Deluxe Classic Egg Salad Recipe (2024)

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This is a classic Egg Salad recipe with a twist that will take you from “Yum” to “I need another sandwich ASAP!” It is an easy, simple dish to make and perfect for taking to all your barbecues and picnics!

If you haven’t had egg salad with cream cheese. Prepare yourself. It’s incredible.

Cream cheese is what makes this the best egg salad recipe in the world. Even my picky kids would agree. This is amazing.

I love that easy egg salad is a cinch to make. The only cooking part is the eggs. Other than that, just mix and go.

I’ve put this egg salad on regular bread I’ve got lying around the house and on buttery croissants. It goes great with everything.

And it’s very customizable. Like paprika? Don’t like relish? How about bacon? You get to pick what goes into your recipe!

What Goes in Egg Salad?

Butter: Room temperature butter will make the egg salad easy to mix.
Cream Cheese: Also take your cream cheese out at the same time as the butter. Don’t skip this one or your egg salad will be droopy.
Celery: Mince finely.
Mayo: You can add as much or as little of this as needed for personal texture preference.
Onion: Grated is the best option though you could always mince finely too.
Sugar: For a hint of sweetness.
Lemon Juice: If you don’t have lemon juice you could use vinegar instead.
Salt: Very important to enhance the flavor of your egg salad.
Pepper: Go easy on the pepper so your egg salad isn’t spicy.
Eggs: Your hard boiled eggs can be finely chopped or squished with a fork.
Bread: Regular sandwich bread or fancy croissants. You pick.
Paprika: I love the color this gives to the egg salad. It is optional.
Relish: Use dill pickle relish for best flavor. Also optional.
Bacon: Optional but my favorite. Where would we be without bacon?

Pro Tip: It’s important to make sure the celery and onion are smaller than your egg pieces. I like using a food processor for ease of use and to make sure they are really small.

How to Make Egg Salad?

Mix: Make sure everything is well blended. You don’t want to bite into a sandwich and find a big scoop of onion that hasn’t been mixed.
Layer: I like to put lettuce, cheese, or tomato on the egg salad sandwich if I’m being fancy. But you can also leave it plain too.
Eat: Sprinkling with paprika just before serving will really brighten up the dish.

How to Boil Eggs for Egg Salad

If cooking hard boiled eggs is something you haven’t yet mastered, I’ve got a few tried and tested ways to get a perfect hard boiled egg.

My absolute favorite method for boiling eggs is Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs. It is the easiest to peel eggs I’ve ever had. Even a 5 year old can peel a perfect egg with the instant pot.

How Long Does Egg Salad Last?

Eggs can go bad very quickly when left at room temperature. Two hours is the max and then the egg salad will need to be tossed.

I highly recommend only pulling out the amount you are currently going to need and leaving the rest in the fridge.

This Deluxe Egg salad will stay good in the fridge for 3-5 days. Make sure it is properly covered.

At the end of 5 days, even if the salad looks fine and smells fine- toss it out.

The bacteria that eggs can grow is not something you want to mess with. Remember, the mold that grows on food is only after it has already gone bad.

Can You Freeze Egg Salad

Unfortunately, due to the dairy products in egg salad, it cannot be frozen. Frozen dairy separates in a way that makes it impossible to mix back together.

I’ve never needed to freeze anyway because this egg salad is so good it’s never lasted more than a couple of days in our fridge.

Is Egg Salad Healthy?

Eggs are actually really good for you.

There has been debate on good cholesterol vs bad cholesterol and all sorts of things like that, but overall, eggs are always a healthy choice.

There are lots of other things in egg salad that are also really good for you. Onions, lemon juice, and celery are all really healthy foods.

Is Egg Salad Keto?

Aside from the sugar, I believe this egg salad falls in line with a keto diet. You can certainly omit the sugar if you need to.

If you have any questions about a particular diet you are following, I recommend looking each ingredient up individually.

Can Dogs Eat Egg Salad?

No. Unfortunately dogs cannot eat egg salad.

Many ingredients, including the onion and salt are not safe for dogs.

Your dog could eat your plain hard boiled eggs though.

So if you’d like to share, make some extra hard boiled eggs and you can both enjoy your eggs at the same time. Just be sure to leave your dog’s plain.

What to Eat with Egg Salad

Because we typically eat egg salad at barbecues, picnics, quick lunches, or potlucks, some easy side dishes you’ll love…

Fruit Salad with Whipped Cream
Grape Salad Minnesota
Pistachio Salad
Classic Potato Salad
Broccoli Salad
Sour Cream Potato Salad
Creamy Cucumber Salad
Tex Mex Pasta Salad
Creamy Coleslaw Recipe
Watermelon Feta Mint Salad
Ramen Noodle Salad
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
3 Bean Salad Recipe
Grilled Corn Salad Recipe

If you are looking for an egg salad that you can absolutely devour, then look no further. Quick, easy, and absolutely delicious, this egg salad is going to become a new favorite!

Yield: 8 small croissants or 4 large croissants

This is an Egg Salad recipe with a twist that will take you from “Yum” to “I need another sandwich ASAP!” It is an easy, simple dish to make and perfect for taking to all your barbecues and picnics!

Prep Time15 minutes

Total Time15 minutes

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
3 oz cream cheese, room temperature
2 Tablespoons celery, minced
1 Tablespoon Mayo (or more if desired)
1 teaspoon yellow onion, grated
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
6 hard boiled eggs, finely chopped or squished with a fork.
Croissants or Bread
Paprika (optional)
Dill Pickle Relish (optional)
Bacon (optional)

Instructions

In a medium bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese until smooth.
Stir in celery, mayo, onion, sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper until well blended.
Add eggs and mix well.
Serve on bread or croissants
Sprinkle with paprika or add dill pickle relish or bacon if desired.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 82Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 453mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 0gSugar: 2gProtein: 2g

Recipe originally posted: April 4, 2014

Recipe & photos updated: June 6, 2019

Recipe & Photos Updated: September 30, 2021

FAQs

How long will egg salad keep in the refrigerator? ›

Egg salad will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge. Of course, this is merely the foundation for a great egg salad. Change up the ingredients and seasonings, anything from paprika to cumin to celery salt, and there's no end to the ways that you can enjoy it.

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How do you keep your egg salad from getting runny? ›

Prevent Watery Egg Salad By Understanding Your Ingredients

That's why the simple swap of green onions or chives for onions is a better way to cut down on the water that can be drawn out without losing flavor. And while chopped celery is popular in egg salad, it is loaded with water -- 95% water to be exact.

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Why does my egg salad taste bland? ›

Stir through and adjust by adding more mayonnaise if you like your egg salad creamier. Why does my egg salad taste bland? The simple reason may be that it's not seasoned enough. Add a little more salt and pepper to taste.

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How do you thicken egg salad sandwiches? ›

To thicken egg salad, some cooks add mayonnaise or other thickeners, such as Greek yogurt or sour cream. Adding a few tablespoons of mayonnaise or other thickeners should do the trick. In addition to mayonnaise and other thickeners, some cooks like to add chopped vegetables and fresh herbs to their egg salad.

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Can you eat egg salad after 5 days? ›

According to the USDA, you might have a little more time to finish egg salad than you may think. If the egg salad has been properly stored—in a sealed container in the refrigerator—it is safe to eat it within five days.

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Can you eat 5 day old egg salad? ›

How Long You Can Keep Egg Salad. According to FoodSafety.gov, if it has been properly stored, it is safe to eat the salad within three to four days. 1 This rule also applies to similar mayonnaise-based salads like chicken, tuna, ham, and macaroni salads.

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Why does my egg salad get watery in the fridge? ›

Every ingredient that goes into egg salad has water in it. Salt and sugar in the dressing draw the water out of the ingredients as they sit, and they make your egg salad watery regardless of whether it's in the fridge or in a sandwich.

Learn More Now ›

What makes egg salad go bad? ›

Store egg salad properly to keep it fresh for longer

Therefore, they can easily be contaminated with bacteria and cause foodborne illnesses. Egg salad also contains yogurt or mayo, so it's even more susceptible to spoilage. Contrary to popular belief, adding vinegar or lemon juice won't prevent bacterial growth.

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Do you chop or mash eggs for egg salad? ›

Recipe developer and cookbook author Sheri Castle suggests that "for a salad with hearty texture that won't turn gummy or pasty, use your hands to crumble the eggs instead of chopping the whites and mashing the yolks with a fork." You will, of course, want to wait until the boiled eggs are cool enough to handle, but ...

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Why did my egg salad turn gray? ›

But first, cook the eggs just until yolks are firm yet still moist. Too long in hot water and eggs turn dry, pale and even develop a gray outer layer. In the world of sandwiches, there are two types of people: Those who love egg salad, and those who loathe it.

Why does my egg salad smell like sulfur? ›

Great egg salad starts with properly cooked eggs. You want the yolk to be firm, yellow, and moist with no greenish-gray tint and sulfur smell – a sign that the egg has spent too long in hot water and is most likely overcooked.

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Why do I smell like egg salad? ›

Two amino acids in eggs are rich in sulfur and when cooked or rotting, sulfur compounds are formed which can be detected at very low levels. Human and animal gas contains sulfur in the form of hydrogen sulfide due to anaerobic bacteria in the intestines. This compound's odor is often called the “rotten egg smell.”

How do you take the salt out of egg salad? ›

Squeeze some lemon juice or orange juice over your dish. The sour flavor provides a new layer of complexity to the meal and should mellow out the salt. Drizzle in a mild vinegar like all-purpose vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar to help mask the salt with acidity by distracting the taste buds.

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What is the maximum cold holding for egg salad sandwiches? ›

The maximum cold-holding temperature for sliced egg salad sandwiches is 41°F (5°C). Egg salad is a very high-risk product. It contains eggs, mayonnaise, and some vegetables, making it very likely to be contaminated if unattended. Ideally, egg sandwiches must be consumed within three to five days of refrigeration.

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How long to boil eggs? ›

Gently lower in fridge-cold eggs. Lower the heat slightly – so the eggs don't crack due to being bashed around but water is still at a gentle boil. Start the timer – 6 minutes for runny yolks, 8 minutes for soft boiled, 10 minutes for classic hard boiled, 15 minutes for unpleasant rubbery whites and powdery dry yolks.

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How do you know when egg salad goes bad? ›

A spoiled egg salad will emit a sour or sulfurous odor and may also become slimy or watery, which can be an inditication of bacterial growth. Eventually, it can develop mold, dark spots, and other visible signs of spoilage. Stay on the safe side and discard the salad, even if there's just one moldy spot.