Best Southern Egg Salad Recipe

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If you love a good egg salad but find the traditional version lacking in flavor, you’re in luck. Southern Egg Salad is here to save the day. With just 6 ingredients, this Southern version of the classic egg salad is easy to make, relatively economical, and full of protein.

This post is sponsored by NewAir and Selefina. All opinions are my own.

Why you’ll love this recipe

There are so many reasons to love this egg salad recipe. Here are a few but you really just need to try it for yourself.

• It’s economical. None of the ingredients are expensive.
• The ingredients are readily available.
• Eggs are a great source of protein.
• Easily adjust the ingredients to suit your tastes.
• I use large eggs but feel free to a different size. Just know you will have less egg salad if you use small eggs, so you may want to use more.
• It’s versatile. Add some favorite ingredients and serve it a number of different ways.

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, an Instacart Tastemaker, as well as a member of other various affiliate programs, I earn a nominal commission if products are purchased through links at no additional charge to you.

Southern Egg Salad Recipe Ingredients

You don’t need many ingredients to make egg salad.

• Hard-boiled eggs – Use 4 eggs for one sandwich.
• Mayonnaise – Duke’s would be quintessential Southern but my store was actually out of it so I had to substitute. Use your favorite.
• Dijon Mustard – You can certainly use yellow mustard but we prefer Dijon.
• Sweet Pickle Relish – Try not to use the liquid, it will make the mixture runny.
• Chopped Chives – Fresh are best.
• Dried Dill Weed – I used Selefina Spices
• Salt and Pepper – To taste.

Feel free to make this egg salad recipe your own. Some optional add-in ideas include:

• Chopped onions
• Chopped celery
• Spice up the mixture with some cayenne pepper or a hot sauce of your choice.
• Chop the eggs rather than using an egg slicer for a chunkier egg salad.

What does Southern Egg Salad taste like?

This Southern egg salad recipe has both a creamy and tangy flavor, with a hint of sweetness from the mayonnaise and a bit of spiciness from the mustard. The optional chopped onions and celery provide a crunchy texture with a slightly savory taste that balances out the creaminess of the egg mixture.

The overall taste of the egg salad can vary depending on the specific ingredients and seasonings used.

How to Hard Boil Eggs

Every egg salad recipe starts with hard-boiled eggs. There is some debate about whether the eggs should be started in cold water and brought to boiling or to bring the water to a boil and then add the eggs.

I am wholly in the “start in cold water” camp. I feel there’s better control over the cooking time. From the first time I made hard-boiled eggs, I have followed Martha Stewart’s method.

Start with large eggs. Older eggs work better than fresh eggs. I’ll explain below.

Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with water. Make sure there is at least an inch of water over the top of the eggs.

Bring the eggs to a rolling boil, uncovered. Once the water is boiling, cover the pan, and remove it from the heat. Let the eggs stand for 10 to 12 minutes.

Should I use fresh eggs or older eggs when hard boiling?

Using older eggs, between 1 and 2 weeks old, will result in a hard-boiled egg that’s easier to peel. Older eggs are easier to peel because the egg white shrinks in the boiling water, leaving more space between the shell and the egg.

I always use older eggs when I make deviled eggs so the shell peels nicely and they look pretty.

Should you pierce eggs before boiling them?

When you hard cook an egg, this air heats up, expands, and escapes through pores in the shell—but not before the egg white sets. This leaves the egg with a flattened end. Pricking the egg provides a quick escape route for the air, which gives you an egg with a smoothly rounded end.

What happens if you don’t pierce an egg before boiling it?

A cracked egg could explode while cooking and make a serious mess! If you don’t pierce the shell, you’re taking a chance that it will explode. I’ve always pierced eggs when making hard-boiled eggs.

How do you pierce an egg?

The easiest way is to use an egg piercer. You can either purchase a single egg piercer or an egg slicer with a piercer. I prefer the latter because then the single one doesn’t get lost in the drawer.

What is the best tool for making egg salad?

There are many ways you can chop the eggs. The easiest way is with an egg slicer. Place the egg in the slicer with the wires raised and slice. Then turn the egg 90 degrees and slice again.

If you don’t want to invest in the tool, you can use a pastry blender. I find it chops the eggs too finely.

How do you serve egg salad?

There are a lot of ways to serve Southern egg salad. My favorite way is on whole-wheat bread but I also like classic white bread.

If you’re watching your carb intake and not wanting to make a sandwich, this Southern egg salad is also perfect for lettuce wraps. Or for a quick snack, enjoy it on your favorite crackers.

How do you store egg salad?

Once you mix all of the ingredients you can either serve it immediately or use it within two or three days. Store Southern egg salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Freezing egg salad is not recommended.

The Perfect Picnic

Southern egg salad is a delicious addition to the perfect picnic lunch. Serve it alongside linguine salad or classic broccoli salad. But when you take a picnic lunch to the beach or the park, you need to keep everything cold, including fresh blueberry lemonade.

The perfect way to transport picnic food and keep it at the proper temperature is with the NewAir Portable Electric Cooler, Product Model: NPR048GA00. The 48-quart cooler has many features.

• Charge the cooler your way: Plug in this chargeable 12v cooler to your truck or rely on solar energy to power it for full off-the-grid camping. The solar panel, Kit Model: NPR-SolarKit100, is a separate optional add-on to the cooler.
• There are three battery protection modes — Low, Medium, and High. You choose.
• Built for outdoor enthusiasts, this portable cooler is rugged and has a retractable easy-grip handle with all-terrain wheels.
• It’s roomy with its 48-quart capacity, you can store all of your provisions, including a container of this easy Southern egg salad.
• Built-in cutting board, bottle opener, and cup holders.
• Purchase the NewAir Portable Cooler and use the discount code FAMILY10 for 10% off. (Valid until April 2024.)

More Delicious Egg Salad Recipes

Creamy sriracha egg salad is a spicy version that gets extra creaminess from Greek yogurt. Avocado egg salad is also made with Greek yogurt but gets more flavor from avocado.

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