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

  • Best egg salad I have ever had! No changes, made it following the recipe! Do you have a great tuna salad recipe too😋? We love all your recipes, thank you Jen!

    • So glad you liked this! As of now, I don’t have a proven recipe of my own for tuna salad. I’ll have to add that to my list of recipes to potentially develop — thanks for the suggestion!

      • Hi Jenn,
        I take tuna sandwiches with me when I spend the day outside skiing.
        I don’t care for mayo. I use plain yogurt. I also add a diced avocado, scallions or green onions, celery, and a jalapeño. I put it in a flour tortilla, a perfect sandwich for me!
        I have a tuna fan club who enjoys these sandwiches too!!

  • Made this yesterday and popped it in the fridge overnight for lunch today. WOW! Definitely the most flavorful egg salad I have had! I will admit, I was nervous about the Dijon and thought it might be too strong of a taste but the flavors do mellow out after sitting in the fridge. This is definitely my new go-to egg salad! Jenn, thank you AGAIN for another delicious recipe!

  • Made this today and it really IS lovely. I didn’t think you could improve on it but this takes an old favourite to a new level. Thanks!

  • I just made this recipe for a quick lunch to take to work on sourdough bread! Delicious! I’m thinking of adding some diced dill pickles next time though just to add a little more zing. Thanks so much for the recipe!

  • This is great!!!! The first time I made this EXACTLY as written and opted for the vinegar. The second time I added some fine chopped red onion and used the scallion for garnish and did 1/2 lemon juice and 1/2 vinegar and I now have my new favorite egg salad! Worcestershire is brilliant.

  • Excellent!

    I was so sick and tired of my own boring egg salad, I knew I had to find an actual really good recipe and this is it!

    I did make a few changes: I finely chopped up half of a small onion because I didn’t have any scallions and I pressed the eggs through a large-hole potato ricer.

    I think the unusual blend of ingredients is what makes this egg salad so good. It’s definitely a 5-Star recipe!

  • This is the best! Love your recipes

  • Spectacular! My Mom hates vinegar while my father and l love it. Surprise! Everyone loved this recipe. Bravo!

  • Delicious egg salad recipe. Preparing eggs for can be tricky and this recipe does a fantastic job of having the eggs end up perfect. This is a definite, “go to” recipe for egg salad. I plan on passing it along.

  • forgot to add the 5 stars:)

    • This was absolutely the most delicious egg salad ever!!!!! I only got a few tastes before making a huge sandwich for my husband and sharing the rest with a friend who loves egg salad. She just about fell over!! I know I will make this and only this egg salad from now on!! Those extra ingredients elevate the basic to the phenomenal.
      I made it on the fly and didn’t have any scallions left so I used a small leek chopped small. And I already had a small bowl of chopped fresh parsley, sage and rosemary so I tossed those all in. Your recipes are always the best. Thank you!

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