How to make Garlic Aioli (Classic and Cheater) by The Food Charlatan. (2024)

I ran out to Carl’s Jr. to get fries for these pictures. I went in the drive through and ordered 3 large natural-cut fries and nothing else. I pulled through and waited at the window. I sat there spacing out for who knows how long, thinking that it was kind of taking a while, but maybe it was the lunch rush?

Then I saw one of the employees walk out a back door and wave me forward with this funny look on her face. I was at the wrong window, which I only then noticed looked totally shuttered up. They must have thought I was a complete weirdo, ordering nothing but fries and then not even making it to the right window??

What is it with me!! I did ask if I was the first one to stop at the wrong window and they said no, I wasn’t the only one. Small comfort that I’m not the only oblivious person out there.

How’s July treating everyone? We went up to visit Eric’s parents in Montana and had the best time. It’s a two day drive one way. We got home last night in time to make scrambled eggs and smoothies for dinner (the only food we had) and Eric was trying desperately to herd the children to bed quickly.

He said, I don’t know why but I just want them IN BED ALREADY. I said, could it perhaps be that it’s because you spent two days in an enclosed space with literally no escape from the heathens?? Probably. Our kids are actually pretty well behaved on car trips, we are lucky. But still. I mean, they are kids. They can’t help themselves. We must all go through what we put our parents through at some point, right?

What is Garlic Aioli?

I wish they gave out tubs of aioli instead of ketchup packets at fast food joints. (It would make road trips with children much more bearable). Garlic Aioli is basically mayonnaise with some lemon and garlic added in. You can either make your own homemade mayonnaise with eggs and olive oil (classic recipe) or you can start with store bought mayo and add in some lemon and garlic (cheater recipe). Both are ridiculously delicious!

Garlic Aioli Recipe ingredients

This ridiculously simple garlic aioli sauce recipe consists of ingredients I bet you already have in your kitchen. Here are the ingredients you need (full recipe and instructions in the recipe card below!)

How to make Garlic Aioli

Here’s how to make the classic version.

1. Start by crushing some kosher salt into some minced garlic. Gimme alllll the garlic.

2. Keep crushing it together until it forms a paste. Then rub your fingers on the side of your chef’s knife under running water. Do you know about this trick? It gets the garlic smell off your fingers. It works so well. If you’ve never tried it, you will be amazed!

3. Let your garlic marinate in some lemon juice for about 15 minutes. The lemon juice will take on the garlic flavor and get all cozy. At this point, if you are garlic shy (or like, if you have a hot date or something) then you can remove some of the garlic, up to half or even a bit more. It’s already worked it’s magic on the lemon juice and you will be left with a more subtle garlic flavor. I’m a garlic freak so I left it all in!
4. Add in an egg and a yolk.
5. This next step is important guys! Pay attention, now. You must emulsify the oil into this lemony-garlic-egg situation. That means your lemon mixture must be in constant movement when the oil hits it. If it’s not moving, it will never combine and there’s really no going back. There are 3 ways to do this:

• Blender: You must turn the blender on low and SLOWLY drizzle in the oil through the spout on the top.
• Bowl and whisk: You must be whisking constantly and vigorously while you SLOWLY drizzle in the oil.
• Immersion blender: This is the only method where you can add the oil in all at once. Add the oil on top of the eggs. Smash your immersion blender all the way to the bottom of the jar, and turn it on low. SLOWLY and gradually move the blender up toward the top of the jar, until the aioli is emulsified. See photo above.

If you follow these steps, you will have a beautiful creamy aioli! If you don’t, you will have a sad oily mess.

We are using half olive oil and half vegetable oil in this recipe. (Olive oil has kind of a strong flavor so we’re tempering it with a more neutral oil)

How to make Garlic Aioli the “cheater” way

The cheater version doesn’t even deserve pictures. Just take some mayo, stir in some garlic infused lemon, and voila! That’s it. And it really is so good.

The best part about making it at home, either classic or cheater, is that you can adjust it to taste. Hopefully you can tell from the photos that this aioli is a mayonnaise consistency. I love it thick and creamy! If you like a thinner aioli, add a little more lemon juice, or a teaspoon or two of water.

How to serve Garlic Lemon Aioli

Really the question is what NOT to eat with Aioli, because once you try it, you’re going to want to put it on everything. But here are some ideas:

• French fries or sweet potato fries
• use as a dip for a fresh vegetable tray: carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, snap peas, etc.
• slap it on a sandwich. Way better than mayo!
• ditto for hamburgers. If you’ve never tried aioli on a hamburger, you are missing out!
• Dip roasted artichokes in it
• Fried zucchini
• Stir some into your potato salad
• Serve as a dip with Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies
• Stir it into some warm pasta for a carby treat
• Dip these 3 Ingredient Roasted Potatoes in aioli
• Serve it with salmon cakes
• Dip these Bacon Wrapped Potatoes in aioli!
• stir it into a tuna salad

I’m sure you can come up with about a hundred other ideas. Basically anything you would pair mayonnaise with, you can sub aioli. I really should have some pictures of other things you can dip in this magic stuff. I kind of have tunnel vision though. Aioli and fries go together like salt and pepper!

Garlic Aioli Sauce Recipe Variations

While I do absolutely love this garlic aioli recipe as is, it’s also super customizable! Feel free to play around with flavors! Here are a few ideas:

• Add more lemon. Thin it out and give it even more lemon flavor with an extra squeeze of juice.
• Spice it up. Give your aioli a kick of heat with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper. You could also mix in a drizzle of your favorite hot sauce!
• Use other herbs. Add some freshness with a sprinkle of chives or rosemary.
• Cilantro lime aioli. Swap out the lemon for lime and use cilantro in place of the parsley for a fun and fresh flavor twist.
• Roasted garlic aioli. Roast the garlic first for another layer of flavor. See recipe notes for details!

How to store Garlic Aioli

Do you put aioli in the fridge?

Yes. Not only will aioli spoil if you leave it at room temperature, but it will also separate if it gets too warm. Always keep it in the fridge!

How long will garlic aioli last in the fridge?

Homemade aioli is good for a week or so in the fridge. Don’t freeze it–it will separate and be totally gross. Just make up what you think you’ll eat in a week (and then find yourself making more because you ate it all and ran out, haha!).

Homemade Garlic Aioli FAQs