Classic Egg Salad Recipe with Simple Ingredients

This Classic Egg Salad Recipe uses with 5 ingredients and is super easy to make. It’s cool, creamy and makes the best egg salad sandwiches!

Easy Egg Salad Recipe

Looking for a quick and easy lunch option? Try this simple egg salad recipe made with just a few ingredients. It’s a delicious and satisfying meal for any day of the week.

We’ve been making this classic recipe forever. It’s basically my grandma’s recipe for egg salad with a couple of changes, and it’s the absolute best! This easy recipe is also a delicious way to use up leftover hard boiled eggs, especially if you have a lot of Easter eggs to use.

Simple Ingredients

I love bold flavors! But, like potato salad, and tuna salad, I keep the ingredients for classic egg salad super simple. Full ingredient amounts are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Hard boiled eggs — You can boil eggs in hot water or Cook hard boiled eggs in the Instant Pot! Be sure to cool them off in cold water before using. It’s the best way to make perfect hard-boiled eggs every time!
• Celery — finely chopped. I also like to use the leaves for garnish
• Mayonnaise — I usually use Best Foods, but use your favorite here. Miracle Whip will change the flavor.
• Dijon mustard — gives added flavor without tasting like yellow mustard
• Herbes de Provence seasoning — optional, but adds delicious flavor
• Salt and pepper

How to Make Classic Egg Salad

First, you’ll need to peel and chop up your hard cooked eggs. You want a rough chop for texture, so don’t chop them too fine. Chop them with a knife or use a pastry blender or potato masher for this.

Next, chop up a celery rib. For best texture, finely chop it. Add the celery and the chopped eggs to a medium bowl or mixing bowl.

Now, add your mayo and Dijon mustard. Grandma used regular mustard, but I love the flavor of Dijon. It’s not as strong, and even my picky mustard haters will eat this!

If you’re unsure about using mustard in egg salad, add a tiny bit. Then, add more if you like it. I use a teaspoon here, which is just right!

Next, gently stir all of the ingredients together until creamy and well blended. The salad might seem dry at first. But, don’t add any more mayo yet.

It will get smooth and creamier as you mix everything. Trust me on this, folks! If you add too much mayo, your salad will get runny!

Now stir in a little bit of Herbes de Provence. We add this seasoning to scrambled eggs and chicken dishes, like Roast Chicken, Sheet Pan Lemon Herb Chicken and Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Casserole — so good!

Finally, add a little bit of salt and pepper, to taste. You may not even need it, so definitely taste the egg salad first. The flavor develops as the salad sits, so it tastes even better after a few hours or the next day.

Variations and Substitutions

If you prefer egg salad with more flavor, try my Chipotle Egg Salad. Or, stir in some chopped pickles and green onions or red onions for extra flavor and crunch! You can also add fresh parsley or other fresh herbs if you like.

Substitute dried parsley or Italian seasoning for the herbes. Or leave it out. If you’re an avocado lover you can make avocado egg salad using 1 mashed avocado.

Make Egg Salad Sandwiches

You can eat the egg salad straight up or use it to make the best egg salad sandwiches. I recommend using whole grain or whole wheat bread, but you can use what you have. For a low-carb version, make lettuce wraps instead.

All you really need to make the sandwiches are the salad and a little bit of leafy green lettuce. I don’t even add any extra mayo on mine, although the Hubs always does!

Storage

Definitely store any leftover egg salad in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It should keep for 3 to 4 days, if it lasts that long. It goes fast here! Note — Egg salad does not freeze well, so plan accordingly. You may have to add a little more salt or pepper as the seasoning tends to mellow in the fridge.

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Recipe originally published in 2015 and updated in 2024