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Egg Salad is a classic dish for a reason. When made right, it’s a perfect blend of creamy, tangy and herbaceous with plenty of crunch. Heap it into egg salad sandwiches (ideally on homemade brioche buns), pile it high onto tartines, scoop it over tender greens or spoon it onto crackers or inside avocado halves. It’s as easy to make as it delicious!

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There are a few simple keys to making the best egg salad: don’t overcook your eggs or cut them too small, don’t overdress with mayonnaise (no one wants goopy egg salad), and always embellish with tangy Dijon mustard and lemon juice, fresh herbs like chives and dill, and bits of raw celery for crunch. And, if you like a little kick, a dash or two of hot sauce.

How to boil eggs for egg salad

There are a lot of opinions about how to boil eggs and sometimes I feel like I’ve tried them all. But a few years ago, I came across this no-fail method from Serious Eats and have never looked back. The boiled eggs have perfect yolks every time and their shells always slide off beautifully. Here’s the tried and true method:

  1. Lower eggs into enough boiling water to cover them by an inch and let them boil for 30 seconds.
  2. Cover pan and reduce heat to low; let simmer 11 minutes.
  3. Transfer eggs immediately to an ice bath and let cool 15 minutes.
  4. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
  5. When you’re ready to peel eggs: gently crack shells all over and peel under a thin stream of cold, running water.

Perfectly boiled eggs are so versatile. Enjoy them in this egg salad or in dishes like Spinach Salad and Nicoise Salad, or make my favorite Spicy Deviled Eggs.

How long does egg salad keep?

Many sources say that egg salad will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days, but I like to eat it within 3 days. It takes just a few minutes to make egg salad if you already have boiled eggs in the refrigerator and you can boil your eggs up to 5 days in advance.

How to make egg salad

Step 1: Stir together mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and fresh lemon juice in a medium bowl.

stirring egg salad dressing

Step 2: Coarsely chop hard boiled eggs and add to mayonnaise mixture along with celery, chives, and dill. Gently toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

adding dressing to egg salad
egg salad ingredients in a bowl
tossing egg salad with dressing

Egg Salad

5 from 9 votes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 11 minutes
Total: 26 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 321
Servings: 4 people
An easy recipe for creamy and delicious egg salad for making sandwiches, salads and more!

Video

Ingredients  

  • 8 eggs
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 rib celery finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives plus more for garnish (optional)
  • 1/4 cup torn fresh dill fronds plus more for garnish (optional)
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • In a large pot, bring enough water to boil to cover eggs by 1-inch. Carefully lower eggs into boiling water and allow to boil 30 seconds. Reduce heat to low and cover; simmer 11 minutes. 
  • Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath in a bowl large enough to fit all of the eggs.
  • When eggs have simmered 11 minutes, immediately transfer to ice bath and let cool 15 minutes. (see recipe note #1)
  • While eggs cool, stir together mayonnaise, mustard and lemon juice in a medium bowl.
  • When eggs are cool, gently tap one egg all over on a cutting board to crack the shell; peel egg under a thin stream of cold water. Repeat with remaining eggs.
  • Cut eggs into coarse, 1/2-inch chunks and add to mayonnaise mixture in bowl. Add celery, chives, and dill; gently toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper; serve. (see recipe note #2)

Notes

  1. You can boil eggs up to 5 days in advance. Remove from ice bath and refrigerate in shell until ready to use.
  2. Refrigerate prepared egg salad for up to 3 days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 321kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 339mg | Sodium: 341mg | Potassium: 169mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 875IU | Vitamin C: 4.8mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1.8mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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34 Comments

  1. Sue says:

    5 stars
    Thank you sooo much shall enjoy ๐Ÿ˜Š

    1. Marissa Stevens says:

      My pleasure, Sue!