EASY Egg Salad Recipe: Only 4 Ingredients, SUPER Quick!

My grandmother used to make the best egg salad. So much so that I grew up thinking, how can I replicate what she used to make and make it just as delicious? Then I learned, the fewer ingredients in egg salad, the better. She only used 4 main ingredients. She kept it simple. Read on to get my grandmother’s easy egg salad recipe.

3 of the Best Ways to Boil Eggs

Maybe you’ve heard, or maybe you haven’t. But there are MULTIPLE ways to skin a chicken…or rather, there are multiple ways to boil an egg! If you’re like me, I like trying different methods to see which works better. Hardboiling eggs is no exception to that rule. So here’s a few of the best ways to boil an egg (and then you can put it to practice making our easy egg salad recipe!)

1. Hardboil Eggs Over the Stove:

This is the old fashioned method, but one that works well. And the same method my grandma used. Here’s how you do it:

1. Put eggs in a medium-sized pot and cover with water (you want at least an inch of water-coverage over the top of the eggs)
2. Bring to a boil, then cover with a tight-fitting lid. Turn off the burner.
3. Allow eggs to cook in hot water for 8 minutes (up to 12 minutes depending on your desired yolk-firmness).
4. Then drain and add eggs to an ice bath and let sit for 15 minutes.

2. Boil Your Eggs in Your Instant Pot

When my mother-in-law gave me an Instant Pot, I was scared of the thing the first couple of times using it. Until I realized how amazing this machine truly is. Then, a friend told me, put your eggs in the instant pot and they’ll come out perfectly hardboiled. I didn’t believe her. Until I tried it:

1. Place egg rack or Instant Pot rack into instant pot.
2. Place eggs on the rack then fill with 1 cup of water.
3. Seal instant pot and press Manual, then adjust the time to 5 minutes.
4. After the instant pot has cooked the eggs for 5 minutes, let it naturally vent for 5 minutes. If it’s not fully released the pressure, flip the switch over to vent (be careful not to burn your fingers, use a oven mitt or towel).
5. Then remove the eggs from the instant pot and put in an ice bath for at least 5 minutes.
6. VOILA. Then peel and use in our easy egg salad recipe that Grandma used to make (below).

Or In the Oven!

This sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Hardboiling eggs in the oven? Yes, it’s a must-try. Though, I’ll warn you, it does take longer than the traditional over-the-stove method or the instant pot method of boiling eggs. I do kind of enjoy that it gives you extra time in the kitchen to focus on other tasks, though. Without further adieu:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (if you’re over runs hot like my gas oven does, try 325 degrees F first,. If the first small batch doesn’t come out perfectly, you’ll know what temp is best.)
2. Next, put your eggs in a muffin tin and put in the oven.
3. Cook for 30 minutes.
4. Remove from muffin tin carefully with oven mitts and put the eggs in an ice bath for 15 minutes.
5. Are you shocked they came out so well?

Nutritional Benefits of Eggs

In our house, we eat a lot of protein. We have a kiddo who has glycogen storage disease and therefore requires a high amount of protein for growth, energy and development. We quickly learned that eggs are a great source of protein and also extremely versatile. You can literally eat or use eggs in every meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner. AND they make great high protein snacks. Egg salad is delicious for lunch, but literally just frying or scrambling eggs and throwing them on toast is a great way to start your day.

In addition to having 6 grams of protein in ONE egg, that single egg also contains 15% of an adult’s daily recommended percentage of Vitamin B2. Which we all know adults need to produce energy and get through the daily grind without losing our minds. One single serving is also high in Vitamin A, Folate and other kinds of Vitamin B. Selenium, which is a nutrient the body needs in protecting our immune systems, is also present in one egg: up to 22% of your daily average recommended amount (Harvard.)

What You’ll Need for Our EASY Egg Salad Recipe:

• 8 eggs (medium to large size…farm fresh is best if you can get it!)
• 2-3 tbsp Mayonnaise (we use light but full fat tastes absolutely divine)
• 1 tsp yellow mustard
• 1 tsp lemon juice (pre-bottled to save yourself some time and prep)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A pot, instant pot, or muffin tin for hardboiling your eggs, depending on your chosen method (see above for more details on how to hardboil eggs in different ways)

Now, How to Make Grandma’s Easy Egg Salad Recipe

Keep in mind, this recipe takes some tasting. Literally every great chef will taste their creations as they go along, adding spices, salt, etc. as they go to make their dish the best tasting. You won’t know how it tastes until you taste it, right? So I always recommend tasting and adding salt, pepper, etc. as you deem fit.

1. First, Boil Your Eggs to Perfection

I think the fastest way is to use the instant pot, but over-the-stove hardboiling is fine too. Whatever you prefer. But make sure you hardboil the eggs long enough to make the yolk at least semi-hard. Otherwise this egg salad recipe will be too mushy and NOT what my Grandma intended.

2. Next, Peel and Chop

Crack and peel your freshly boiled eggs. The shell and membrane should come off easily. For some reason, it gives me a thrill to peel the shell/membrane off…every. time. Then put your peeled eggs on a chopping board and roughly chop to your preference.

3. Mix It All Together

Once your hardboiled eggs are chopped, add them to a large mixing bowl. Then add your 2 tbsp of mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well then taste again. Does it need more mayo? Add another tablespoon. Does it need more salt or pepper? Add just a pinch of each. Adjust and mix, then taste again and see if it’s to your standards.

4. Finish It

My grandma’s easy egg salad was a Spring and Summer-time favorite in our house growing up. The best part, though? Slathering it over two pieces of lightly toasted slices of homemade bread. Grandma didn’t just cooked…she baked too. I was a lucky child. You can serve the egg salad over toast, soft bread, closed or open-faced (meaning 2 slices or 1 slice of bread). Sometimes I’ll add sliced avocado or guacamole to the sandwich to give it a little extra something.

OR if you’re watching your carb intake, try spooning a dollop or two over a bed of spinach greens and add cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle a little cheese and a bit of light ranch dressing over top. Or eat it on the side of your salad (truthfully, I have texture issues as do my kids, so leaving the egg salad separate from the greens is necessary). We’ve also made egg salad lettuce wraps and low-carb tortilla wraps for lunch.

Other Yummy Additions to Elevate Our Easy Egg Salad Recipe

There are other ingredients you can add to this easy egg salad recipe; however, it won’t be as easy to make. That being said, I always enjoy experimenting and trying out different ways to make a classic recipe like this one. So here’s a few additions to try separately or a few at a time:

• Chopped avocado chunks (see below for preservation info)
• Finely sliced red onion
• Capers (drained of their liquid, a tablespoon is plenty)
• Dill
• Celery Seed
• Chives
• Thinly sliced green onion
• Chopped bacon
• Italian seasoning blend
• Adobo seasoning
• Lemon thyme
• Chili powder or cayenne pepper (go easy at first!)
• Olives (chopped or halved…green OR black)
• Relish
• Chopped pickles (dill or bread n’ butter, your choice)
• Hot sauce (Sriracha, Cholula, Louisiana, Etc.)

How Long Does Egg Salad Last?

I get asked this question quite a bit, so I’ll answer it here. How long does this easy egg salad recipe last in the refrigerator? If you store it in an air-tight tupperware container, up to five days. Now, if you’ve added avocado (or another fresh, wet ingredient) to your egg salad, as some folks like to do, it will only last a day until the avocado oxidizes and turns everything a nasty brown color. BUT in general, with plain egg salad, eat it within five days. This isn’t my rule, it’s the USDA’s.

Try Our Tuscan Shrimp Recipe:

• Creamy Tuscan Shrimp Over Rice