lemon aioli (from scratch!)

Homemade lemon aioli is thick, zesty, and impossibly light. Nothing is more gratifying than making aioli from scratch; the vibrant lemon garlic flavor will take your dishes to the next level.

Why I love it:

Aioli is such a contradiction. How can something made almost entirely of oil and yolks be so incredibly light? It’s practically weightless on your tongue, yet it carries so much flavor. 

And when we make real aioli from scratch (not just mayo with some stuff stirred in), it’s a beautiful demonstration of the magic of cooking and trusting the process.

When you make aioli in a blender, you can see and hear the aioli taking shape as you slowly drizzle in the oil. Before you know it, the lemony egg yolk mixture reaches full saturation, the sound of the motor deepens, and the emulsion becomes thick and spreadable. It's a deliciously smooth and rich explosion of lemon.

So then the question becomes... how do you use it?

I have a whole post here with suggestions for putting together a grand aioli platter, but I’ve also shared a lot of fun ways to use lemon aioli, specifically. Scroll down and get inspired with crispy sweet potato fries, buttery crab cakes, spicy fish tacos, and fried squash blossoms.

That is, if you haven’t already scraped the bowl clean with the random baby carrots in your fridge. It really is that good.

lemon aioli ingredients:

how to make lemon aioli:

1. Coddle egg in boiling water for 1 minute.
2. Make a garlic paste.
3. Blend egg, lemon zest, lemon juice, the tiniest bit of garlic, mustard, and salt until frothy.
4. Slowly blend in olive oil and canola oil until thick.
5. Taste, adjust seasoning, and enjoy!

Aioli tips:

Coddle the egg: This reduces the bacterial count on the outside of the egg (always good when we’re using raw eggs!) and it warms the yolk to maximize it’s emulsifying properties to ensure a thick aioli.

Be cautious with the garlic: I like to make a garlic paste and then mix in ¼ teaspoon of the paste. You’ll be surprised how much the garlic comes through. If you love raw garlic, stir in more, to taste, once the aioli is finished.

Don’t overblend: Blending the aioli after it’s come together can cause overheating, which will make the aioli break (separate). Stop the blender once the aioli is thick, and use a spoon to stir in more salt or garlic.

If your aioli breaks, don’t freak out! You can save it.

All you need is another egg yolk!

Whisk up a yolk, the slowly whisk the broken aioli into the new yolk, drip by drip, just as if you were starting from the beginning. The additional emulsifiers (lipoproteins) from the yolk will help keep the oil droplets suspended in the watery base and resuscitate your broken aioli. 

How to store lemon aioli:

Store homemade aioli in an airtight, covered container in the refrigerator. It will last up to 5 days.

Sadly, you can’t freeze aioli or the emulsion will break. But keep reading for a ton of ways to use it up!

Make this lemon aioli your own:

• Stir in 2 tbsp minced herbs: dill, tarragon, basil, chives, thyme
• Mix in extra garlic paste or sub in roasted garlic.
• Stir in 1 tbsp chopped capers
• Stir in 1 tsp fresh horseradish
• Add spice: sriracha, your favorite hot sauce, 1 tsp chili flakes, 1 tbsp crushed calabrian chilis
• Add a pinch of curry powder
• Use a meyer lemon in place of standard lemons
• Stir in 1 tbsp minced preserved lemon rind

What to serve with this lemon aioli:

• Roasted artichokes
• Fried zucchini sticks or zucchini blossoms
• Roasted brussels sprouts
• Fresh crudites (baby carrots, bell peppers, radishes, cherry tomatoes)
• Blanched vegetables (broccolini, asparagus, green beans)
• Pita chips, lavash, seed crackers, grissini
• French fries, roast potatoes, sweet potato fries
• Fried calamari
• Grilled shrimp
• Crab cakes, salmon cakes, fish cakes
• Spread on crostini with smashed avocado
• Mixed in chicken salad
• Drizzled over fish tacos
• Spread inside lobster rolls
• Crispy chicken bites

More dips, spread, and aioli recipes to try:

saffron aioli

truffle aioli

whipped feta dip

herbed ricotta cheese dip

white bean hummus

sour cream and onion dip

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