Classic Egg Salad is the perfect lunch, made with classic pantry ingredients, plus it’s easy to make! Try making it at home today!
If you love quick and easy Lunch Recipes, you’re going like my Classic Tuna Salad too!
Sabrina’s Classic Egg Salad Recipe
This classic recipe for Egg Salad is PERFECT for a quick lunch or as a side dish at a picnic. You can make it ahead of time and eat all week, or serve over leafy greens for dinner. If I serve this over salad, I usually top with extra green onions or chives for presentation. This dish takes a total of 25 minutes to make, but I like to cool it in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. You can also serve it as a sandwich using my classic White Bread.
How Much Should I Make For Each Person?
If you’re serving this to guests for lunch, I like to make at least ½ cup of salad (or about 2 eggs) per person. If you’re serving this as sandwiches, I’d also add tomato slices and lettuce to make it heartier. Make sure you toast the bread and assemble the sandwiches just before serving, so the bread doesn’t get soggy. You can also just serve this on a tray with veggies like celery, cucumbers, carrots, and lettuce as a lower-carb option to sandwiches that is still filling.
Topping Ideas
- Pickles or relish
- Diced tomato
- Avocado
- Bacon
- Olives
How to Thicken
If your egg salad turns out too runny, you can add more chopped hard boiled eggs to the mix. You can also put it back into the refrigerator as the cold can help firm up the mayonnaise.
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Getting the Best Hard Boiled Eggs
- Peel the eggs right after they come out of the ice bath, otherwise it might be difficult to get the shell off.
- Salt the water when you’re boiling the eggs, which helps them peel easily when they’re done.
How long will it last?
Egg salad will last in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, stored in an airtight container. Assemble sandwiches just before serving, instead of storing fully made, or the bread may fall apart.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Lighten up the calories in this recipe by using light mayonnaise and egg whites. You can also sub the mayonnaise for plain Greek yogurt.
- If you’re adding pickles or relish add them just before serving, and drain completely before adding to avoid making the dressing watery.
- Add a dash of cayenne pepper, curry powder, dill, or paprika to add some spice and flavor. I also like to use Dijon mustard instead of yellow mustard because it adds a deeper flavor.
- Use leftover deviled eggs using slightly less mayo to compensate for what’s already in the deviled eggs.
- Serve as a sandwich, over slices of tomato, on salad greens, or in a wrap. Or just eat it by itself!
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup celery , minced
- 1/4 cup red onion , minced
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons tarragon , minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place the eggs in a large pot with cold water covering them by 1 inch and bring the water to a simmer.
- Cover with a lid, turn off the heat and let sit for 8 minutes before removing the eggs and placing in ice water then peeling.
- Chop the eggs then add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well, refrigerating for at least 1 hour before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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Nice and easy and delicious!
It looks delish! Can you swap the lemon juice for pickle juice? or will the vinegar do something unpleasant ?
You certainly can swap them! 🙂
I’m so glad I found this! Made it when my husband was away thinking I’d surprise him when he returned. Nope. We ate it all. 🙂 Making it again today to send with him this time! Thank you!!! (Didn’t use the red onion – still perfect)
Haha, that’s happened too many times to count around here. I usually have to make a double batch to make sure everyone gets some 😉
I’ve learned the best way to contact hard boiled eggs! You bring water to a boil first, then lower the egg into the pot, cook for 12 minutes on low heat. You don’t need to add anything to the water or so anything special to prep the eggs, by putting them straight into boiling water, you don’t give the inner membrane time to bond with the Shell during the heat up period. The peel comes right off! Make sure they are completely submerged in the water and use the lid. If you don’t need to make many, I’ve started using an old fashioned steamer basket which holds about 5 eggs at a time, just lower the basket in and no issues with cracking etc. Perfect!
Thanks for the suggestion. 🙂
I can’t ever turn down a classic recipe like this! Tasty and full of the flavors we love!
This was a great recipe, the whole family loved it! Can’t wait to make it again.
So glad you all enjoyed it, Noelle!
It’s hard to beat the classic recipe, isn’t it? I know there are many different ways to vary it up, but I always find myself going back to the original egg salad recipe. I love it.
It’s a classic for a reason!
I’m DREAMING of picnic weather on this cold, soon-to-be snowy day, so I’m thinking this dish will be perfect to help me pretend. A girl can dream!
Yes, picnic in the living room!
Egg salad is one of my favorite lunches. I like it on sandwiches and also on top of greens. This recipe looks spot on!
Thanks, Jenni!
Egg Salad sandwiches are always a hit with my family. The key is to use a good quality mayo, none of that ‘salad dressing’ stuff for us. I like a small squirt of lemon juice, but I never add vinegar. I will, however, try adding tarragon the next time I make it….sounds interesting. Sometimes I substitute celery salt for regular salt. It adds incredible flavor! Also, a sprinkle or two of dried parsley flakes adds color & more flavor. We like our Egg Salad sandwiches on lightly toasted whole grain bread with Bibb (Boston) lettuce.
(Egg Salad, Tuna Salad, Shrimp or Lobster Salad….my family LOVES these delicious cold sandwiches on a hot & busy summer day).
Thanks for all of your suggestions.