Aioli Sauce

My homemade Aioli sauce is so easy to make in less than 10 minutes and tastes delicious with finger food, rustic bread, or spread on burgers! Check out my foolproof way to make this garlic lemon sauce at home.

Homemade aioli sauce is SO delicious! Let me show you how easy it is to make this famous Mediterranean garlic lemon sauce from scratch with just a few simple ingredients!

Many recipes just use regular mayonnaise and add some stuff to it and call it Aioli, but making it from scratch is so worth it and is extremely fast. The taste is just SO much better and is done in minutes!

We tried many ways to make this French dipping sauce – immersion blender, whisking by hand, food processor, electric hand mixer, blender – but the easiest, most foolproof method is the electric hand mixer in our opinion! This way, you can easily control the consistency and avoid over-processing the oil, which often results in bitterness or splitting of the mixture.

Ingredient Notes

Here is an overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe.

• Garlic – The main ingredient, without garlic, it’s not aioli! Use 1 clove for a milder taste and 2 cloves for a more intense garlic flavor.
• Egg yolks – I recommend using organic egg yolks because you can taste the difference in this recipe where the eggs are an important flavor component.
• Lemon juice – I prefer freshly squeezed lemon juice because it tastes better.
• Dijon mustard – A popular add-in in France. It adds flavor and color to the sauce and makes emulsification easier.
• Cayenne pepper – A pinch of cayenne brings out the flavor of the sauce without making it spicy.
• Light olive oil – Adds authentic fruity flavor without bitterness. I don’t recommend using extra virgin olive oil in this recipe; it’s just too intense and easily gets bitter.

How to make this recipe

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found at the bottom of the page on the printable recipe card.

1. Garlic paste: Make a paste from the Garlic cloves by using one of the methods below. We like to use a knife and some salt.
2. Mix: In a medium bowl, combine garlic paste, egg yolks, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, sugar, and cayenne pepper. Mix with a hand mixer set on medium speed until smooth.
3. Pour in oil: With the hand mixer set to high, slowly pour in the oil, mixing continuously.
4. Finish the sauce: When all the oil is added, keep mixing until the mixture thickens and gets paler (see picture), about 2 more minutes.

How to make Garlic paste

One of the main ingredients in aioli is garlic. It gives the sauce its flavor and has to be transformed into a paste, so the sauce has a smooth texture, and you won’t bite into little garlic pieces. There are different ways to do this, depending on what you have on hand:

• Mortar and pestle: This is the traditional way to make garlic paste. The garlic is pounded into a paste before being added to the other ingredients. It gets really smooth.
• Microplane grater: Grating the garlic on a fine grater works too, just be careful not to hurt yourself because those graters are sharp.
• Knife and salt: This method is perfect if you don’t have any of the above tools. The garlic bits will be noticeable, but less than if you just mince it without salt. Coarsely chop the garlic, then sprinkle with about 1/2 tsp of salt and mince until a paste forms. The salt helps to grind the garlic down.

Expert Tips

• This recipe makes about 1 cup of Aioli sauce.
• To make the garlic paste you can use a mortar and pestle, a Microplane grater, or coarsely chop the garlic with a knife, then sprinkle with 1/2 tsp of salt and mince until it is smooth.
• The aioli will get firmer when chilled! Don’t worry if it doesn’t look as thick after whisking; it should roughly keep its shape but will firm up more in the fridge.
• Dijon mustard helps with emulsification and adds color. You are welcome to leave it out if you’re not a fan or don’t have it on hand.
• I recommend using light olive oil! Extra virgin olive can make the sauce overly bitter. If you don’t have light olive oil, you can use 1/2 cup and 2 Tbsp vegetable oil and 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, this way you get the flavor without the bitterness.
• Make sure your eggs are fresh, stored in the fridge, and free of cracks. You can also use pasteurized eggs or egg yolks if it makes you more comfortable.
• Store the finished sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• If you’re short on time or don’t have fresh eggs on hand, check out my recipe for Cheater’s aioli at the bottom of the recipe card.

Recipe FAQs

Variations

We love our aioli without any mix-ins, just simple garlic aioli, but I added a few variations below so you can make your own unique sauce:

• Roasted Garlic Aioli: Roast a whole head of garlic in the oven, and then use one or two roasted garlic cloves in this recipe.
• Spicy Aioli: Stir 1 teaspoon or more of hot sauce or Sriracha into the finished sauce.
• Chipotle Aioli: Stir 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder or chipotle hot sauce into the finished sauce.
• Pesto Aioli: Stir 2 teaspoons of pesto into the finished sauce.
• Basil Aioli: Stir one tablespoon chopped fresh basil into the finished sauce.
• Truffle Aioli: Add 2 teaspoons of truffle oil to the sauce while mixing it with the hand mixer.

Uses for Aioli Sauce

It makes a perfect dipping sauce for vegetables and finger food like chicken tenders, but also tastes great spread on a burger or sandwich or simply served with rustic bread and olives. Here are a few more recipes that go well with it:

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