Creamy Egg Salad With Pickles is an easy recipe, made with simple ingredients and ready in just 20 minutes. Use it to make egg salad sandwiches, lettuce wraps or even as a dip for crackers. A great lunch option that's a flavorful spin on a classic egg salad recipe.
I love traditional egg salad, but had never added dill pickles or pickle juice to my recipe. WOW ... what a delicious recipe! I followed the recipe as written and ended up with perfect hard boiled eggs and a delicious homemade egg salad. I served it on soft sandwich bread. This simple recipe is my new favorite way to use up hard-boiled eggs!
- Jeanie K.
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Pickles? In my egg salad?
I'm not sure why egg salad is a recipe I haven't historically made very often. We have hard boiled eggs in our refrigerator 90% of the time - Joe eats them daily. It's made from simple ingredients like chopped eggs, mayonnaise (or Greek yogurt), mustard and chopped herbs + veggies and some spices. And lately .... pickles.
I know... I know. It doesn't sound like the most appetizing of combinations, and this egg recipe won't be winning any beauty contests. Trust. Don't ask questions, don't over think it, just make it happen.
The combination of the smooth and creamy egg salad with the zippy dill pickle relish creates a leveled up version of a classic recipe. I'm anti bland food so I went heavy on the smoked paprika, and may have gotten a little aggressive with fresh dill. The addition of peppers, onion and pickles also adds a layer of crunchiness to the egg salad which, in my humble opinion, is an improvement on the classic texture.
All in all I ended up with a truly delicious egg salad - perfect for those who like me, need a little extra flavor in you life (but don't want to spend more than 20 minutes making it happen).
-Bailey
Ingredients
- hard boiled eggs - fresh is better, but store-bought will work in a pinch. I like to use the Instant Pot to make mine - it makes it so easy to peel eggs.
- mayonnaise - use your favorite brand - reduced fat, full-fat, this recipe isn't picky
- dijon mustard - a staple in all egg salad recipes - I recommend Grey Poupon
- kosher dill pickles - any size, shape or cut will work. Use what you have on hand.
- onion - red onion, green onion, white onion, spring onion - it's all great.
- bell pepper - perfect for adding an extra crunch and color
- fresh dill - recipe measurements are for fresh dill, don't substitute dry dill
- smoked paprika - made from smoke dried chili peppers, regular paprika is not a substitute. This ingredient provides LOTS of flavor to the egg salad.
*** OPTIONAL - a few shakes of your favorite hot sauce
How To Make Hard Boiled Eggs In The Instant Pot (5-5-5 Method)
Directions for making hard boiled eggs on the stove can be found in the notes section of the recipe card.
Step 1: Add 1 cup of water to the inner pot of the Instant Pot if using a 6 quart pot and 2 cups of water if using an 8 quart pot.
Step 2: Place Instant Pot Trivet or steamer basket into the IP. Stack eggs - it is ok if they are touching. If you don't have a trivet, see directions in notes section on recipe card.
Step 3: Close the lid, set steam valve to seal. Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes. Once done, perform a natural release for an additional 5 minutes and then unseal valve.
Step 4: Remove eggs from Instant Pot and add them to a prepared ice bath. Peel and enjoy.
Top Tip: If you don't have an IP steamer basket, you can still make this recipe! Add water and place a maximum of 6 eggs (6 quart pot) and 8 eggs (8 quart pot) directly into the water. Follow recipe directions as written.
How To Make Egg Salad With Pickles
Step 1: Add chopped hard cooked eggs to a large bowl.
Step 2: To the same bowl, add all remaining ingredients. OPTIONAL - add a splash of hot sauce.
Step 3: Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the ingredients together until fully combined.
Step 4: Serve egg salad on toasted bagels, soft white sandwich bread or wrapped in a large tortilla.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions
- mayonnaise - sub completely or partially for plain Greek yogurt for less fat and calories
- bell pepper - added to the recipe for crunch, sub for celery or any variety of pepper you have on hand
- dijon mustard - the flavor of dijon is distinct and compliments egg salad well, whole-grain mustard or yellow mustard can be substituted
- kosher dill pickles - highly recommend dill pickles, but if you prefer sweet pickles or butter pickles they would be delicious as well
Variations
Spicy - replace bell peppers with jalapeño, Serrano or Fresno chili peppers
Plain - use chopped egg, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper
Storage
Freezing egg salad is not recommended as it will change the texture and flavor. You can refrigerate leftover egg salad in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. If your egg salad gets watery or soggy, add a little extra mayo and give it a good stir before serving.
Leftover hard-cooked eggs can be stored in a sealed container and refrigerated for up to a 1-week.
Equipment
You can make your hard boiled egg on the stove (see recipe card note section for details), but making them in the Instant Pot works really well. The shells slip right off with no trouble, and it's a very simple process.
Instant Pot - This is the one that I use and love. This is an affiliate link, if you purchase, I will receive a small commission.
FAQ's - Egg Salad With Pickles
Egg salad is high in calories because of the amount of mayonnaise that is used. To lower calories and fat, sub half Greek yogurt for the amount of mayonnaise a recipe calls for.
Of course! This egg salad is so delicious you can eat it straight from the bowl. I like to use it as a dip for fresh veggies, toasted naan and crackers as well.
Toasting the bread is helpful when trying to prevent a soggy sandwich. Additionally ensure that you give the egg salad a good stir and scoop from the top when assembling your sandwiches.
Recipe
Creamy Egg Salad with Pickles
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1.5 cups 1x
Description
Creamy Egg Salad With Pickles is an easy recipe, made with simple ingredients and ready in just 20 minutes. Use it to make egg salad sandwiches, lettuce wraps or even as a dip for crackers. A great lunch option that's a flavorful spin on a classic egg salad recipe.
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 2 ½ tablespoons mayonnaise (can be subbed for Greek yogurt)
- ½ tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon pickle juice
- 1 tablespoon dill pickles, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon onion, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon red pepper, finely diced
- ½ tablespoon of fresh dill, minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Hard Boiled Egg Instructions:
- Add 1 cup of water to the inner pot of the Instant Pot if using a 6 quart pot and 2 cups of water if using an 8 quart pot.
- Place Instant Pot Trivet or steamer basket into the IP. Stack eggs - it is ok if they are touching. See notes if you don't have an IP trivet.
- Close the lid, set steam valve to seal. Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes. Once done, perform a natural release for an additional 5 minutes and then unseal valve.
- Remove eggs from Instant Pot and add them to a prepared ice bath. Peel and enjoy.
Egg Salad Instructions:
- Add all ingredients to a large bowl. Gently mix until fully combined.
- Serve immediately on toasted bagels, soft white bread, wrapped in a tortilla or straight from the bowl. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Notes
To make hard boiled eggs on stovetop: Place 6 eggs in a medium pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and remove from heat. Leave eggs covered for 12 minutes. Transfer cooked eggs to an ice bath for about 15 minutes. Peel and enjoy.
Instant Pot hard boiled eggs with no trivet: Place 2 cups of water in IP. Arrange 6 eggs into a single layer. Follow recipe directions as written.
- Prep Time: 15
- Category: Lunch
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ of the egg salad
- Calories: 178
- Sugar: 1.2 g
- Sodium: 307.7 mg
- Fat: 13.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 3.1 g
- Protein: 9.9 g
- Cholesterol: 282.6 mg
Jeanie K.
I love traditional egg salad, but had never added dill pickles or pickle juice to my recipe. WOW ... what a delicious recipe! I followed the recipe as written and ended up with perfect hard boiled eggs and a delicious homemade egg salad. I served it on soft sandwich bread. This simple recipe is my new favorite way to use up hard-boiled eggs!