How Much Egg Salad for 30 People? Portions & Recipe

For 30 people, plan on about 15 cups of egg salad, or a generous ½ cup per person; this recipe makes that amount with 36 large eggs. Egg salad is a familiar American picnic and deli-style dish of chopped hard-boiled eggs mixed with mayonnaise, mustard, and crisp seasonings, usually served cold in sandwiches or as a scoop. Portion needs vary, so the guide below also explains how to adjust for a buffet or a meal with several sides.

Ingredients

36 large eggs (about 1.8 kg in their shells)
3 cups mayonnaise (720 ml)
2 cups finely diced celery (about 200 g)
1 cup thinly sliced scallions (about 100 g)
¼ cup Dijon mustard (60 ml)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (30 ml)
1½ teaspoons kosher salt (about 9 g; use less if using fine table salt)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper (about 2 g)
½ teaspoon paprika (about 1 g)
¼ cup chopped fresh dill (about 10 g)
½ cup finely chopped dill pickles (about 75 g), optional

Instructions

Cook the eggs. Arrange the eggs in a large, sturdy stockpot. Add cold water to cover them by about 1 inch (2.5 cm). Bring the water to a full boil over medium-high heat; depending on the pot and burner, this may take around 12–15 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and leave the eggs in the hot water for 12 minutes. For whole boiled eggs, cook until both the whites and yolks are firm.
Cool the eggs promptly. Transfer the eggs with a slotted spoon to a large bowl of ice water. Leave them for 15 minutes, adding more ice if the water becomes warm. This stops the cooking and makes the eggs easier to handle. Drain them and pat dry before peeling.
Prepare the mix-ins and dressing. While the eggs cook and cool, dice the celery, slice the scallions, and chop the dill and pickles if using. In a very large mixing bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, Dijon, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and paprika. Add the celery, scallions, dill, and optional pickles and mix until coated.
Peel and chop the eggs. Gently tap each egg on a work surface and peel away the shell. Rinse off any small shell fragments and dry the eggs. Chop them into small, even pieces; for a softer, more cohesive salad, mash about one-third of the yolks and whites with a fork and leave the rest in chunks.
Combine and adjust. Fold the chopped eggs into the dressing mixture with a broad spatula. Stir gently so the salad stays textured rather than turning into a paste. Taste a spoonful and adjust the salt, pepper, lemon, or mustard as needed. If it seems too thick, stir in mayonnaise 1 tablespoon (15 ml) at a time.
Chill before serving. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the salad for 30 minutes so it is cold and the flavors can settle. Stir once before portioning. The finished batch yields about 15 cups, though the exact volume depends on how finely the eggs are chopped and how much dressing you prefer.

Tips

Choose the portion for the occasion. A ½-cup scoop is a generous serving, especially as a sandwich filling or the main protein on a light buffet plate. If egg salad is one of several substantial dishes, ⅓ cup per person may be enough. This batch can then stretch to around 40 smaller portions, but it will not give 30 people the same generous serving size.
Use a roomy pot and bowl. Thirty-six eggs and a large quantity of salad need space. If the eggs do not fit comfortably in one layer, stack them carefully in the pot and make sure the water covers them; avoid crowding them into a small saucepan. Mix the finished salad in a stockpot or divide it between two bowls.
Keep the dressing balanced. Mayonnaise brands differ in saltiness and thickness, while pickles can add both salt and acidity. Start with the listed amounts, then taste after mixing. Add lemon juice gradually for brightness, or a little more mayonnaise if the salad tastes too sharp or feels dry.
Make the texture work for your serving style. Chop the eggs finely for a spreadable sandwich filling, or leave larger pieces for a scoopable salad. For a large gathering, keep the salad chilled in a covered container and put out smaller serving bowls rather than leaving the whole batch on the table.

Serving Suggestions

For sandwiches, spread the egg salad on soft sandwich bread, rolls, or toasted sourdough. Add lettuce leaves between the filling and bread if you want a little crunch and a barrier that helps keep the bread from getting damp. A ½-cup portion makes a generously filled sandwich; for smaller tea sandwiches or slider rolls, use roughly ⅓ cup and plan on more pieces per person.

Egg salad also works as a buffet side or a simple lunch plate. Serve a scoop with crackers, cucumber rounds, sturdy lettuce leaves, or toasted bread points. Pair it with a green salad, sliced tomatoes, raw vegetables, potato salad, or fresh fruit. If serving several sides, guests may take less than a half cup, so you can offer smaller portions—but make the full recipe if you want enough for everyone to have a hearty helping.

For a group of 30, place the serving bowl over a larger bowl of ice, especially outdoors or in a warm room. Set out a clean spoon and replenish the bowl from the refrigerator in small batches. This keeps the salad colder and makes it easier to judge how much has been served.

Variations

Classic and mild: Leave out the dill pickles and use just a small amount of scallion, or replace the scallions with ½ cup (about 75 g) finely diced sweet onion. The result has a more straightforward egg-and-mayonnaise flavor. If raw onion tastes too sharp, soak the diced onion in cold water for 10 minutes, drain it well, and then add it.

Pickle-forward: Keep the chopped dill pickles and add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of pickle brine in place of an equal amount of lemon juice. The dressing will taste tangier and saltier, so taste before adding all the listed salt. Finely chopped capers are another briny option; use 2 tablespoons (about 18 g) and expect a sharper, more savory flavor.

Herby: Replace some or all of the dill with flat-leaf parsley or chives. Parsley gives a fresh, mild note, while chives bring a gentle onion flavor. For a little heat, add ½ teaspoon (about 1 g) of cayenne or a few dashes of hot sauce, then taste before adding more.

Lighter-tasting dressing: Replace up to 1 cup (240 ml) of the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt. This makes the mixture tangier and less rich, and it may be a little looser than an all-mayonnaise version. Keep the salad refrigerated and add the yogurt gradually so the dressing stays thick enough to hold in a sandwich.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate the egg salad within 2 hours of preparing it, or within 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F (32°C). Store it in a tightly covered container at 40°F (4°C) or colder and use it within 3–4 days. For a gathering, keep the main batch in the refrigerator and put out only the amount likely to be eaten soon. Discard any portion that has been left out beyond the safe time limit rather than returning it to the stored batch.

Egg salad is intended to be served cold, so reheating is not recommended; warming mayonnaise-based dressing can make it separate and unpleasantly oily. If you use leftovers as an ingredient in a dish that will be cooked, reheat the finished leftover dish to 165°F (74°C), the USDA FSIS temperature for reheated leftovers. Do not freeze this salad: thawed egg whites can become rubbery and the dressing can separate.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many eggs do I need for egg salad for 30 people?
Use 36 large eggs for this recipe. Mixed with the dressing and vegetables, they make about 15 cups of egg salad, enough for thirty generous ½-cup servings. If you are serving it as one of many sides and are comfortable with smaller scoops, you could reduce the batch, but 36 eggs is a practical amount when egg salad is a main sandwich filling.

How many sandwiches does this recipe make?
It depends on the bread and how full you fill each sandwich. At about ½ cup per sandwich, the batch makes roughly 30 generously filled sandwiches. Using around ⅓ cup per sandwich may stretch it to about 45 smaller sandwiches. For sliders or small rolls, assemble a few first and use them to judge the portion that suits your guests.

Can I make egg salad the day before?
Yes. Prepare it up to one day ahead, cover it promptly, and keep it refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or colder. Stir it before serving and taste again, since chilling can soften the impact of seasoning. For the freshest texture, you can also cook and peel the eggs a day ahead, refrigerate them in a covered container, and chop and dress them on the day you plan to serve the salad.

How much egg salad should I make if there are other dishes?
If the egg salad is one of several filling options, estimate about ⅓ cup per person, or 10 cups for 30 people. If it is the main lunch filling, allow about ½ cup per person, or 15 cups. Appetite, bread size, and the number of other dishes all affect how much guests take, so the full recipe is the safer choice when you want generous portions.

Can I prepare this without mayonnaise?
For a mayonnaise-free version, use thick plain Greek yogurt or a combination of yogurt and mashed avocado, adding it gradually until the chopped eggs are lightly coated. The flavor will be tangier with yogurt or softer and less sharp with avocado, and the texture may not hold quite as firmly in a sandwich. Keep either version cold and follow the same storage limits.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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