Say hello to your new favorite make-ahead meal: The Best 7-Ingredient Simple Egg Salad Recipe! Perfect for using up those extra eggs, this recipe is designed for busy schedules. Enjoy it for easy lunches throughout the week or a quick supper—its delicious flavor makes every bit of egg-peeling worthwhile.
Ingredients for the Best Egg Salad Recipe
You only need seven simple ingredients for this delicious, easy egg salad recipe:
- Hard Boiled Eggs
- Cream Cheese or Quark
- Mustard (Yellow Mustard or Dijon Mustard, your preference!)
- Salt (We love Redmond Real Salt and you can use code HANDMILKED for 15% off regular-priced items!)
- Black Pepper
- Sweetener of choice (like Stevia, Honey, Sugar, or Monk Fruit)
- Apple Cider Vinegar

Mix-ins and Substitutions
This versatile egg salad recipe offers room for easy tweaks and delicious additions!
Ingredient Substitutions
If you’re out of cream cheese or quark, you can use mayonnaise ,sour cream, or plain Greek Yogurt in a pinch. Just note that the resulting egg salad will likely be a bit thinner than with our regular recipe.
Flavorful Additions (Mix-ins)
You can easily elevate the flavor by stirring in fresh herbs. Dill, rosemary, basil, and even garlic scapes are all wonderful additions that bring a fresh, delicious twist to your egg salad. My husband loves a little kick to meals, so we’ll sometimes add some cayenne pepper for a bit of spice.
Tips & Tricks: Easy Peeling for Farm-Fresh Hard-Boiled Eggs

Dealing with a bounty of fresh eggs from your chickens? If you’ve ever struggled with peeling farm-fresh hard-boiled eggs, this game-changing tip is for you!
While many methods exist for hard-boiling eggs, here’s my go-to pressure cooker trick for farm-fresh ones. Always consult your pressure cooker’s owner’s manual for specific safety instructions to avoid any injuries.
- Water & Baking Soda: In your Instant Pot or pressure cooker pan, combine 1-2 cups of water with 1 tablespoon of baking soda. Stir well.
- Add Eggs: Place your trivet in the pot, add the fresh eggs, and secure the lid.
- Cook: Set the pressure cooker for 2 minutes.
- Release Pressure: After the timer, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes, then perform a quick release.
- Chill: Immediately transfer eggs to an ice water bath for 5 minutes. For best results, I often refresh the ice cold water and chill for another 5 minutes.
You’ll find these eggs peel much more easily! And even if a few shells are stubborn, remember that for this recipe uses chopped eggs. A slightly rough peel is no problem at all.
Make This Quick Egg Salad
This is our favorite egg salad recipe, and it’s incredibly quick to whip up!
After you peel eggs, place them in a medium bowl. Use a pastry blender (our go-to tool for perfectly mashed eggs!) or a fork to break them up to your desired consistency.
In the mixing bowl, add your softened cream cheese or room temperature quark and mix well until it’s thoroughly incorporated with the eggs.
Finally, add the remaining ingredients and mix everything until well combined.
Serving Tips
This easy egg salad recipe is incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed in so many different ways!
- Best Egg Salad Sandwich: One of our favorite ways to serve this meal is to pile it high on our favorite bread—whether it’s hearty homemade loaves, our delicious Amish Dinner Rolls, or let’s be real, even simple grocery store sandwich bread, egg salad sandwiches are always a winner!
- Light & Low-Carb: For a lighter or keto-friendly option, serve this classic egg salad recipe scooped into crisp lettuce leaves or rolled into a low-carb wrap.
- Quick Bites & Appetizers: For a simple snack or an elegant appetizer, spoon the delicious cream cheese egg salad onto your favorite crackers. You can also use it as a filling for mini cucumber rounds for visually appealing tea sandwiches! Top with thin slices of red onions, green olives, green onions, or fresh parsley to take the look to the next level.
Storage Solutions
Store your egg salad in an airtight container. This egg salad is best when used within 3-5 days.
7 Ingredient Egg Salad
Equipment
- 1 Pressure Cooker Optional
Ingredients
- 12 eggs hard boiled
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 8 oz Softened Cream Cheese or Room Temperature Quark
- 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar or Distilled Vinegar
- 1/8 to 1/4 Cup Sugar
- 1 tsp prepared mustard
Instructions
- Prepare the Eggs: After ensuring your hard-boiled eggs are peeled, place them in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Mash the Eggs: Use a pastry blender or a fork to mash the eggs to your desired consistency. Some prefer a coarser chop, while others like a finer mash.
- Add Creamy Base: Add the softened cream cheese (or quark) to the mashed eggs. Mix thoroughly until the creamy base is well incorporated with the eggs.
- Incorporate Remaining Ingredients: Add the mustard, salt, pepper, your chosen sweetener, and apple cider vinegar to the bowl.
- Mix Until Combined: Stir all the ingredients together until they are fully combined and the egg salad reaches a uniform consistency.
- Taste and Adjust (Optional): Taste the egg salad and adjust seasonings (salt, pepper, sweetener) as needed to suit your preference.
- Serve or Store: Your simple egg salad is now ready to enjoy! Serve immediately, or store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Notes
Additional Delicious Meal Ideas
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Enjoy Your Egg Salad
This is the best 7 ingredient simple egg salad recipe and you’ll be glad you made it. This creamy egg salad is perfect for relaxing picnics, supper on busy days, and lunch throughout the week. Give it a try and make it today.


This is a great meal to have on hand. Top your crackers, stuff those sweet peppers, pipe it onto cucumbers, or make a delicious traditional sandwich. This recipe is versatile, affordable, and loaded with protein!
Oh how awesome, I never tried quark in egg salad. This sounds wonderful and so healthy. I just made a batch of delicious quark yesterday and got plenty of eggs. This is on my list to try!
It’s delicious and loaded with protein! I hope you like it just as much as our family does!
I LOVE an egg salad sandwich and this sounds delicious! Never thought to put cream cheese in the mix- genius! Can’t wait to try!
It’s a creamy and delicious meal that is packed with protein!
This sounds simple and delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Alisha!