Aioli is a classic Mediterranean garlic sauce. This quick homemade version is made with mayonnaise, fresh garlic, lemon juice and black pepper. It is ready in minutes and needs only four ingredients. Serve it as a dip, spread or sauce with fries, roasted vegetables, burgers and sandwiches. Use eggless or vegan mayonnaise to make it suitable for vegetarian and vegan meals.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 5 minutes
  • Cook time: Not specified
  • Total time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Condiment
  • Cuisine: Mediterranean, World

Ingredients

  • ½ cup mayonnaise (– use your preferred mayonnaise)
  • ½ teaspoon garlic (– minced)
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (or freshly cracked pepper)
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Method

  1. Add the mayonnaise to a small mixing bowl.
  2. Stir in the minced garlic and ground black pepper.
  3. Add the lemon juice.
  4. Mix until smooth and well combined.
  5. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more black pepper if needed. Most mayonnaise already contains enough salt, so you may not need to add any. Taste first, then add a few pinches of salt if required.
  6. Let the aioli rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving so the garlic has time to flavor the mayonnaise.
  7. Serve aioli immediately with potato snacks, roasted vegetables, sandwiches or burgers. You can also refrigerate until ready to use.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.