The Best Keto Egg Salad You've Ever Had

Egg salad is the perfect sandwich for a picnic, and it shouldn't be avoided because of its carb load. It still boasts a fair amount of protein, thanks to the eggs, and loads of flavor depending upon how you fix it. Recipe developer Annie Lampella has a fantastic keto egg salad recipe that prepares enough for four people and takes just five minutes to make. Slather this keto egg salad in a keto-friendly cauliflower wrap or with chaffles, pack it in the picnic basket, and head out for a hike to your favorite scenic spot with a friend.

This creamy and velvety recipe with a flavorful mustard base and crunchy dill pickle spears will quickly become a favorite for really any outdoor plan or quick lunch at home. You can even toss in some celery for additional crunch, avocado for a creamier burst of flavor, or crumbled bacon bits for even more protein. You can make this ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. This recipe has 320 calories per serving, 28.6 grams of fat, 0.7 grams of total carbohydrates, 0.6 grams of net carbs, and 15.1 grams of protein.

This recipe calls for 10 hard-boiled eggs with the shells removed, ⅓ cup of avocado mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of pepper, 2 tablespoons of minced parsley, and 2 dill pickle spears, diced. Don't forget it can be customized further with diced crunchy celery, chunks of healthy avocado, or protein-packed crumbled bacon bits. "Avocado mayo is readily available in most larger grocery stores now. You can make your own [with] bottled or fresh lemon juice. Fresh will offer more flavor compared to bottled," says Lampella.

If you've hard-boiled eggs before, you know how difficult it can be peeling off the shell successfully. Lampella says she uses store-bought hard-boiled eggs for this recipe, but the best way to whip up the perfect hard-boiled egg is in an Instant Pot.

"Add one cup of water to your Instant Pot. Then, place down the trivet and add a dozen eggs on top. Pressure cook on high for five minutes. Let release naturally for five minutes before releasing remaining pressure. Then, place in an ice bath for five minutes. They are very easy to peel this way, too," she said.

Otherwise, if you boil the eggs on your stovetop, know that fresh eggs can be problematic to peel, but storing eggs in the refrigerator a week or two before they're needed makes slipping off the shells a bit easier. But, if you decide on a whim to whip up this delicious dish, using fresh eggs still works.

All you have to do is pour ½ cup of salt into your pot and allow it to obtain a gentle boil. Once you do that, arrange the eggs in a single layer in the pot. (There should be 1 inch of water above the eggs, so if you need a bigger pot for this, be sure to grab one.) As soon as the eggs are done boiling, turn on the cold water, and soak them to help cool them off.

Cracking an egg on the counter, struggling to peel off the shell, and then picking up every bit left behind can be a challenge. One tip is to slip a spoon underneath one of the cracks you create and attempt to lift the shell off directly. Another trick is peeling a cracked egg under running water or directly in the ice water bath. The water helps the shell separate from the egg. According to Today, food writer Alessandra Bulow preps more than five dozen eggs each year for Passover seder and discovered a fantastic trick on YouTube. She places five hard-boiled eggs that are already cooled into a container, adds cold water, puts the lid on tightly, and shakes the container back and forth until the shells come off.

Once the 10 hard-boiled eggs have their shells removed, cut them in half lengthwise. Put the egg yolks in a small bowl and add ⅓ cup of the avocado mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard, and ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients by first smashing down the egg yolks with a fork to mix until the concoction is smooth and creamy. In a medium bowl, add 2 tablespoons of minced parsley and two diced dill pickle spears. Add in the egg yolk mixture, and stir to combine.

Chop up the egg whites, and then add them to the egg yolk mixture. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients. The result is a fantastic egg salad that can be customized a bit further.

"Dill pickles offer a tangy bite to the egg salad. You can't use relish or sweet pickles because they have added sugars and carbs. We are trying to keep the carbs as low as possible with the keto diet," Lampella explains.

Capers could be added to the recipe, too. And if you want to add bacon, use pork bacon, because turkey bacon is too lean, Lampella says. "The fatty pork bacon will help keep you full longer until your next meal."

In addition to slathering this delicious keto egg salad on a cauliflower wrap or piled high between two slices of a chaffle, you can dollop it atop a salad for some extra protein. You can also use lettuce leaves to make an incredibly tasty keto-friendly wrap. Opt for cloud bread that's made with keto-friendly ingredients such as cream cheese, or store-bought keto buns made from spinach and kale for a delicious treat.