Garlic Aioli

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I make all kinds of homemade sauces and condiments, but I’ll say it, creamy sauces are the best of all — especially when they’re the kind that go with anything. And my garlic aioli recipe is exactly that. You can use it for dipping or drizzling on roasted veggies, potatoes, steak, and fish, spreading on sandwiches, dunking fresh crudites, and more. It’s my shortcut to instant flavor in just a few minutes!

Why You’ll Love My Garlic Aioli Recipe

• Perfect garlicky flavor – Hello, my fellow garlic lovers! If you love the pungent taste of fresh garlic, my aioli recipe is for you. It makes any bland dish a little bolder.
• Velvety smooth texture – My method is pretty foolproof to get that creamy texture. But I’ll also show you how to fix it if anything goes wrong.
• 5 simple ingredients – No preservatives and mystery additives you might find in the store-bought stuff. My homemade garlic aioli recipe uses just a few real-food ingredients you probably already have on hand, plus salt.
• Almost instant – This is probably the fastest sauce ever. It takes all of 5 minutes to make it!

What Is Aioli?

Aioli is a savory, creamy sauce similar to mayonnaise, but with garlic and lemon flavor added in. It originated in Catalonia, Spain and has since become very common in French cooking… which happens to be in my top 3 favorite cuisines!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my lemon garlic aioli, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

• Olive Oil – Since aioli literally means “garlic oil”, you kinda need it for my aioli recipe. ? I use this regular olive oil when I want it more neutral, or extra virgin olive oil when I want a stronger flavor. You can also use avocado oil in a pinch, though it’s not traditional.
• Egg – This emulsifies the oil, and makes the sauce luxuriously smooth and creamy. It’s a key ingredient in my recipe, so unfortunately I don’t have substitution options to offer. Make sure your egg is pasteurized, since we’re using it raw.
• Garlic – Fresh garlic cloves are going to give you the best flavor here, but you can use 2 teaspoons of jarred minced garlic or even 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder if that’s what you have.
• Lemon Juice – For a bright, tangy flavor that balances out the aioli’s richness. I sometimes use this bottled juice when I’m in a rush, but like the garlic, fresh truly tastes better.
• Dijon Mustard – Adds a tangy kick, without being too strong. You can use yellow mustard or spicy brown mustard if you want a stronger flavor.
• Sea Salt

How To Make Garlic Aioli

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below

1. Crack the egg into a tall, narrow container. In the bottom of a tall, wide mouth glass jar (or a glass), crack your egg.
2. Add the garlic, mustard, lemon juice, and salt on top. They should be sitting on top of the egg, not mixed in. Do not whisk or stir!
3. Add the oil. Gently pour oil over the top. Again, don’t whisk or stir.

3. Blend it from the bottom up. Submerge the immersion blender at the bottom of the jar, where the egg is, and blend on low for 20 seconds, until most of the mixture turns white. Gradually move the blender upward, then back down. Repeating until the garlic aioli forms into a thick and creamy sauce. See my pictures below for a visual of the blending process.

My Recipe Tips

• Make sure your jar (or large glass) can fit your immersion blender. It’s a good idea to check before you start! Don’t use a bowl — you need a deep, narrow container for my method to work. Many immersion blenders come with a container included (mine has one), so you can use that as well, but I just prefer a jar for easy storage.
• If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a food processor. The method is a bit different. Puree everything except the oil, then pour in the oil in a thin stream with the processor running. This works best with a smaller food processor. But, it’s not my favorite method because it leaves more dishes to wash than my go-to method.
• Use a room temperature egg. Garlic aioli won’t emulsify properly if your egg is cold right out of the fridge. If you forget to take it out ahead of time, my shortcut is to place it in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes. It will come to room temp quickly!
• Be careful not to disturb the egg when adding other ingredients. Do not stir or mix them together, either. The egg needs to be at the bottom with the other ingredients on top (especially the oil!), or it won’t emulsify.
• If your aioli separates, add an extra yolk. Place a raw egg yolk into a clean bowl, and whisk in just a little bit of the broken aioli. Once it begins to thicken, gradually whisk in the rest. Make sure to whisk constantly as you pour it in a steady stream. The yolk should help the sauce emulsify again.
• Aioli too thick? Thin it out with water or lemon juice. My basic recipe here is thick like mayo, but when I need it thinner for drizzling, water or lemon juice (depending on the flavor I want) does the trick.
• Aioli too thin? Whisk in a couple tablespoons of boiling water. It cooks the egg in the mayo very slightly, making it thicker.

Flavor Variations

With its 5 simple ingredients, you can think of my garlic aioli recipe as a base for any other flavor you want! Here are some variations you can make with it:

• Roast the garlic. I skipped this step to keep it simple, but roasted garlic aioli is so good. Simply roast your garlic, peel and mash it, and use it in my recipe.
• Add fresh herbs. Popular options include dill, tarragon, rosemary, cilantro, parsley, or basil — not all together, though! Basil is my fave.
• Add heat. The creamy texture and garlicky flavor of aioli pairs beautifully with anything spicy. I like some simple crushed red pepper flakes, but you can also stir in a little sriracha, minced jalapenos or chipotle peppers, or chili powder. I recommend adding these after you make the base garlic aioli.
• Use infused oil. Swap the plain olive oil with a flavor-infused one. You could also add a splash of another flavorful oil, such as truffle oil, together with the olive oil. Just make sure the total amount of oil is 1 cup.

Storage Instructions

The main reason I love this immersion blender method for making my garlic aioli is that I can just pop the jar right in the fridge! So easy. It lasts quite a long time, at least 2 weeks.

Avoid freezing aioli, because it will separate after thawing.

Common Questions

• What is the difference between aioli vs. mayo? Traditional aioli is made by mashing garlic and olive oil, but today, most aioli recipes (including mine) are somewhat similar to mayo. The main difference is that aioli has a strong garlic flavor, and uses olive oil rather than more neutral-tasting oils commonly used in mayo.
• Can you make aioli from mayonnaise? Yes, you can! I think my homemade garlic aioli recipe tastes best from scratch, but you can take a shortcut and use store-bought mayo to make it. Just whisk 1 cup of mayonnaise with the same amounts of minced (or crushed) garlic, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice in my recipe below. Adjust salt to taste at the end, as this can vary depending on your brand of mayo.
• Does aioli thicken in the fridge? Yes, this sauce will thicken more after chilling. This won’t fix aioli that completely failed to emulsify (use my tips above for that), but it does thicken more if it’s already formed properly.

Ways To Use This Sauce

I might have a bit of a crush on this garlic aioli sauce recipe. I’m constantly looking for new ways to use it — and if you’re like me, you’ll want to add it to everything! Here’s a start:

• Cooked Veggies – The lemon garlic flavor of this sauce pairs particularly well with spring vegetables, like my roasted artichokes or roasted asparagus. But I’ve totally drizzled it on mixed sauteed veggies, too.
• Crudites – That’s a fancy French word for raw veggies with a dipping sauce, and my garlic aioli is perfect for it. Serve it on a platter with carrot sticks, celery, broccoli, bell peppers, and/or cucumber slices.
• Burgers – I love this sauce instead of mayo for elevating my burgers! It gives them an “all grown up” vibe compared to regular mayonnaise.
• Potatoes – If you’ve ever dipped your fries in mayo, aioli is even better! I often make it to go with my air fryer french fries (and baked zucchini fries, too). It’s yummy over regular roasted potatoes, too.
• Seafood – The lemon garlic flavors of this sauce make dreamiest combo with seafood dishes! Use it for fish (I love small dollops over baked salmon, but sometimes I swap it for the mayo in my salmon with mayo recipe). Dip the juicy meat of your lobster tails or crab legs. Drizzle it over seared scallops or sauteed shrimp. So many options here.
• Chicken – Aioli actually actually works as an unexpected chicken marinade! I also like to just dip my grilled chicken breasts or chicken kabobs into it.
• Steak – I serve my steaks with compound butter most often, but a drizzle of aioli actually tastes pretty amazing. Try it on ribeye, filet mignon, or even flank steak. It’s also yummy for dipping sirloin tips!
• Salads – You can use this sauce in place of mayo in any of my creamy salad recipes, like egg salad, chicken salad, or tuna salad. Or thin it out with some lemon juice and use for leafy salads!
• Sandwiches – Spread it over your favorite bread and add fillings. My go-to is pretty simple: turkey, lettuce, and this garlic aioli on a low carb bagel.

More Creamy Sauce Recipes

I love creamy homemade sauces, and most of mine take under 5 minutes. Here are more to try:

Homemade Mayo

Tahini Sauce

Spicy Mayo

Blender Hollandaise Sauce

My Tools For This Recipe

• Glass Jar – These jars have extra wide mouths, so my immersion blender fits! And then I can store my aioli right in the jar.
• Immersion Blender – Simple, powerful, and effective. Pretty much all I need from it.

Recipe Card

4.72 from 21 votes

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Garlic Aioli (5-Minute Recipe)

This easy 5-minute garlic aioli recipe is creamy, dreamy, and garlicky! Make it with 5 ingredients, and you'll want to put it on everything.

Prep: 5 minutes

Total: 5 minutes

Author: Maya Krampf from Wholesome Yum

Servings: 20 (adjust to scale recipe)

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Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.

• 1 large Egg (at room temperature) ▢
• 4 cloves Garlic (minced) ▢
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard ▢
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice ▢
• 1/4 tsp Sea salt ▢
• 1 cup Olive oil ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.

1. Crack the egg into the bottom of a tall, wide mouth glass jar. (You can also use a tall glass, but make sure it's wide enough for an immersion blender to fit. Do not use a bowl.)

2. Add the garlic, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and sea salt on top of the egg, trying not to disturb the egg. Do not whisk or stir.

3. Pour the oil on top. Again, do not whisk or stir.

4. Carefully submerge an immersion blender into the bottom of the jar, so that it's right where the egg is. Blend on low power for about 20 seconds without moving, until you see most of the jar has turned white. Then, slowly start to move the blender upward, without lifting the blender out into the air. Once you reach the top of the oil, slowly move back down to the bottom. Go up and down like this a few times, until the aioli forms into a thick, creamy sauce.

5. Store the garlic aioli right in the jar, in the refrigerator, or transfer to a smaller container if you prefer.

LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!

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Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 tablespoon

The entire recipe makes 1 1/4 cups total.

Nutrition Facts

Amounts per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 103

Fat 11.5g

Protein 0.4g

Total Carbs 0.3g

Net Carbs 0.2g

Fiber 0.1g

Sugar 0.1g

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.

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