Alton Brown’s 1-Ingredient Upgrade for Better Egg Salad

I’ve followed Alton Brown since his early Good Eats days in the late ’90s. I loved how zany the show was while combining science and food—like a delicious Bill Nye the Science Guy. I also love that Alton Brown is (mostly) from the South and sometimes tackles classic southern dishes or puts a southern spin on things.

There are few things more southern than adding pork to unsuspecting dishes. When I saw that Alton Brown had an egg salad recipe with bacon and bacon fat in it, I had to try it. Nothing pairs better than bacon and eggs—I don’t know why I’d never made the connection before!

Now that I’ve added bacon and a little bacon fat to my egg salad, there’s really no going back. The bacon itself adds crunch and meatiness, while the fat adds a lusciousness to the dish and infuses the whole thing with a smoky flavor.

How To Make Alton Brown’s Bacon Egg Salad

Alton calls this dish Breakfast Egg Salad, which isn’t a bad title—it would be a delicious breakfast atop a piece of toast. However, I find it’s delicious all day long, and equally good atop a bed of greens. It reminds me of a Lyonnaise salad but less fussy.

To make Alton’s egg salad, you’ll need six hard-boiled eggs. I like to steam them since the process is quick and easy, and steamed eggs are by far the easiest to peel. I steamed mine for 11 minutes so that the yolks were solid but still a bit creamy, then dropped them into a bowl of ice water before peeling.

While the eggs cook (you can always do this ahead of time and store them, unpeeled, in the fridge), cook the bacon on the stovetop until crisp. Set on a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool, and leave the pan with the fat in it sitting on the stove (with the heat off) for now. 

Chop the eggs and add them to a bowl. Dice the bacon and toss it in. Add the mayo, mustard powder, hot sauce, minced red onion, fresh parsley, chives, salt, pepper, and a couple of teaspoons of warm bacon fat and mix just until combined. Serve immediately.

My Tips for Making Alton’s Brown’s Bacon Egg Salad

• Serve at room temperature. I tend to add my cooked eggs to ice water just until they are cool enough that I can handle them. The peeled eggs will be about room temperature, and combined with the warm bacon and bacon fat, the whole dish will be warmer than you’re used to with an egg salad. Trust me, it’s delicious that way! Plus, the bacon fat will solidify as it chills, giving the dish a more solid and less creamy texture.
• Adjust to your taste. After making this a few times, I add less mayo and less bacon than Alton calls for. The recipe is delicious as-is, but you can look at it as a guide—add mayo until it’s creamy enough, add hot sauce until it’s flavorful enough. If you’re out of parsley, just leave it out!
• Don’t skip the bacon fat. While it’s a very adjustable recipe, don’t leave out the small amount of bacon fat. It really makes the whole dish sing. The only exception is if you’re making this dish ahead of time and plan to serve it chilled—then leave it out.