Best Egg Salad
on Jul 16, 2021, Updated May 20, 2024
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Simple and perfect, with a bit of dill, lemon and shallots; the kind of egg salad you love at a deli or diner.
I’m a huge fan of plain old egg salad, with nothing more than some mayo, salt, pepper, and 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. And capers add a tiny salty pop, which I love.
You can make your hard-cooked eggs by boiling them, or cooking them in the oven. And you can also check out Deviled Egg Potato Salad, a great potato salad for egg salad fanatics!
Table of Contents
Best Egg Salad: Simple and perfect, with a bit of dill, lemon, and shallot; the egg salad recipe you’ve been searching for.
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Egg Salad Ingredients
- Egg – You’ll hard-boil the eggs; a quick test will ensure your eggs are fresh.
- Mayonnaise – I use full fat, but you can use whatever type you like.
- Lemon – A bit of both lemon juice and zest adds a nice kick to this egg salad.
- Parsley – Not dried here!
- Dill – Fresh is much preferred here.
- Shallot – A little oniony crunch.
- Capers – The final secret ingredient!
How to Make Egg Salad
- Hard-boil the eggs: 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.
Kitchen Smarts
Don’t feel like boiling the eggs? Making hard-cooked eggs in the oven is really easy!
- Cool and cut the eggs: 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.
- Make the dressing: While the eggs are cooling, in a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice, parsley, dill, shallot, capers (if using), salt, and pepper until well blended.
- Combine and season: Add the cooled chopped eggs and gently fold them in. Check and adjust seasonings as needed.
Kitchen Smarts
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 eggshells in little bits and pieces.
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 (I like romaine, spinach or arugula). 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.
What to Serve With Egg Salad
More Salad Recipes
- Simple Orange Basil Egg Salad
- Salmon Salad with Jalapeño Scallion Dressing
- Egg and Potato Salad with Bacon
- Best Chicken Salad
- Smoky Chipotle Chicken Salad
- Italian Tuna Salad
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Best Egg Salad
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 it is already hot (versus starting them in cold water) and peeling them 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 eggshells in little bits and pieces.
- Pile the egg salad onto slices of bread, or a toasted bagel, and layer them up with tomato and lettuce (I like romaine, spinach or arugula). 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.
