Best Egg Salad
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Craving the perfect homemade egg salad? Look no further—this is the one! Whether you’re making a classic sandwich, serving it with crackers, or enjoying it straight from the bowl, this is the only egg salad recipe you’ll ever need.
Egg salad is a simple, classic dish that’s undeniably delicious when done right—but it can fall a bit flat when it’s not. The key to making it perfect? Start with hard-boiled eggs that have tender whites and creamy yolks. Then, bring it to life with a blend of rich mayo, a squeeze of lemon for brightness, a touch of Dijon mustard, and a hint of Worcestershire sauce for depth. For crunch and a pop of freshness, I like to stir in crisp celery and fresh parsley, with scallions adding just the right amount of mild onion flavor. The result is an egg salad that’s creamy, tangy, and full of texture—perfect for lunch or anytime.
“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: Hard-boiled and chopped, they’re the protein component and base of the salad.
- Mayonnaise: Adds creaminess and binds the salad together. Use a good-quality brand, such as Hellmann’s or Duke’s.
- Dijon mustard: Introduces a tangy depth and sharpness.
- Fresh lemon juice (or white wine vinegar): Adds brightness and acidity, balancing the richness of the eggs and mayo.
- Worcestershire sauce: Offers a hint of umami and complexity to the salad, deepening the flavors.
- Celery: Provides a crunchy texture and a fresh, slightly bitter contrast to the creamy components.
- Scallions: Add a mild onion flavor and a touch of color, enhancing the freshness of the salad.
- Fresh parsley: Contributes a pop of color and a fresh, herbal note.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Start by hard boiling the eggs. Just place them in a single layer in a saucepan and add enough cold water to cover them by about an inch. Bring the water to a full rolling boil over high heat, then take the pan off the heat, cover it, and let the eggs sit for 10 minutes.
Carefully pour out the hot water, then place the pan in the sink and run cold water over the eggs for a minute or two until the pan feels lukewarm. This helps stop the cooking process so the eggs don’t overcook. Once the pan has cooled down, drain it and refill with fresh cold water. Let the eggs sit for about 10 minutes to cool completely—this makes them easier to peel.
Gently tap the eggs all over to crack the shells, then peel them under running water to make it easier. Once they’re peeled, pat them dry and chop into 1/4-inch pieces.
Meanwhile, finely chop the herbs, celery, and scallions, making sure to keep the pieces small and uniform—this adds a nice crunch and a pop of fresh flavor in every bite.
In a medium bowl, make the dressing by whisking together the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and sugar.
Add the chopped eggs, celery, scallions, and parsley to the creamy dressing.
Using a rubber spatula, gently fold everything together until well combined. Give it a taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. You can serve it right away or refrigerate until you’re ready to enjoy. The salad will keep for 3 days in the fridge. If you do refrigerate it, be sure to taste it again before serving—the flavors tend to mellow over time, so a little extra seasoning might be needed.
Video Tutorial
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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
- Place the eggs in a saucepan in a single layer, and fill the pan with enough cold water so that it covers the eggs by about an inch. Over high heat, bring the water to a full rolling boil—big, vigorous bubbles should be breaking all over the surface—then remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the eggs immediately to a bowl of ice water and let stand until fully cooled, about 10 minutes. (Alternatively, carefully drain the hot water, then place the pan in the sink and run cold water over the eggs for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain, refill with fresh cold water, and let stand until the eggs are room temperature, about 10 minutes.) Gently crack the eggs all over and peel under running water (see peeling hack below). 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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So good! Best egg salad ever.
Thank you for another delicious and easy to make recipe! I used my instant pot to make the boiled eggs (1 cup water, place on trivet, manual high pressure 5 min, natural release 6 min, then dunk in cold water, peel when cool – use Jenn’s suggestion of starting at the round bottom and using the air pocket).
The flavors worked harmoniously together without one in particular being the dominant flavor. Terrific egg salad that we will certainly make again.
This is so good! Easy and really brings an egg salad sandwich to life! Another winner in my house! Thanks again Jenn!
I was so excited to try this recipe, but I just didn’t love it. I found it a bit too salty and it just seemed to be missing something. I might try the horseradish others have suggested. For those having a hard time peeling their eggs, Google the science of steaming eggs…it works!
Followed recipe exactly as written, but my yolks were still a little soft, are they suppose to be that way, and I had an extremely HARD TIME peeling the eggs despite following your directions precisely. An interesting play of flavors, but I prefer a more traditional egg salad.
Hi Carol, The yolks should be just cooked through. You may have had very fresh eggs, which can be hard to peel.
Can this recipe be doubled?
yep!
I’m allergic to dijon. Could I substitute ordinary yellow hotdog mustard?
Sure, Lesley – that’ll be fine.
I have never been a fan of egg salad, because as you said, they are usually mayo laden and flat out boring. I made your recipe because I needed to use up some eggs and holy moley! This was flat out the BEST and most delicious recipe I have ever tasted for this simple, classic stand by! I didn’t change a thing because to me, I dislike reviews when someone has altered the ingredients and then complains about the outcome. I had enough to share with my neighbor and she raved about how yummy it was. I’m also going to add it to my tea sandwich collection for parties! Thank you, Jenn! I’d give it 10 stars if I could! Well done!
I was skeptical about the amount of sauce for the amount of eggs and didn’t initially add any sugar BUT, BOY, was this delicious as written!!!! Fresh, not overly mayonnaise-y and just really hit the spot for us today. I had made my fresh baked whole grain bread and this was a superb accompaniment! So Good!! Love your recipes Jenn!
Just made this egg salad for lunch. I followed the recipe exactly and it was perfect, like all of your recipes! The eggs came right out of their shells, the seasoning was balanced and bright, and so much less mayo than usual. I served it on honey oatmeal-whole wheat bread (KAF recipe), with arugula and pickled pepper rings. Totally delicious! Thank you, Jenn!