Ina Garten Egg Salad Recipe
This Ina Garten egg salad recipe pulses eggs in a food processor, then mixes in mayo, relish, and mustard for a creamy egg mayo spread. Cook it today.
Ina Garten egg salad recipe turns 12 extra-large eggs into a thick, creamy spread with mayonnaise, sweet relish, whole-grain mustard, and fresh dill or chives. The eggs are pulsed in a food processor, mixed by hand with a fork, and piled onto toasted whole grain bread.
This Ina Garten egg salad recipe is a smart pick when you want chopped eggs rather than a paste, since a food processor does the work in 10 to 12 short pulses. The eggs cool in two stages, first in cool tap water and again after peeling, so give them time to reach room temperature before you mix.
What Makes This Ina Garten Egg Salad Recipe So Good
The texture comes from restraint. Pulsing means running the food processor in short bursts, and 10 to 12 of them break the eggs into pieces without turning them into puree. Combining the salad lightly with a fork keeps those pieces from breaking down further.
The flavors stay simple and balanced. Mayonnaise binds the eggs into an egg mayo spread, sweet relish adds a pickled sweetness, and whole-grain mustard adds tang. Toasted whole grain bread gives the soft filling a crisp base, and a final sprinkle of salt and pepper finishes each slice.
Ina Garten Egg Salad Recipe
Equipment
- Large pot
- Food processor with steel blade
- Mixing bowl
- Fork
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Toaster
Ingredients
For the Egg Salad
- 12 Extra-large eggs Cooked, peeled, and cooled to room temperature
- ⅓ cup Good mayonnaise Binds the chopped eggs
- ¼ cup Sweet relish Adds pickled sweetness
- 2 teaspoons Whole-grain mustard Adds tang
- 1 tablespoon Fresh dill or chives, minced Plus extra for garnish
- 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt For the salad, plus extra for sprinkling on top
- ¾ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper For the salad, plus extra for sprinkling on top
For Serving
- 6 slices Whole grain bread Toasted
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Carefully lower the eggs into the water, making sure the shells do not crack.
- Lower the heat and simmer the eggs for 10 minutes.
- Drain the water, leaving the eggs in the pot, and refill the pot with cool tap water. Let the eggs cool enough to handle.
- Tap both ends of each egg on a cutting board, then gently roll it between your hand and the board to crack the shell. Peel the eggs under running tap water and allow them to cool completely to room temperature.
- Place the cooled eggs in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse 10 to 12 times, just until the eggs are chopped into pieces without turning into a puree.
- Transfer the chopped eggs to a mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise, sweet relish, whole-grain mustard, minced dill or chives, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
- Combine the mixture gently with a fork, keeping the eggs chunky. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Toast the whole grain bread. Spread the egg salad generously over the slices and garnish with a sprig of dill or chopped chives.
- Finish with a light sprinkle of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve at room temperature, either as whole slices or cut in half.
Notes
Ingredients for Ina Garten Egg Salad
| Ingredient | Amount | Why It’s Here |
|---|---|---|
| For the Egg Salad | ||
| Extra-large eggs | 12 | The base of the salad, simmered, peeled, and pulsed |
| Good mayonnaise | 1/3 cup | Binds the chopped eggs |
| Sweet relish | ¼ cup | Adds a pickled sweetness |
| Whole-grain mustard | 2 teaspoons | Adds tang |
| Fresh dill or chives, minced | 1 tablespoon, plus extra for garnish | Adds fresh herb flavor and a finishing garnish |
| Kosher salt | 1½ teaspoons in the salad, plus a sprinkle on top | Seasons the eggs |
| Freshly ground black pepper | ¾ teaspoon in the salad, plus a sprinkle on top | Adds mild heat |
| For Serving | ||
| Toasted whole grain bread | 6 slices | Gives the salad a crisp base |
Good mayonnaise is the main binder here, so its flavor shows in every bite. Stick with 12 extra-large eggs as listed so the seasoning stays balanced against the mayonnaise, relish, and mustard.
How to Make Ina Garten Egg Salad
Cook and Peel the Eggs
- Boil a large pot of water and carefully lower the eggs into the water, making sure the shells don’t crack.
- Lower the heat and simmer the water for 10 minutes.
- Drain the water, leaving the eggs in the pot, and refill the pot with cool tap water.
- Set the eggs aside until they’re cool enough to handle.
- Tap both ends of each egg on a board, then roll the egg between your hand and the board to crackle the shell.
- Peel the eggs under tap water and allow them to cool to room temperature.
Kitchen Note: The eggs need to be fully cooled to room temperature before they go into the food processor.
Mix the Egg Salad
- Place the eggs in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade.
- Pulse the processor 10 to 12 times to break up, but not puree, the eggs.
- Transfer the chopped eggs to a bowl and add the mayonnaise, relish, mustard, dill, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ¾ teaspoon pepper.
- Combine lightly with a fork and taste for seasonings.
Kitchen Note: Pulsing means running the processor in short bursts, which breaks the eggs into pieces without turning them into a paste.
Assemble and Serve
- Place the toasted bread on a board, spread the egg salad on thickly, and garnish with a sprig of dill or chopped chives.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Serve at room temperature, either whole or cut in half.
Ina Garten Egg Salad Mistakes to Avoid
What goes wrong: The shells crack when the eggs go into the water.
How to fix it: Lower the eggs into the boiling water carefully, as the recipe directs, so the shells stay whole.
What goes wrong: The eggs turn into puree instead of staying chopped.
How to fix it: Pulse only 10 to 12 times. The goal is to break up the eggs, not puree them.
What goes wrong: The salad goes onto the bread without a taste check.
How to fix it: After combining the salad with a fork, taste it for seasonings. Remember that the toast gets a final sprinkle of salt and pepper too.
Tips and Variations for Ina Garten Egg Salad
Tips From the Test Kitchen
- Mince extra herb up front. The recipe uses 1 tablespoon of dill or chives in the salad, plus more for garnish, so cut a little extra.
- Keep the two rounds of seasoning separate. The 1½ teaspoons salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper go into the salad, and the final sprinkle goes on top of each slice.
- Plan for the cooling time. The eggs cool twice, and the finished salad is served at room temperature, so there is no chilling step to wait on.
- Pick your serving size. The recipe works with whole slices of toast or slices cut in half.
Ways to Change It Up
- Optional: use chives instead of dill. The recipe lists either herb, and the garnish changes to match. Dill tastes fresh and slightly sweet, while chives taste mildly oniony.
- Optional: cut the toast in half. Halves give you smaller pieces to serve, and the recipe’s method stays the same.
Like scoopable salads? Try the chickpea scoopable salad or the green goddess scoopable salad next.
Storing and Reheating Ina Garten Egg Salad
| Where to Store | How Long | How to Store It |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | 3 to 4 days | Place in a shallow container and refrigerate at 40°F or below within 2 hours |
| Room temperature (serving) | No more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F | Keep it out only while serving |
| Freezer | Not recommended | Egg salad does not freeze well |
Refrigerator timing comes from the FoodSafety.gov cold food storage chart, which also notes that egg salads do not freeze well.
The room-temperature limit follows USDA guidance on the temperature danger zone, which runs from 40°F to 140°F for perishable foods.
This egg salad is served at room temperature, so there is no reheating step. When you take leftovers out of the refrigerator, keep their time out within the two-hour limit above. For leftovers, toast fresh whole grain bread and spread the salad on thickly, the same way the recipe serves it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do you simmer the eggs for Ina Garten egg salad?
Simmer them for 10 minutes. Boil the water, lower the eggs in carefully, then lower the heat before the 10 minutes begin. Afterward, drain the pot and refill it with cool tap water.
Can I use chives instead of dill?
Yes. The recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of minced fresh dill or chives, and the garnish can be a sprig of dill or chopped chives.
Is this egg salad served cold or at room temperature?
It is served at room temperature, either whole or cut in half, on toasted whole grain bread. Limit time out of the refrigerator to 2 hours, or 1 hour if the room is above 90°F.
How long does egg salad keep in the refrigerator?
FoodSafety.gov lists egg salads at 3 to 4 days in a refrigerator set to 40°F or below. Egg salad does not freeze well, so freezing is not recommended.
Ready to Give It a Try?
Make a batch of this Ina Garten egg salad recipe the next time you want a thick, herb-flecked spread for toast. Tell us how it turned out in the comments or leave a star rating. Then pin it to your recipe board so it’s easy to find again.
This Ina Garten egg salad recipe tops toasted whole grain bread with chunky eggs and fresh dill or chives. Serve it at room temperature, as whole slices or halves. Save this pin for your next batch!
