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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I thought this was delicious. Just enough dressing and great flavor. I also love chopping the eggs instead of mashing them.
I have one question. When you give a salt measurement is that for table salt, or kosher salt. I use kosher salt and though this needed another pinch or two after chilling.
Thank you. This will be my new go to egg salad.
Hi Steve, So glad you like the egg salad! When a recipe of mine says salt in the ingredient list, I am referring to regular/table salt. If it calls for something else like kosher salt, I will specify that in the recipe. Hope that clarifies. 🙂
Dear Jenn,
I am so confused! Help! I’ve followed your blog for over a year now and used dozens of recipes in every area of food from your site! I love it! However, whilst having my eye for quite some time on your Classic Egg Salad, I finally made it yesterday. I made it exactly measured , except doubled as I needed 12 eggs worth not 6 for our large family. I was precise in each measurement and only didn’t add the shallots….but —- it was like soup!! I was so disappointed. What did I do wrong please? Perhaps this is one of those recipes that don’t do well doubling? I can’t figure what happened, but 8 Tblsp of mayo for 12 eggs + 3 tsps of Lemon Juice and the mustard made soup! Help please when you can! It was my first try at egg salad, and for something so simple I feel puzzled. Thank you!!
I’m sorry you had a problem with doubling the egg salad. This recipe should translate okay into being doubled so I’m not sure what may have gone wrong. Is there any chance you made a measuring error?
No, I measured exactly….I was very careful. The only other thing I wondered was if I didn’t chop the egg fine enough. Could it having been too chunky have made it liquidy?
Hi Stephanie, That wouldn’t have occurred to me, but if the eggs were in pretty big chunks, that may have made a difference in terms of how much liquid got absorbed. Also, what kind of mayo did you use? (I like Hellman’s or Duke’s best.)
Could you have possibly made it while the eggs were still too warm?
Dear Mrs. M.
I make this and love it. I noticed you said 3tbs lemon juice and it would actually be 3 tsp. (1.5 tsp is in the original recipe). Maybe this is your error. Good luck. Jen
Thanks for another great recipe, Jenn! The balance of flavor was perfect! The addition of the mustard and Worcestershire made all the difference. So much better than the bland salad I’m used to! I used vinegar, next time I’ll try the lemon juice to see the difference
I’m not a celery fan and didn’t have any on hand, so didn’t miss it. Is there an alternative for celery that you would recommend for more crunch?
Also, thanks for the tips for boiling and peeling the eggs. They were perfectly done, although I still have trouble getting some of them out of the shell!
Glad you liked it! You could substitute the celery with diced jicama or water chestnuts to get that same crunch. 🙂
Awesome. I’ve never been able to crack the code for egg salad until now. Just the right amount of spice and crunch and not too much mayo. The best way to make hard boiled eggs is in your Instant Pot or other like machine. I cook at high pressure for 5 minutes, let release naturally for another 5, then place into an ice bath for another bath. They peel easily without massacring the egg white.
Yes, eggs cooked in the IP can be peeled very easily! Try it and you might never go back to cooking on the stovetop.
I use low pressure for 12 minutes with quick release.
It was great! Like mom used to make!
Wow! This was delicious. Grew up with just strictly mayonnaise and salt & pepper and eggs mashed with a fork. And, usually too much mayonnaise! This was light and so flavorful! I loved the way the egg were chopped not mashed.
I’ve never made a recipe from Jennifer that I didn’t like!
Mary
Just perfect! No matter how good you might think your egg salad is, this recipe takes it to a whole new level. Is there anything that doesn’t do that on this site?
❤️
Is it rude to lick the bowl after you make something? Well, I came very close. This recipe was fantastic!!!!
🙂
We used every last spec of this egg salad. Made my husband the last sandwich today. He just raved about it. I in turn heated up the next to last slice of the crustless broccoli quiche. That too was amazing. Froze the last slice for another day. Thanks so much for answering all our questions so promptly.
Made this egg salad yesterday. One of the tastiest ones I’ve had. I usually just put in celery, Old Bay seasoning and a touch of dry mustard. Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. I only had one difficulty. I followed the recipe exactly, but the eggs really needed to be cooked a tad longer. I usually boil as instructed, but follow my grandmother’s instructions to shut off heat and let sit 20 min. And I leave it on same burner(electronic). Other than that this will be my go to recipe. Thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes.
Sunny D.☀️