For Tasty Egg Salad That Disappears Fast, Try This 2-Ingredient Upgrade

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Egg salad is comforting and crowd-pleasing — but, unseasoned, it can veer a tad bland. Today's egg salad upgrade comes from Emeril Lagasse, as shared on the chef's official website. According to Lagasse, the secret to next-level egg salad lies in raiding your own spice cabinet. Simply enlist the help of two bold seasonings: dry ground mustard and hot Hungarian paprika. Home cooks sporting a well-stocked pantry might already have these ingredients on hand.

Dry mustard powder is made from the ground seeds of the mustard plant, a spice that imparts highly concentrated mustard flavor into any dish with just a few shakes. Its taste is so potent that the powder can even be transformed into the liquid mustard condiment by adding vinegar and water. When applied to egg salad, this dry spice packs a major mustard flavor without altering the salad's mouthfeel with excess moisture.

Equally impactful is the addition of hot Hungarian paprika — a chili-pepper-based spice made from the varieties of the Capsicum annuum pepper indigenous to Hungary. Complex, robust, and distinctive, hot Hungarian paprika arrives bright and fiery on the palate. It's a staple ingredient in traditional Hungarian dishes such as goulash and chicken paprikash, and this warming spice can upgrade your egg salad just as effectively. Its sweet-savory-spicy profile complements and enhances the creamy, naturally umami-forward eggs. Plus, paprika's pigmented red hue lends a deeper color to classic pale egg salad, creating a standout fixture on potluck tables and at backyard barbecues.

To put this upgrade into action, simply stir the two spices into your go-to egg salad recipe. For more specific instructions, foodies can even use this two-spice tip to elevate our creamy egg salad recipe, which comes together in just 10 minutes. As always, feel free to adjust the seasonings to suit your unique taste preferences. But, as a jumping-off point, 1 teaspoon of dry mustard and ½ teaspoon of hot Hungarian paprika is the right amount per salad batch of 12 hard-boiled eggs, according to Lagasse's recipe. The chef also adds minced shallots and green onions into the mix for some sharp allium bite and crunchy textural intrigue.

For the most flavorful egg salad, says Emeril, allow the assembled batch to chill (covered) in the fridge for at least two hours before eating. Serve this bold, chilled salad as a sandwich on crusty bread. The tang of sourdough would make a flavorful complement to the savory mustard and piquant paprika — and a sourdough egg salad sandwich makes a great excuse to try out our fresh-baked sourdough bread recipe, if you're feeling ambitious. Or, you could enjoy this mustard-paprika-spiced egg salad without the bread, served on pickle spears for a kick of vibrant acidity or wrapped in nori sheets for dimensional umami counterbalance. It will keep for up to four days stored in the fridge.