Classic Egg Salad Recipe (2024)

Classic egg salad should be creamy, tangy, and perfect for sandwiches. This delicious homemade recipe is easy to make and the best you'll ever have!

Classic Egg Salad

Creamy, tangy, and perfect for sandwiches classic egg salad is an American favorite. It's super easy to make, and makes a wonderful, simple lunch.

Apparently, egg salad is one of those foods that you kind of just eyeball the amount and throw all of the ingredients in together.

As a newlywed and new cook, I had no idea where to start, so I asked my mother-in-law (since that's who made the egg salad my hubby remembers and loves). I'm pretty sure she thought I was nuts.

Nonetheless, Ifinally figured out how to make a delightful and classicegg salad, and I wanted to share my recipe with measurements for any other egg salad newbies out there.

How Do You Keep Egg Salad From Getting Watery?

Sometimes after chilling for a day or so, you might find that your egg salad is a little more runny or watery than you'd like it. Here are a few ways to prevent watery egg salad:

1. Make sure the eggs are not overcooked. Follow the instructions below to properly cook hard boiled eggs to perfection.
2. Chill eggs before adding them to the salad. I chill mine after peeling for at least 3 hours to ensure that they're cool enough not to create extra moisture when the salad is put together.
3. Chop celery and onion in advance, and sprinkle with a little salt. Cover and refrigerate while eggs are also chilling. This will allow them to also come to a similar temperature to prevent condensation, and the salt will help to pull excess moisture from them. Pat onions and celery dry before adding them to the salad mixture.

If you've already made the salad, and now it's runny, you can try these easy fixes.

1. Add a couple more eggs. The extra eggs and fresher yolks will help to thicken the mixture.
2. Add a tablespoon of breadcrumbs to absorb some of the extra moisture.

What Else Can I Add to My Egg Salad?

Egg salad is such a great simple base to add in any extra flavors your heart desires. Try some of these ideas:

• Horseradish will give a little extra kick. Start off with just a small amount, about a teaspoon, and add more to taste.
• Bacon makes everything better, including egg salad.
• Red pepper flakes will give it some spice. Also consider a few dashes of Tabasco or your favorite hot sauce.
• Avocado for some fresh creaminess and healthy fats.
• Fresh herbs for some zesty crisp flavor. Try adding a little freshly chopped dill, chives, or parsley.

How to Prepare Eggs for Egg Salad

Place your eggs in the bottom of a large pot (make sure you use a pot with a lid!), and fill with water. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat.

As soon as it comes to a hard boil, turn off the heat and cover with a lid. then turn off the heat and cover with a lid. Allow to sit, covered, off the heat for 11 minutes.

While the eggs are sitting and cooking, prepare a large bowl with ice water.

As soon as your timer goes off, transfer your eggs to the ice water. This is called shocking the eggs, which helps stop the cooking process.

After a minute or 2, the eggs will be cool enough to handle. Peel the eggs, and place in a bowl to chill before assembling your egg salad.

How to Make Classic Egg Salad

After preparing your eggs, it's time to put it all together. Chop the eggs and place them in a bowl with the remaining ingredients. Stir gently to combine everything. Cover and chill for at least an hour before serving for the most delicious result.

More Easy Salad Recipes You'll Love

• Deviled Egg Potato Salad - creamy southern potato salad with all of the flavors you love about deviled eggs.
• Southern Deviled Eggs - perfect classic deviled eggs with a creamy tangy filling.
• Easy Homemade Fruit Salad - fresh and healthy and beautiful.
• Southern Creamy Coleslaw - perfect combination of creamy, sweet, fresh, and tangy
• Watergate Salad - quick and easy dessert made with whipped cream, pistachio pudding, pineapple, and marshmallows.

UPDATE INFO: This recipe was originally published in July 2015. It has been updated with new pictures, video, and detailed instructions and republished in March 2020.