Level up your sandwiches with this egg salad with pickles. It's salty, tangy and packed with protein for a satisfying lunch. With my no peel hard boiled egg trick, egg salad has never been easier!
Egg salad may not be the sexiest lunch, but you can't deny that it's delicious. If you're a pickle girl like me, then you'll be obsessed with this egg salad with pickles. It's got all the sweet, acidic tang that levels up your basic, boring egg salad.
Add it to your adult lunchables or make a classic egg salad sammie. It'll be a lunch you look forward to!
Why This Dietitian Loves This Recipe
I love making this egg salad with pickles for my lunches for a couple reasons:
- Meal-prep friendly. Egg salad is a quick protein option that stores well and can easily be added to sandwiches, wraps, salads, or eaten with crackers.
- Lower in fat. If you prefer lower fat options, this egg salad uses cottage cheese or Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise to add a boost of protein and slightly lower the fat content.
- No peeling hard boiled eggs. There's nothing more tedious than peeling hard boiled eggs! Using my special trick, this is a simple egg salad requiring no peeling. Less hands on time = more efficient meal prep!
Try this egg salad with pickle recipe for your next meal prep and let me know what you think!
Ingredients
- Eggs
- Celery
- Red onion
- Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper
- Paprika
- Cottage cheese or plain Greek yogurt
- Fresh dill
- Pickle juice
- Dill pickles
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a standard sized loaf pan (this works best in a silicone pan). Ensure you grease the bottoms, corners and sides of the pan (or spray very well using a non-stick cooking spray).
Crack eggs in the loaf pan and place the pan in a 9x13 inch baking dish or casserole dish. Fill the large baking dish ⅔ full of water. The water should be higher than the cracked eggs in the loaf pan.
Once eggs are cooked, chop into smaller pieces for your egg salad.
While the eggs are cooking, you can prepare the remaining ingredients. Add eggs and remaining ingredients into a large mixing bowl
Stir to combine. Adjust seasonings to desired taste and enjoy!
Substitutions and Variations
To make gluten-free: This recipe is naturally gluten-free. Make sure that any bread or crackers you serve with this egg salad are also certified gluten-free.
To make vegan: Try my smashed chickpea salad for a vegan alternative!
To make dairy-free: Substitute the cottage cheese for a plant-based yogurt or mayonnaise of your choice. I would recommend a thicker plant-based yogurt to mimic the texture of the cottage cheese.
To make nut-free: This recipe is naturally nut-free.
- As with all of my recipes where I use cottage cheese or Greek yogurt as a mayonnaise substitute, this will result in a slightly less creamy end product. If you prefer a creamier egg salad I recommend using 2 tablespoon of mayonnaise and 4 tablespoon of greek yogurt!
The no peel hard boil egg method is a great option for anyone that either has trouble making perfect hard boiled eggs or hates spending time peeling them. However, if you have mastered the art of hard boiled eggs or buy them from the store, that works too. All you need to do is make sure you have 8 hard boiled eggs for the recipe.
Equipment
Storage
This egg salad can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
Top Tip
If using the no peel hard boiled egg baking method, it is very important to ensure that the water in the large pan is higher than the level the cracked eggs are at inside of the loaf pan. If the water is not high enough, the eggs will dry out and will not cook correctly.
Frequently Asked Questions
This egg salad is definitely a variation of egg salad meant to be enjoyed by my pickle loving community. However, if you prefer an egg salad without them, omit the pickles and substitute the pickle juice with a touch of red wine vinegar for a little tang.
I love using bagel chips or crackers and eat the egg salad like a dip. I also really enjoy this egg salad in a sandwich either on bread or a bagel paired with some vegetables for the perfect meal!
If I left out any other ingredients you typically add to your egg salad, feel free to add them in! Some great options include chives, shredded carrot or avocado. Different herbs can be another fun way to switch things up.
Yes! You can either blend the cottage cheese prior to adding for a smoother consistency or substitute with plain Greek yogurt- or even mayonnaise!
More Easy Lunch Recipes
If you enjoyed my egg salad with pickles, here are some more easy lunch ideas!
PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make this egg salad with pickles, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!
📖 Recipe
Egg Salad With Pickles
Ingredients
- 8 eggs
- ½ cup celery diced
- ¼ cup red onion diced
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt or cottage cheese
- 2 tablespoon fresh dill chopped
- 1.5 tablespoon pickle juice
- ½ cup dill pickles diced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a standard sized loaf pan (this works best in a silicone pan). Ensure you grease the bottoms, corners and sides of the pan (or spray very well using a non-stick cooking spray).
- Crack eggs in the loaf pan and place the pan in a 9x13 inch baking dish or casserole dish. Fill the large baking dish ⅔ rds full of water (the water should be higher than the cracked eggs in the loaf pan). Bake for about 30 minutes or until the eggs are fully cooked. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan.
- While the eggs are cooking, prepare the remaining ingredients. Once eggs are cooked, chop into smaller pieces for your egg salad.
- Add eggs and remaining ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Adjust seasonings to desired taste and enjoy!
Lisa says
I often make this, I usually use mayo, but it's a great recipe!
Laura says
Who ever thought of pickles in an egg salad!? Absolutely loved this spin of egg salad, and so did my 7 and 5 year old children. The crunch of the dill made it extra! So filling and healthy too!
Amy Lugo says
So good!! Made it twice in the last week
Courtney says
I practically ate all 4 servings after making this. So good!