This egg salad recipe is bound to become one of your favorite lunches! Thanks to lemon, mustard, and lots of herbs, it's bright, tangy, and fresh.

spring / vegetarian — Jump to recipe

If you have hard boiled eggs leftover from celebrating Easter or Passover, make this egg salad recipe! If you don’t, make it anyway. In my opinion, it’s what a classic egg salad recipe really wants to be. It still has a rich, creamy texture and tangy flavor, but it’s fresher and more complex.

It uses far less mayo than a traditional egg salad, and it gets bright, briny flavor from capers, lemon juice, and plenty of Dijon mustard. A pinch of celery seed, a dash of turmeric, and a handful of fresh herbs tie it all together. Stuffed into a sandwich with crisp veggies and greens, it’s the perfect spring lunch.

How to Make the Best Egg Salad

Start with good hard boiled eggs. Like with brownies and chocolate, your egg salad will only be as good as your hard boiled eggs. I make mine using this hard boiled eggs recipe, where I add the eggs to a pot of cold water and bring the water to a boil over high heat. When it reaches a boil, I remove the pot from the heat, cover it, and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 10-12 minutes. Then, I transfer them to an ice water bath for 14 minutes before I peel them. Want more my tips and tricks for making perfect hard boiled eggs? Check out my hard boiled eggs recipe!
Maintain some texture. The best egg salad is a little chunky, with a rich, creamy dressing surrounding it. It’s ok if the yolks crumble a little as you fold the chopped eggs into the dressing, but don’t mash them up too much.
Go all in on the herbs. Fresh chives and dill add bright, oniony flavor to this recipe, and they make it feel really fresh. If you don’t have one of them, use more of the other, or add fresh parsley or green onions instead.
Add a pinch of celery seed. Celery seed is the secret ingredient in Jack’s mom’s famous deviled eggs, and it really takes this recipe for egg salad over the top! Its distinctive savory flavor pairs perfectly with the fresh herbs, bright lemon, and tangy mustard.

Egg Salad Sandwich Serving Suggestions

Once you’ve made this egg salad recipe, pile it onto a sandwich with your favorite fresh fixings! I love it with radishes, greens like watercress or lettuce, and pickled red onion. Enjoy your egg salad sandwich on its own, or pair it with a fresh salad or soup. These recipes would all be great choices:

For more ideas, check out my 37 Best Salad Recipes or my 35 Best Soup Recipes!

If you’re not in the mood for a sandwich, feel free to serve the egg salad with crackers or pita or on a bed of spring greens. It will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, so it’s a great recipe to make ahead for quick lunches throughout the week. Find my best meal prep tips in this meal prep ideas blog post!

More Sandwich and Toast Recipes

If you love this recipe, try one of these sandwiches next:

Then, for more lunch inspo, check out these 41 Healthy Lunch Ideas!

Best Egg Salad

rate this recipe:

4.96 from 81 votes

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 35

Serves 3

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This egg salad recipe will become one of your favorite lunches! Add it to a sandwich or serve it with crackers or pita or on a bed of spring greens.

Ingredients

¼ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon capers
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, minced
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 hard boiled eggs, diced
Pinches of celery seed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, olive oil, mustard, capers, lemon juice, garlic, turmeric, salt, and several grinds of black pepper.
Mix in the eggs, then stir in the celery seed, dill, and chives. If desired, lightly mash the mixture if it's too chunky. Chill until ready to serve.