Mayonnaise: the effortless recipe to make the best homemade mayo 

Mayonnaise is a universally versatile spread that goes with just about anything. It's used as a dipping sauce with French fries or as the base of a spinach and artichoke dip, or spread over toasted bread to make a BLT.

Mayonnaise (pronounced “may-uh-nayz”) helps make just about anything taste better. It's made from an emulsion of oil, egg, and an acid, usually vinegar or lemon juice, and sometimes both. Many theories exist as to where mayo originated, but most sources claim it was created in Mahon, the capital of the Balearic Island Menorca in the 18th century.

The only thing that tastes better on a sandwich or burger than mayonnaise is homemade mayonnaise. This thick, creamy pale yellow sauce is healthier than store-bought mayo and is super easy to make.

And the best part is once you master homemade mayo, you can make all sorts of other fabulous sauces that use mayonnaise as a base like tartar sauce, remoulade, aioli, buttermilk ranch dressing, fry sauce, and more. Here's everything you need to know about making homemade mayonnaise.

Homemade Mayonnaise Ingredients

To make basic mayonnaise at home, all you need is a raw egg, oil, and an acid like freshly squeezed lemon juice or vinegar.

Neutral oil like grapeseed, sunflower, canola, or vegetable oil is best, but you can use olive oil or avocado oil.

Dijon mustard is often added to mayonnaise to give it a better flavor and help stabilize the emulsion.

How to Make Mayonnaise at Home

Making homemade mayonnaise can be tricky, but with a few simple tricks, it can be fuss-free, yielding perfectly smooth mayonnaise each time you make it. Before you get started, make sure your food processor or immersion blender cup is completely clean. All of your equipment should be completely spotless.

Start by blitzing the egg in your food processor or cup for about 20 seconds. Blend in mustard, vinegar, lemon, and salt, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Keeping your finger on the "on" button, gradually add the oil drop by drop until you've mixed in about 1/4 cup of the oil.

Once the sauce begins to thicken, start slowly pouring in the oil in a thin stream. Scrape down the bowl and blend everything again for another 10 seconds. Taste the mayo and see if needs any adjustments. Now it's ready to use!

Can You Make Mayonnaise by Hand?

No food processor? No problem. You can make mayonnaise by hand by placing the egg, mustard, vinegar, salt, and lemon juice in a bowl, then slowly adding the oil drop by drop, whisking by hand. Once ¼ cup has been mixed in, slowly pour in the rest of the oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly. While it takes longer to make mayonnaise by hand, the results will be just as delicious!

How Can You Fix Broken Mayonnaise?

Has your mayonnaise turned into a curdled disaster? Don't fret. Put one teaspoon of mustard or an egg yolk into a bowl, then gradually beat in the mayonnaise until the mixture becomes emulsified.

Tips for Making the Best Mayonnaise

The most important thing when making mayonnaise is to add the oil slowly to make sure the mayonnaise emulsifies properly and doesn't separate.

If you don't have a small bowl food processor, use an immersion blender to make your mayonnaise.

For the initial stage of adding the first ¼ cup of oil, it's essential to add it drop by drop to ensure the oil emulsifies with the other ingredients. This will keep it from separating and make your mayonnaise more stable.

If your mayonnaise is too thin, add a little more oil.

Mayonnaise Variations

To make eggless mayonnaise, use milk instead of egg.

Vegan mayonnaise is made using aquafaba or soy milk instead of egg.

For keto mayonnaise, use avocado oil instead of vegetable oil.

Mayo makes a great base to combine with hot sauce, spices, pickles, ketchup, and more. Add curry powder to make curry mayonnaise. Sriracha and mayo combined to make a delicious spicy spread, such as for the addition of cayenne pepper or chili powder. Mix in roasted garlic to make roasted garlic mayo.  Stir in fresh chopped herbs, truffle oil, or sesame oil for an elegant spread for sandwiches, and more. Get creative!

How to Use Mayonnaise

There's no shortage of ways to use homemade mayonnaise. Of course, it makes a fantastic spread of sandwiches, wraps, and burgers, but there's so much more you can do with it.

Use it to make dips, dressings like ranch, and sauces like aioli.

Use it as a base for a marinade to make ultra-moist tender roasts.

Mayo is a great dip for French fries and a must for the creamiest deviled eggs.

You can even bake with mayo to make moist, tender cakes, cookies, and brownies.

How to Store Homemade Mayonnaise

Homemade mayonnaise should be kept in a clean glass jar and used within 3 to 4 days.

Instructions

Put the egg in the bowl of the food processor or in a tall immersion blender cup.

Add in mustard and vinegar.

Pour in lemon juice, and salt.

Blend for 20 seconds, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Start blending again, then add the oil very slowly, drop by drop, to the mixture until you've blended in about ¼ cup.

As the base thickens, begin pouring the oil in a slow, thin stream. Scrape down the bowl and blitz for 10 seconds until oil is incorporated. Taste and adjust as needed.

Serve and enjoy!

Notes

You can leave out the lemon juice if you prefer, however, it brings a pleasant brightness to the mayonnaise and balances out its richness.