American
Egg Salad
Eggs are boiled until the yolks are fully firm, then chopped with celery, mayonnaise, and mustard. It is a cool, cheap salad you can eat from a bowl or on toast.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 22 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Eggs are one of the least expensive proteins in the store.
- A full boil and an ice bath make yolks that chop cleanly.
- Mustard and celery keep the mayonnaise in check.
- It feeds four from a carton of eggs.
Ingredients
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Instructions
- 1
Put the eggs in a saucepan and cover them with cold water by 1 inch. Bring the water to a boil over high heat.
- 2
When the water boils, turn the heat to low so it stays at a gentle boil. Cook 11 minutes so the yolks are fully firm.
- 3
Drain and move the eggs to a bowl of ice water. Cool 5 minutes, then peel.
- 4
Chop the eggs into small pieces. A fork or a pastry blender works if you want a finer salad.
- 5
Stir in the mayonnaise, mustard, celery, onion, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until combined. The eggs should be coated, not swimming.
- 6
Spoon into bowls and dust with paprika. Serve cold.
Pro tips
- Older eggs peel more easily than eggs you bought yesterday. The ice bath helps either way.
- Do not undercook the yolks for this salad. Firm yolks chop. Soft yolks smear.
- Add mayonnaise a spoon at a time if you like a drier salad.
Easy substitutions
- Mayonnaise
- Plain Greek yogurt for a tangier salad.
- Yellow mustard
- Dijon, 1 tsp.
- Red onion
- Chives or dill pickle, finely chopped.
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Serve cold. Do not heat egg salad.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 212
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
Budget friendly · Stovetop
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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