The Best Egg Salad Recipe

Name: The Best Egg Salad Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 8 large hard boiled eggs (peeled and chopped); 1 celery rib (finely chopped); ¼ cup red onion (finely diced ); ¼ cup mayonnaise; 2 teaspoons fresh dill (minced); 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard; 1 teaspoon white vinegar; ½ teaspoon granulated sugar; ¼ teaspoon paprika; ¼ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; Pinch of cayenne pepper

Jump to Recipe

The best egg salad recipe is fast, flavorful, and easy…just like this one! My version incorporates fresh ingredients so it’s not too rich and takes just 5 minutes to prep!

Fast & Easy Egg Salad

Today I’m sharing my personal favorite egg salad recipe! When my chickens lay a surplus of eggs (as they are now… I’m getting nearly 2 dozen a day), this is my go-to way to use them in a hurry (this and my angel food cake). Not only is this recipe fast, but it’s also so flavorful and always gobbled down in a flash.

Aside from being a quick snack or lunch (and you probably already have all ingredients on hand!), egg salad makes a wonderful tea sandwich for tea parties or bridal/baby showers. Enjoy it straight from the bowl or serve over lettuce, over toasted sourdough bread, or with crackers.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Uses pantry staples, so you can whip it up as a quick lunch or snack. It’s a nice, easy go-to when you don’t have leftovers or meal-prepped lunches.
Fresh notes from dill, celery, and a hint of lemon juice or vinegar, so it’s not too rich, as many egg salads can be.
Can be made in advance, and tastes even better if it is. Letting it sit allows the flavor to develop (just like with cucumber salad or potato salad)!

Ingredients

Before we get started, let’s talk about a few of the key ingredients in today’s recipe.

Eggs. You will need eight large hard boiled eggs. Older eggs tend to peel easier than fresh eggs, so keep this in mind if using fresh eggs.
Veggies. Including celery and red onion. You can finely chop your veggies or leave them larger if you like a heartier texture like my chicken salad. Personally, I like them nice and fine so they blend smoothly into the salad and the egg can shine.
Spices + sugar. I add paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper (just a pinch!), salt, and sugar. The sugar balances the flavor (I add it to my deviled eggs too!) and is a key ingredient in my recipe.
Dijon mustard. While many egg salad recipes use regular yellow mustard, I love the unique flavor dijon adds. If you don’t have dijon on hand though, you can absolutely just use regular mustard.
Vinegar. A bit of acidity from vinegar helps to balance the flavor nicely. If you don’t have white vinegar, you can use just about any kind you have on hand (avoid rice vinegar). You could even use a splash of pickle juice or lemon juice instead.
Fresh dill. Fresh dill works great and is my preferred herb for pairing with eggs. If you use dried, you’ll need less; make sure to taste-test so you’re happy with the flavor of the dressing. Chives and/or parsley could be used instead, but of course the flavor will be different.

SAM’S TIP: This recipe is truly quite versatile. I recommend trying it just as written at least once, but you can always play around with adding your favorite herbs or tossing in peppers or pickles. You could even try to lighten things up by using a blend of Greek yogurt and mayonnaise.

This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

How to Make Egg Salad

Overhead view of a serving bowl with chopped eggs, onion, and celery next to a bowl of dressing.

Gently combine the chopped eggs, celery, and onion in a large bowl.
Make the dressing by whisking together the mayo, mustard, vinegar, dill, spices, sugar, and salt.
Add the dressing to the egg mixture and gently toss (I use a rubber spatula) until everything is evenly coated. Cover and place in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes, then enjoy!

SAM’S TIP: If you only have fresh eggs (which are difficult to peel) or struggle with getting your hard boiled eggs just right and you happen to have an instant pot on hand, try using that to boil your eggs! Here’s my favorite method for making hard boiled eggs. Quick and easy every time.

Overhead view of a serving bowl with chopped eggs and veggies tossed in a mayo dressing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this egg salad recipe with a dozen eggs?

Absolutely, this recipe scales well. You will need to multiply each ingredient by 1.5 of if you do. This will give you 3 ¾ cups or just over 7 servings of egg salad.

How long can I leave this at room temperature (for serving at a party)

Because of the ingredients (particularly the mayo) this is not a salad that you should really leave out at room temperature. However, one thing I like to do is I’ll take a large Tupperware container and fill it with ice, then nestle my serving dish with the egg salad into the ice. This helps keep it chilled so I can leave it out safely for serving. I do this with my broccoli salad and other perishable potluck staples like ambrosia salad and coleslaw, too.

Should I (/can I) mash the eggs?

Some people like their eggs to have a finer, smoother texture. While I finely chop my eggs (and all of my ingredients), for an even smoother/deli-style result you can mash the eggs with a potato masher or press them through a mesh strainer. Personally I prefer more texture to mine.