The BEST egg salad recipe! Delicious on a sandwich or straight from the bowl, this easy egg salad is creamy, tangy, and bright. A perfect lunch!
I started making this egg salad recipe as a way to use up hard boiled eggs left over from Easter one spring. I thought it would be a one-and-done lunch—just an easy way to use up my leftovers—but to my surprise, I got hooked. Before long, I was boiling more eggs to make more egg salad. This stuff is seriously good!
This egg salad recipe is brighter and fresher than most. In my opinion, it’s what a classic egg salad recipe really wants to be. It has a rich, creamy mayo dressing with lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and (optional) capers for a tangy, briny kick. Fresh herbs like chives and dill take it over the top.
Stuffed into a sandwich with crisp veggies and greens, this egg salad is my ideal spring lunch. I hope you love it as much as I do!
Egg Salad Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy egg salad recipe:
- Eggs, of course! Prepare them according to this recipe for how to make hard boiled eggs. They’ll be easy to peel and have sunny yellow yolks!
- Mayonnaise – It makes the salad rich and creamy.
- Dijon mustard – For tangy, peppery flavor. Feel free to sub yellow mustard if you prefer!
- Fresh lemon juice – It adds brightness.
- Red onion – For crunch and oniony bite.
- Fresh herbs – Chives and dill add freshness to the salad and enhance its savory flavor.
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
If you like, add some capers too. I love their salty, briny flavor in this recipe. Chopped dill pickles and a pinch of celery seed are also great add-ins.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make the Best Egg Salad
This egg salad recipe is simple! Cook the hard boiled eggs, then peel and chop them. Dice the red onion and chop the fresh herbs too.
Whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix to combine.
Just chill and season to taste before serving. That’s it!
For the best results, follow these tips:
- Start with good hard boiled eggs. I make mine by adding the eggs to a pot of cold water and bringing the water to a boil over high heat. When it reaches a rolling boil, I remove the pot from the heat, cover it, and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 12 minutes. Then, I chill them in an ice water bath for 14 minutes before peeling. This method yields easy-to-peel eggs with yellow yolks. For more tips on making perfect hard boiled eggs, check out my hard boiled eggs recipe!
- Maintain some texture. The best egg salad is a little chunky, with a rich, creamy dressing surrounding it. It’s ok if the egg yolks crumble a little as you fold the chopped eggs into the dressing, but don’t mash them up too much.
- Go all in on the herbs. Fresh chives and dill add bright, oniony flavor to this recipe, and they make it feel really fresh. If you don’t have one of them, use more of the other, or add fresh parsley or green onions instead.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Ways to Serve
Enjoy this recipe straight from the bowl, or
- scoop it up with crackers or crostini,
- serve it over lettuce or other greens,
- or fold it into pita or a tortilla to make a wrap.
Or make an egg salad sandwich! Pile on fixings like lettuce, sprouts, or microgreens; thinly sliced cucumber, radishes, or avocado; and/or pickled red onions.
What to Serve with an Egg Salad Sandwich
I often pair mine with a side salad for lunch. Try serving your sandwich with one of these recipes:
How long does egg salad last in the fridge?
Egg salad keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Storage Tips
- Store it in an airtight container. If you’re making egg salad sandwiches, don’t assemble them more than a few hours before you eat. If you make them too far in advance, they’ll get soggy!
- Keep it in the fridge. It can spoil if it’s at room temperature for 2 hours or more.
- Season to taste after chilling. I often find that this salad needs an extra pinch of salt or squeeze of lemon after it’s been in the fridge. Don’t hesitate to taste yours after chilling and pep up the flavors as needed!
More Easy Egg Recipes
If you love this recipe, try one of these easy egg dishes next:
- Deviled Eggs
- Soft Boiled Eggs
- Poached Eggs
- Or any of these 25 Best Egg Recipes!
Best Egg Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 to 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 1 teaspoon capers, optional
Instructions
- Hard boil the eggs according to this recipe. Peel and chop.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, salt, and several grinds of pepper.
- Mix in the onions, then fold in the eggs, chives, dill, and capers, if using.
- Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Stir, then season to taste and serve.
Is there a good substitute for mayonnaise?
You can use plain Greek yogurt instead.
Excellent recipe! Probably the best one I’ve tried for Egg Salad! I’m not a big fan of dill, so I tried a small amount of chopped fresh Tarragon. Turned out fantastic. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
I really liked this recipe. Thanks for the suggestion of adding Capers. I also put a bit of horseradish sauce, Tabasco and red chili pepper flakes to give it a bit of a kick. Turned out great.
Those add-ins sound delicious, Janice! So glad you loved the recipe.
It’s so good! I’d say it makes closer to two servings than four, but maybe that’s just because we want to eat so much!
Ha, I’m so glad you loved it 🙂
absolutely delicious! so elegant and fresh! This will be the only egg salad I make from now on.
This would be amazing for a tea party
Hi Karisa, I’m so glad you loved it!
Love this recipe it’s just so delicious! Thanks so much
So glad you love it, Jennifer!
Yep, this is the best egg salad ever.
I despise mustard, in any flavor or form. However, I don’t know if there is any substitute for it?
I’ve left mustard out completely when making egg salad, or added a splash of pickle juice instead to maintain the tanginess; it’s just a matter of personal preference!
Eggcelent recipe! Best I’ve ever made.
So glad you loved it, Mike!
It’s so good-thank you!
Hi Susan, I’m so glad you loved it!
Is there a calorie/ nutrition info?
Hi Mary, we don’t calculate nutrition facts for our recipes unfortunately. I recommend using an online nutrition calculator such as MyFitnessPal to get an estimate. Hope this helps!
Way way way too much mayo for us.
Then use less mayo.
That was my thought-adjust to your particular taste instead of giving one star!
1/4 cup for 6 eggs – not near enough for me! It’s easy to amend the amount for your own taste rather than giving it one star! It’s a good basic recipe!
How do you make pesto please
So delicious! I added a little celery, half shallot and a little cayenne. YUM!
My girlfriend is allergic to citrus is there anything I can substitute for the lemon juice?
Apricot Vinegar: Use apricot vinegar as a substitute in salad dressings, marinades, and sauces. Its sweet and tangy flavor profile mimics citrus.
Sumac: This Middle Eastern spice adds a tart, citrusy flavor to dishes. Use it to season meats, vegetables, and grains.
Mango Juice Concentrate: In baked goods, desserts, and some savory recipes, mango juice concentrate can provide a similar sweetness and acidity to citrus.
Pineapple Juice: While not a direct substitute, pineapple juice can add a sweet and tangy flavor to some recipes, especially those with a tropical or Caribbean twist.
Herbs and Spices: Lemon verbena, coriander seeds, and cardamom can provide citrusy flavors and aromas without the allergenic properties of citrus fruits.
Vinegar: In some recipes, a mild vinegar like apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar can provide a tangy flavor without the citrus allergen.
Love this recipe!
So glad you love it, Nancy!
I just made this to eat at lunch throughout the work week and it is SO GOOD. I didn’t have chives so I used green onions, substituted with olive oil mayo, used more lemon and more dill, and spread into sourdough bread. SO good. This will definitely be a lunch staple for me!
Hi Bree, amazing! So glad you loved it.