A simple air fryer method for making creamy egg salad that has a spicy kick to it.

Egg salad is one of those recipes that just makes me smile. It is something that is quick to make, wholesome, and can really be jazzed up as much—or as little—as you desire.

As a kid, I remember it being a staple for lunch whenever we had company over. I think I grew out of my egg salad stage for a while until I had kids of my own. It was so easy to have some egg salad already prepared in the fridge for making sandwiches for lunch. But then, as my kids grew, my household sort of forgot about egg salad.

Now, I am back on the egg salad train again, but this time I want to turn it up a notch because I no longer have any picky eaters to serve it to.

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The Secret Ingredient

This delicious recipe for egg salad includes a special ingredient that gives it a punch and makes it hard to resist. That ingredient is horseradish sauce. 

What Is Horseradish

According to The Spruce Eats, horseradish is a condiment made from the large, white root of the horseradish plant, which is in the same family as mustard and wasabi that is native to Hungary. It brings the heat and can make your eyes water.

Prepared vs. Sauce

Prepared horseradish consists of:

• grated horseradish root
• vinegar
• salt

Horseradish sauce consists of:

• prepared horseradish
• sour cream or mayo

My recipe today calls for using horseradish sauce, which is less spicy than the prepared version.  Feel free to use the prepared version along with a bit more mayo if preferred.

Air Fryer Method

I love using my air fryer. So it only seemed fitting to try making hard-boiled eggs with one. I had heard rumors that eggs would explode in the air fryer, and that’s not true. I suppose anything could explode if not prepared properly, but no, your eggs won’t be exploding with this cooking method.

I find it super convenient to “boil” my eggs this way. There is no pot of water to deal with, and the eggs cook evenly. I have a very large air fryer which allows me to make a dozen eggs at a time, but if yours is smaller you may want to limit it to 6 or 8 at a time. You don’t want to crowd the eggs since the cooking process depends on the circulation of air.

Other Options

Everyone has their own favorite method for hard-boiling eggs. If you don’t want to give the air fryer method a try, here are a few other ways to get the job done.

Stovetop: Place eggs in a pot. Add cold water to 1” above the eggs. Heat until the water to a boil. Remove from heat and cover the pot. Let sit for 22-24 minutes. Remove eggs from the water and rinse under cold running water.

Instant Pot: Place 1 cup of cold water in the pressure cooker. Add trivet. Place eggs on the trivet. Check the seal and that vent is on sealing. Cook on Manual, High Pressure for 7 minutes. When time is up Quick Release pressure. Remove eggs and rinse under cold running water. 

More Air Fryer Recipes

If you are a fan of air fryer cooking, be sure to check out some of my favorite air fryer recipes.

Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes
Air Fryer Pork Chops
Air Fryer Meatballs
Air Fryer Steak
Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin

Air Fryer Loaded Baked Potatoes

Air Fryer Spicy Egg Salad

Get ready to ditch the old-fashioned egg salad and spice it up a bit.

Ingredients:

eggs
mayo
horseradish sauce
celery
chives
dry mustard
paprika
salt & pepper 

I start with my eggs coming directly out of the fridge. There is no need to warm them to room temperature. There’s also no need to pre-heat your air fryer for this.

Set your cold eggs in the air fryer basket, being sure not to crowd them. Set the temperature to 275°F and cook for 16 minutes. Please note that all air fryers are a bit different and this is the perfect temperature and cook time for my air fryer, others may vary.

Just before the air fryer timer goes off, place some ice cubes into a bowl of cold water. Immediately put the eggs from the air fryer into the bowl. Let them sit for 1-2 minutes.

Peel your eggs. I give a gentle tap to the fatter end of the egg and start peeling from there, then I’ll rinse the peeled egg under running water to make certain there aren’t any eggshell pieces left. Nobody wants to bite into an eggshell in their egg salad sandwich, am I right?

Chop your eggs. You can do this with a fork or an egg slicer (this is the handheld egg slicer I use and love), just make sure to finely chop.

Add your mayo, dry mustard, horseradish sauce, celery,  chives, paprika, and salt & pepper, to taste. Mix everything together. If you like it a bit creamier, add another tablespoon of mayo.

Mayo: I prefer full-fat mayo for egg salad, but you can easily switch it out for a lighter mayo or one that is keto-friendly.
Dry mustard: Swap it out for your favorite mustard. Dijon mustard works well.
Horseradish sauce: Use prepared horseradish if desired, adding a bit more mayo to keep it creamy.
Chives: Use green onions or scallions if preferred. 

Enjoy your egg salad as-is for a low-carb meal or on your favorite bread, croissant, or wrap with lettuce and your favorite sandwich toppings.

Spiced-up egg salad comes together quickly and easily with the use of the air fryer. 

Did you give this spicy egg salad a try? Let me know in the comments below or snap a photo and tag @coolbeanliving on Instagram. I’d love to see it!