Easy Egg Salad
You’ll love this easy egg salad with mayonnaise mixed with lemon juice and fresh herbs to keep it from tasting heavy. It’s a guaranteed winner for sandwiches, wraps, or a quick snack. I grew up on egg salad sandwiches thanks to my Mom, who truly makes the best egg salad. I’m biased on that one, but her egg salad is really good! Anyway, learning from the best, this is the salad I make when I’m craving egg salad. Once you have hard-boiled eggs ready to go, you can make it in about 5 minutes. Then, it keeps beautifully in the fridge for up to 4 days! If you’re looking for more quick and easy salads, I also highly recommend our tuna salad, herb chicken salad or this smashed chickpea salad. Just like our egg salad, these recipes are simple to make but packed with incredible flavor. Key Ingredients Eggs: You need hard boiled eggs to make egg salad. They are easy, especially with my hard boiled eggs recipe. I add them to cold water in a saucepan, bring the water to a boil, turn off the heat, and cover for 12 minutes (for large eggs). Then, after 12 minutes, I transfer them to a cold water bath to stop them from cooking any more. If you have a pressure cooker, here’s my recipe for Instant Pot hard boiled eggs. Mayonnaise: I love egg salad made with mayonnaise. You can substitute some or all of the mayo with plain yogurt or mashed avocado (like I do in my avocado egg salad) for a lighter option. If I have it in the fridge, I love using homemade mayonnaise! Celery: I like a little crunch, so I always add a little finely chopped celery. You can experiment with minced onions, dill pickles, or even apples (which may sound odd but is really good). Fresh Herbs: Chives are my go-to, but parsley or dill works well, too. I love chives and eggs and also add them to my scrambled eggs. Fresh Lemon Juice: I love a little lemon juice to cut through the rich mayo. Eggs: You need hard boiled eggs to make egg salad. They are easy, especially with my hard boiled eggs recipe. I add them to cold water in a saucepan, bring the water to a boil, turn off the heat, and cover for 12 minutes (for large eggs). Then, after 12 minutes, I transfer them to a cold water bath to stop them from cooking any more. If you have a pressure cooker, here’s my recipe for Instant Pot hard boiled eggs. Mayonnaise: I love egg salad made with mayonnaise. You can substitute some or all of the mayo with plain yogurt or mashed avocado (like I do in my avocado egg salad) for a lighter option. If I have it in the fridge, I love using homemade mayonnaise! Celery: I like a little crunch, so I always add a little finely chopped celery. You can experiment with minced onions, dill pickles, or even apples (which may sound odd but is really good). Fresh Herbs: Chives are my go-to, but parsley or dill works well, too. I love chives and eggs and also add them to my scrambled eggs. Fresh Lemon Juice: I love a little lemon juice to cut through the rich mayo. How to Make My Favorite Egg Salad Tip 1: Cook your own hard boiled eggs. I use my no-fail stovetop method for cooking the eggs. It’s a simple process: To hard-boil eggs, fill a pot with enough cold water to cover the eggs by an inch. Bring the water to a boil, then immediately turn off the heat. Cover the pot and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 11 minutes, which means the yolk will be cooked but still ever-so-slightly soft, which is perfect for egg salad. If you prefer to use an Instant Pot, see my Instant Pot hard boiled eggs recipe. Tip 2: Make my simple, zesty egg salad dressing. It’s so simple, but mixing a little lemon juice into the mayonnaise makes such a difference with egg salad. Tip 3: Add fresh mix-ins for texture. I don’t like it when egg salad tastes heavy, which is why I use the lemon juice for the dressing, as well as fresh herbs and a little celery for the salad. A little goes a long way and really makes this salad taste incredible. The same holds true for our shrimp salad, too! Ways to Serve Homemade Egg Salad My favorite way to enjoy egg salad is to make egg salad sandwiches! I lightly toast some bread and then spread a generous layer of my egg salad onto it (sometimes I add a little butter to the bread, too). I usually enjoy my sandwiches open-faced and plain without any extras, but you can always add toppings like crisp lettuce, sliced tomato, or avocado for extra flavor and texture. I also love egg salad wraps, especially when I make them with these homemade flour tortillas. Other ideas include adding it to your favorite salads or stuffing it into vegetables like hollowed tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers. Easy Egg Salad PREP 5 mins COOK 15 mins TOTAL 20 mins PREP 5 mins COOK 15 mins TOTAL 20 mins This is my favorite way to make egg salad! I keep it really simple with mayo, herbs, a little crunch from celery, and some lemon juice. I don’t add mustard, but if you love it, add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon. Instructions below include cooking the eggs on the stove. If you have an Instant Pot, see my Instant Pot hard boiled eggs. If you love avocado, I also recommend our avocado egg salad! Makes 2 Servings You Will Need 4 large eggs 2 tablespoons mayonnaise or substitute plain or Greek yogurt, try homemade mayo 1 medium-length celery stalk, finely chopped 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives, parsley or dill 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice Salt and fresh ground black pepper Directions 1Cook the eggs: Place the eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 to 2 inches. Heat over high heat until the water comes to a rolling boil. Cover the saucepan with a lid, cook for 30 seconds, then remove from the heat and let stand for 11 to 12 minutes. A minute or so before the eggs finish cooking, prepare a bowl of ice water. 2Cool the eggs: Transfer the cooked eggs to the ice water using a slotted spoon and leave for 5 minutes (or longer). 3Prepare the eggs: Crack egg shells and carefully peel them away. If the shells are not easily peeling away from the eggs, place them back into the ice water and try again in 5 minutes. 4Make the salad: Dice the hard-boiled eggs and add them to a bowl. Stir in the mayonnaise, celery, herbs, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust with more salt or pepper. 1Cook the eggs: Place the eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 to 2 inches. Heat over high heat until the water comes to a rolling boil. Cover the saucepan with a lid, cook for 30 seconds, then remove from the heat and let stand for 11 to 12 minutes. A minute or so before the eggs finish cooking, prepare a bowl of ice water. 2Cool the eggs: Transfer the cooked eggs to the ice water using a slotted spoon and leave for 5 minutes (or longer). 3Prepare the eggs: Crack egg shells and carefully peel them away. If the shells are not easily peeling away from the eggs, place them back into the ice water and try again in 5 minutes. 4Make the salad: Dice the hard-boiled eggs and add them to a bowl. Stir in the mayonnaise, celery, herbs, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust with more salt or pepper. Adam and Joanne's Tips Storing: Homemade egg salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. We do not recommend freezing it. Eggs: Instructions for eggs are for large eggs, for medium or extra-large, see this hard boiled eggs tutorial with accurate timing. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We assumed mayonnaise and did not include any bread. Storing: Homemade egg salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. We do not recommend freezing it. Eggs: Instructions for eggs are for large eggs, for medium or extra-large, see this hard boiled eggs tutorial with accurate timing. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We assumed mayonnaise and did not include any bread. Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size Half the recipe / Calories 241 / Protein 13 g / Carbohydrate 2 g / Dietary Fiber 0 g / Total Sugars 1 g / Total Fat 20 g / Saturated Fat 5 g / Cholesterol 375 mg AUTHOR: Adam Gallagher We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? To inspire you to get in the kitchen and confidently cook fresh and flavorful meals.More About Us