The 3-Ingredient Egg Salad I Make Every Week

There’s an old adage that says that the 100 folds in a chef’s hat (or toque) represent the 100 different ways a chef should know how to prepare eggs. Despite going to culinary school and working in restaurants for the early part of my career, I max out at about 30 egg preparations from the classic French omelette to luxurious eggs en cocotte. 

For me, the best egg dishes are the simple ones I learned as a kid—fried eggs, deviled eggs, and a classic egg salad. My egg salad recipe is as simple as it gets. With just three ingredients (plus salt and pepper), it’s a tasty, protein-packed lunch or snack that waits patiently for me in the fridge until I’m ready to nosh. 

I like egg salad that’s a little drier, so the mayo and Dijon are there just to bind and season, letting the eggs do their thing with little interference. The resulting egg salad is great on a challah roll for lunch, slathered on toast, and drizzled with chili crisp for breakfast. 

I’ve also been known to eat a spoonful in the middle of the afternoon when I start getting snacky, and it does a great job of keeping me satisfied.

The Best Egg Salad Uses the Best Ingredients

Since this egg salad consists of just three ingredients, they all need to be perfect. I use fresh eggs from the farmers market and I steam them, rather than boiling them, to make peeling easy. I prefer an egg that’s been cooked a little past the jammy state for egg salad, so for six eggs, I steam them for nine minutes. 

Mayonnaise is the binding that keeps this whole salad together, and for me that means Duke’s. I’ve been on Team Duke’s since I moved to Richmond, VA (where the mayonnaise is made) in 2009 (I’ve even done some recipe development for the brand). What I love about it is the ever-so-slightly tangy flavor. The folks at Duke’s call it “twang,” and it gives recipes a little almost citrusy je ne sais quoi. 

As for the mustard, I stand by Dijon. Dijon mustard is made with a combination of mustard seeds, vinegar, and a splash of white wine. Those ingredients come together to make a pleasantly sharp condiment that excels at cutting through the other two very rich, creamy ingredients in this salad.

Since this salad can be stored in the fridge for up to five days, it’s a great choice for meal-prepping at the beginning of the week. It’s easy to scale up the recipe to make a double batch—simply double the ingredients and you’ve got twice the eggy goodness.

How To Make My 3-Ingredient Egg Salad

To make four servings, you’ll need:

• 6 large eggs
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Fill a sauce pot with enough water to come to the bottom of a steamer. Bring water to a boil over high heat, and gently place six eggs in the steamer. Cover, and reduce the heat to medium. Set a timer for nine minutes, and prepare an ice bath. When the timer goes off, use tongs to remove the eggs into the ice bath. Wait three minutes, and then peel the eggs.

Coarsely chop the eggs. In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper. Mix well, taste, and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Refrigerate for up to five days.