Why is my egg salad soggy?

Soggy egg salad is likely the result of one of two things: Your eggs are overcooked, or you used a thinner mayonnaise. Eggs will retain increasing amounts of liquid the longer they sit in hot water, so make sure to not overcook them in order to prevent a watery hard-boiled egg. Light mayonnaise is mostly water, too, so it will not be as thick or hold its emulsion as well as classic mayonnaise.

Why did my egg salad turn gray?

Gray eggs are overcooked eggs. It turns out that hard-boiled eggs can take on a greenish-gray color around the outside of the yolk because of a chemical reaction between the iron in the yolk and sulfur, which is present in the white. The reaction occurs when the egg is exposed to temperatures that are too high.

Egg Salad Recipe

Name: Egg Salad
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 8 large eggs; 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions (from 2 medium [1/2 oz. each] scallions), plus more for garnish; 2 tsp. spicy brown mustard; 2 tsp. hot dog relish (such as Mt. Olive); 3/4 tsp. kosher salt; 1/2 tsp. paprika; 1/4 tsp. garlic powder; 1/4 tsp. black pepper; Crackers or bread

Southern Living Egg Salad in a bowl to serve — Photo:
Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey

Active Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

50 mins

Servings:

A good egg salad recipe is a little pickle-y, a little mustard-y, and just enough creamy to make it scoopable, spreadable, and undeniably rich. With this recipe, the result is an egg salad that tastes suspiciously close to the filling of a good deviled egg, but with a bit more flavor and balance so that you can enjoy it with nutty crackers or buttery bread.

We are particularly fond of the use of hot dog relish in this egg salad, rather than just sweet or dill relish. It adds just a hint of sweetness for balance and is more complex.

Learn how to make egg salad, and never again have to buy a subpar version from the grocery store.

Egg Salad Ingredients

This egg salad recipe calls for just seven ingredients (nine if you count the salt and pepper). That's to say, if you keep these on hand and have fresh hard-boiled eggs, this comes together in no time.

Large eggs: In a pinch, you could purchase the hard-boiled eggs available in the egg section, but boiling your own isn't a complicated task.
Mayonnaise: Adds the creaminess and a hint of tang to the rich eggs.
Scallions: You'll mix some in for freshness and a mild onion flavor, and more can be used as a garnish. Use chives if you can't find scallions.
Spicy brown mustard: The hint of heat and tang nicely balances the richness of the whole egg salad. Dijon would work, too. And if you want that heat, a dash of Tabasco is a great idea.
Hot dog relish: Look for this alongside the other relishes and pickles.
Kosher salt and black pepper: For seasoning.
Paprika: It's not egg salad without some paprika for a bit of smokiness. You can also sprinkle some on top for a great presentation if serving this at a luncheon or party.
Garlic powder: Adds some savory depth without the bite of fresh garlic.

Serve your egg salad alongside crackers or on bread, or offer up a veggie tray for lots of dipping options.

Southern Living Egg Salad ingredients — Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey

How To Make Egg Salad

Boiling the eggs is the most time-consuming part of making egg salad. Everything else comes together with a few stirs of the spatula. Here's a quick outline of the dish; the full recipe is further below:

Step 1. Cook the eggs: Bring water to a boil in a saucepan, and carefully lower eggs into the boiling water. Cook for 11 minutes and 30 seconds. While the eggs cook, fill a large bowl with ice water. When the timer is up, move the eggs with a slotted spoon to the ice water, and let cool at least 5 minutes.
Step 2. Peel and chop the eggs: Use your favorite method for peeling eggs. We like to run them under water so that the water slips between the egg and membrane and makes peeling a snap. Once peeled, chop the eggs, and place them in a bowl.
Step 3. Combine ingredients with eggs: To the bowl with eggs, add mayonnaise, scallions, mustard, relish, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper. Stir until well combined. Garnish with scallions before serving.

How To Store Egg Salad

Store any leftover egg salad in a shallow, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. We don't recommend freezing egg salad, as it will change the texture and flavor. But if you're OK with that, you can freeze egg salad for up to one month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and stir to combine in the event of any separation before eating.

Can You Make Egg Salad Ahead?

Yes, egg salad, once made, can sit up to 4 days for make-ahead lunches or dinners. Also, eggs can be boiled and peeled up to 1 week ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container before you finish the recipe.

Tips for Perfect Egg Salad Every Time

Egg salad is typically an easy recipe—and this one surely is—but we've made enough egg salads in the Southern Living Test Kitchen to know a thing about making a good egg salad... well, great.

Take a shortcut: Purchase already hard-boiled eggs if you're short on time or dislike boiling eggs. They're sold in 6-egg bags. It certainly takes the guesswork out of whether the egg is perfectly cooked or not
Don't skip the ice bath: Shocking the eggs right after boiling prevents them from overcooking and becoming water-logged. This will prevent a runny egg salad, too.
Season and taste: To get the flavor of this dish just right, you should mix, then taste, and season again to get it just where you want it.

Substitutions for Egg Salad

You can absolutely play around with this egg salad recipe to find a version you like and want to call your specialty. Here are a few ideas that might inspire creativity:

Change the relish: Use dill or sweet relish instead of hot dog relish. Hot dog relish has mustard in it so if you use regular relish, you might want more mustard (or you might not!).
Up the crunch factor: Not in our original recipe, celery is a great stir-in if you want to increase the crunchiness of egg salad.
Swap the mustards: Use whatever mustard you have on hand — Dijon, stone-ground, and yellow would all be great. Even Creole mustard is a good swap if you have some.
Spice it up: For a little heat, add some cayenne pepper, or replace some of the salt with Creole seasoning.

Southern Living Egg Salad on toast sprinkled with paprika — Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey

Ingredients

8 large eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions (from 2 medium [1/2 oz. each] scallions), plus more for garnish
2 tsp. spicy brown mustard
2 tsp. hot dog relish (such as Mt. Olive)
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Crackers or bread

Directions

Cook eggs:

Fill a large pot with water, and bring to a boil over high. Carefully lower eggs into boiling water; cook, undisturbed, for 11 minutes, 30 seconds.

Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey
Make ice bath:

Meanwhile, fill a large bowl halfway with ice, and add enough water to cover ice; set ice bath aside.

Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey
Cool eggs:

Using a spider or slotted spoon, immediately transfer cooked eggs from boiling water to ice bath. Let stand until completely cooled, at least 5 minutes or up to 30 minutes.

Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey
Peel and chop eggs:

Peel eggs, and chop; place in a medium bowl.

Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey
Make egg salad:

Add mayonnaise, scallions, mustard, relish, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper to eggs in bowl; stir until fully combined and creamy. Garnish with additional scallions. Serve immediately with crackers or bread.

Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my egg salad soggy?

Soggy egg salad is likely the result of one of two things: Your eggs are overcooked, or you used a thinner mayonnaise. Eggs will retain increasing amounts of liquid the longer they sit in hot water, so make sure to not overcook them in order to prevent a watery hard-boiled egg. Light mayonnaise is mostly water, too, so it will not be as thick or hold its emulsion as well as classic mayonnaise.
Why did my egg salad turn gray?

Gray eggs are overcooked eggs. It turns out that hard-boiled eggs can take on a greenish-gray color around the outside of the yolk because of a chemical reaction between the iron in the yolk and sulfur, which is present in the white. The reaction occurs when the egg is exposed to temperatures that are too high.