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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Good egg salad except, I like stronger mustard, Coleman’s Prepared, but otherwise, a really tasty egg salad.
I was taught by friends who raise laying chickens, except for the freshest of eggs 1 or 2 days old , after cooking, take straight out of water into a glad container such as measuring cup, shake hard to crack shells all over then shock with cold water, this works for me every time.
So I have been making this Egg Salad recipe for a few years and have never commented but I felt that it was time. I find always found this recipe to be exceptional but I have made one minor tweak based on personal taste. Instead of using chipped parsley, I use chopped fresh dill as I think it adds more to the egg salad than parsley but that’s just me. This last time I made it, I had some freshly cooked bacon sitting around so I added bacon bits and it took the recipe to a whole other level. On a fresh Brioche roll with lettuce and tomato…OMG! So good. Thank you.
I love Jen’s egg salad recipe and so does my best friend. I make it, or Jen’s quiche,every time she comes to lunch. As for the lady that has trouble peeling eggs. I always had trouble with that until I dug up this old trick in Gramma’s recipe box. I add a tablespoon or 2 of vinegar to the egg water and my eggs peel easily. I then use Jen’s egg boiling recipe because it works every single time. Apple cider vinegar gives the shells a light pink tone but, doesn’t change the taste of the egg. I tried to comment on the viewers comment list but, it wouldn’t let me.
I love ES and make it often. This is a really great recipe, but I have one question. I’ve been using the hot-start method for boiling eggs and I find it so much easier with a really easy peel.
Have you or others tried it?
Hi Carol, Glad you like the egg salad. I can’t say I’ve ever used the hot start method for boiling eggs.
Delicious. We added a little sriracha for a bit of a kick. Easily adjustable to your taste.
Hi
Not sure where you goddesses emerged from, but my palate has never been so Happy after trying this E.S sauce , I’ll never do it any other way.
Thank you 💕
💕
So very delicious! Easy, too!
My only change when I make, it again, which I will definitely do…only add the salt after I taste the salad. Some of the ingredients have salt…but that’s not a complaint.
Excellent!!!!!
As Jenn said it’s the only egg salad recipe you’ll ever need. It is absolutely delicious.
Delicious and easy, thank you