Skip the store-bought kind and learn how to make mayonnaise right at home! A simple combination of eggs, oil, and seasonings is all you need to create a smooth, rich, and creamy sauce. It only takes 10 minutes or less to make the popular condiment.
I bet you have everything you need in your kitchen right now to make homemade mayonnaise. Learning how to make this condiment was one of the first techniques I was taught in culinary school, and I still make it from scratch all of the time.
There are a few key tips to keep in mind when creating an emulsified sauce that I’ll show you. We want to ensure that the texture is smooth, creamy, and rich. No need to buy store-bought products loaded with preservatives. Just grab a whisk, eggs, and oil, and you’re on your way to making mayo!
How to make mayonnaise
This is my go-to homemade mayonnaise recipe that comes together in less than 10 minutes. I like to whisk the emulsion together by hand because it’s easier to see and feel the sauce thickening compared to making it in a food processor or blender.
However, those tools are great for making large batches. Although, the hand immersion blender is an exception and does a great job quickly whipping a small amount of mayonnaise.
Whip the yolk
We all know that oil and water do not mix. That’s where a thickening agent steps in! The egg yolk not only adds richness to the mayonnaise, but lecithin in the egg yolk acts as an emulsifier, helping the oil and water in the sauce stay dispersed and mixed.
Whipping the yolk before adding the oil helps to incorporate some air in the sauce right away so it’s not too dense.
Add the seasonings
Salt, cayenne pepper, Dijon mustard, and a small amount of lemon juice are added and whisked with the egg yolk so that they can evenly flavor the sauce before the oil is incorporated.
Start the emulsion
To get the emulsion started to create a thickened sauce, the most important thing to do is SLOWLY add small amounts of oil into the egg mixture, then vigorously whisk to break the oil into smaller droplets. Take care to do this step correctly, and don’t rush it. Otherwise, the sauce will BREAK.
Before more oil is added, make sure the sauce starts to look thickened, homogenous, and pale yellow. I like to use olive oil for the recipe. However, neutral-tasting oils like grapeseed, canola oil, and avocado oil are popular choices.
Gradually add lemon juice
The lemon juice is the liquid used in the sauce to add flavor and help to thin it out slightly. Because lemon juice contains citric acids and makes it very acidic, small amounts are added at a time so that the proteins in the egg do not denature and curdle. This happens a teaspoon at a time, once with the egg yolks, and then in between gradually whisking in the oil.
Add the oil
Once you have the emulsion started and the sauce looks smooth and thickened, slowly add the olive oil in a thin stream and whisk to combine. Once all of the oil is incorporated, taste and season with more salt and pepper as desired.
You can even add fresh herbs like basil or minced garlic for an aioli to kick up flavor variations for the mayonnaise!
Storing for later
This recipe makes about 1 cup (240 ml) of sauce. The mayonnaise can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
More condiment recipes
Recipe Science
Using raw egg yolks
Most store-bought eggs in the United States are pasteurized at a minimum temperature of 140°F (60°C) for 3 ½ minutes and then cooled to help destroy harmful bacteria like salmonella. Check for the label and packaging for the indication of pasteurization. Fresh farm stand eggs are typically not pasteurized, and care should be taken when eating raw eggs if pregnant or have other health concerns.
Homemade Mayonnaise
Ingredients
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, divided
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 cup olive oil
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, add egg yolk and whisk until it becomes slightly thickened and light yellow in color.
- Add salt, cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and mustard. Vigorously whisk until combined.
- Very gradually add a few drops of olive oil. Whisk until you see the mixture lighten in color and starting to thicken.
- Continue to add small drops at a time, creating an emulsified and thickened sauce.
- Once ¼ cup of oil has been added and is visibly thickened, add 1 teaspoon lemon juice to the sauce and mix to combine.
- Continue to add in ¼ cup of olive oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly.
- Add the last 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, whisk to combine.
- Slowly drizzle and whisk the remainder of the olive oil.
- The mixture should look pale yellow and thick. Taste and season with salt as desired.
- Refrigerate until ready to use.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- Mayonnaise can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated up to 1 week.
- MAKE IT PALEO & WHOLE30: Substitute extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and 1 teaspoon mustard powder.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Lisa says
I cannot get a regular supply of Dijon mustard where I am. Can I use regular yellow mustard?
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, you can use yellow mustard.
Frank says
Just a note about American measures.
You will often find that European Imperial measures are larger than American Imperial measure. If you don’t know this fact it can lead to a recipe failure.
This is why the rest of the world switched from a non standard Imperial mess to a world standard Scientific Metric system some 50 years ago. (even NASA uses Metric)
e.g.
1 US Cup = 236 ml
1 UK Cup = 284 ml
(but most, if not all, Euro measure cups are 250ml. Thus, 4x 250ml cups = 1 litre. The change may have been implemented to help people convert to metric 50 years ago)
1 US Pint = 472 ml
1 UK Pint = 568 ml
1 US Gallon = 3.7 Litre
1 UK Gallon = 4.5 Litre
With just those few samples, you can see why something would not work when mixing ingredients, if you did not know the differences in Imperial measures. I learned this from previous kitchen disasters when I did not know the global location origin of the recipe using Imperial.
Thanks for the mayo info, will try it out today.
(*If people are wondering, “Litre” is from Latin. It can be spelled either as modern “Liter” or traditional “Litre”)
Joe G says
This recipe was great. Simple and great tasting.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your feedback, Joe!
Darby says
I made this recipe with a bit of bacon grease replacing some of the olive oil, use it to fry up a blt panini or a grilled cheese
Jessica Gavin says
Wow, a little bit of bacon grease in the mayonnaise sounds amazing!
Monica B says
Awesome recipe!
I needed mayo at 3:00 a.m. (Not joke, I was making tuna salad after work) and only had lime juice, but it was PERFECT! Total lifesaver. (Although my shoulder is a little sore-worth it!)
Thanks!
Jessica Gavin says
Making homemade mayonnaise is like a mini-workout, but so worth it. Glad you had success!
daniel says
same here, too tired after work to run to the convenience store to get mayo, didn’t have any citrus at home so I tried it with white vinegar instead of lemon juice and it works too. btw I made mine with an electric mixer. saves you the workout.
Jessica Gavin says
Great to hear that the recipe works with a mixer Daniel!
Zachary Steinman says
if I wanted to make a truffle aioli, would I just replace the olive oil entirely with truffle oil, or should I divide the total amount of oil into olive and then truffle? I hope that makes sense lol
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Zach- Truffle oil is very strong! I would keep the recipe as is with the olive oil, then a few drops of the truffle oil at the end to taste.
Anjali says
Will I be able to make this with an electric cake batter mixer? Or will it not emulsify?
Jessica Gavin says
Good question! I’ve never tried making it with an electric mixer before but I don’t see why you couldn’t, especially since I make mine just by hand whisking. Make sure the bowl is secured with a towel or something to keep it from moving when you are gradually adding the oil.
Tanya says
Can you use coconut oil for this
G Boyer says
Homemade Mayo can be done even faster and all in the container you’ll store it in. One whole egg, whites and all into a wide mouth pint jar. 1 – 1 1/4 cup oil, 1 tsp salt all in the jar, all at once. Reserve 1 Tbs vinegar and juice of 1/2 lemon or lime. I believe the real trick to this recipe is owning the Bamix brand immersion hand wand mixer. It is designed differently from all other brands. The blade protector is just 4 prongs sticking down from the hood, allowing more circulation of liquids in the jar. Place the mixer over the submerged egg and salt and start in LOW speed only. As with many hand mixers, this one comes with many blades, and I use an S shaped blade usually used for grinding meat. Immediately emulsion begins, slowly raise the mixer allowing more oil to be sucked down towards the bottom of the jar. Continue to raise the mixer until its at the top, then begin lowering it back to the bottom and raising it again with an elliptical motion. After about 2-3 minutes add about half of the vinegar/citrus mixture and incorporate well; add the rest of the citrus mix and blend well, about 2 more minutes. In all you should have thick mayo in about 5-6 minutes of mixing. 10 minutes tops with prep. Cleaning is easy as the blender is high quality stainless steel; hot water and a bit of soap on a small brush or in another jar, rinse and air dry. All done in 15 min. tops.
Mr. Anderson says
So if your way is so superior, why are you looking at other people’s recipes? Just to get attention, discredit them or promote yourself? Kinda lame.
Amcgon says
This recipe also works great in a kitchen aid, which is my preferred method for making mayo with a toddler running around. I’ve made it a few times now and always come out perfect. I added a little homemade BBQ sauce to my last batch to put on sandwiches and it still came out perfect texture
Lori says
Wow, I like your idea. No changes to the recipe at all?
Alan says
Is it safe to use this recipe with raw egg? You don’t heat the egg ahead of time?
Jessica Gavin says
Make sure that the eggs are pasteurized since they go into the mayonnaise raw.
Ela says
Thanks for sharing this. I always run out of mayonnaise when I need it. Now I can make my own! If I want to make big batch, should I just multiply all the ingredients, say 5 eggs and multiply the rest of the ingredients by 5 too?
Rob says
I have this question too. Can I just double the recipe?
Jessica Gavin says
Yes the recipe can be doubled. Just make sure to gradually add in the oil so it doesn’t separate.
Katie Kruse says
Hi Jessica,
Thank you for this recipe. I had to make macaroni salad without salt for my 4th of July party. This is a really low sodium alternative to store bought mayonnaise. I only used 1/8 teaspoon salt and it was delicious. I really appreciated your comment about using more neutral oils. I made it with olive oil and didn’t really care for it. I made a second batch with grape seed oil and it was perfect! If you hadn’t make that comment in your directions I would not have come up with an alternative. Happy 4th of July!
Judy says
I’m going to start making this fresh. Thank you.I see the link to the glass containers here.