Classic Egg Salad

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Egg Salad

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Searching for the best homemade egg salad? Look no further — this is the only egg salad recipe you’ll ever need!

Egg Salad on a thick slick of bread.

Egg salad is a simple dish that’s undeniably delicious when done right (and, let’s be honest, falls a bit flat when it’s not). The trick is to begin with perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs, aiming for tender whites and creamy yolks. From there, it’s all about amping up the seasoning with a good-quality mayo, a squeeze of lemon, a spoonful of Dijon mustard, and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. For a little crunch and color, I like to stir in some celery and fresh parsley, and finish it off with scallions for a subtle onion flavor. The result? An egg salad that’s rich and creamy yet also vibrant and fresh — perfect for sandwiches, wraps, or simply on its own.

“Without a doubt THE best egg salad ever! It was so good I made a second batch.”

Marsha Porter

What You’ll Need To Make Egg Salad

ingredients for 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

Begin by hard boiling the eggs. 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. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, then remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes.

eggs simmering in boiling water

Carefully pour out the hot water; place the pan in the sink and run cold water over the eggs until the pan is lukewarm, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and refill with cold water; let stand until the eggs are room temperature, about 10 minutes.

cooling eggs under the tap

Gently crack the eggs all over and peel under running water. Then dry the eggs and chop into 1/4-inch pieces.

peeling eggs under running tap water

Meanwhile, finely chop the herbs, celery, and scallions.

chopped parsley, celery and scallions on cutting board

In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and sugar.

whisked dressing in mixing bowl

Add the chopped eggs, celery, scallions, and parsley.

dressing, eggs, and add-ins in mixing bowl

Using a rubber spatula, fold to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary, then serve or refrigerate until ready to use.

egg salad mixed and ready to serve

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.

Egg Salad on a thick slick of bread.
Photo by Our Salty Kitchen

Video Tutorial

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Classic Egg Salad

Searching for the best homemade egg salad? Look no further — this is the only egg salad recipe you’ll ever need!

Servings: Makes 2½ cups, or enough for 4 sandwiches
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 20 Minutes

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 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

  1. 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. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, then remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes.
  2. Carefully pour out the hot water; place the pan in the sink and run cold water over the eggs until the pan is lukewarm, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and refill with cold water; let stand until the eggs are room temperature, about 10 minutes. Gently crack the eggs all over and peel under running water. Dry the eggs, then chop into ¼-inch pieces.
  3. 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.)
  4. Make Ahead: 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.
  5. Tip: When peeling an egg, start at the wider end -- there's usually a small air pocket in there, which makes the egg shell easier to remove.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (4 servings)
  • Calories: 214
  • Fat: 18 g
  • Saturated fat: 4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 2 g
  • Sugar: 1 g
  • Fiber: 0 g
  • Protein: 10 g
  • Sodium: 248 mg
  • Cholesterol: 285 mg

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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Comments

  • Can I sub yellow or red onion for scallions ?

    • — Asra on April 1, 2024
    • Reply
    • Yes, that will work, but to take off some of the extra bite that a red or yellow onion will add, I’d soak the diced onion in a bowl of cold water for about 10 minutes before incorporating into the salad.

      • — Jenn on April 3, 2024
      • Reply
  • Skipped the sugar and parsley, still a really tasty egg salad! We had with Swiss on toasted sourdough.

    • — Kels on March 14, 2024
    • Reply
  • What a delicious recipe. I was starving and could not even wait for the egg salad to chill before putting it in a sandwich. It was still fantastic!

    • — Pris on February 28, 2024
    • Reply
  • So delicious! The only egg salad recipe I’ll ever need. Thanks!

    • — Karen on January 23, 2024
    • Reply
  • Thank you for this recipe – I’m a noob in the kitchen but this was easy and turned out great.
    I will make this again for sure.
    Much appreciated.

    • — Steve V on January 4, 2024
    • Reply
  • I often love using lemon juice to “lighten” flavors, but it didn’t work for me here, and threatened to make the whole salad too runny, with the Worcestershire, as well. And the latter didn’t add much either, which surprised me. Not bad, but not a standout.

    • — Donna T on December 3, 2023
    • Reply
    • Well Donna-Clearly you’re not making it right…this is hands down the best egg salad I’ve ever made and it barely lasts 24 hours when I make a double batch…the only thing I have now done to make my life easier is to use the Tik Tok viral video for no peel hard boiled eggs by cracking all the eggs in an oven proof dish and then placing it in another bigger dish filled 2/3 with water and baking in the oven for 30 min at 350 degrees. No more peeling eggs! Another amazing recipe by Master Chef Jenn!

      • — Tara on December 27, 2023
      • Reply
    • I agree. It came out very watery for me. Flavors were good but the sauce mixture was runny.

      • — Jen on May 5, 2024
      • Reply
  • Excellent recipe. Followed it exactly and everyone enjoyed! Thank you!

    • — Marty Feldkamp on November 24, 2023
    • Reply
  • Egg salad should never have anything green in it.

    • — Bobby on October 16, 2023
    • Reply
    • based on your comment im at a loss as to why you would even make it then. i doubt you did.
      the stuff youre talking about is readily available at am/pm.

      • — joe on December 30, 2023
      • Reply
  • This is THE BEST egg salad recipe – the addition of lemon juice and Worchester sauce takes it over the top! I have been cooking your recipes for a long time and they never fail to deliver! Thank you for making me look like a real chef!

    • — Gail Szentesi on October 15, 2023
    • Reply
  • Perfect ratio of ingredients! That being said, I had to made some substitutes for what I had in the pantry/fridge. I found pickle juice to be a good sub for the vinegar/lemon juice, tsp. dried parsley, whole seed garlic mustard for the Dijon, and fine diced cucumber instead of celery. Thought folks might find it interesting, and it tastes wonderful! Thank you so much!!

    • — Jenn Chesney on September 4, 2023
    • Reply

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