Aioli

Aioli

15 min
With a pungent garlic flavour, this homemade aioli is a must-have in the fridge. Having a well-stocked fridge with plenty of different condiments and dressings is great and one with homemade varieties is even better! Try out this recipe for aioli to make a tasty homemade garlic mayonnaise with plenty of flavour from garlic and lemon – we promise that you will not be disappointed by this rich dipping sauce! It is perfect for burgers or sandwiches, with roasted or grilled potatoes and vegetables, and as a dipping for various tapas.
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Instructions

  • Beat the egg yolk with lemon juice, crushed garlic, salt, and pepper.
  • Whisk in the oil little by little pouring it in a thin jet.
  • Season to taste.
  • If you want it to be a bit thinner, you can add a bit of water. Do so one teaspoon at a time.
  • Cover it and place it in the refrigerator until serving.
Enjoy!
Tips

One of the best tips for making garlic aioli with a smooth and even consistency is to use room-temperature egg yolks and oil. When these two main ingredients are at the same temperature, they are much easier to combine. This in turn gives your homemade garlic sauce a much nicer texture. Using cold eggs may result in a lumpier experience and may cause it to not form. If you are in a time crunch and do not have time to leave your egg out to come to room temperature before separating the yolks from the egg whites, you can place the egg in a bowl of warm water for just about 10 minutes instead. Otherwise, 30 minutes on your countertop should bring a refrigerated egg to room temperature. Make sure to add the oil to the yolks in a thin stream. If added too fast, the egg yolks might not emulsify, and you will get a broken and thin sauce instead of thick and delicious mayonnaise.

Questions about aioli

Making aioli from scratch is quick and simple with our easy recipe. Learn more by reading below!

What is aioli?
Homemade aioli is basically a garlic mayonnaise made by combining egg yolks with oil and adding lemon juice, pressed garlic, salt, and pepper. Use flavour-neutral oil like rapeseed oil to create an emulsion with a smooth and creamy texture that makes it perfect as a dipping sauce or burger dressing. It is quite versatile as it goes with almost anything with its garlic and lemon flavour.
How to make aioli from scratch?
An easy garlic aioli is wonderful to have on hand when you need something to serve with fries or to make a homemade burger even more delicious. Fortunately, it is quite simple to make. Simply combine egg yolks with pressed garlic, freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt, and pepper and pour in the rapeseed oil little by little as you whisk it. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve and enjoy it.
What is the difference between aioli and mayo?
Our recipe for aioli, and most other recipes today, is essentially garlic mayonnaise. A classic authentic recipe calls only for the use of olive oil, garlic, and salt, but most modern recipes like ours usually always specify the addition of egg yolks and lemon juice to stabilise the emulsion, making it much easier to prepare as well as giving the mayo aioli a creamier texture than the traditional one.
How to thicken aioli?
The best tip for how to fix runny aioli is to add more room-temperature egg yolk. It is recommendable to do so a little at a time to avoid the garlic sauce becoming too thick. If it does, however, you can add water a little at a time to thin it somewhat again. It is also worth noting that it will naturally thicken as it cools. If after cooling it, you still want to thicken it, make sure to let it warm to room temperature before mixing in any more room-temperature egg yolk. Otherwise, its consistency may be compromised. You can also use a hand mixer as this is more powerful than whisking by hand, helping it to emulsify again.
How long does aioli last?
Homemade aioli will keep for up to 10 days in the refrigerator. Store it in an airtight container to make sure it lasts for as long as possible. If you are making it in advance, you may want to consider using less garlic than we suggest as the flavour intensifies over time and may end up becoming too pungent for your taste. The intense, slightly bitter garlic flavour may be softened by the addition of lemon juice but be careful, adding too much will make it quite sour.
Can you freeze aioli?
Oil-based condiments like this garlic aioli, homemade mayonnaise, and even vinaigrettes made with oil and vinegar, do not freeze well. These emulsified condiments and dressings tend to split once defrosted. In the case of garlic mayonnaise, this gives it a strange texture as the flavour-neutral oil separates from and floats atop the mix of egg yolk and pressed garlic which may then gain a somewhat gloopy consistency. As such, freezing it is not advisable. Instead, prepare it fresh and make sure to properly refrigerate it.

Ingredients

Egg yolk (room temperature)
1
Freshly squeezed lemon lemon juice
1 tsp
Small garlic clove, pressed
1
Coarse salt
¼ tsp
Freshly churned pepper
Flavour-neutral oil, e.g. rapeseed oil (room temperature)
150 ml

Easy aioli with garlic and lemon

Making a lemon garlic aioli is both quick and easy, and as long the main ingredients egg yolk and flavour-neutral oil of choice are at room temperature, attaining the perfect texture is simple as they combine beautifully when whisked.

It is brightened by the addition of lemon juice which also helps stabilise the tangy garlic-flavoured emulsion. The vibrant, freshly squeezed lemon juice also helps ensure that the sauce becomes flavourful without the raw garlic making it overly pungent.

Homemade garlic mayonnaise

A homemade aioli mayonnaise has a deliciously thick consistency and creamy texture that makes it perfect for many different uses.

When making quick aioli sauce at home, you can flavour it to suit your tastes exactly – so if you enjoy the pungent almost spicy flavour of raw garlic, you can make it as garlicky as you can handle. If you happen to enjoy it either thin or thick, you can also decide this yourself to make it perfect just for your liking.

Delicious uses for aioli

Some of the most popular choices ways to enjoy aioli is to serve it as a dipping sauce for beautifully fried chicken nuggets and fries or as a spread in burgers or sandwiches. As a dipping sauce, the combination of something warm and crispy with the cool, creamy dipping sauce leaves nothing to be desired!

In burgers or sandwiches, it adds some creaminess as well as flavour. It tastes great on a slightly sweet brioche bun topped with your burger toppings of choice or as a decadent dressing in a homemade chicken burger or sandwich. It is also delicious slathered on top of oven-roasted potatoes or vegetables and served simply with bite-sized pieces of freshly baked sourdough bread as a kind of tapas dish.

Add your own touch

Experiment with different ingredients to create tasty versions for every occasion.

If you enjoy a bit of heat, try a spicy aioli with plenty of chilli flavour. Use either fresh red chilli peppers, siracha sauce, or smoky chipotle peppers to discover your favourite chilli version. If you like the smokiness of the latter option, a combination of spices like paprika and cayenne pepper might be a new favourite for you, as you get a bit of spice as well as some sweetness with this mix of beautiful red spices.

Mixing in different fresh herbs like parsley, tarragon, chives, basil, or dill also works beautifully with the dipping sauce. Also, a dash of decadent truffle oil will add nutty and earthy flavour additions that work well with the taste of the garlic and freshly squeezed lemon juice.