Homemade Mayonnaise (Quick and Easy)
If there’s one ingredient I never, ever buy at the supermarket, it’s mayonnaise. It’s so much better homemade! And what’s more, it only takes 5 minutes. Here, I’ll show you all my tips for making homemade mayonnaise every time, as well as how to spice it up to accompany your hard-boiled eggs or raw vegetables!
In This Post
5 Rules for the Perfect Homemade Mayo
Before we get started, I’ve got a few tips to help you get it right the first time, so you don’t end up with a runny sauce.
- Room-temperature ingredients: Take your egg and mustard out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before you start.
- Don’t forget the mustard: Above all, don’t take it out of the recipe (personally, I use a nice strong Dijon mustard!). It helps the emulsion. The more you add, the firmer and more stable your mayonnaise will be.
- Dissolve the salt well at the start: Add the salt in the first step so that it has time to dissolve completely in the lemon juice (or vinegar) and mustard.
- The right choice of oil: I recommend a neutral oil such as sunflower or rapeseed. You can add a little drizzle of olive oil at the end for flavor, but be careful as it can make your mayo bitter.
- Pour the oil VERY gently: This is the most important secret! Especially at the beginning, pour the oil in a very fine, even stream so that the egg yolk can incorporate it gradually.
Easy Homemade Mayonnaise Recipe
Mayonnaise (Quick & Easy)
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Ingredients
- 1 egg yolk at room temperature
- 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar
- 1 tsp mustard like Dijon
- 1 cup oil neutral such as sunflower, canola/rapeseed
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
Technique 1: Immersion blender (quick method)
- Place the egg yolk, mustard, salt and lemon juice (or vinegar) in a tall, narrow container (like a measuring cup). Blend once to combine ingredients.
- Then leave the blender running and pour in the oil in a thin, steady stream. The mayonnaise will rise and thicken instantly.
Technique 1: With a whisk (traditional French method)
- Pour the egg yolk, strong mustard, salt and lemon juice (or vinegar) into a bowl or salad bowl. Whisk once to combine.
- Pour in the oil in a very thin, steady stream, whisking vigorously to incorporate the oil as you go, until the mayonnaise is firm.
Storage
- Store mayonnaise immediately after preparation in an airtight container or clean jar in the refrigerator. Eat it within 24 to 48 hours maximum, because of the raw egg.
Nutrition
Ingredients You’ll Need
The advantage of homemade mayonnaise is that it’s really cheap and you don’t need much:
- Egg yolk: The basis of the emulsion. Choose a fresh egg yolk, especially one at room temperature.
- Mustard: For flavor, but also helps stabilize the sauce.
- Oil: Choose a neutral oil (sunflower or rapeseed)
- Lemon juice or vinegar: Balances taste and acidity and helps whiten mayonnaise
- Salt: To enhance flavors.
How to Make Mayonnaise: The 2 Best Methods
To prepare your homemade mayonnaise, the starting principle remains the same: first mix the base (egg yolk, mustard, salt, lemon or vinegar) then add the oil little by little to create the emulsion.
The only real rule is to choose the right container for your technique: a wide bowl for the hand whisk, to give you plenty of room for the gesture, or a tall, narrow container for the immersion blender.
1. Using an immersion blender (Quick method)
- Pros: It’s super-fast (ready in under 3 minutes!). It’s also less tiring and avoids splattering.
- Cons: The final texture is a little more rigid and less airy.
2. Hand whipping (traditional French method)
- Pros: The mayonnaise becomes much smoother, with a much softer, glossier texture.
- Cons: It takes longer and requires a little muscle!
Your Mayonnaise Too Runny? How to Fix a Broken Sauce
This is the number-one problem with homemade mayonnaise: it’s too runny or doesn’t rise. Usually, this is because you’ve added the oil too quickly.
Here’s how to catch it:
- Take a clean bowl and add a teaspoon of strong mustard. Then pour in your failed mayonnaise a little at a time, in a very thin stream, while whisking vigorously (or with a mixer).
- Basically: you add your failed mayonnaise as if it were oil. The emulsion should pick up and you get that famous creamy texture.
Easy Mayonnaise Variations to Try
That’s the advantage of this recipe, it’s a base with which you can create lots of different sauces:
- Aïoli: A classic! Add a chopped garlic clove and a little pepper.
- Tartar sauce: Add chopped capers, gherkins, shallots and finely chopped fresh herbs (chives, parsley and tarragon). Ideal on a fish burger.
- Light version: Mix your mayonnaise with Greek yoghurt or fromage blanc and add a pinch of salt. Ideal with my homemade Fish Loaf.
- Spicy mayonnaise sauce: Mix your mayonnaise with a little sriracha sauce, a clove of minced garlic and a few drops of lemon juice. Perfect with homemade tacos.
Even if the bases are a little different, you can also try the Gribiche sauce, a gourmet variant with hard-boiled eggs and fresh herbs, or the Rouille sauce flavored with saffron and spices, an essential accompaniment to Bouillabaisse!
Mayonnaise FAQs
Store immediately in a clean, airtight jar in the refrigerator. Because of the raw egg content, mayonnaise must be consumed within 24 to 48 hours. Also, don’t leave it lying around on the table during the meal, or it may go bad.
Unfortunately not. When thawed, the emulsion will break and the oil will separate from the rest. Better to prepare it in small quantities at the last minute.
This is certainly the question I’m asked most often! I recommend neutral oils, my favorites being sunflower or rapeseed oil. You can add a little olive or walnut oil at the end, but not all of it, otherwise the mayonnaise will be too bitter.
