Classic Egg Salad With Relish Recipe

By
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 01/23/23
Tested by
Bahareh Niati
Bahareh Niati
Tested by Bahareh Niati
Bahareh Niati is a professional food photographer and recipe developer. Baking and sweet treats are her favorites, and she shares her creations and love for baking on her blog Baking is Therapy.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Classic Egg Salad With Relish in a bowl, with a spoon

The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 5 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 2 cups

Egg salad is a lunchtime staple. It’s easy to make, wholesome, and when served as a sandwich or atop a salad, it’s a complete meal.  Adding pickle relish to egg salad gives it the perfect zing and pop. There’s a little sweetness, a little vinegar, and it adds so much depth of flavor to the eggs without having to add tons of other ingredients or spices.

You can use any pickle relish you like. If you’re looking to cut out sugar, use a dill pickle relish. If you’re happy to have the sweetness then just use a good quality relish that you like. 

The eggs can be hard-boiled up to two days in advance, so this is a great make-ahead meal and is perfect for lunch. We use a food processor to chop up the egg since it saves a ton of time and cuts back on the need for extra mayo since the blended eggs add to the creaminess all on their own. Then a little mayo, relish, mustard, salt and pepper are mixed in to complete this easy dish.

“This egg salad is simply delicious! It’s creamy, tasty, and a great option for your next meal. I served it on spinach leaves and sprinkled some thinly sliced green onion on top. You can also add a squeeze of lemon if you like it extra-tangy.”—Bahareh Niati

Classic Egg Salad With Relish Recipe/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 6 large hard-boiled eggs

  • 1 tablespoon mayo

  • 1 tablespoon pickle relish

  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Classic Egg Salad With Relish ingredients in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  2. Peel the hard boiled eggs and cut each egg in half.

    Peeled and sliced hard boiled eggs on a cutting board, next to a knife

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  3. Add the eggs to the bowl of a food processor.

    Eggs in a food processor

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  4. Pulse 4 to 5 times, or until reaching the desired texture. Alternatively, you can manually cut the eggs into smaller pieces using a knife, then mash with a fork.

    Eggs in a food processor

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  5. Mix together the mayo, relish, mustard, and salt and pepper in a small bowl.

    Mayo, relish, mustard, and salt and pepper in a bowl, with a spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  6. Add the chopped egg to the mayo mixture and stir to coat. Serve on your favorite sandwich bread or atop a salad.

    Classic Egg Salad With Relish in a bowl, with a spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

Tips

  • You want a well done hard-boiled egg for this recipe. Runny egg yolks will not work. 
  • To hard-boil the eggs, add the eggs to a pot of water so that about an inch of water is covering the eggs. Heat to a boil, then cover and remove from heat. Let sit, covered, for 11 to 12 minutes. Transfer the eggs to an ice water bath for at least 10 minutes. This can be done up to two days in advance. 



Recipe Variations

There are tons of different herbs and spices you can add to this recipe. Try one or a combination of the following:

  • 1/2 teaspoon regular or smoked paprika
  • Seasoned salt instead of regular salt
  • 1/4 cup chopped scallions
  • 1 tablespoon chopped chives
  • Half of a small onion, minced
  • 1 celery stalk, minced



How to Store

Egg salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. It does not freeze well.

How Do I Keep My Egg Salad From Getting Runny?


Chopping the eggs in the food processor helps bind the cooked yolk to the whites. This means the egg salad will be creamy without getting runny. The mayo will stick to everything better and you won’t have a big sloppy mess. You can also use less mayo for a lighter egg salad.



Nutrition Facts (per serving)
146 Calories
11g Fat
2g Carbs
10g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 146
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 14%
Saturated Fat 3g 14%
Cholesterol 281mg 94%
Sodium 444mg 19%
Total Carbohydrate 2g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 40mg 3%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 102mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)