Easy egg salad with pickles combines perfectly-cooked hard-boiled eggs with a creamy mayo-and-mustard dressing with, you guessed it, dill pickles. Just like California chicken salad, serve it as a salad topping or filling for a sandwich or croissant.
Key Ingredients
- Eggs: It’s not egg salad without hard-boiled eggs! I recommend using my method for Instant Pot hard-boiled eggs; they come out evenly cooked and easy to peel every single time.
- Mayonnaise: Creamy mayonnaise binds the salad ingredients together.
- Dijon Mustard: For the best flavor, use tangy Dijon mustard. Stone-ground mustard or classic yellow mustard works, too.
- Pickles: Use dill pickles for freshness, crunch, and flavor. You can include a splash of pickle juice or pickle brine for even more flavor.
- Spices: Season it simply with kosher salt, coarse black pepper, and a pinch of paprika.
Additions and Substitutions
- Swap out the mayo. Lighten things up by replacing some or all of the mayonnaise with mashed avocado or Greek yogurt.
- Experiment with mix-ins. Add crispy bacon or smoked salmon, or toss in chopped veggies like bell peppers, red onion, cucumber, green onion, celery, or carrots.
- Spice things up. Love a little heat? Stir in your favorite hot sauce, a pinch of cayenne, or some diced jalapeños.
- Switch up the seasoning. Skip the seasoning and try Madras yellow curry powder for a curried egg salad.
How to Make Egg Salad with Pickles
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Arrange the eggs in a single layer on the trivet in an Instant Pot and add 1 cup of water (about an inch of water). Secure the lid and set it to manual high pressure for 5 minutes.
Step 2: Let the Instant Pot release naturally for 5 minutes. Then, transfer the cooked eggs to a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes.
What does natural release mean?
Natural release on the Instant Pot means allowing the pressure inside the pot to gradually decrease on its own after cooking finishes, without manually opening the pressure release valve. This process takes 10–30 minutes, depending on the amount of liquid inside the pot.
As the pressure decreases, the float valve will drop, signaling that it’s safe to open the lid. Natural release is ideal for soups, stews, or liquid-heavy recipes to prevent splattering.
Step 3: Peel and chop the hard-boiled eggs into small pieces using a sharp knife or egg slicer and transfer them to a large bowl.
Step 4: Add the mayonnaise, dijon mustard, chopped pickles, salt, paprika, and pepper to the chopped eggs. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
Expert Tips
- Let it chill. Serve the salad at room temperature or pop it into the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.
If you enjoy egg salad with pickles, try more potluck recipes!
Serving Suggestions
Serve the creamy egg salad mixture on soft sandwich bread, pao de sal, or a buttery croissant for a classic egg salad sandwich, or spoon it onto your favorite crackers for an easy snack. And don’t forget toppings like smoked salmon, avocado slices, pickled yellow onions, or juicy tomato slices.
Pile the egg salad onto a bed of lettuce for a quick salad, or roll it up in a spinach protein wrap, tortilla, or lettuce wraps for lunch on the go.
What to Serve with Egg Salad Sandwiches
With just a few simple ingredients, you can whip up this easy egg salad with pickles for a quick lunch, brunch, or snack. Pair it with classic picnic sides like vinegar coleslaw, crispy potato chips, or baked beans with hamburger. Want to keep things light? Try it with cucumber beet salad, corn salad, or a simple homemade fruit salad.
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store the leftover egg salad with pickles in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I hard boil the eggs on the stovetop?
Place eggs in a saucepan and cover them with cold water. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 9-12 minutes. Transfer the eggs to an ice water bath to stop the cooking process.
Does egg salad contain pickles?
Pickles are a classic addition to egg salad, bringing a tangy crunchiness to complement the creamy sauce. Most recipes call for dill pickle relish, diced dill, or sweet pickles; however, you can include dried or fresh dill rather than chopped pickles if you just want the pickle flavor.
What kind of pickles do you put in egg salad?
As a true pickle lover, chopped dill pickle spears are my go-to for homemade egg salad, but you can chop sweet pickles or bread and butter pickles.
For the best texture and crunch, I recommend taking the time to chop the pickles rather than using pickle relish.
More Egg Recipes:
Egg Salad with Pickles
- 8 large eggs
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2-3 dill pickle spears, finely diced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- Arrange the eggs in a single layer on the trivet in an Instant Pot and add 1 cup of water (about an inch of water). Secure the lid and set it to manual high pressure for 5 minutes.
- Let the Instant Pot release naturally for 5 minutes. Then, transfer the cooked eggs to a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes.
- Peel and chop the hard-boiled eggs into small pieces using a sharp knife or egg slicer and transfer them to a large bowl.
- Add the mayonnaise, dijon mustard, chopped pickles, salt, paprika, and pepper to the chopped eggs. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
- Let it chill. Serve the salad at room temperature or pop it into the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.