Egg salad doesn't have to be bland and boring, and one zingy, spicy ingredient can help give the dish "more personality"13:05, 08 Jul 2026Summer is officially in full swing, making it the perfect time to serve up light and nourishing meals to survive the heat. A popular choice for a weekend picnic or barbecue is egg salad, a creamy dish that works wonderfully as a creamy side.‌However, it can often be overly greasy and lack any semblance of flavour. However, food content creator Kris Osborne believes she’s found the perfect addition to add to any egg salad recipe.‌Instead of the usual herbs, Kris opted for a spicy and zingy alternative that adds bags of flavour while balancing out the richness of the dish. For her perfect egg salad, Kris includes a spoonful of chilli crisp, which she said gives the dish “more personality”.‌She wrote for Simply Recipes: “I stir a spoonful of chilli crisp into every batch, and I’m surprised it took me this long to think of it. I’ve been obsessed with chilli crisp for years and have put it on just about anything I can think of, so adding it to egg salad should have been an obvious move.“If your egg salad could use a little more personality, this is the one ingredient that will wake it right back up.”‌The reason chilli crisp works well with egg salad is because it brings a hit of spice, zing and freshness. It can help cut through the richness and creaminess of the egg salad by using just one ingredient.Kris said: “Eggs are a pretty mild canvas. Egg salad, on the other hand, is rich. But without ingredients like mustard, pickles, and veg, it can be a bit one-note. I typically rely on zingy add-ins like Dijon mustard, pickles or capers, and fresh herbs for more dimension.”‌You won’t need all of those additional ingredients as chilli crisp has all of the “same qualities in a single spoonful”. When mixed with the mayonnaise, it helps make a more “cohesive” flavour to the salad without the need for more ingredients.When adding chilli crisp to your egg salad, first start by mashing two hard-boiled eggs. Add a teaspoon of your mayo of choice, a teaspoon of chilli crisp, along with some salt and pepper for seasoning.To give the egg salad an extra texture dimension, Kris recommends trying to get the crispiest bits of the chilli crisp from the bottom of the jar. Give it a gentle mix before serving up however you want.Article continues belowThe egg salad can be served as a side on its own, served on crackers, or loaded into a sandwich or wrap.