It’s egg salad season. Whether you have a post-holiday craving, or you’re honoring the iconic egg salad served at Augusta National for the Master’s Tournament, egg salad is a perfect spring brunch, lunch or cold supper dish. You can serve it as a sandwich, piled onto lettuce leaves or simply on its own.
And yes, egg salad is simple — at its core, it is simply hard-boiled eggs mashed up with mayonnaise — so why adapt it for the 5:30 Challenge? Well, when was the last time you managed to hard boil, peel and chop a dozen eggs in less than 30 minutes? Luckily, there’s a shortcut ingredient for that.
How to make egg salad fast
Six-packs of preboiled eggs are a common staple in grocery stores now, and they’ll save you the time and frustration of boiling and peeling. They’re often a bit damp in the package, so be sure to pat off any excess water before using. To break them down into salad chunks, pull out a potato masher or a pastry cutter to make it easy and quick. I like to leave the eggs in slightly too-large pieces; they’ll break up further when you mix in the remaining ingredients.
Why your egg salad tastes bland (and how to fix it)
A generous amount of pickle (or pickle relish) is a key ingredient to well-balanced egg salad. The acidity and crunch of the pickles brighten up the otherwise heavy mixture. Dill pickles offer greater contrast to the mayonnaise, but use bread and butter if you prefer a sweeter salad.
Whole pickles can be chopped into large chunks for additional textural contrast, and their juice brings a bit more acidity to the salad. Using pickle relish saves you even more time. You can’t go wrong with either ingredient.
How to make the best egg salad sandwich
Making sandwiches? When you build them, don’t overfill. Classic white bread slices can contain about a heaping 1/2 cup of egg salad; larger slices can hold up to 3/4 cup. If you’re packing them for later, consider toasting the bread lightly or layering lettuce underneath to prevent sogginess.
How long egg salad lasts in the fridge
Don’t let egg salad sit out at room temperature for more than two hours. Should you have extra egg salad (or if you want to make it ahead), you can refrigerate it for up to five days. Keep it in an airtight container and refrigerate it as soon as possible after making it. If the texture becomes watery or the smell is off, it is time to let it go. A fresh batch is quick enough to make!
Shortcut Egg Salad
- 12 peeled hard-boiled eggs
- 4 kosher dill pickle spears, finely chopped, or 3/4 cup dill pickle relish
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon pickle juice (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 8 to 12 slices white bread or lettuce leaves (optional), for serving
- In a large bowl, use a potato masher to chop and smash the eggs until the largest pieces are 1/2-inch chunks. Add the pickles, mayonnaise, mustard, pickle juice if using, salt and pepper. Use the potato masher to mix and stir the mixture to thoroughly combine. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
- Transfer to a storage container and refrigerate if making ahead.
- Serve the salad on its own, as a sandwich, or on lettuce leaves.
Serves 4 to 6.
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