Classic Egg Salad
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Let’s make classic egg salad! My gluten-free egg salad recipe comes together quickly thanks to a simple ingredients list. (Don’t miss 3 delicious variations to try!)
I didn’t think much about egg salad until I got pregnant with my youngest. It was one of those funny pregnancy cravings. Out of absolutely nowhere, it was something I NEEDED to have. I ate it for lunch more days than I can count, and it was one of the only things that tasted amazing to me during that time.
Now, more than a decade later, this classic recipe is still something I make every few weeks. Like a great classic chicken salad recipe, this easy egg salad recipe comes together quickly, without much fuss. It’s a great recipe to make ahead for a party, afternoon tea, or meal prep lunch. It’s a great way to use up leftover hard-boiled eggs!
The ingredients are simple, so it’s easy to whip up any time. From the best way to cook your eggs, to our secret ingredient, to variations to try, here’s everything I know about making the perfect egg salad…
Simple Ingredients To Get Started
There are as many versions of classic egg salad as their are households who eat it, so I don’t claim that mine is The Only Way. That said, here’s what I put in my gluten-free egg salad recipe:
- MEDIUM OR HARD BOILED EGGS. I actually prefer medium boiled (where the egg yolks are still sliiiightly soft), but either will do. I swear by steaming your eggs, which I walk you through in our deviled eggs post. They’re easy to peel, easy to make, and perfect every time.
- MAYO. Use whatever you keep on hand. My two favorites are avocado oil mayo (like this or this) or classic Hellman’s/Best Foods mayonnaise. You can even make your own if you’re feeling fancy!
- MUSTARD. Some yellow mustard helps cut the egg/mayo flavor a bit and brighten things up. I go for the basic yellow mustard for most of my egg salad recipes, but if you like a bit of kick, Dijon mustard can be a good way to go.
- A BIT OF BRINE OR ACID. The secret ingredient! Acid sounds scary, but I mean something acidic. I almost always use pickle brine/pickle juice in mine because it’s delicious and goes with the other flavors. But, you can also get by with a tiny bit of fresh lemon juice (see my variations below where this is great), or a bit of vinegar (cider, rice, or white). I promise that adding a bit of something acidic MAKES the egg salad.
- SALT, PEPPER & MIX-INS. A little kosher salt and black pepper for flavor is a must. Then, my classic egg salad recipe uses finely minced pickles, but you can also go with something like finely chopped celery, fresh herbs, snipped chives, diced red onion, and more.
The Best Way To Cook Eggs For Egg Salad = Steaming!
I’ve tried a lot of ways to cook hard-boiled eggs over the years, but I absolutely my favorite way to make boiled eggs is steaming. Steaming is practically fail-proof! It works across all different brands of eggs, all different levels of freshness, and they’re easier to peel than any other method I’ve tried. (Steaming is actually the same way you make Instant Pot hard-boiled eggs, too, though I make mine on the stove-top!)
How To Make Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs
- PREP YOUR PAN. Add about 1-inch of water to a saucepan, insert a steamer basket (like this or this), and bring the water to a simmer.
- POKE A TINY HOLE (OPTIONAL). Using a push-pin or needle, poke a small hole in one end of your eggs (gently so you don’t smash the whole thing) This gives the air-bubble somewhere to go and makes them easier to peel later. This step isn’t *strictly* necessary, but I do feel like it helps!
- ADD THE EGGS. When the water is simmering, put your eggs in the steamer basket in a single layer.
- COVER AND STEAM:
- 8-10 minutes for soft-boiled
- 10-12 minutes for medium-boiled
- 13-15 minutes for hard-boiled.
If you’re cooking a lot of eggs at once (10-12), you’ll probably want to lean toward the 15-minute range, possibly up to 17 minutes, depending on how hard you like them boiled.
Then, all you have to do is peel them! I run the cooked eggs under cold water or put them in an ice bath (a bowl with ice water). Next, I crack the shells gently all over, and they slide right off! Now, your perfect hard boiled eggs are ready to be turned into delicious egg salad!
How To Make Classic Egg Salad, Step By Step
As always, you can find in-depth instructions, full ingredient measurements, notes and more in the recipe card below
- Dice Eggs. To start, dice or slice boiled eggs into small pieces. (I like using an egg slicer to speed things along.)
- Combine. In a medium bowl, combine chopped eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, pickles, pickle brine, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine well.
- Taste and Adjust, adding more salt, pepper, or pickle brine as desired. Garnish with chives, fresh herbs, etc., as desired.
- Serve & Store. Enjoy right away on gluten-free bread, toast, crackers, lettuce cups, cucumber slices, and more.
3 Delicious Variations On Classic Egg Salad
The classic egg salad recipe is my go-to, but I LOVE coming up with variations. Here are 3 different ways to make it when you’re in the mood to change things up…
- CURRY EGG SALAD. A tiny bit of curry powder makes for a delicious curry egg salad variation. I use lemon juice for the acid, then garnish with some minced cilantro or chives, if I’m feeling fancy.
- EVERYTHING BAGEL SEASONING EGG SALAD. I put this everything bagel seasoning on All The Things, and a little sprinkle on top of my classic version is fantastic. (Sometimes, I use Dijon instead of yellow mustard with this one)
- BLT EGG SALAD. This is my favorite. It’s definitely over the top and a little extra, but that’s because it’s topped with all sorts of goodies! I serve the classic on toast with lettuce, crumbled bacon and sliced or diced tomato. It’s DYNAMITE!
EVEN MORE MIX-INS
You can create your own variation by using spicy mustard, swapping plain Greek yogurt in for all or part of the mayo, adding diced red onion or white onion, fresh celery, sliced green onions, creamy avocado, or fresh herbs. Feel free to play around with the recipe!
FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Egg Salad
TRY AN EGG SLICER! I’m usually not a fan of single use kitchen gadgets, but I LOVE having an egg slicer. They’re really inexpensive and great for slicing eggs for chopped salads, or chopping them fine for something like this. Highly recommend.
KICK UP THE FLAVOR – Try adding fresh herbs (fresh parsley, fresh chives, and fresh dill are two of my favorites), or garnish this with something like paprika, a few dashes of hot sauce, or one of my variation ideas (in the section above or the recipe notes below).
STORAGE TIPS. Store gluten-free egg salad in an airtight container up to 3 days. Keep in mind that egg salad should be refrigerated as much as possible. Do not keep egg salad out at room temperature longer than 2 hours (or 90 minutes on a warm day!).
Classic Egg Salad (Gluten-Free!)
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 3–4 Servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This homemade egg salad is a classic for a reason! Our easy recipe is naturally gluten-free, paleo-friendly, and makes delicious lunches any time.
Ingredients
- 6 eggs, hard-boiled or medium-boiled (I prefer medium-boiled)
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon yellow mustard
- 3 Tablespoons finely minced dill pickles
- 1 Tablespoon dill pickle brine
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (or, to taste)
- 1/8–1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or, to taste)
Instructions
-
Dice Eggs. To start, dice or slice boiled eggs into small pieces. (I like using an egg slicer to speed things along.)
-
Combine. In a medium bowl, combine diced eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, pickles, pickle brine, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine well.
-
Taste and Adjust, adding more salt, pepper, or pickle brine as desired. Garnish with chives, fresh herbs, etc., as desired.
-
Serve & Store. Enjoy right away on bread, toast, crackers, lettuce wraps, cucumber slices, and more. Or, store egg salad mixture in an airtight container up to 3 days. Keep in mind that egg salad should be refrigerated as much as possible. Do not keep egg salad out at room temperature longer than 2 hours (or 90 minutes on a warm day!).
Notes
Ingredient Notes:
- Paleo. To make this as paleo egg salad, use paleo-approved mayo and pickles.
- Mayo. You can lighten this up by using half mayonnaise and half plain Greek yogurt, if desired.
- Relish. If you prefer, you can swap sweet relish or sweet pickles & sweet pickle brine in for the dill pickles. I just love the flavor of dill!
Variations:
- Curry Egg Salad – 2 eggs, 1 1/2 Tbsp mayo, 1 tsp mustard (optional), 1 tsp lemon juice and a pinch (about 1/8 tsp) yellow curry powder. Salt and pepper, to taste.
- Everything Bagel Seasoning Egg Salad – Make as directed above. Sprinkle with Everything Bagel Seasoning mixture. (You can add pickles or omit them, as desired)
- BLT Egg Salad – Make as directed above. Serve on a piece of toast with lettuce, egg salad, and a garnish of cooked, crumbled bacon and diced or sliced tomatoes.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Lunch
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
Originally shared April 2019. Fully updated March 2024.
I LOVE egg salad. But I find it way too labor-intensive (when I want something to eat, I want it NOW, not after an afternoon of boiling eggs, cooling eggs, shelling eggs, mashing eggs…). So it is my husband’s responsibility. Which means it doesn’t happen often, but when it does? Oh, mama. He makes it like a rock star. I cannot imagine ever eating it while pregnant, however. You must have a different type of morning sickness than I did.
I don’t ever crave ‘egg salad’. But right about now it’s sounds rather tasty!
I LOVE egg salad. It has always been one of my favorites. I love to add chopped up bacon to it and sliced avocado to it. It is also really good to use smashed avocado and mix that with the chopped up egg and a tiny bit of mayo to make it a little creamy. Yummy stuff! But a classic egg salad sandwich is soo good! Well with all this talk I know what I am having for lunch tomorrow! 🙂
Yum! Now I have a craving…I see myself boiling some eggs tonight for lunch tomorrow 🙂
Hmm, I’ll have to try adding pickle relish the next time I make egg salad! I just made it yesterday though, so that may be awhile. When I was in the States, I liked to add a little pickle juice and it was delicious that way. My go to spices for egg salad are paprika, curry powder, salt, pepper, and mustard.
Like this recipe, especially for a smaller amount. I’m the only one in my household that eats egg salad (they all hate boiled eggs period). I’m not a mayo lover, so I greatly reduced the amount. I love dill relish & the juice, it’s the heart of my tuna salad too!
Another thing I add is celery, diced fresh, or use celery seed. You can also use celery salt in place of regular salt.
Yum! I’ll totally try that celery salt trick next time!
I just made this for lunch following the recipe exactly. Absolutely delicious…I wouldn’t change a thing! Thank you for a great, classic egg salad recipe that I will make again and again. ❤
Whitney – You made my day!!! Thank you so much for sharing this.
This is most definitely going to be the next recipe I make. Thank you so much for sharing. Looks delicious.
I hope you LOVE it Billy! (PS – LOVE Bubbies!!!)
So good! Used Bubbies dill relish but everything else was per the recipe.
Ooh…I love Bubbies!