Say goodbye to boring, lackluster egg salad with this easy recipe! With a zesty kick from horseradish and Dijon mustard, this egg salad is tangy, flavorful, and anything but ordinary.
The Secret to the Best Egg Salad
I used to despise egg salad. Drenched in mayo with little to no flavor, I found the classic rather bland and unappealing. Until I took inspiration from a tray of deviled eggs—specifically, a version loaded with tangy Dijon and a punch of horseradish.
Adding both Dijon mustard and prepared horseradish to a classic egg salad recipe takes the flavor from ho-hum to memorable. The Dijon adds a zesty, slightly acidic undertone and the horseradish adds a subtle spicy flavor, that leaves you craving more.
And while elevated, this egg salad recipe is still incredibly easy to make–especially if starting with Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Egg Salad Ingredients
You will find the full list of ingredients, along with quantities in the recipe card. Below is a quick glance at what you need and tips to help you make the right selection.
- Eggs: You can opt to start this recipe with leftover hard boiled eggs or use the instructions in the recipe card to prepare hard boiled eggs.
- Mayonnaise: Use real mayonnaise (low-fat or full-fat), not fat-free mayonnaise or Miracle Whip, which both can give your egg salad an artificial flavor.
- Dijon Mustard: While brown deli mustard is a suitable swap, don’t substitute the Dijon mustard for yellow mustard, as the flavor is not as complex.
- Horseradish: Use prepared horseradish not horseradish sauce. Prepared horseradish is simply grated horseradish root with vinegar and salt and can be found in the refrigerated deli section of your grocery store.
How to Make Egg Salad
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Prepare Eggs. Using my instructions for Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs or instructions provided in the recipe card for making hard boiled eggs on the stove, hard-boil your eggs and let them cool fully.
- Dice Eggs. Once the eggs have cooled, peel, being sure to rinse off shells if needed. Chop the hard-boiled eggs into small pieces using a knife, mini chopper, an egg slicer, or pastry cutter.
- Combine Dressing. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, horseradish, Dijon, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- Add Eggs. Fold the diced eggs into the dressing.
- Chill. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to marry together.
Recipe Modifications
- Make it Your Own. Get creative by mixing in extras like chopped dill pickles, pickle relish, minced yellow onion, fresh dill, or chopped baked bacon.
- Lower Fat Option: Swap out the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt.
- Lower-Cholesterol Option: Swap out the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt and use 12 egg whites in place of 8 full eggs. If you aren’t opposed to some cholesterol, use 3 full eggs and the whites from 8 eggs.
Kristen’s Favorite
For a Perfect Egg Salad Sandwich
While egg salad is fabulous served with crackers or as a low carb lunch, nothing quite beats a classic egg salad sandwich. To contrast the soft egg salad, toast your favorite sandwich bread (like honey whole wheat bread), spread a thick layer of egg salad on one slice of bread. Top with with juicy, ripe sliced tomatoes and crisp romaine lettuce, for an easy satisfying lunch.
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
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Hard Boil Eggs
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Place 6 large eggs (room-temperature) in a single layer in a large stock pan. Add cold water to just cover the eggs. Bring to a boil. Once the water is rapidly boiling, cover the pan and remove it from heat. Set timer for 12 minutes. Drain and chill eggs. Alternatively, prepare hard-boiled eggs by following my instructions for Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs.
Egg Salad Recipe
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Peel the hard-boiled eggs and rinse well to remove any shells. Pat dry with a paper towel and then chop the eggs into small bite-sized pieces.
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In a medium or large mixing bowl, mix together ¼ cup mayonnaise, ½ teaspoon prepared horseradish, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add in eggs and fold together to just combine.
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Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes prior to serving for the best flavor.
Lower Fat/Lower Cholesterol Egg Salad: Use plain Greek yogurt in place of the mayonnaise and prepare 11 hard-boiled eggs. Use the whites from 8 hard-boiled eggs, along with 3 full hard-boiled eggs.
Horseradish: Be sure to use prepared horseradish, not horseradish sauce in this egg salad recipe. And if you really like things zesty, increase the horseradish to 1 teaspoon.
Calories: 214kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 10gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 286mgSodium: 490mgPotassium: 95mgSugar: 1gVitamin A: 390IUCalcium: 38mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was originally shared in 2015 and updated in 2025.
