How To Save An Overly Salty Egg Salad Without Starting Over

Egg salad is a creamy, nostalgic dish, whose beauty is in its simplicity. Usually, it's made up of the following ingredients: eggs (typically hard-boiled), mustard, mayonnaise, and your vegetables of choice (though if you want, you can make creamy egg salad with just three ingredients). While salt and pepper are perfect side condiments, we all know it's easy to get carried away. If you ever find yourself with an overly salty salad, you can still save it. To find out how, Food Republic consulted Marissa Stevens, recipe developer and founder of Pinch and Swirl. Her tip? "The best way to fix an egg salad that you've oversalted is to dilute the salt, not mask it."

Diluting works better than masking because it reduces the actual concentration of salt, creating a more balanced flavor rather than further altering the taste of the egg salad with a stronger ingredient. According to Stevens, you can accomplish this by adding more eggs to the dish — up to three or four if the saltiness is truly overpowering. Next, "adjust the dressing without adding any more salt. A couple of spoonfuls of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt work well because they're creamy but not salty." While Stevens noted that these ingredients can add a little tanginess to the egg salad, she explained that the flavor can be easily balanced "by mixing either one with a little extra mayonnaise."

Diluting is a delicate process, and the main goal should be to preserve the original flavor profile; otherwise, you'll just trade one problem for another. Marissa Stevens explained: "Though it's tempting to try to 'balance' out extra saltiness with something sweet like sugar or honey, or acid like lemon juice or vinegar, it really doesn't work." Although countering flavors with their opposites may seem logical, it won't reduce the salt content. Instead, it simply introduces new flavors that clash with the salad, leaving it off-balance. The result? "You'll end up with a salad that tastes confused; sweet or oddly acidic, and still too salty."

For a perfectly balanced flavor, hold off on salting the dressing until after you've tasted it. As Stevens explained, many of the standard ingredients in egg salad — such as mayonnaise, mustard, and pickles — are already naturally salty. This means that the total sodium can easily become overwhelming once everything is combined, and even a small pinch of added salt can tip the balance. So, in this case, less truly is more.

To prevent over-salting, Stevens follows a simple yet effective trick: "I start with about half the salt I think I'll need, then stir the salad gently (don't over-mix) and taste at the end." After that, adjust your salt levels accordingly. Whether you're crafting an iconic Japanese egg sando or whipping up an international variation of egg salad, following this tip will guarantee perfect results every time.