5 Minute Homemade Lemon Chili Mayo

Name: 5 Minute Homemade Lemon Chili Mayo
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 lemon, preferably organic : the zest of the entire lemon (⅔ tablespoon) and the juice of half the lemon (½ tablespoon); 1 tablespoon (15 g) of good quality Dijon mustard; 1 free-range egg; ¾ cup (150 ml) of sunflower oil or any neutral vegetable oil (grapeseed, soybean, avocado); 1 teaspoon of regular paprika powder; ⅛ teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper; ¼ teaspoon of flaky sea salt; ¼ teaspoon of pepper (I used green pepper for its vegetal lemony undertones)

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PREP : 5 MIN | TOTAL : 5 MIN| SERVE : 4

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Homemade Lemon Chili Mayo is the burst of flavour you need to dip your wedges in or layer on top of a burger bun. This easy tangy and spicy mayo has a great kick to it as well as a refreshing zing thanks to lemon, paprika, cayenne pepper and green pepper. Mayo being mayo, it also has that 100% comforting factor… AND is made in under 5 minutes! This condiment is perfect to pair with a chilled glass Pinot Gris (Pinot Grigio). What else can you ask for?

homemade lemon chili mayo in a mason jar with french fries in the background and lemon an paprika powder on the foreground

What is Mayo (aka Mayonnaise)?

Mayo (short for Mayonnaise) is a French cold sauce made of emulsified egg, Dijon mustard and oil. It is a thick and creamy condiment that is commonly served spread in sandwiches or as a side to dunk French fries in! While the traditional version of Mayonnaise is unflavored (no spices or herbs added), I love flavoring mayo up to give it an extra depth. This recipe is both spicy and tangy, ideal to add a layer of flavor to sandwiches, burgers or potato snacks.

Why this 5 Minute Homemade Chili Mayo works

This recipe is super easy and fast to make! It takes only 5 minutes to have a delicious cup of Lemon Chili Mayo for your favorite potato wedges or to spread on burger buns!
It requires simple, pantry staple ingredients that you probably already have on hand.
This mayo is full of flavors, with some kick and freshness brought by lemon and spices. As regular mayo can be heavy, this version is lighter and easier to digest.

Egg, vegetable oil, lemon and lemon zest, Dijon mustard, paprika,
Cayenne pepper, green pepper and sea salt with a zester on the side

The ingredients you’ll need

Lemon – preferable organic as we use both the juice and zest in this recipe. It bring some kick and freshness to this mayo.
Good quality Dijon mustard, for some heat and complexity of flavors.
Free-range egg – the egg and oil will bind together and emulsify to create the mayo texture.
Sunflower oil or any neutral vegetable oil such as grapeseed oil, soybean oil or avocado oil.
Regular paprika powder – for its delicate flavor profile and slight sweetness.
Ground cayenne pepper, for some delicious heat.
Flaky sea salt
Freshly cracked pepper. I used green pepper for its vegetal lemony undertones that go so well with lemon and paprika. However, any freshly cracked pepper would do.

The essential piece of equipment you need

Making this Homemade Lemon Chili Mayo requires an immersion blender. Make sure you have one on hand!

Immersion Blender

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Variation and Substitution

Paprika and cayenne pepper can easily be substituted for 1 tablespoon of Sriracha hot sauce. Be aware that the resulting mayo will be a bit sweeter but equally delicious!

How to make 5 Minute Homemade Lemon Chili Mayo?

This recipe consists in three very simple steps: adding the ingredients to a small jar (or the container that often comes with immersion blenders) ; emulsifying with an immersion blender and adding the lemon juice.

First, add the ingredients to the bowl:

Start by zesting the entire lemon. Then juice half the lemon. Set aside.
In a mason jar or an immersion blender cup, add the Dijon mustard, egg, lemon zest, paprika powder, ground cayenne pepper, flaky sea salt, pepper and sunflower oil.

Emulsify the preparation using the immersion blender:

Plunge the immersion blender. It must be laying at the bottom of the cup. Pulse 3 times, about 2 seconds each without moving the immersion blender. This step starts the emulsion.
After the 3 pulses, hold the power button and blend continuously by moving the immersion blender up to the surface. The mayo mixture will instantly thickens up. Keep blending until all the ingredients are well combined (about 10 seconds).

Add the lemon juice:

At this stage, add the lemon juice. Adding the lemon juice earlier on would jeopardise the emulsion, this is why it is added at the end.
Blend for 10 more seconds until the lemon juice is well incorporated. It will liquify the mayo a little, this is normal.

There you have it! ! Your Homemade Lemon Chili Mayo is ready under 5 minutes!

Lemon Chili Mayo in a mason jar with a spoon on top and half a lemon on the side

Nim Keys

Pulsing 3 times at the beginning without moving the immersion blender upward is what starts the emulsion. This is a crucial step, do not skip it!

It is important to ensure that the emulsion is stable before adding the lemon. This is why the lemon juice is added only at the end. Make sure to follow this process for the best results.

A spoonful of Homemade Lemon Chili Mayo wit a mason jar full of mayo underneath

What to serve this Lemon Chili Mayo with?

This delicious mayo is used in my Halloumi Burgers recipe! It also serves as a great condiment for these Mediterranean Roasted Potato Wedges. Go check these out!

🍷 Wine Pairing for this Homemade Lemon Chili Mayo

The Match

Dry Pinot Gris (Pinot Grigio)

Yes, even condiments get their wine pairing!

This grape variety, also called Pinot Girgio in Italy, or Grauburgunder in Germany produces wines that are bold with flavours. They are usually display aromas of peach, apricot with smoky undertones.

Pinot Gris’ concentrated and complex flavors will bring out the paprika and pepper of this mayo while balancing lemon’s tang with its beautiful acidity.

Pinot Gris wines can be made in range of different sweetness level from bone dry to sweet. To pair with this recipe, I recommend a Dry Pinot Gris. Make sure you ask your wine shop as it is not always written on the label.

Serve it chilled : take it out of the fridge 15 minutes before serving to let it warm up ever so slightly.

WINE APPELLATION SUGGESTIONS

Dry Pinot Gris from Alsace, France
Dry Pinot Grigio from Alto Adige, Italy
Dry (Trocken) Grauburgunder (the German name for Pinot Gris) from Rheingau, Germany

FAQ

How to store Homemade Lemon Chili Mayo?

Store the mayo in the fridge in a mason jar or an airtight container.

How long does Homemade Lemon Chili Mayo keep?

You can keep it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Other Delicious Spicy Recipes

Let me know in the comments if you make this recipe!

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