Egg Salad Sandwich
intro
Creamy, tangy classic egg salad tucked between soft bread, a nostalgic, portable no-fuss meal perfect for casual outings and quick lunches.
Ingredients
Steps
Hard-boil the eggs
Place 8 large eggs in a medium 3L saucepan, cover with 5cm of cold tap water, and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once a full rolling boil is reached, turn off the stovetop, cover the pan tightly with a lid, and let eggs rest in the hot water for 9 minutes exactly for fully set, non-green-ringed yolks.
Chill eggs in ice bath
Use a slotted spoon to transfer hot eggs immediately to a 2L mixing bowl filled with 4 cups (960ml) cold water and 1 cup (220g) ice cubes. Let eggs soak for 5 full minutes to halt the cooking process and loosen eggshells for frustration-free peeling.
Peel and chop eggs
Tap each cooled egg firmly on a wooden cutting board to crack the shell across its entire surface, peel away the shell under cool running tap water, then pat peeled eggs dry with paper towels. Chop eggs into rough 1cm chunks, then transfer to a large 4L mixing bowl.
Mix the egg salad
Add 1/2 cup (120ml) full-fat mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon (15g) Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon (5ml) fresh lemon juice, 30g finely diced celery, 30g finely diced dill pickles, and 6g finely chopped fresh chives to the bowl with chopped eggs. Season with 3g kosher salt and 1g freshly ground black pepper, then fold gently with a rubber spatula to combine, leaving small egg chunks intact rather than mashing to a smooth paste.
Assemble the sandwiches
Lay 8 slices of soft sandwich bread on a clean work surface. Scoop a 1/2 cup (120g) portion of egg salad onto each of 4 bread slices, spread gently with a butter knife to reach the crust edges, then top with the remaining 4 bread slices to form 4 full sandwiches.
Slice and serve
Use a sharp serrated bread knife to cut each sandwich diagonally into two equal triangular halves. Serve immediately, or wrap each sandwich tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at 4°C for up to 24 hours for make-ahead meals or outings.
Tips
2.Pat diced celery and pickles dry with a paper towel before adding to the salad, and skip watery add-ins like fresh tomato to prevent soggy bread.
3.If making sandwiches ahead for a picnic or packed lunch, spread a thin layer of softened butter on the cut sides of the bread to create a moisture barrier that keeps bread crisp.
OMG this is the exact egg salad my grandma used to make! I brought it to our neighborhood potluck last weekend and every single sandwich was gone in 10 minutes. So creamy, not too much mayo, perfect crunch from the celery. 10/10 will be making this for weekly meal prep from now on!
Super easy to throw together on busy school mornings! My kids are super picky about egg salad (they hate when it’s too “mushy”) and both of them asked for seconds today. I swapped regular bread for whole grain and it was chef’s kiss.
Game changer for my work lunches! I make a big batch on Sunday, keep it in an airtight container, and it stays perfect all week. No sad desk lunch for me this week, that’s for sure. Only note: I added a tiny pinch of paprika for a little extra warmth, highly recommend.
As a college student with basically zero cooking skills, this was so foolproof! I didn’t even mess up boiling the eggs, which is a miracle. Total cost to make was like $4 for 4 sandwiches, way cheaper than buying from the campus café. Only thing I’ll do differently next time is add a little extra mustard, I love that tang!
I’ve been making egg salad for 60 years and I have to say, this recipe is spot on. The ratio of mayo to mustard to celery is exactly right, no weird add-ins that don’t belong. I served these at my bridge club lunch and all the ladies asked for the recipe!
Made these to take on a day hike last weekend and they held up perfectly! I wrapped them tight in parchment paper, stuck them in the cooler, and they were still creamy and delicious at the summit. Way better than the usual granola bars I pack.
Wait, does this have onion in it? I have a really bad allium allergy and most egg salad recipes sneak in diced onion or onion powder and I can never eat them. I’d love to give this a try if it’s totally onion-free!
Made this for our family picnic at the lake yesterday and it was a hit! Even my super picky teenager who “hates all egg things” ate a whole sandwich and asked when I’d make it again. So easy to prep ahead too.
I make this for every office potluck and it’s always the first empty platter. People love that it’s not overloaded with weird mix-ins, just that classic creamy flavor everyone remembers from childhood. 10/10, zero notes.
Help! I tried making this last night and my eggs came out with that weird green ring around the yolk, did I do something wrong? The salad still tasted good but I want it to look perfect for my boyfriend’s family lunch this weekend!
Is there a way to make this lower carb? I’m doing keto right now and missing a good egg salad sandwich, but regular bread is off the table for me. The egg salad itself sounds perfect!
SO good. I added a couple slices of crispy bacon to mine and it was next level. Don’t sleep on adding a little crispy bacon, trust me. The creamy egg and salty bacon are a match made in heaven. Will be making this at least once a week from now on.
Made these for a casual brunch with my girlfriends last weekend and they were such a hit! I cut the sandwiches into little triangles, added a tiny sprig of dill on top for garnish, and they looked so fancy even though they took 25 minutes total to make. Total win.