I grew up attending the Masters every spring, and the Masters egg salad sandwich was always one of my favorite choices from their concession stands while walking the course.
This copycat egg salad recipe is surprisingly easy and delicious.
Why You’ll Want to Make The Masters Egg Salad
This southern egg salad is a testament to the beauty of simplicity, combining finely chopped eggs with creamy mayonnaise for a smooth, delectable spread. It’s an easy-to-make recipe that brings a touch of Augusta’s charm to your table. If you’re searching for the best egg salad sandwich recipes, this one is a classic choice.
- Flavor: Creamy and smooth with a subtle richness from high-quality mayonnaise.
- Difficulty: Easy; perfect for both novice and experienced cooks.
- Time-Saving Tip: Use pre-cooked, peeled eggs available at most grocery stores to save preparation time. This recipe is also a great way to use up all your colored Easter eggs.
- Serving Suggestions: Pair this egg salad with the Masters Pimento Cheese Sandwich for a delightful Masters-themed meal.
The Masters Egg Salad is a beloved classic that has been a part of Augusta National’s concession stands for generations. Its creamy texture and simple yet flavorful ingredients make it a fan-favorite alongside the famous pimento cheese sandwich. The Masters is known not just for its world-class golf but also for its legendary food traditions. Explore the History of Masters Golf Tournament Concession Stand Food to discover more about the iconic menu items that have become just as much a part of the tournament as the game itself.
What’s The Secret To The Masters Egg Salad?
Here is the tricky part: This creamy egg salad recipe has been carefully kept a secret. Many Masters egg salad copycat recipes on the internet add all kinds of ingredients that Augusta National Golf Club does not have in their egg salad. There is no olive oil, mustard, celery, black pepper, or seasoning in a proper copycat recipe.
How do I know? I live in Augusta, Georgia, and have attended the Masters since high school. I now have 16 grandkids, so that might give you a perspective on how long I have been going.
Each year I bring home bags of concession stand items to give to family members that did not get to attend. I save the bags for reference, checking to see if they have changed their recipe. This is the way I have developed all of my Masters Food Party Menu.
Tips Before You Get Started
Here are some quick and easy tips to ensure your egg salad turns out perfectly every time:
Egg Preparation: For easy peeling, place eggs in cold water, bring to a boil, then cover and remove from heat, letting them sit for 10-12 minutes before cooling in an ice bath.
Egg Tip: Using eggs that are a few weeks old instead of fresh eggs for this recipe helps with peeling the eggshells off more easily after boiling. The older eggs have a higher pH level, making the albumen (egg white) less acidic and causing it to stick less to the shell membranes, making the peeling process smoother.
Mayonnaise Selection: Use a high-quality mayonnaise, such as Duke’s, to achieve the authentic Masters egg salad recipe flavor.
Ingredients Needed To Make The Masters Egg Salad Recipe
Here’s a quick overview of the key ingredients for this recipe. For the full list of ingredients and exact measurements, be sure to check the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Hard-Boiled Eggs: Finely chopped for a smooth texture, essential for the best recipes egg salad sandwich style.
- Mayonnaise: Duke’s mayo provides creaminess and richness, just like the original Masters egg salad. I also suggest using Duke’s when you make the Masters Pimento Cheese and Masters Chicken Salad Sandwich.
- Salt: Enhances the overall flavor of your egg salad sandwich.
Could this be the “secret” ingredient?
Now I don’t want to start a war! However, southerners are passionate about their mayonnaise. The ingredients on the sandwich bag did not name any specific mayo. However, I have gone word by word and compared the mayo used in the Masters’s egg salad vs. Southerners beloved Duke’s Real Mayonnaise.
To keep your egg salad as authentic as possible, I feel it’s worth picking up a jar of Duke’s Real Mayonnaise when you make this copycat recipe.
🏆 If you think there is a better southern mayo, share your favorites with me in the comments below.
Step-By-Step Instructions To Make Authentic Masters Egg Salad
If you’ve ever wondered how to make an egg salad sandwich that tastes just like the ones at Augusta National, follow these easy steps.
Prepare The Eggs
Carefully place room-temperature eggs in a single layer in a pot of cold water. Be sure to use a pan large enough to give them plenty of room to move around.
Bring the pot to a rolling boil over high heat. I have complete details and tips in the recipe card below for how to boil and peel the perfect egg.
Once cooled, chop eggs into small, pea-sized pieces. For even cuts, slice lengthwise and use a food dicer.
Mixing The Egg Salad
Add the Duke’s mayo and paprika on top of the chopped eggs.
Using a large spoon, blend until the egg yokes and mayonnaise form a creamy consistency. Salt to taste.
Authentic Tip: The Masters’ egg salad recipe is creamy and smooth.
Assembling The Sandwich
Ok, I’m giving you the key to the perfect Masters Golf Tournament egg salad sandwich. The egg salad must be served on really fresh, soft white bread.
- Lay two slices of white sandwich bread on your cutting board. Scoop 1/3 cup of the egg salad onto the bread.
- Using the back of your spoon or a butter knife, spread the egg salad evenly up to the edges of the crust.
- Cut the sandwich in half to form two triangles.
- Place the sandwich in a green sandwich bag to serve.
💡 Authentic Tip: Serve your Master’s sandwiches in green bags. I keep a box of green sandwich bags on hand when I am hosting a Masters Viewing Party.
Masters Party Food Menu
Get ready for the 2025 Masters Tournament with these authentic tasting copycat recipes inspired by the historic Augusta National’s Masters golf tournament. Create a full Masters Party Food Menu with these make-at-home recipes.
Do you have a question about the recipe? Feel free to ask in the comments below. I’m here to help!
⚖️ Need a big batch to feed a crowd? You can easily change the number of servings in the recipe card below by tapping 2x or 3x. The ingredient measurements will automatically double or triple. You can then tap print and there you have it, a recipe for a crowd.
The Masters Egg Salad Recipe
Note: Be sure to read through the recipe’s post for tips and details about this recipe.
You can add any recipe from Intentional Hospitality to your shopping list to plan a full menu!
Ingredients
- 12 eggs, large
- 1 cup mayonnaise, Dukes Real Mayonnaise
- 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
- salt, salt to taste
- 12 slices white bread, Be sure the bread is very fresh and soft.
Instructions
Prepare The Eggs
- Carefully place room temperature eggs single layer in a pot of cold water. Be sure to use a pan large enough to give them plenty of room to move around.12 eggs
- Bring the pot to a rolling boil over high heat. Once it starts a hard boil set your time for 7 minutes.
- When the time is up, take the pan off the heat, cover it, and let it stand on the burner for 5 more minutes.
- Drain the hot water from the pan and immediately fill it with ice and a cup of cold water. This polar plunge will make the eggshells come off easily.
- To peel the eggs, tap and then roll on your counter to break the egg shell. Peel and then rince the egg under cool water to remove any small pices of shell.
- When the hard-boiled eggs are cool, chop them into small, even-sized pieces. The whites should be small pieces the size of peas. I like to use my Vegetable Chopper. I slice my egg longwise into three slices and then push them through the food dicer. However, you could use a sharp knife or food processor for this step. Be careful not to process eggs smaller than green pea size. Place the chopped eggs in a medium bowl.
Mixing The Egg Salad
- Add the mayo and paprika on top of the chopped eggs.1 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
- Using a large spoon, blend until the egg yokes and mayonnaise form a creamy consistency. Salt to taste.salt
Assemble The Sandwiches
- Lay two slices of white sandwich bread on your cutting board. Scoop 1/3 cup of the egg salad onto the bread.12 slices white bread
- Using the back of your spoon or a butter knife, spread the egg salad evenly up to the edges of the crust.
- Cut the sandwich in half to form two triangles.
- Place the sandwich in a green sandwich bag to serve.
Notes
- Mix up the recipe according to the recipe card directions.
- Place the egg salad into an airtight container. Before putting the lid on, lay a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the egg salad, pressing around the edges for a tight seal. This will help the mayo not dry out and change color.
- Place the container’s airtight lid onto the container.
- I like to place a piece of washi tape on the lid with the date made written on.
So good!
any tips on hard boiling the eggs? thanks!
David, I just happen to have tips on boiling the eggs on my Best Spicy Southern Egg Salad post. We have had chickens and always found it challenging to peel farm fresh eggs. I have several tips and tricks you can read about. If you have any other ideas, I’m always open to finding new ways to peel an egg.
Gina, what brand of mayo is used in the Masters egg salad sandwich?
Good question. I have an egg salad sandwich in the green wrapper that I brought home from the National right now. I like to keep up with their ingredients to keep my recipes as close to the original as possible. It doesn’t say what brand, but I am sure it is a good quality restaurant grade mayo. Ingredients in the mayo are as follows: soybean oil, water, corn syrup, egg yolks, distilled vinegar, salt, spice, calcium disodium, slat, and a few other preservatives.
Over the years we have always heard Hellmann’s or Sauer’s (Duke’s)was the brand mentioned the most. If you are not sure then nobody alive can give us the correct answer. haha Thanks!
PS: Go Tiger, Go Scottie!
Pat, I used to think Duke’s but I might be a bit prejudiced because it’s a southern classic mayo. Over the years a lot have people have commented on their opinion on what mayo. The only thing I have had more comments on about a particular ingredient is my copycat Texas Roadhouse Chili, beans or no beans. There are a lot of passionate Texans out there about their chili. ;) And, on that note, we might need to make this chili tonight. Augusta weather is turning really cold! This has been one wild weather tournament.
Ok, last mayo question. Since Sauer’s owns Duke’s are the two brands made with different ingredients or are they the same with two different labels? We are a Hellmann’s/Sauer’s family and it is very rare for us to use Duke’s. Are we just fooling ourselves about not caring for Duke’s that much? haha
Enjoyed reading about the egg salad sandwich. I always get a couple everyday I go out to the course.
Made this for a Masters Party! BIG HIT 5 stars. Used Dukes!
I’m so glad to hear the recipe was a big hit! Thanks for letting me know. I’m already planning for next year’s new copycat Masters recipes. Cheese straws are on the agenda.
If the ingredient list on the package says vinegar then why isn’t it in this recipe?
Could you share with me which package you are talking about?
Sarah thanks for emailing me this pictures attached to the comment. My kids would try to get me to buy a box of cereal at the store but I had some info that always determined 9 out of 10 times they would not get the cereal. In the United States, food packaging must follow specific labeling rules governed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Here’s how ingredients are typically organized:
1. Order of Ingredients:
Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. The first ingredient makes up the largest portion of the food, while the last ingredient is present in the smallest amount.
2. Parentheses for Sub-Ingredients:
When an ingredient contains multiple components, parentheses are used to list those sub-ingredients. For example, if a product contains mayonnaise like the Masters Egg Salad the label would break down the components of those ingredients in parentheses.
Example:
Mayonnaise (soybean oil, egg yolks, vinegar, water, salt, lemon juice)
Mustard (water, vinegar, mustard seed, salt, turmeric)
In this example, mayonnaise and mustard are ingredients made up of other sub-ingredients, which are then listed in parentheses. The sub-ingredients are also listed in descending order by weight.
So have you guessed what ingredient was listed at the beginning of the box of cereal? Sugar. My kids learned to look at the box first before even bothering to ask me for it.
I hope this clears up the mystery of vinegar in the Masters egg salad.
Thanks for your email Sarah. “Your recipe was the only one that stood out to me out of all the ones that I’ve seen, and it made sense
I couldn’t figure out why people were putting vinegar in it. Everyone was adding all these other ingredients that clearly don’t show up in the picture of it on their instagram.”
I grew up in Augusta and spring break was spent hanging out on the course for something to do. I loved going through the big tents every few hours to get snacks. Did you know they had a fried egg sandwich years ago? Anyway, Augusta National is all about tradition and carries that banner with integrity. That’s why I want to keep my copycat recipes as close to the original without being a creepy paparazzi. Getting an opportunity to enjoy snacks at the Masters is for many not possible so I want to share a little Augusta and the National’s influence on our city with my readers.
Be sure to try my latest addition to the Master’s tasting menu, Southern Cheese Straws.
Wow, Gina! I followed your plan as suggested. Perhaps it is the Dukes Mayo or the touch of paprika. I thought I may have added too much salt on the initial taste test, but the honey wheat bread solved that concern after a few hours in the fridge. I love egg salad and this is now my go to recipe any time of the year!
Just made pimento cheese. Delicious! I added diced pickled jalapeños too. Getting ready to make your egg salad recipe too! Thank you
Thanks for letting me know Cindy! I went to the Masters on Tuesday and tried their new tomato pie. Who ever thought of this handheld pie was so smart! I came home and made a Masters Tomato Pie Copycat Recipe right away and posted it for everyone.
This is a great sandwich. it brings memories back of my childhood and Mom’s egg sandwiches which, as best as I can remember, were very similar.
Len, I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe. It’s a classic recipe that is always a hit at our house.