EASY Spicy Aioli Recipe (Great as a Dip or Sandwich Spread!) (2024)

FAQs

What is spicy aioli sauce made of? ›

You'll need just three ingredients for this spicy aioli recipe: a cup of mayonnaise, two tablespoons of Sriracha, and the juice of one lime. If you'd like your sauce spicier or milder, you can play with the ingredients and the ratios to suit your taste.

What is aioli sauce made of? At it's simplest, an aioli recipe starts with egg yolks and olive oil which is seasoned with a little lemon juice, a generous pinch of salt, maybe a little dijon mustard, and most often garlic. The two liquids are emulsified together so they don't separate over time.

Unlike mayonnaise, which is made by emulsifying oil into egg yolks, aioli is made by pounding garlic into a paste and then gradually adding olive oil to the mixture, creating a thick and creamy sauce. The garlic gives aioli its characteristic pungent flavor, while the olive oil adds richness and depth.

Although aioli and mayonnaise are both creamy emulsions, aioli is made from garlic and olive oil while mayo is made from egg yolks and canola oil. The final result may look similar but the two sauces have distinctly different flavors.

I'd eat it on Chicken Veggie Kabobs. It would be amazing on Grilled Sriracha Turkey Meatballs! It would go perfectly with Grilled Salmon with Maple-Sriracha-Lime Glaze. And of course it would be great with Roasted Asparagus, Roasted Broccoli, or Roasted Sweet Potatoes.

True aioli is an emulsion created with just garlic and extra virgin olive oil. This makes the common menu item, “garlic aioli,” rather redundant. In fact, the name aioli translates to "garlic oil." Aioli gets its creamy consistency and pale color from emulsifying the two ingredients, with a bit of coarse salt.

Nowadays, the word aioli is pretty much synonymous with mayo, and is often just a simple mayonnaise (store-bought or homemade) that is flavored generously with garlic—a nod to its origins.

First, try whisking in a teaspoon of warm water. Whisking can be done with a brisk back-and-forth motion, or in fast circles. If this doesn't work, put another room temperature egg yolk in a clean bowl. Then slowly whisk the thin mixture into the new egg yolk, drop by drop.

While garlic aioli is best enjoyed on the day it's made, it will last up to 7-10 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Avoid freezing, as the mayonnaise will split and become unpalatable.

Is mayonnaise or aioli better for you? ›

Given that aïoli is basically mayo with added garlic, the comparative level of healthiness is pretty similar: fat from the oil, cholesterol from the egg yolk, plenty of delicious calories.

Since about 1990, it has become common in the United States to call all flavored mayonnaises aioli. Purists insist that flavored mayonnaise can contain garlic, but true aioli contains garlic and no other seasoning (except salt).

Kidding aside, American eating has essentially defined aioli as fancy flavored mayo, usually flavored with garlic but also blended with everything from black truffles to chipotle chiles. In France and Spain, though, aioli is a different sauce entirely.

I love aioli, of all types. Though making your own aioli (like mayonnaise) calls for raw egg yolks. Food safety in mind, I prefer to temper my eggs in a double boiler, much like one does when making hollandaise sauce. Alternatively, these days, you can purchase pasteurized eggs in most grocery stores.

Both are mayonnaise based. A remoulade has mustard and, usually, capers, so has more bite and texture than an aioli, which is usually flavored with lemon and garlic.

Originally, aioli is a garlic and oil emulsion, while mayonnaise is an egg and oil emulsion. So the ingredients are different. Although aioli can mean a lot of different things these days, and some people use aioli to mean fancy mayo.

A thick garlic sauce, aioli is a traditional condiment in the cuisine of Provence, France, and Catalonia, Spain. True aioli is an emulsion created with just garlic and extra virgin olive oil. This makes the common menu item, “garlic aioli,” rather redundant.

Aioli has a rich, creamy texture and a bold, garlicky flavor. The flavor of aioli is quite strong, as it is made with a high proportion of garlic relative to other ingredients. Because aioli is made with egg yolks and olive oil, it has a richness and depth of flavor that is similar to mayonnaise.

Nowadays, the word aioli is pretty much synonymous with mayo, and is often just a simple mayonnaise (store-bought or homemade) that is flavored generously with garlic—a nod to its origins.