Egg Salad Sandwich

Who doesn’t love a classic egg salad sandwich? It’s rich and creamy, and oh, so delicious. It’s not not only the perfect solution to extra hard boiled eggs, but an easy lunch, or light dinner option. But a good egg salad sandwich has to start with perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs. Nothing is more off-putting than that green ring around the yolk or tough rubbery egg whites! 

I love this simple, classic egg salad recipe. It’s perfect for tea sandwiches, which are great for a bridal or baby shower. (This post was originally published on November 20th, 2011. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn commission on qualifying purchases).

Egg salad sandwich ingredients

A very basic egg salad recipe consists of very simple ingredients.

• hard boiled eggs
• good mayonnaise
• salt and pepper
• fresh chopped dill
• finely sliced green onions
• Mustard Note: a lot of recipes use Dijon mustard. I prefer using Colman’s Dry English mustard. It’s my go-to for most of my salads like potato salad or chicken salad. Dijon mustard it perfect for vinaigrette dressing though, as it helps emulsify the salad dressing.

Optional ingredients can included:

• chopped celery for a little crunch
• sliced green onions, minced red onion, or chives
• fresh parsley
• minced dill pickles or sweet pickle relish
• lettuce

Notes on bread:

• For egg salad tea sandwiches, I prefer a soft white bread or even rye bread, thinly sliced, to make delicate two or three bite sandwiches. But feel free to use your favorite sandwich bread.
• For a low carb option, you can skip the bread and serve egg salad on a bed of lettuce or make lettuce wraps.

How to make egg salad sandwiches

First of all you need to start with perfect hard-boiled eggs. There are so many ways to make egg salad. But once you’ve mastered this easy egg salad recipe, you can go wild with add-ins if you choose.

• Peel and place hard boiled eggs in a medium  bowl. Use a pastry blender to chop the eggs. For tea sandwiches, chop the eggs into smaller pieces.

• Add mayonnaise, dry mustard, salt, black pepper, minced dill, and green onions to the chopped eggs, and mix well. Check seasoning.

• Spread each slice of bread with butter. Spread the egg salad on 3 slices of bread. Top with remaining slices of bread.
• For tea sandwiches, trim crusts and cut each sandwich into thirds. For a regular sandwich, add lettuce if desired.

Egg salad sandwiches for a tea party

A few notes about tea sandwiches. Tea sandwiches are not just for Afternoon Tea, although they are de rigueur! Pop them in a lunch box or pack them for an afternoon at the beach or for a picnic. There small size means you can serve a variety of sandwiches, but they are just right for smaller appetites. These mini jam tarts are the lovely finish to any packed lunch or picnic.

• If you add green onions or celery, make sure to chop everything more finely than you would for a regular egg salad sandwich.
• If you’re going to be making them a few hours in advance, make sure to spread butter on both sides of the bread. The butter acts as a barrier and will keep the egg salad sandwiches from becoming soggy. I like this Chive Butter which I use on my cucumber sandwiches. But regular butter works well too.
• Whatever bread you choose, try and find “thin sliced” rather than a thick artisan bread. The thin bread make a more delicate tea sandwich. Don’t forget to trim the crusts! Cut sandwiches into 3 or 4 long “fingers”. Tea sandwiches should be 2 to 3 bites!

• Traditionally watercress or “cress” is often put into egg salad tea sandwiches, but microgreens work well too!

Try this Avocado Egg Salad with bacon if you want to jazz up your egg salad. Greek Tuna Salad is another excellent picnic option and can be served as a sandwich filling.