The Best Salting Method So You Don't Ruin Egg Salad

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Everyone has their own way to make egg salad. It's an easy potluck staple, it adds flavor and texture to a green lettuce salad, and it makes the perfect lunch time sandwich; it's all delicious, whether your recipe is a simple, three-ingredient egg salad or something a little more complicated. Whether you like your egg salad with a little relish or you add a little heat with some pepper flakes, there are countless ways to make egg salad the right way. There are a few things you can really do that screw it up, as well, and adding too much salt might just be the number one way to make a batch go bad.

Lisa Steele, fifth-generation chicken-keeper and author of the forthcoming cookbook, "In Season: 125+ Sweet and Savory Recipes Celebrating Simple, Fresh Ingredients," told The Takeout the best approach to salting egg salad is on a case-by-case basis, adding salt slowly based on the amount of all the other ingredients.

"My favorite egg salad recipe uses mayonnaise, lemon juice, fresh dill, black pepper, and capers in addition to the eggs. There's not much need to add additional salt since the capers are salty and the mayonnaise has salt in it," Steele said. "But I'll taste the mixture and then add salt a pinch at a time, because you can't remove salt if you add too much. Keep adding and tasting until it's perfectly seasoned."

You can make egg salad variations from around the world and all of them will be ruined if you add too much salt. "Be conscious of the ingredients you're using and if they are on the salty side already, definitely be sure to taste before salting to make sure you actually need to add salt. Salt does amplify other flavors, so a pinch of salt will usually add to the overall flavor of any dish, but the more other seasonings or ingredients you're already using, the less salt you'll likely need."

It matters what kind of salt you use in recipes, and egg salad is no different. Avoid reaching for coarse or larger-grained salt like Himalayan salt or sea salt which will stand out and create blasts of unincorporated flavor in the dish. Instead, Andrews suggests using regular Kosher salt in egg salad. "You want the smaller grains to incorporate completely into the ingredients," Andrews said. If you want to add a touch of extra flavor, try using smoked salt in your next batch and enjoy a toasty taste alongside your other favorite flavors.