I think egg salad is one of those recipes where every family has a favorite version. When I moved to California and was introduced to really good, fresh avocados, I started using them in everything, and often as a healthy substitution for mayonnaise. This dill pickle egg salad recipe has a couple of delicious surprises: 1) I used both dill and sweet pickle relish in the mix and 2) I swap out most of the traditional mayonnaise for smashed avocado. YUM!
Let’s discuss the avocado substitution for mayo. If you think about it, it makes so much sense. Avocado is a natural fat (and is so good for you). It is creamy and mild in flavor. While I’ve still used a little light mayonnaise in this recipe (a scant tablespoon), you could leave it out and do an egg salad with no mayo. I added it for a little flavor and to ease you into a complete substitution, but making egg salad with no mayonnaise is easy if you just substitute a ripe avocado. The avocado should be slightly soft so it is easily smashed. You want it creamy in the mix. If you use just avocado, be sure to add an extra tablespoon of the avocado. Other options if you want to remove the mayonnaise completely, is to just add a tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt. I use fat-free Fage, but you decide if you want 2%, 5% or full fat. All will work great.
Let’s talk about egg salad with pickles.
Growing up, I always had plain smashed eggs and mayonnaise with salt and pepper. That was the egg salad I knew. It wasn’t until high school when a girlfriend’s mom served me egg salad made with sweet relish.d Oh baby, was that good! I actually started to really like it. I’d used sweet pickle relish or chop up baby gherkins and add them to my salad. And that was the way I ate my egg salad for years.
It was for another 10 years before I had egg salad with dill pickles. The taste was different, and I liked it and I’d swing back and forth between the two versions for several years. Dill pickle egg salad ultimately became my go to as my taste buds changed but then one day, when I was short on dill pickles, I used both sweet and dill pickles and this recipe for egg salad with pickles was born.
Come on, why didn’t I think of this earlier? By mixing both, I get the best of both worlds.
I typically buy crisp dill pickles in the deli section of my supermarket and chop them up. I don’t recommend the jarred pickles you get in the condiments aisle. I’ve never found them to have that crisp, crunchy bite I’m looking for. And because you are using some pickle juice in this recipe, I want the best pickles I can find. Claussen dill pickles are great and you can find them everywhere.
On a side note, DON’T throw out the pickle juice when you are done with the jar. I have this amazing recipe for Fried Dill Pickle Chicken Thighs that uses pickle juice as a marinade. I only get to make it when the jar of pickles are gone, so this is a treat and well worth the wait.
When making your egg salad with pickles, you could use just one type or go wild, and use both. You decide.
Making the perfect hard-boiled egg.
I learned this method from watching Emeril Lagasse when he was on TV’s Food Network and I’ve been making my hard boiled eggs this way ever since. They come out perfect every time, so there is no need to mess with the method.
- Place your raw eggs in a pot and cover with cold water.
- Bring the water to a boil and cook for 60 seconds.
- Turn off the heat, cover the pot and let sit for 11 minutes.
- Drain and run under cool water to cool. Place in the refrigerator to chill completely. (at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days)
- Peel and proceed with the recipe.
Once you have your hard boiled eggs and all your ingredients, you are ready to make the egg salad.
Peel the eggs and cut in half horizontally. Scoop out the egg yolks and place in a bowl with the avocado and mayo (if using). Smash with a fork until nice and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Taste. Adjust seasoning if needed.
Chop up your egg whites into small dice. Chop up your dill pickles. If use sweet pickles, like Gherkins, chop those too.
Gather all the ingredients and get ready to combine.
Add you chopped egg whites, pickles and/or relish, herbs and pickle juice to the bowl with the smashed egg yolks, avocado and mayo. Using a spatula, gently fold in all the ingredients until everything is well incorporated. While you can eat this right now, I like to chill mine for at least a half hour. Since I often serve this egg salad on toast, I like the contrast of cold egg salad on warm, toasted bread.
When you are ready to serve, toast your bread and top with the egg salad. I like to finish mine with a sprinkle of flaky salt (Maldon is a favorite) and a small handful of microgreens. I grown my own at home using my Hamama Microgreens growing set, but you can buy any of your favorite microgreens.
This makes a great sandwich and is also great served on lettuce leaves. How ever you serve it, enjoy!
Did you enjoy this recipe? Please a rating and a comment below. Let me know how you liked mixing the pickles. If you didn’t mix, which pickle did you use? If you are looking for other egg recipes, be sure to try some of my favorites:
Eggs Benedict with Blender Hollandaise & Waffles
Egg, Veggie, Ham & Cheese Casserole
Scrambled Egg Bread Bowl for Two
Scrambled Egg Cups with Creme Fraiche
Dill Pickle Egg Salad
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
- 1/3 Cup chopped dill pickles
- 1 Tbsp. Lite mayonnaise
- ½ Avocado, smashed
- 1 Tbsp. dill pickle juice
- ½ Tsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsps. sweet relish
- ½ Tsp. Fresh chives, chopped
- ¼ Tsp. Fresh dill, chopped
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
- Micro greens and sprigs of fresh dill for serving
- Flaky salt to finish (Maldon is a favorite)
Instructions
- To start making the recipe, slice your hard-boiled eggs in half and place the yolks in a bowl with the mayo and avocado. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and using a fork, smash the ingredients together until combined.
- Chop the egg whites and add them, the chopped dill pickles, pickle juice, mustard, relish, chives and dill to the bowl with the avocado mixture. Gently toss everything to combine. (See notes about making the perfect hard-boiled eggs.) I like to keep some larger chunks of the egg whites in my salad for texture so be careful not to completely break them up. Season with salt and pepper again and taste. Adjust seasoning if needed.
- Cover and chill until ready to serve. (20-minutes – overnight)
- I’m a big “toast girl” and love this spread on a slice of crusty bread that has been toasted. I finish with some of my homegrown micro greens and a sprinkle of flaky salt brings it all together. You can make a sandwich with this egg salad, fill lettuce cups or serve with crackers. It also makes a great filling for deviled eggs. Enjoy.
