DIY: Boxwood & Paperwhites

Once you know how to make basic homemade mayonnaise, you can turn it into all sorts of easy sauces and spreads. These five homemade mayonnaise recipes include garlic mayo, spicy mayo, lemon herb mayo, honey mustard mayo and a simple classic version—all with ingredients you can actually recognise.

There is something rather satisfying about making your own condiments.

Not because I think we all need to start making every single thing from scratch. I am still very happy to open a jar when dinner is running late and everyone is hungry.

But mayonnaise is one of those recipes that is so simple that once you know how to make it, it suddenly feels worth doing.

And for me, the biggest appeal is knowing exactly what has gone into it.

You choose the oil.

You choose the egg.

You decide how much salt goes in.

You can leave out added sugar altogether.

And once you have made your basic batch, you can turn it into half a dozen different sauces without much extra effort.

If you haven’t made homemade mayonnaise before, start with my Easy Mayonnaise Recipe.  That recipe covers the basic method, the best oils to use, how to make mayonnaise with a stick blender and what to do if your mayonnaise splits.

Then come back here and start playing with the flavours.

1. Classic Homemade Mayonnaise

Sometimes you really don’t need to mess with a good thing.

This simple version keeps the flavour quite traditional, with just a little extra lemon for freshness.

Ingredients

• 1 cup homemade mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• Pinch of salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper, optional

Instructions

Stir the lemon juice into the mayonnaise.

Taste before adding any extra salt.

Add freshly cracked black pepper if you like.

That’s it.

This is the homemade mayo I would use for everyday sandwiches, burgers, egg salad, coleslaw, chicken salad and potato salad.

If you’re making potato salad, try replacing the supermarket mayo in this easy homemade potato salad with your own homemade batch.

It gives the whole dish a fresh, slightly tangier flavour.

2. Easy Garlic Mayonnaise

Garlic mayo is one of those sauces that tastes considerably fancier than the amount of work involved.

One crushed garlic clove can completely change a bowl of plain mayonnaise.

Ingredients

• 1 cup homemade mayonnaise
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated or crushed
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Pinch of salt
• Black pepper to taste

Instructions

Stir the garlic into the mayonnaise.

Add the lemon juice and a small pinch of salt.

Taste and add black pepper if you like.

If you have time, refrigerate the garlic mayonnaise for 20–30 minutes before serving.

That gives the garlic flavour a chance to work its way through the mayo.

A Little Garlic Warning

Raw garlic becomes surprisingly strong once it sits in mayonnaise.

Start with one small clove.

You can always add more.

Trying to remove garlic from mayonnaise after you’ve enthusiastically added three cloves is considerably more difficult.

Make Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise

If you prefer a sweeter, softer garlic flavour, replace the raw garlic with two or three roasted garlic cloves.

Mash them thoroughly before stirring them into the mayonnaise.

Roasted garlic mayo is lovely with:

• roast potatoes
• sweet potato fries
• burgers
• grilled chicken
• steak sandwiches
• grilled vegetables

3. Spicy Sriracha Mayonnaise

This one takes about a minute to make and manages to rescue all sorts of otherwise fairly ordinary lunches.

The mayonnaise keeps the chilli creamy while lime gives it a fresh little kick.

Ingredients

• 1 cup homemade mayonnaise
• 1–2 tablespoons Sriracha
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• Pinch of salt, if needed

Instructions

Mix the Sriracha and lime juice through the mayonnaise.

Start with one tablespoon of Sriracha.

Taste it.

Then decide whether it needs another.

This is one of those recipes where you can make it mild enough for everyone or turn the heat up considerably.

Make Smoky Spicy Mayo

Add 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika to the mixture.

Or swap the Sriracha for a little chopped chipotle in adobo.

Serve Spicy Mayo With

• burgers
• sushi bowls
• tacos
• chicken wraps
• fish tacos
• prawns
• fries
• grilled corn
• roast sweet potato
• crispy chicken

It is also rather good with those slightly random “bits and pieces” dinners where everyone gets whatever was left in the freezer.

Not every meal needs a backstory.

4. Lemon Herb Mayonnaise

This is a lovely fresh mayonnaise for seafood, chicken, potatoes and vegetables.

The combination of lemon, dill, parsley and chives makes plain mayo taste completely different.

Ingredients

• 1 cup homemade mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped dill
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• Black pepper to taste

Instructions

Stir all the ingredients together until well combined.

Taste and add a little more lemon if you want it tangier.

Refrigerate for 20–30 minutes before serving if possible.

Use Whatever Herbs You Have

Please don’t feel you need to buy three bunches of herbs just to make a cup of mayonnaise.

Use what is already in the fridge or garden.

Parsley and chives are excellent together.

Dill and lemon are especially good with fish.

Basil gives the whole thing a completely different flavour.

This is homemade food. You are allowed to improvise.

Turn It Into Tartare Sauce

Add finely chopped pickles and capers and you are already halfway to tartare sauce.

If you’re serving fish, you might also like this homemade tartare sauce recipe, which uses mayonnaise, Dijon, pickles, capers and herbs.

5. Homemade Honey Mustard Mayonnaise

Honey mustard mayo is creamy, tangy and just sweet enough to make it particularly good with chicken, burgers and sandwiches.

It also makes a very easy dipping sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 cup homemade mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

Whisk everything together until smooth.

Taste before adjusting.

For more tang, add a little extra lemon juice.

For more sweetness, add another teaspoon of honey.

For stronger mustard flavour, add another spoonful of Dijon.

That’s the nice part about making your own sauces.

You can make them taste exactly the way you like them.

Serve Honey Mustard Mayo With

• chicken tenders
• burgers
• sandwiches
• ham
• roast vegetables
• wraps
• salad
• crispy potatoes

You can also thin it with a little lemon juice or water to make an easy homemade honey mustard dressing.

Make Four Mayonnaise Flavours From One Batch

You don’t actually need to make four cups of mayonnaise to try all of these.

Make one batch using my [LINK TO ORIGINAL HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE ARTICLE] and divide it into four small bowls.

Then flavour each bowl separately.

For example:

• Garlic mayo
• Spicy mayo
• Lemon herb mayo
• Honey mustard mayo

Just reduce the flavourings to suit the smaller quantity.

This is also a great way to discover which homemade mayo flavour your family actually likes before committing to an entire jar.

Make a Homemade Mayo Dipping Board

This would be such an easy idea for casual entertaining.

Make one batch of basic mayonnaise and divide it between several small bowls.

Flavour each bowl differently and arrange them on a board with:

• potato wedges
• grilled chicken pieces
• vegetable sticks
• bread
• crackers
• prawns
• corn chips
• roasted vegetables

You suddenly have a whole dipping board from one very basic recipe.

It looks far more impressive than the effort involved, which is always a win in my book.

A Few More Homemade Mayonnaise Flavour Ideas

Once you’ve made these five, there are plenty more combinations to try.

For curry mayonnaise, stir in curry powder and lemon juice.

For smoky paprika mayo, add smoked paprika and garlic.

For pickle mayonnaise, stir through chopped pickles and a splash of pickle brine.

For chipotle mayo, add chopped chipotle and lime.

For jalapeño mayonnaise, stir through finely chopped jalapeños.

For lemon dill mayonnaise, add plenty of fresh dill, lemon zest and black pepper.

For wasabi mayo, add a small amount of wasabi paste.

The basic mayonnaise becomes a blank canvas.

And once you understand that, it is very easy to stop seeing mayo as one condiment and start seeing it as the base for dozens of homemade sauces.

Why I Like Making Mayonnaise at Home

For me, this comes back to knowing what is actually in the food I’m eating.

I’m not suggesting every packaged condiment needs to be banished from the pantry.

Sometimes buying the jar is simply more convenient.

But when something takes only a few minutes to make, it is rather satisfying to have the option.

When you make your own mayonnaise, you choose the oil.

You control the salt.

You decide whether sugar goes in.

You add the garlic, herbs, lemon and spices yourself.

There is no mystery about what went into the jar because you were standing there putting it in.

And that is probably my favourite thing about learning simple homemade recipes like this.

One basic recipe gives you the confidence to make five more.

If you’re ready to start from scratch, head over to my [LINK TO ORIGINAL HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE ARTICLE] for the complete homemade mayonnaise recipe and troubleshooting guide.

Then come back and start experimenting.

You may never look at that lonely jar of plain mayo quite the same way again.

Pinterest Title: 5 Easy Homemade Mayonnaise Recipes

Pinterest Description: Know exactly what’s in your food with these 5 easy homemade mayonnaise recipes. Turn basic homemade mayo into garlic mayonnaise, spicy Sriracha mayo, lemon herb mayo and honey mustard mayo using simple ingredients you probably already have at home.