How to Make Dill Pickle Egg Salad Without Overthinking It

If you love egg salad AND crunchy, briny pickles, we should be best friends because this Dill Pickle Egg Salad is about to be one of your favorites, like it is mine.

The creamy richness of the egg yolk/mayo combo with the perfect tangy crunch from the pickles play so well together. This isn’t your old-fashioned egg salad that Auntie Betty made.

This is a new egg salad recipe on the block, and once you try it, I doubt you’ll be going back. It’s easy to make, nothing complicated, and can be as versatile as you want it to be!

Plus, there’s dill…. and you know how I feel about DILL!

One of the things I love about this egg salad recipe is the make-ahead factor. We all know what magic happens the longer certain dishes get to mix and mingle in the fridge, but when you add the dill pickles to the egg salad (along with a little secret ingredient) this 4-ingredient egg salad with pickles intensifies, but not in a gross, overpowering way.

Very similar to my Dill Pickle Veggie Pasta Salad – they both really benefit from a little ‘time out’ in the fridge.

🛒Ingredient Notes

• ✅Eggs – This is pretty obvious, but for easier boiling and peeling, use the eggs that have been in your fridge for a week or so. No new fresh eggs here, for part of the secret to easy peeling is no new eggs.
• ✅Pickles – I prefer to use pickles from the refrigerated section (over shelf-stable) for this egg salad because I find they are crunchier. Shelf-stable pickles will work as well.
• ✅Mayonnaise – Your favorite kind is the right kind to use. Worried about too many calories? Cut the mayo by 50% and use plain Greek yogurt.
• ✅Seasonings – These are all optional (except for the dill of course!). I tend to switch things up a little every time I make it, depending on how I’m feeling. The usual characters are salt, pepper, dijon, and of course, lots of fresh or dry dill. Look below for more ideas on things to add to make this salad your own.
• ✅(Optional, secret ingredient – PICKLE JUICE! Using just a splash reinforced that dill pickle twang without overpowering it.)

🧠 The Key to Not Overthinking This Egg Salad Recipe

• Toast or no toast, wrap or even a spoon – it all works.
• Don’t over-chop or over-measure. Eyeballing is just fine.
• Use whatever pickles you love – heavy garlic, no garlic, little cornichons, big sour fermented pickles, etc. My preference is the crunchier the better!
• Brine isn’t optional – trust me on this one – one spoonful makes it magic.
• Skip the fancy mix-ins unless you really want them.

🥚 How to Make Dill Pickle Egg Salad (The Easy Way)

Simple and easy doesn’t mean boring. This recipe delivers on all those ‘bliss’ points. Start with hard-boiled eggs. I make mine in the Instant Pot using this method, and they peel like a dream, every single time.

Chop those eggs and stir them up with your favorite mayo, chopped dill pickles, and just a spoonful of the pickle brine. That briny splash is what gives the whole thing a little something extra special.

Want to dress it up? Try some of these “fancy mix-ins”
– a pinch of sweet or smoked paprika
– some chopped celery for extra crunch
– if you like a bit o’ spice in your life, go with cayenne, red pepper flakes, or even a small amount of minced fresh jalapeno.

Please refer to the printable recipe card below for exact amounts, detailed instructions, and helpful tips to make this recipe perfect every time.

I’m the kind of person who loves all those ‘salad’ types of things that aren’t really the typical thing when we think of salad. Tuna salad, chicken salad, egg salad, etc. Everyone has their own family type recipe, but once in a while it’s fun to reach out and try something new.

Try this one, your taste buds will thank you. Seriously, they will. Have a fantastic day, and thanks for stopping by the blog!

~Joanne