Egg Salad Sandwich on a brown piece of paper with a glass of water and white bowl of salad on a wooden surface (with logo overlay)

How to Make the Perfect Classic Egg Salad Sandwich

An egg salad sandwich is the perfect easy lunch. You can make it ahead of time and enjoy the creamy sandwich when you’re ready.

Jump to Recipe

One of my favorite ways to eat hard-boiled eggs is in a classic egg salad sandwich. I always thought egg salad sounded gross, but one day I was out golfing with my dad and we had lunch at the clubhouse. They were low on a lot of food that day and an egg salad sandwich was one of the only options, so I said I would try it. And I am so glad I did, they are delicious! My dad told me how easy it is to make and taught me, and now it’s my turn to share!

Egg salad is a great way to use up extra hard boiled eggs, especially after the kids dye them at Easter. 

There are two major aspects to getting a good egg salad sandwich: perfect hard-boiled eggs and the right consistency for your egg salad mixture. I posted a couple of weeks ago about how to cook a perfect egg, which is my trick for getting them just right. Basically, place eggs in a pot of cold water, bring them to a rolling boil over high heat, turn the heat off with the eggs in the boiling water, and cover for 13 minutes. Then dunk them into an ice bath before peeling once they reach room temperature. 

That’s not the hard part. The most difficult part is getting just the right amount of all the ingredients. I love that this classic egg salad recipe is made from simple ingredients that are easy to find at the grocery store. 

Most of the time I just wing it, but I have made it so many times I have a pretty good idea of just how much to add. That being said, you don’t have to follow my recipe exactly. If you like yours more mustardy, then add more mustard. I also know people will sometimes add other things such as diced celery to their egg salad. I like it plain, but it would be easy to make that variation.

Egg Salad Sandwich next to a salad and glass of water on a wooden board with a curious siamese cat sniffing at the bowl
Our cat, Snowflake, was very curious about what we were doing!

Personally, my egg salad has to be cold. I like to make it a few hours before I want to eat it, then let it refrigerate. This also works to save whatever you have left over for another time. You just don’t want to make your sandwich and then put it in the fridge because the bread will get soggy.

While I like to keep this to a simple egg salad sandwich recipe, there are a few things you can add. I know some people like to add fresh dill, dill pickles, dill pickle relish, or sweet pickle relish to their egg salad. You can also add red onion or green onion for a little crunch. I typically use yellow mustard, but you can also make this easy recipe with Dijon mustard if you prefer. Any bread would work for these, but I prefer to use sourdough bread or rye bread when we can. 

Egg Salad Sandwich Step by Step

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs (hard-boiled)
  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1/2 tsp mustard
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 4 slices bread

Preparation

After hard-boiling the eggs, chop them into small pieces and place the chopped eggs in a large bowl. I like to use a potato masher to do this. You want both egg whites and egg yolks. 

Mix in the mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper. Test the taste and see if it needs more salt or pepper. Also, check your consistency to see if you want to add a small amount of mayo or mustard. 

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for an hour or two if you want the egg salad to be cold. Otherwise, you can eat it right away. To make the sandwich, spread some of the mixture onto a slice of bread and make your sandwich. 

Egg Salad Sandwich on a brown piece of paper with a glass of water and white bowl of salad on a wooden surface (vertical)

Egg Salad Sandwich Leftovers

Storage: The egg salad mixture can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. After that it starts to separate. Make sure to give it a good stir before serving.

Recipe

Originally Published On: April 17, 2019

Last Updated On: July 20, 2023

Egg Salad Sandwich on a brown piece of paper with a glass of water and white bowl of salad on a wooden surface

Egg Salad Sandwich

An egg salad sandwich is the perfect easy lunch. You can make it ahead of time and enjoy the creamy sandwich when you're ready.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course:
Main Dish
Cuisine:
American
Keyword:
eggs
|
hard boiled eggs
|
sandwich
Servings: 2 servings
5 from 6 votes

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs (hard-boiled)
  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1/2 tsp mustard
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 4 slices bread

Instructions

  • Mash the eggs into small pieces (I like to use my potato masher)
  • Mix in the mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper
  • Spread half of the mixture on each sandwich
Click the buttons below to share and print this recipe
Pin Recipe Print Recipe
Nutrition Facts
Egg Salad Sandwich
Amount Per Serving
Calories 372 Calories from Fat 180
% Daily Value*
Fat 20g31%
Saturated Fat 4g20%
Cholesterol 333mg111%
Sodium 808mg34%
Potassium 223mg6%
Carbohydrates 28g9%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 17g34%
Vitamin A 475IU10%
Calcium 127mg13%
Iron 3.5mg19%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

Other Hard-Boiled Eggs Recipes to try

More Sandwich Recipes

61 thoughts on “How to Make the Perfect Classic Egg Salad Sandwich”

  1. Ann F. Snook-Moreau

    This sounds like a simple, yummy recipe the whole family would like for lunch. I’ve been really into hard-boiled eggs lately so might have to change it up with egg salad!

  2. the only thing i really miss as a vegan is eggs. It’s not the end of the world but I think they are so delicious! This looks fab! Maybe I can recreate it with chickpeas?

  3. That’s interesting about the potato masher when doing it. I usually just slice them in my hand very carefully and then mash with a fork with light mayonnaise and mustard but I might have to try the potato masher method.

  4. Egg salad sandwiches are one of my favorites. I absolutely love to have them for breakfast (or really anytime!).

  5. I love eggs and usually break out the egg salad recipe when I have more eggs than I know what to do with (It’s an issue when you own chickens). I love my egg salad warm with lettuce and tomato on toasted bread. Avocado is a good swap for those who hate mayo.

  6. 5 stars
    I love eggs but havent eaten it in a sandwich form. It is so easy. Will be making egg salad for breakfast tomorrow. 🙂

  7. My oldest son could eat these nonstop. I have not tried toasting though…that sounds like a fun variation! Last yesterday, we had hard boiled eggs for a sandwich filling and he added extra mustard plus horseradish sauce…whew!

  8. 5 stars
    Finally! The perfect egg salad recipe! I have been looking everywhere for one that is simple and delicious and this one is it – thanks!

  9. Very nice recipe, never tried cold stuffing in any of my sandwiches will try it out this weekend for sure…egg filling is one of my fav filling, thanks for sharing this recipe..!

  10. Every time I make egg salad it is very watery the next day. All I use is eggs, mayo, mustard, salt. What am I doing wrong?

  11. Thanks so much for the idea of using a potato masher. I’ve always used a fork to mash the eggs. Another ingredient you can try is pickle relish. Do not use mustard though. Pickle relish is also great in tuna salad, my favorite.

  12. I love egg salad sandwiches but when my mother made it she added green olives with the pimento. Those were the best! I can’t eat egg salad without the olives.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating