipes, because fresh herbs make everything taste better. Here’s what’s in it:

  • Hard Boiled Eggs: The star ingredient of course. Just follow my tutorial for easy to peel hard boiled eggs.
  • Mayonnaise: I’m using my quick homemade mayonnaise, but any store-bought version works.
  • Dijon Mustard: I always opt for Dijon mustard over yellow mustard. It has a more robust, and zingy flavor. Yellow mustard falls a little flat with a muted flavor profile.
  • Red Onion: I love red onion for a pop of red color and crunchy bite. But you could use thinly sliced green onion as well.
  • Lemon Juice: Just a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice keeps the salad fresh.
  • Fresh Parsley and Chives: These herbs pair well with the eggs and mustard. And of course add a pop of green!

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

Making Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

Given that this recipe is all about hard-boiled eggs, you’ve got to make sure you use perfectly hard-boiled eggs. You don’t want the eggs too hard and rubbery, too soft and not mixable, or overly cooked and green around the yolk.

I’ve shared with you how to make perfect boiled eggs previously (step-by-step), so make sure to check out that post and video. I use 12-minute hard-boiled eggs in this recipe, but anything between 12 to 14-minutes is fine.

How to Make Egg Salad

Cool hard-boiled eggs. Make sure you hard boil your eggs ahead of time (or the night before) and allow time for them to cool. Once the eggs are boiled and cooled you’re good to mix the salad together.

Best Egg Salad Recipe | Downshiftology (4)

Mix everything together. Slice your eggs into chunks (but don’t slice them too small) and add them to a mixing bowl along with the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, red onion, lemon juice, parsley, and chives. Give it all a stir until it’s well combined. And that’s it! Super easy.

Best Egg Salad Recipe | Downshiftology (5)

Ways to Enjoy Egg Salad

  • Straight from the bowl. I’ll often eat this straight out of the bowl with a fork because it’s that good!
  • Top it on bread. You can enjoy egg salad as an open faced sandwich, on either gluten-free toast or my falafel flatbread, with a sprinkle of microgreens on top.
  • Wrap it up. Layer slices of cucumber, bell pepper, and other veggies inside tortillas, butter leaf lettuce leaves, or collard greens. Then wrap it up!
Best Egg Salad Recipe | Downshiftology (6)

Storage Tips

Egg salad will stay good in a sealed container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Just make sure that you don’t leave it out at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Otherwise, it may start to go bad.

Best Egg Salad Recipe | Downshiftology (7)

Easy Egg Salad Recipe Video

While this recipe is easy to whip up, it always helps to watch a quick tutorial video. Give it a watch below!

More Easy Egg Recipes

Eggs are truly one of the most versatile ingredients. Here’s a few fun and tasty egg recipes you’ll love!

  • Deviled Eggs
  • Poached Eggs
  • Ultimate Breakfast Casserole
  • Cobb Salad (or Turkey Cobb Salad)
  • Baked Eggs in Avocado

If you make this egg salad, let me know how it turned out! I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below.

Best Egg Salad Recipe | Downshiftology (8)

Best Egg Salad

5 from 82 votes

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Total: 25 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

A classic egg salad recipe that's easy to make and tastes amazing. Perfect hard-boiled eggs and fresh ingredients make it the best egg salad recipe. Watch the video above to see how quickly it comes together!

Video

Ingredients

  • 6 eggs, room temperature
  • ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons parsley, finely diced
  • 2 tablespoons chives, finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Bring a pot of water to a boil. Then turn the heat to low so there’s no bubbles. Use a skimmer to slowly and gently place the eggs in the pot. Turn the heat back to high and boil the eggs for 12 minutes.

    Best Egg Salad Recipe | Downshiftology (9)

  • Transfer the eggs to an ice water bath to stop the cooking process and cool completely (at least 15 minutes).

    Best Egg Salad Recipe | Downshiftology (10)

  • Peel the hard-boiled eggs, and slice them up to your preferred level of chunkiness. Add the chopped eggs to a mixing bowl along with the red onion, chives, parsley, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Stir all of the ingredients together, until well combined.

    Best Egg Salad Recipe | Downshiftology (11)

  • Enjoy the egg salad straight from the bowl, or in a sandwich or wrap.

    Best Egg Salad Recipe | Downshiftology (12)

Lisa’s Tips

  • The eggs may crack if you introduce cold eggs straight to the boiling hot water. So I leave my eggs out prior to boiling, or run them under lukewarm water for a few seconds, as well as turn off the boil right before placing the eggs in the pot.
  • I also use a skimmer to introduce the eggs to boiling water so they don’t slam into the bottom of the pan and crack.

Nutrition

Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 251mg | Sodium: 226mg | Potassium: 116mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 580IU | Vitamin C: 4.6mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1.3mg

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Egg Salad, Egg Salad Recipe, How to Make Egg Salad

©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

Recipe originally posted April 2019, but updated to include new information.

You May Also Like

Taco Salad

Classic Potato Salad

Caesar Salad

Simple Kale Salad

About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

Read More About Me

Best Egg Salad Recipe | Downshiftology (2024)

FAQs

What if I add too much onion to egg salad? ›

If you've added too much onion to a dish and want to tone down the onion taste without starting over, there are several strategies you can try: Dilution: Add more of the other ingredients in the dish to balance out the onion flavor. This can help distribute the onion taste more evenly and reduce its dominance.

Why does my egg salad taste bland? ›

Stir through and adjust by adding more mayonnaise if you like your egg salad creamier. Why does my egg salad taste bland? The simple reason may be that it's not seasoned enough. Add a little more salt and pepper to taste.

How to make egg salad not watery? ›

A few simple ideas to reduce watery egg salad are these ingredient swaps.
  1. Low-fat mayo has extra water: use less full fat mayo (as long as you're not worries about lightening things up).
  2. Onions add a wonderful flavor, but they also add water: green onions or chives are delicious and drier.
Mar 29, 2024

Do you chop or mash eggs for egg salad? ›

Recipe developer and cookbook author Sheri Castle suggests that "for a salad with hearty texture that won't turn gummy or pasty, use your hands to crumble the eggs instead of chopping the whites and mashing the yolks with a fork." You will, of course, want to wait until the boiled eggs are cool enough to handle, but ...

What cancels out onion flavor? ›

Adding a touch of acidity, such as lemon juice or a splash of vinegar, can help cut through the richness of the onions. Additionally, adding sweeter ingredients like carrots, bell peppers, or even a pinch of sugar can help counterbalance the strong taste.

What happens if you put too much mayo in deviled eggs? ›

Going overboard with the mayo.

But when you're heavy-handed with this ingredient, not only will it overpower the taste of the filling, but it can also make for a loose, runny filling that's tough to pipe into the egg white.

Why do I get an upset stomach after eating egg salad? ›

Food intolerance happens when the body is unable to digest certain components in food. People who have an egg intolerance may not be able to digest the egg whites or yolks, or both. With an intolerance, a person may experience digestive problems hours after consuming the offending food item.

Why does egg salad upset my stomach? ›

Eggs are a rich source of nutrients, making them a popular meal choice and ingredient. However, some people may experience nausea after eating eggs. If you feel nauseous after eating eggs, you may have an intolerance or allergy to egg yolks, egg whites, or both. Some people may experience nausea after eating eggs.

Why is my egg salad runny the next day? ›

You add too much mayonnaise

If you have a problem with your egg salad being too runny, the mayonnaise could be why, as the amount you add directly affects the egg salad's texture. It's best to separately create the dressing and then incorporate it in increments to avoid this problem.

How many days does egg salad last in the refrigerator? ›

Serve the egg salad immediately or refrigerate it until ready to use. Egg salad will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge.

What is the best tool for making egg salad? ›

For a silkier salad, use a potato masher

Forget knives and costly contraptions; Allrecipes recommends using a potato masher to more effectively chop boiled eggs. While many recipes forgo chopping for mashing, forks are usually the tool of choice to pound boiled eggs.

How long do you hard boil an egg for? ›

How much time is needed to make hard boiled eggs? Hard boiled eggs should be cooked for about 10-12 minutes. This timing avoids a powdery, dry yolk that comes from overcooking while keeping it solid enough for applications like devilled eggs or egg salad.

What goes well with egg salad? ›

What to Serve with Egg Salad Sandwiches (23 Easy Sides)
  • Meat. • 1 Bacon-wrapped tater tot cups. ...
  • Produce. • 1 Perfect baked potato. ...
  • Canned Goods. • 1 Tomato soup, Homemade.
  • Snacks. • 1 Onion rings.
  • Dairy. • 1 Mozzarella sticks, Homemade. ...
  • Frozen. • 1 Fruit and yogurt parfaits. ...
  • Prepared. • 1 Simple crudites platter.
  • Deli.

How do you fix too much onion? ›

I was testing a recipe and it had too many onions in it, and I added a little bit of balsamic vinegar to sort of redirect the flavor of the onions.

What happens if you have too much onions? ›

Eating onions, especially raw onions, can have a few side effects, including: Gas and bloating. The same substances in onions that feed the healthy bacteria in your gut can be hard for some people to tolerate. Onions are among foods that sometimes cause trouble for people with irritable bowel syndrome.

How to remove saltiness from egg salad? ›

Add Acid to Your Dish

Squeeze some lemon juice or orange juice over your dish. The sour flavor provides a new layer of complexity to the meal and should mellow out the salt.

How to reduce onion flavor in salad? ›

All you need to do is give the sliced onions a good soak in a bowl of water before serving them. This one simple step tames the bite of the raw onions and mellows out their flavor.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Arline Emard IV

Last Updated:

Views: 6709

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (52 voted)

Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Arline Emard IV

Birthday: 1996-07-10

Address: 8912 Hintz Shore, West Louie, AZ 69363-0747

Phone: +13454700762376

Job: Administration Technician

Hobby: Paintball, Horseback riding, Cycling, Running, Macrame, Playing musical instruments, Soapmaking

Introduction: My name is Arline Emard IV, I am a cheerful, gorgeous, colorful, joyous, excited, super, inquisitive person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.