Garlic Aioli

This garlic aioli recipe is simple and creamy with 3 ingredients: a quick dip or spread for sandwiches, fries, and more!

Let’s be honest: American-style aioli is essentially glorified mayonnaise. But it’s so creamy and delicious, what’s not to love? This creamy spread and dip is perfect for sandwiches, fries, grilled fish, fritters, and more, and there are loads of fun flavor variations. When we have time, w love to whisk up a classic French-style aioli from scratch with egg yolks. But most of the time, it’s this quick and simple 3 ingredient garlic aioli! Here’s how to do it.

What is aioli?

Aioli is a sauce that comes from the South of France and Spain, also known as allioli or aïoli. The traditional version is made from garlic, an egg yolk, lemon juice or vinegar, and olive oil, all blended together in a mortar and pestle. Since it involves a raw egg yolk, many American cooks tend to avoid this method due to the risk of salmonella.

Mayonnaise is made using a similar method to aioli, but with canola oil and no garlic. In the US since the 1990’s, it’s become common to call any flavored mayonnaise aioli. For this garlic aioli recipe, we’ve used mayonnaise for a quick and home-cook friendly rendition. For a true aioli, go to this Classic Aioli recipe.

Ingredients in garlic aioli

This garlic aioli recipe uses just 3 ingredients plus salt, making it a simple sauce recipe to whip up for dunking fries or dipping fritters. It takes just a few minutes to whip up and you might have most of the ingredients on hand in your kitchen already. The ingredients for garlic aioli are:

• Fresh garlic
• Mayonnaise, as high quality as possible
• Fresh lemon juice
• Salt

Use fresh garlic and lemon

No substitutions in this garlic aioli recipe, please! For best results, always always use fresh garlic! The flavor of jarred minced garlic is muted and has a slightly artificial flavor; it won’t have the same results here.

The same goes for the lemon juice: always use lemon juice squeezed fresh from an actual lemon! Jarred lemon juice doesn’t have the same flavor (even if the bottle claims it does!).

How to make garlic aioli

This garlic aioli recipe comes together quickly: there are just a few things to note about the method:

• High quality mayonnaise does improve the flavor here! But you can use any brand you like. One higher quality brand we like is Sir Kensington’s.
• Use a sharp knife to mash the garlic into a paste. Mince the garlic first, then use the side of your knife blade to mash and grind it into a paste for a minute or so. This is optional, but it helps to create a smoother consistency.
• Mix the mayonnaise, lemon, garlic and salt. If you’d like, you can add fresh ground black pepper. But we like the look of a smooth garlic aioli (or use white pepper).

Storage info

You can store this garlic aioli recipe for up to 2 weeks refrigerated. It tastes best when warmed slightly by leaving it at room temperature. To ensure food safety, make sure not to leave out the aioli sauce out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Ways to serve garlic aioli

There are so many ways to serve aioli; here are a few ideas to get you started:

• As a French fry dip: try it with baked fries, truffle fries or sweet potato fries
• On a burger like black bean burgers, salmon burgers, tuna burgers, or falafel burgers
• As a sandwich spread like on an Italian eggplant sandwich or chickpea salad sandwich
• With roasted vegetables like best roasted vegetables, roasted green beans or roasted sweet potatoes
• As a dip for fritters like zucchini fritters or corn fritters
• As a sauce for fish like grilled salmon, garlic shrimp, fried tilapia, mahi mahi, and more

How do you plan to serve this garlic aioli? Let us know in the comments below!

More aioli flavors

There are so many aioli flavors! After you try this garlic aioli, here are a few more flavors to taste:

• Try our favorite creamy green Pesto Aioli
• Go for zesty Lemon Aioli
• Opt for our other top flavor, earthy Truffle Aioli
• Add some heat with Chipotle Aioli or Sriracha Aioli

01

Pesto Aioli

02

Lemon Aioli

03

Truffle Aioli

04

Spicy Sriracha Aioli

This garlic aioli recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan and plant-based, use vegan mayonnaise.

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