Best Egg Salad

5 from 6 votes

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Simple and perfect, with a bit of dill, lemon and shallot; the egg salad recipe you've been searching for.

Best Egg Salad

Egg Salad Sandwich

I adore egg salad, and so does my mom and my sister.  It’s one of those foods, when you mention it, people either smile vaguely or else their eyes pop open and they say, “HI, I LOVE EGG SALAD, WHERE IS THE EGG SALAD, I NEED THE EGG SALAD!”

Woman scooping Egg Salad from a bowl.

I’m a huge fan of plain old egg salad, with nothing more than some mayo, salt and pepper, maybe a touch of onion or celery, but I am also always up for some tinkering.  Fresh lemon zest and juice are almost always hanging out in my fridge (sometimes already zested and juiced, in which case I feel like a goddess, in other cases in the form of a fresh lemon waiting to be used), and they added a little bit of zing here.  Also, dill plus eggs — almost always good.

Adding the eggs to the water when the water is already hot (versus starting them in cold water) and peeling the eggs while they are still slightly warm often makes it easier to remove the shells in big pieces. We all know that it;’s annoying to have to chip away at egg shells in little bits and pieces.

Egg Salad sandwiches on a wooden board.

How to Make Egg Salad

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Gently place the eggs in the boiling water (use a spoon or ladle, and work quickly but carefully), making sure the water covers the eggs. Set the timer for 9 minutes, allow the water to return to a simmer, and cook for 9 minutes.

Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice water. Drain the eggs and transfer them to the water bath. Allow the eggs to come to almost room temperature. Remove the eggs and tap the warm eggs lightly on the counter, and give them a quick roll to crackle up the shells, and then peel carefully while they are submerged in water. Cool the peeled eggs, then chop them as roughly or as finely as you like, using a knife or a food processor.

Woman chopping a hard boiled egg.

While the eggs are cooling, in a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice, parsley, dill, shallot, capers (if using), and salt and pepper until well blended.

Spatula stirring a glass bowl of mayonnaise and other ingredients.

Add the cooled chopped eggs and gently fold them in. Check and adjust seasonings as needed.

Woman mixing chopped hard boiled eggs into a mayonnaise mixture.

How to Serve Egg Salad

Pile the egg salad onto slices of bread, or a toasted bagel, and layer them up with tomato and lettuce.  Or scoop it up with crackers or even tortilla chips — a lovely, guilty pleasure.  Egg salad is best eaten at cool room temperature, so if you think of it, take it out of the fridge about 20 minutes before digging in.  It will last for 3 or 4 days, and then start getting a little watery.

Woman holding an Egg Salad sandwich.

What to Serve with Egg Salad:

Egg Salad sandwich on a wooden board.

Other Salad Recipes:

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5 from 6 votes

Best Egg Salad

Simple and perfect, with a bit of dill, lemon and shallot; the egg salad recipe you've been searching for.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 6 Servings

Ingredients 

  • 12 large eggs
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • Zest and juice from 1 lemon
  • ¼ cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallot
  • Kosher salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoons capers rinsed and chopped (optional)

Instructions 

  • Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Gently place the eggs in the boiling water (use a spoon or ladle, and work quickly but carefully), making sure the water covers the eggs. Set the timer for 9 minutes, allow the water to return to a simmer, and cook for 9 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice water. Drain the eggs and transfer them to the water bath. Allow the eggs to come to almost room temperature. Remove the eggs and tap the warm eggs lightly on the counter, and give them a quick roll to crackle up the shells, and then peel carefully while they are submerged in water. Cool the peeled eggs, then chop them as roughly or as finely as you like, using a knife or a food processor.
  • While the eggs are cooling, in a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice, parsley, dill, shallot, capers (if using), and salt and pepper until well blended. Add the cooled chopped eggs and gently fold them in. Check and adjust seasonings as needed.

Notes

Adding the eggs to the water when the water is already hot (versus starting them in cold water) and peeling the eggs while they are still slightly warm often makes it easier to remove the shells in big pieces. We all know that it;’s annoying to have to chip away at egg shells in little bits and pieces.

Nutrition

Calories: 255kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 335mg, Sodium: 254mg, Potassium: 135mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 708IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 53mg, Iron: 2mg
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About Katie Workman

Katie Workman is a cook, a writer, a mother of two, an activist in hunger issues, and an enthusiastic advocate for family meals, which is the inspiration behind her two beloved cookbooks, Dinner Solved! and The Mom 100 Cookbook.

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