Name: Classic Egg Salad Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 8 hard boiled eggs; 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard; 2 tablespoons finely diced celery; 2 tablespoons finely diced red onion; 1/4 teaspoon onion powder; 1/4 teaspoon paprika; 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste); fresh ground black pepper (to taste)

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Whether you pile it on greens, spread it on crackers or make it a sandwich this Classic Egg Salad Recipe is a comforting, delicious meal.

Egg Salad is one of the best examples of how sometimes keeping things simple is best. You can do all kinds of tweaking to this base recipe to make it your own but I really just love it as it is. Classic, nostalgic, and always delicious.

I know there are a lot of strong feelings out there on just what needs to go into egg salad but I’m going to show you how I do it and also give you some tasty variations.

Check out my method for Perfect Easy to Peel Hard-Boiled Eggs – you’ll need 8 for this recipe.

Get this part done in advance and the rest is a breeze.

How to Make Classic Egg Salad

Let’s start with my uncomplicated, base recipe. From there you can add or substitute ingredients to suit your taste.

My Egg Salad recipe consists of hard-boiled eggs cooled and chopped, finely diced red onion, and celery. The creamy dressing is the key to this recipe. Mayonnaise, yellow mustard, onion powder, paprika, and a little salt and fresh ground black pepper. Sounds simple right? It’s the best!

If you really want that old-school, straight from Grandma’s kitchen flavor, the mustard has got to be good, old-fashioned yellow mustard in my opinion. You can substitute Dijon but yellow mustard will yield that classic flavor.

Let’s talk about onion for a minute. I’m not typically a fan of raw onion but this salad is just not the same without it and I think finely diced red onion is the perfect choice. It adds a little color contrast, a bit of texture, and excellent flavor. Check out my variations below for substitutions.

The same goes for the celery. We’re not adding very much, just enough to add some texture to the creamy eggs.

Once combined you can cover and refrigerate it but it’s best if used within a couple of days.

It’s always a happy day when I remember I’ve got a batch of this Egg Salad waiting in the fridge for an easy lunch.

Pile it on sandwich bread with greens. It’s also really good with sliced tomato and pickles.

Classic Egg Salad Variations

Onion – If you are not a fan of red onion you can substitute thinly sliced green onion, finely diced shallots, or even fresh chives for a milder onion flavor.

Mustard – For a slightly more sophisticated flavor give Dijon a try in place of the yellow mustard.

Herbs – Add fresh or dried dill, basil, or tarragon. Start with a very small amount, taste, and go from there.

Bold flavor boosts – Add some sweet pickle relish, a little crumbled bacon, chopped olives, or a touch of curry powder.

Lighten it up – Substitute some of the mayonnaise for non-fat Greek yogurt.