Irish salad sandwiches have been made by nearly every Irish house wife over the past five decades. Sometimes called egg and onion sandwiches, or egg and tomato sandwiches, these triangular sandwiches may or may not include lettuce.

I include lettuce in my version, but trust me, there is no right or wrong way to make a salad sandwich. It's totally up to you whether you like more egg than tomato, or salad cream rather than mayonnaise to mix the filling.
Made for get togethers big and small, these are a staple of quick entertaining menus in Ireland.
Many a plate of salad sandwiches has been whipped together to bring to a funeral gathering or wake, or for a family Christening, Communion or Confirmation celebration.
Hotels often serve these sandwiches as a light nibble at the end of wedding celebrations.
Table of Contents
Mrs. Doyle's Diagonals
These are the sandwiches Mrs. Doyle made famous when she said ....
"They're diagonals!"
Mrs. Doyle is a TV character from the brilliant comedy "Fr. Ted".
An ever diligent housekeeper, Mrs. Doyle made sandwiches by the dozen, cut in diagonals and served with aplomb to bishops and parishoners alike. Who can forget her urging????
"Ah, go on, go on, go on!
You'll have one"

Never refuse a diagonal from Mrs. Doyle. She's mashed eggs by the dozen and carefully removed top crusts to make the most delicious Irish salad sandwiches ever!!!!
Pregnancy Cravings for Salad Sandwiches
My yearning for salad sandwiches was reignited when I was pregnant with my triplets. My mother came over from Ireland to help me towards the end of my pregnancy, and one day she made me salad sandwiches for lunch.
I had forgotten how delicious this mix of egg, tomato, onion and lettuce can be. I was hooked. I ate my mom's diagonals by the dozen until my trio were born. Perhaps that's why my little girl loves these sandwiches for lunch.
I'm still known to whip up a batch for a girls only lunch.

Sandwich Size
Now, Irish sandwiches are far thinner than their American counterparts.
The old saying goes that everything is bigger and better in America. Sandwiches definitely fit the bigger bill, but maybe not better. Equal and different in deliciousness is how I will judge this taste contest.
I'll never forget my first American work day lunch at the hospital canteen in Elmira, New York.
I ordered a sandwich at the deli counter, expecting a one inch high Irish sandwich, only to be astounded by the door-step size mountain that appeared before me.
I don't think I finished a quarter of that sandwich. I quickly learned to order a half sandwich for lunch in the hospital canteen.
These salad sandwiches would fit the category of tea sandwich in America.
Here's how I make them.....

Ingredients for Irish Salad Sandwiches
Here's a list of what you'll need. Check out the printable recipe below for exact quantities, where you can choose between US and Metric measurements.
- sandwich bread
- butter to spread on bread
- hard boiled eggs
- Roma tomato or small petite tomatoes
- green onions or scallions
- butter lettuce
- mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper
Directions For Irish Egg Salad Sandwiches
Here's a quick video showing how I make these savory sandwiches. Or just keep reading for step-by-step photos and written instructions.
Let's start by preparing the filling for these sandwiches. It's basically mashed hard boiled egg with tomatoes, shredded lettuce and diced green onions.

It's important to scoop the pulp and seeds out of the tomatoes and only use the outer flesh.
The seeds and pulp making the filling too wet and watery, so I halve my tomatoes and use a teaspoon to scoop out the tomato innards.
In the picture above you can see how juice starts collecting in the scooped out tomato shell. I turn the half tomato shells upside down to drain before I dice them.

Dice the tomato flesh into small ½ cm size pieces.
I used 2 cocktail tomatoes which are similar in size to Irish tomatoes. One Roma tomato will work very well for this recipe. They tend to be more fleshy than other tomatoes so just perfect for making this filling.
No big junks needed for these sambos. Just small little pieces.

Slice the green onions very thinly.
I only use the lower white portions, and stop where they get leafy and turn dark green, about ½ to ⅔'s way up the stalk.

Next shred the lettuce.
I use Butter lettuce since this was the type of lettuce I knew as a child in Ireland. It's sold in American grocery stores as "living" lettuce.
This lettuce is softer and less crunchy than Romaine or Iceberg lettuce. If you prefer crunchier texture, then use one of these lettuces.
But I stick to Butter lettuce, to make sandwiches like I knew as a child.

Next it's time to mix all the filling ingredients together.
Place the mashed egg, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce and diced green onion on a plate and mix it with the mayonnaise.
Many Irish cooks use salad cream instead of mayonnaise. This is an egg emulsion similar to mayonnaise but with the addition of vinegar and mustard, and a few secret spices only known to Heinz and the makers of Chef salad cream.

It's very important to season the filling mixture with salt and pepper.
I don't use much salt when I cook, but trust me, this filling needs some added salt.

Next it's time to butter the bread. You can choose not to butter the bread, but in Ireland salad sandwich bread is always buttered.
When preparing the bread, always take two slices and open them so that two matching sides are buttered.
I remember buttering a whole slice pan the wrong way as a child. I just dipped in and buttered the upper side of every slice, instead of taking the slices in pairs and opening them for a perfect match. We learn by our mistakes!
My mom made topsy turvy sandwiches that day, but hey, nothing has to be perfect in life.

Next, divide the filling in two. Spread it over one buttered slice of bread from each pair of slices.
Once you place the top slice on each sandwich, use a bread or serrated knife to remove the top crust. Then cut the sandwich into four triangles, with two diagonal cuts.
In Ireland, I would remove all the crusts, since our sliced pans are much larger than in America. Sliced pan is bigger in Ireland, and I will dare to say much, much better than the American sandwich bread. It's a lot less sweet. Eliminating all the crusts on an Irish sandwich doesn't reduce each triangular section to miniscule size like it does in America.
I leave the crusts on in America. I used a country white sliced loaf of bread for these sandwiches, and the crusts are very soft.

And there you have it, Irish salad sandwiches.
They're delicious served with chips. I only had American barbecue chips for my photo shoot, but my all time favorite is a packet of Tayto cheese and onion crisps with an Irish salad sandwich. Yum-meee!

And don't forget a cuppa tea to enjoy with your lunch.
These little sandwiches are a perfect addition to any afternoon tea menu. These are always the first tea sandwiches I choose when enjoying an afternoon tea treat.
Recipe Card for Irish Egg Salad Sandwiches
Here's a short video showing how to make these Irish sandwiches.
Here's the printable recipe ...
Egg Salad Sandwiches Irish Style
Ingredients
- 4 slices sandwich bread
- 2 ounces butter to spread on bread
- 2 hard boiled eggs
- 1 Roma tomato or 2 small petite tomatoes
- 2 green onions scallions in Ireland
- 2 leaves butter lettuce
- ⅛ cup mayonnaise
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Start by preparing the filling for these sandwiches. Halve the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds and pulp, and discard. Dice the outer tomato flesh into ½ cm size pieces.
- Slice the green onions very thinly.
- Shred the lettuce leaves thinly and mash the hard boiled eggs.
- Mix the mashed hard boiled egg, diced tomatoes, green onions, lettuce and mayonnaise.
- Season the filling with salt and pepper to taste.
- Butter each pair of bread slices on the touching, matching sides..
- Divide the filling in two and spread over the buttered side of two bread slices. Top each sandwich with its paired buttered bread slice.
- Cut away the top crust of each sandwich. Divide into four triangles by slicing each sandwich with two crossing diagonal cuts.
- Arrange on a sandwich plate and serve with hot tea, and a side of chips or crisps.
Nutrition Information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin and freshness of ingredients used.
Happy sandwich making!

Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Mairéad -Irish American Mom
Pronunciation - slawn ah-gus ban-ock-th
Mairéad - rhymes with parade
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Kay G.
This looks SO GOOD! I well remember ordering an egg salad sandwich in England and getting egg with lettuce and tomato! I found out that they call it Egg Mayonnaise there!
Oh and SALAD CREAM...be still my heart, that stuff is fantastic! You can buy it here sometimes but I can't afford it, just have it when I am in England!
Hope you are doing well these days! Don't know how you get so much done with all your kids! You are Wonder Woman! 🙂
Irish American Mom
Hi Kay - Good to know these sandwiches are very popular in England too, and I'm glad to hear you have sampled and enjoyed them. My husband is a salad cream fanatic. Whenever he visits Ireland he comes back to America with a few bottles in his suitcase. It is very expensive over here, but sometimes when his stocks run low I have to splurge and buy a bottle or two over here. I've even been known to gift wrap a bottle for him for Christmas. It's something I know he'll appreciate. Over the years he has also received a bottle or two of HP sauce for Christmas. 🙂 🙂 🙂 Oh the tastes of home!
All the best,
Mairéad
P.S. If you saw the state of my kitchen right now as I type, you wouldn't be calling me Wonder Woman. Thanks for your kind, supportive words.
Deirdre
Egg salad without Heinz salad cream is NOT egg salad
Rachel Day
This sounds delicious! Do you bake your own bread for these?
Irish American Mom
Hi Rachel - I confess I usually use store bought sliced sandwiched bread for these sandwiches. I make them pretty regularly, and sometimes I pile the filling on a slice of homemade brown bread and eat it as an open sandwich. Your question got me thinking about how good this sandwich filling would taste between homemade white bread. I sometimes make a lovely potato bread and I think it would be perfect for this sandwich. Thanks for getting me thinking.
All the best,
Mairéad
P.S. For any readers who might be interested in my brown bread and potato bread recipes, here are the links ....
https://www.irishamericanmom.com/2011/10/14/irish-brown-bread/
https://www.irishamericanmom.com/2013/07/16/potato-bread-yeast-recipe/
Gene
Hi Mairéad,
On my first trip to Ireland, I always chose "brown" when given a bread choice; and I've not looked back since. It's still my first choice to bake from October to April here in Ohio; and I too ignore the "little house" shaped slices.
Still I'd need to think twice to offer that as an egg sandwich. How does your potato-bread-yeast compare to the "white" choice that I've been avoiding?
Love to hear from you,
Gene
Irish American Mom
Hi Gene - My first choice in bread is also "brown". I always remember my granny telling me, "Eat brown bread - it's good for the constitution." Slice white pan or sandwich bread in Ireland has far less sugar than the American variety and a different consistency, but it's not a healthier choice. "Little house" slices is the perfect way to describe American sandwich bread. My potato bread is far heartier than a regular white bread, but the very fact I use white all-purpose flour probably doesn't elevate its nutritional value. However, it does fall into the "tasty' bread category.
Thanks for checking out my recipes.
Mairéad
Kathryn
What a great post, and what amazing, mouth-watering photos! I think the simple Irish sandwiches I've eaten with various fillings are the best I've ever had during my travels, and the salad sandwich was always my favorite. They were always fresh and delicious, and I even remember buying them a few times from a vending machine and the quality was outstanding. And you're right - not a gigantic pile that you can barely get your mouth around, but just a regular-sized lunch like I had growing up. Comfort food at its finest!
Irish American Mom
Hi Kathryn - Irish sandwiches are very tasty and I too give them two thumbs up. Another Irish style sandwich I frequently buy for lunch when I'm in Ireland is the chicken and stuffing variety. Paired with mayonnaise, chicken and stuffing is simply delicious between two slices of bread. I agree with you that the quality of sandwiches available at convenience stores and even vending machines in Ireland tends to be excellent. Sandwiches are an easy and inexpensive solution for lunch for busy tourists trying to make it from a B & B breakfast to dinnertime without splurging and hurting their wallet.
Thanks for joining our Irish sandwich conversation.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Helen Grouchy
In Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada where I live, there is a strong Irish influence as many of us, myself included have Irish ancestry. I'm 53% Irish according to Ancestry.ca! lol
We also grew up with egg salad sandwiches made on store bought bread, cut into 4 triangles and sometimes 2. When I cut my sandwich into 4 squares, it just does not look right.
We also make chicken/turkey and dressing(aka stuffing) sandwiches with mayo and cranberry sauce. To die for! It's Thanksgiving weekend and my turkey is in the oven. I can't wait for tomorrow when I have my turkey sandwich. Another staple made with turkey left overs. 🙂
By the way, I will be using your bread pudding recipe for dessert today. I also grew up with that and a very easy baked caramel pudding.
all the best,
Helen
Susan Walshe
Love these 😀
Irish American Mom
Me too, Susan. Thanks for checking out my recipe.
All the best,
Mairéad
irishnannie
Always love your recipes, Mairead*! But this particular one touched on childhood memories for me which are more understandable as I read your recipe. Let me explain...being the daughter of my Dad from Cobh, and having married (45 years ago!) into a wonderful Irish Catholic Family, your post helps me realize that my Dad and my mother-in-law, Ret (affectionately short for Loretta), both had a habit that was unique (in my experience anyway) to themselves. My Dad always cut his sandwiches into "diagonals" and Ret always buttered the bread no matter what kind of sandwich would be being made! Well, reading your recipe was also a little trip into loving Irish times past for me!
Thank you and God bless you!
By the way...yum!
Irish American Mom
Hi Irishnannie - It's lovely to learn that a simple recipe for sandwiches brought back warm memories for you. Diagnols and buttered bread are marks of a true Irish sandwich.
Blessings to you too and thank you for reading my ramblings so faithfully. I truly appreciate all your support.
Mairéad
Mary-L
Hi Mairead
Lovely to meet with you this evening.
I'm just acquainting myself with your blog and I must say, your post on the classic egg sandwich has certainly whet my appetite! The photos are particularly good.
I'm a coeliac sufferer (... those West of Ireland genes) and would have to adapt the recipe. I think I can make it work with some gf pitta breads I've recently discovered. So long as I get enough juice out the tomato so it's not too soggy, the mixture might be a superb filling for the pitta. My children are rather taken with the idea of stuffing the pitta pocket so it could appeal to them also. I'll be heading off in the morning to purchase the ingredients. Thanks for the inspiration!
Irish American Mom
Hi Mary - It was lovely to meet you too. Those Coeliac genes are very common amongst the Irish. I love your idea of stuffing pitta pockets with this egg salad mixture. It really is a versatile filling. Thanks so much for stopping by and checking out my recipes and ramblings.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Donna
My family added boiled potatoes to their egg salad sandwiches, lovely. (from a farm outside Gort Co. Galway)
Irish American Mom
Hi Donna - I never had boiled potatoes in salad sandwiches, but it sounds like a great addition. It's amazing how many variations there are on these simple sandwiches.
All the best,
Mairéad
Joe Burke
Hi from county Clare in Ireland. My Aunt also used diced cucumber in hers as well. Refreshing sandwiches after a hard day picking stones in the field and using them to build stone walls to keep in the cows. Nothing like it. The soup made from the meat strain before your dinner was also a welcome regular we looked forward to. God bless the days.
Irish American Mom
Hi Joe - A little diced cucumber is a great addition to these sandwiches. They really are a taste of Ireland for me. I remember eating salad sandwiches with flasks of tea in the fields, when we were kids helping to bring in the hay. And my husband remembers them for picnic lunch when he spent the day in the bog with his father cutting turf. I was a child in Ireland in the 1970's and I too have lovely memories of hearty meals shared in my granny's kitchen in County Cork.
Thanks for stopping by, and joining me on this trip down memory lane.
All the best,
Mairéad
Sheila
These sandwiches remind me of my childhood in Ireland. Fantastic.
Irish American Mom
Hi Sheila - These sandwiches are part of my Irish childhood too - a real taste of Ireland.
All the best,
Mairéad
Shaun Edmonds
Oh boy do I remember these from growing up in Cork, my best friends mum made incredible homemade soup and served it with these 'sangers'. She always added a bit of Salad Cream to the mayo 'for added piquancy' lol.
Irish American Mom
Hi Shaun - I too grew up on these sandwiches. I only started adding a little salad cream after meeting my husband, who loves the stuff. He makes chicken sandwiches doused in salad cream. These sandwiches are definitely an Irish classic.
All the best,
Mairéad
Irina
What a great alternative to our family-known sandwiches they are! I made them this afternoon, and my family loved them. I feel I can serve them as a snack, appetizer, accompany soup, or just because!
Irish American Mom
Hi Irina - These are very versatile sandwiches indeed. They're perfect for lunch or parties, or whatever you may choose. Thanks for stopping by to check out my recipe.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Biana
I love egg salad, and I make it often. I really like your variation with some lettuce and tomatoes, will definitely try it soon.
Irish American Mom
Hi Biana - Adding chopped tomatoes and lettuce is a very Irish variation on egg salad. I hope you'll like this taste of Ireland.
All the best,
Mairéad
Chichi | AirFryerYum
I am noy ashamed to say I am here for all of it! These sandwiches are so good! Yum!
Irish American Mom
Hi Chichi - Thanks so much for checking out my Irish recipes. I really appreciate it.
All the best,
Mairéad
Vicky
Love this Irish twist on egg salad. Delicious!
Irish American Mom
Hi Vicky - Thanks for taking the time to rate my recipe. So glad you like it.
All the best,
Mairéad
kushigalu
I love sandwiches and these are just fantastic. Love the recipe and the pictures. I will be making these Irish style sandwiches soon.
Irish American Mom
Hi Kushigalu - I love sandwiches too. There so easy to make and so satisfying. Thanks for stopping by to check out my recipes and ramblings.
All the best,
Mairéad
Sylvia Sheridan
A little taste of home 🏡 while living in Vancouver and spot on with the Tayto. You can also make a Tayto sandwich 🥪. ☘💚☘
Irish American Mom
Hi Sylvia - I'm so glad you like this recipe. It truly is a taste of Ireland. Lovely to hear you too love a Tayto sandwich. Here's a post I wrote about my love of Tayto cheese and onion crisp sandwiches a few years ago.
https://www.irishamericanmom.com/tayto-crisps/
Now that truly is a taste of Ireland. Many thanks for stopping by and for taking the time to rate my recipe.
All the best,
Mairéad
Maggie
Really delicious- I will never go back to my regular egg salad!
Irish American Mom
Hi Maggie - Lovely to hear you liked this recipe and that I've converted you to Irish style egg salad sandwiches. Thanks for trying out my recipe.
All the best,
Mairéad
C.S. Engle
OMG, these are soooo yummy!
Irish American Mom
Hi there - I'm delighted to hear you enjoyed these Irish style sandwiches. Thanks so much for taking the time to rate my reciep and leave your feedback. I really appreciate your support.
All the best,
Mairéad
Bertha Nhunhama
I have tried the recipe. It's simple to prepare and very yummy. My family really enjoyed. Looking forward to more recipes. Thank you!
Irish American Mom
Hi Bertha - Thanks so much for giving these Irish sandwiches a five-star rating. So glad you enjoyed them.
All the best,
Mairéad
Kim
I'm just curious about removing the top crust - what is the purpose of this? I'm excited to make this for my St. Patrick's Day lunch this week.
Irish American Mom
Hi Kim - The purpose for cutting the top crusts off these sandwiches is to create uniform looking sandwiches. It's done purely for presentation. I hope you enjoy these Irish sandwiches on Saint Patrick's Day.
All the best,
Mairéad
Teena Maravillas
Hello greetings from Manila, Philippines! Just made this today, trying out another version of the egg salad sandwich. My husband loved it and can't wait for our church small group to try it later in the afternoon. I'm going to start making our egg salad sandwich this way.
Irish American Mom
Hi Teena - I'm delighted to hear your husband loved these Irish style sandwiches. Thanks so much for giving this recipe your seal of approval.
All the best,
Mairéad
Elizabeth Mulgrew
Ummm....Yummm! So glad I tried these Irish egg salad sandwiches! Egg salad is one of my favorite sandwich fillings, and these have a terrific combination of flavors! I would never have thought of shredding the lettuce finely and mixing it in the filling - great idea! And I did go to Amazon to get the Heinz Chef Salad Cream - good move as it has a deliciously different flavor than the usual mayo. The only thing I could improve on was that I didn't use a Roma tomato - definitely don't substitute for this - the one I used, even though I scraped the seeds out, salted it, and let it drain on paper towels for an hour or more, was still too wet and made the filling a tad too soupy. But the sandwiches still tasted great anyway! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Irish American Mom
Hi Elizabeth - Thanks for taking the time to rate my recipe. I truly appreciate it. I'm delighted you discovered the wonderful flavors of salad cream. Thanks for your tips about the tomatoes. They can easily ruin this sandwich if they are too juicy.
Thanks so much for checking out my recipes and ramblings.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Billie
I wasn't too sure about this recipe at first, but thought I'd be daring and give it a go! IT IS DELICIOUS! so glad I did! I will make these for my next tea party! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Irish American Mom
Hi Billie - I'm so glad you enjoyed these sandwiches - they truly are a taste of Ireland. Thanks for stopping by to rate my recipe.
All the best,
Mairéad