We Asked 3 Chefs How to Make the Best Egg Salad—They All Said the Same Thing

Creamy, tangy and chock-full of protein, a good egg salad can make for the perfect lunch, if you know how to prepare it correctly. When done right, egg salad is delicious. Done wrong, though, and you’ve got a stodgy, chalky mix you’ll forget about at the back of your fridge. While the backbone of the recipe is simple: some hard-boiled eggs, mayo and seasonings, they need to be combined in just the right way in order to achieve tasty results. That’s why we asked three chefs how they perfected their egg salad—surprisingly, they all said the same thing: first, they mastered hard-boiled eggs.  

It’s All in the Eggs 

When a recipe relies on one ingredient to be the star, as is the case with egg salad, you need to make sure that one ingredient is prepared perfectly. To the chefs we spoke with, that meant not overcooking the hard-boiled eggs, which is pretty easy to do. “The yolks should be firm but not dry, and the whites tender, with no rubbery texture,” chef Gen La Roca of Two Cloves Kitchen says. “When the yolks turn greenish or the whites become rubbery, the texture and flavor suffer.” To achieve the right texture, La Roca places eggs in a pot, covers them with cold water, then brings the water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, she lowers the heat to a simmer for 10 minutes. After that, she immediately drops the eggs into an ice bath to cool before peeling. 

Chef Rena Awada of Healthy Fitness Meals cooks her eggs similarly, but usually takes them fully off the heat for the 10-minute cooking time. The ice bath, however, is nonnegotiable, she says: “Peeling them is so much easier when I do this, and the eggs end up with that perfect texture for egg salad.” 

Ten minutes is also the magic number for former fine-dining chef Dennis Littley of Ask Chef Dennis Productions—who also recommends using eggs that have been in your fridge for a bit. “Fresh eggs are harder to peel, so if you’ve got eggs that have been in the fridge for a week or so, those work best,” he says.

Don’t Overdo It 

Beyond avoiding drying out the eggs with overcooking, egg salad should also be handled with a light touch. Too much mayo can not only overpower the eggs but make the salad feel heavy and greasy. “To avoid, add just enough to make it creamy, without drowning out the eggs,” Awada says. “My tip is to add the mayo a spoonful at a time—mixing it in as you go. This way you can keep track of how much you’re adding and not overdo it.” Littley agrees: “Too much dressing, and the eggs get lost; too little, and the salad feels dry. The trick is to add a little at a time and mix as you go until it’s just right.’’ Overmixing your salad is also what will make it clumpy and stodgy. “You want texture! Instead of mashing everything into a paste, chop the eggs into chunks and gently fold in the dressing so it coats the eggs without turning them into mush,” Littley adds.  

Punch Up the Flavor 

Egg salad is a mild dish, which can easily become bland if it’s not properly seasoned. Our chefs recommend a healthy pinch of salt and pepper, as well as a splash of acidity—like lemon juice or Dijon mustard—for a traditional, basic egg salad. For more flavor, though, a dollop of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt can add in not only extra tanginess but a smoother texture too. “The dressing is where you can add personality to your egg salad,” Littley says. “A little sprinkle of paprika or a dash of hot sauce can add subtle warmth. Fresh herbs like chives, dill or parsley bring brightness, while finely chopped celery or shallots add a satisfying crunch.” Capers or pickles can lend some brine to the dish, as well as act as little pops of flavor. For a truly indulgent take that elevates an egg salad from a brown bag lunch to Champagne brunch, though, smoked salmon is the way to go. 

No matter what you add, be sure to give your salad at least 30 minutes in the fridge before you serve it. The chill time will ensure that the flavors have time to meld. Then, serve it on toasted hearty bread, such as sourdough or rye, pile it into a croissant or toss it on top of greens. “No matter how you serve it, egg salad is proof that the simplest dishes can be the most satisfying when done right,” Littley says.