Best Egg Salad Recipe
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A few little additions take this classic egg salad recipe from basic to really good, while keeping everything you love about the tried-and-true favorite.
Egg salad is a simple, familiar favorite, but it can be surprisingly easy to get wrong. For me, a good egg salad recipe begins with perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs, then it’s all about balance. Mayo adds richness, while lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and a touch of Worcestershire bring brightness, tang, and depth. I add celery, scallions, and fresh parsley for crunch and freshness, which keeps the salad from feeling too heavy.
Pile it onto toasted bread for an egg salad sandwich, spoon it over greens, or serve it with crackers for an easy lunch.
“Without a doubt THE best egg salad ever! It was so good I made a second batch.”
What You’ll Need To Make Egg Salad
- Eggs: Properly cooked eggs are the foundation of a good egg salad. I like the yolks fully set but still creamy, without that dry, chalky texture you sometimes get from overcooked eggs. The method below will get you there.
- Mayonnaise: Forms the rich, creamy base of the dressing. Use a good-quality brand, such as Hellmann’s or Duke’s.
- Dijon mustard: Adds a little tang and sharpness to cut through the richness of the eggs and mayo.
- Lemon juice: A small amount of fresh lemon juice brightens the salad and keeps it from tasting heavy.
- Worcestershire sauce: My little extra. You only need a touch, but it adds savory depth and makes the whole salad more flavorful without calling attention to itself.
- Celery, Scallions & Fresh Parsley: These add crunch and freshness and keep the salad from feeling too rich. I like scallions here because they give you mild onion flavor without overpowering the eggs, while the parsley adds a fresh, herbal note.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Egg Salad
Hard-boil and chop the eggs: Gently lower the eggs into boiling water and cook for exactly 11 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath to cool, then peel and chop.
Mix the egg salad: Whisk the dressing until smooth and well combined. Add the eggs, vegetables, and herbs and gently fold everything together. Serve right away or refrigerate for up to 3 days. Always give it a taste before serving—the seasoning can mellow as it sits, so it may need a little salt, pepper, or lemon juice to perk it back up.
Got Hard-Boiled Eggs? More Recipes You May Like
Best Egg Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- ¼ cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ cup finely diced celery, from 1 stalk
- 3 tablespoons finely sliced scallions, from 2 to 3 scallions
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Fill a medium saucepan with enough water to cover the eggs by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Using a slotted spoon, gently lower the cold eggs into the boiling water one at a time, taking care not to let them hit the bottom of the pan, which can crack the shells. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a gentle boil and cook for 11 minutes; this gives you fully set but still tender, creamy yellow yolks.
- Meanwhile, fill a medium bowl with ice and cold water. As soon as the eggs are done, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the ice bath. Let cool for 10 minutes. Gently crack the eggs all over, then peel under cool running water, starting at the wide end. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to use. Dry the eggs, then chop into ¼-inch (6-mm) pieces.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and sugar. Add the chopped eggs, celery, scallions, and parsley. Using a rubber spatula, fold to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Serve or refrigerate until ready to use. (If you refrigerate the egg salad, be sure to taste it again before serving and adjust the seasoning; I find the flavors mellow out a bit after some time in the fridge.)
Notes
- Peeling Hack: Start peeling at the wide end of the egg, where there’s usually an air pocket. Peel off a small piece of shell at the bottom to expose the membrane, then slip the egg back into the water (ice water or room temperature water both work) for a minute or two. The water seeps under the shell and helps release it more easily.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The eggs can be cooked, peeled, and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator 3 days ahead. If you keep the eggs in their shell, they can last for up to a week. The egg salad will keep well in a covered container in the fridge for about 3 days.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I tried this salad because the ingredients intrigued me. It is so savory. I did not have all the ingredients, so I improvised. I added spicy deal pickles. Fresh cucumbers chopped. I did not have celery, but the cucumbers sure made it pop. Thanks
This is my go to recipe for egg salad.
I did have to add a small amount of finely diced red onion, as no scallion in the house. And I usually don’t have it unless a recipe calls for several pieces. I have kept regular onion out of the recipe.
What made it a little different was my addition of about an 1/8tsp of Sumac. Just gave it that Unami taste. So will be adding it from now on.
Thanks again Jenn.
Best egg salad I have ever made
This was very good. I would however, only use one green onion. I used two and felt like I couldn’t taste the eggs as much as I would like. I’m also not a huge raw onion fan so maybe that’s part of it.
Our 7 year old has been begging for an egg salad sandwich to take to camp. I usually make mine blindly with eggs, Mayo, Dijon, and a pinch of salt and pepper (basic). My husband picked up dinner tonight so I had time to put a little more effort in, and I made this recipe for her for tomorrow. I asked her to be the taste tester and upon trying it her eyes rolled back and closed for a moment. With a smile before she opened her eyes she told me it was like Calgon was taking her away. So I think we are now calling this Jenn’s Calgon Egg Salad.
Egg salad is an often served breakfast in our home. Typically my renditions are a very short list of ingredients yet always satisfying. And normally the onion thing is not happening in what I prepare. Well, hello “Egg Salad Jenn Segal”…..gosh what a fun breakfast sandwich on toasted rye bread this morning , with strong black coffee. The small amount of Scallions was a fantastic ingredient, not to mention the kiss of lemon. Loved this recipe like all get out.
This has a home in my do again file,made it today for lunch but did not have any green onions on hand and subbed in about 1 1/2 T. of minced shallots and it was still delicious.Thanks Jenn
Seriously, the best egg salad recipe!
I had to make a couple adjustments due to diet and what I had on hand.
I used dried parsley, a little chopped red onion instead of scallion, and powdered xylitol instead of sugar.
I also separated the yolks and mixed that in with the Mayo mixture, then added in the onion, celery and chopped egg whites.
This will for sure be my go to!
best egg salad Ive ever had. Thank you
Yay! Fantastic recipe. Im making a double batch this time. Its so good its not going to last long.