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This lemon dill aioli is a bright, garlicky sauce with a punch of garlic and a hint of tangy lemon. It’s perfect for drizzling over roasted salmon, slathering on grilled chicken, or using as a spread for sandwiches.
With just a few ingredients, including garlic, dill, and lemon, this flavored mayo is quick to make and will instantly brighten up your meals. Keep a jar in the fridge and watch it become your new go-to condiment!
The first time I saw aioli sauce on a menu with a fish entrée I did not know what to expect and was surprised to find that is was similar to a mayonnaise.
It is basically made in the same way as mayonnaise with garlic and any herbs that you want to jazz it up with. I chose dill here as it is a great accompaniment to fish.
Here is Why This Lemon Dill Aioli Recipe Works
Quick and easy: With just a few simple ingredients, you can have this ready in under 10 minutes. No complicated steps—just blend, pour, and you’re set!
Super versatile: It’s not just for sandwiches. Use it as a dip, a sauce, or a spread. It’s the ultimate multitasker for everything from salmon to fries.
Keeps in the fridge: Make it once and enjoy it all week. It’s like meal-prepping, but tastier!
Fresh, bold flavors: Garlic, dill, and lemon come together for a mayo that delivers big flavor with minimal effort.
The Ingredients
- Fridge: Egg yolks
- Pantry: Olive oil, Salt, white pepper
- Produce: Garlic, fresh dill, lemon
- Condiments: Dijon mustard
For a fresh, bright flavor, use fresh lemon and garlic. The garlic you find in jars that is pre chopped just doesn’t have the same garlicky flavor.
Variations
Garlic Herb Mayo: Swap the dill for fresh parsley and chives, and add an extra clove of garlic for an even more herb-forward flavor. Perfect for roasted veggies or sandwiches.
Spicy Lemon Dill Mayonnaise: Stir in 1-2 teaspoons of sriracha or your favorite hot sauce for spicy aioli that goes well with grilled shrimp or chicken.
Lemon Basil Mayo: Replace the dill with fresh basil and add a touch of honey.
For some more great spreads, try our Fresh horseradish aioli sauce and Lebanese Garlic Sauce
Tips For Making Lemon Garlic Dill Aioli Sauce:
- A mini-food processor is ideal for this sauce as it has a small hole in the lid that keeps the oil dribbling in at a steady stream. It also is just the size for a small batch.
- A hand held immersion blender or a standard blender will also work very well for this recipe.
- There are two very important steps to the success of this dill aioli sauce: use room temperature ingredients and drizzle the oil in slowly.
- A quick trick to bring eggs to room temperature is to place them (while still in the shell) in a dish of warm water for about five minutes. After you crack the eggs and separate them, make sure they are not still cold. If they are cold, then let them sit on the countertop a bit longer.
- Starting with cold ingredients is one of the main reasons for a failed aioli sauce.
- Another key to success is to drizzle the oil in slowly. You will notice the recipe says to add the oil in a thin stream over two minutes. This is not a typo. Seriously, take two minutes to add the oil in a thin stream.
- The first 30 seconds to 1 minute are the most critical. Start very slowly and try not to add more than
¼ cup of oil in the first 30 seconds. By the time 1 minute has gone by, you should not have used more than ½ cup of oil so pace yourself and go slow.
How to Fix Broken Aioli
If you do happen to miss the mark on this and end up with a broken, curdled-looking mess, don’t throw it out. You can fix a broken aioli with a new egg yolk.
Pour the broken aioli into a bowl and place a fresh, room temperature egg yolk in the food processor or blender.
Start processing the egg yolk then slowly add the broken aioli back into the processor. You can add a bit more oil after the broken aioli has been added.
If you find the aioli is too thick then you can drizzle in some water to thin it down.
This recipe has been adapted from The Joy of Seafood, by Patrice Boely and makes about one and one-half cups and will keep in the refrigerator for about one week.
Storage
In the Fridge: To store your lemon dill mayo, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week. Make sure the container is well-sealed to keep it fresh and prevent any strong fridge odors from creeping in.
Freezing: We don’t recommend freezing this mayo. It doesn’t freeze well due to its emulsified nature. However, you can freeze it if you don’t mind a change in texture. Just store it in a freezer-safe container for up to one month.
Fish Recipes To Go With This Sauce.
- Grilled Swordfish Steak
- Honey Lemon Glazed Salmon Fillets
- Broiled Copper River King Salmon
- Dungeness Crab Cakes
Homemade Mayo for the Win
This lemon-dill aioli recipe is simple to make and versatile enough to use on just about any dish. Slather it on a sandwich, drizzle it over salmon, or use it as a dip. It’s the kind of recipe that takes your meals from good to “wow”.
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Lemon-Dill Aioli Sauce
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Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature
- 1½ tablespoons chopped dill
- 1 cup avocado oil, or olive oil or any combination of oils
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place the garlic, mustard, egg yolks and dill in a mini food processor or a work bowl for an immersion blender.
- Process until evenly combined, about 10 seconds.
- With the motor running, slowly add the oil in a thin stream until completely combined. Take about 2 minutes to completely add the oil and don’t add more that 1/4 cup in the first 30 seconds.
- Once you have a thickened sauce, stop the motor and add the lemon juice then season with salt and pepper.
- Start the motor again and combine until well combined.
- Refrigerate in a covered container for up to one week.
Video
Notes
- A mini food processor is ideal since it allows the oil to be added in a steady stream, perfect for small batches. A hand-held immersion blender also works well.
- For best results, use room temperature ingredients and add the oil slowly. To quickly bring eggs to room temp, place them (in the shell) in warm water for 5 minutes. Cold ingredients often cause aioli to break.
- Take 2 minutes to drizzle in the oil. For the first 30 seconds, add no more than ¼ cup, and by 1 minute, no more than ½ cup.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Good sauce but a bit too much lemon juice. The lemon overpowered the other flavors. Suggest halving the lemon juice quantity.
I made this with my immersion blender. It was AMAZING!!! Thanks for the recipe!!
Thanks for the comment Andrea, I’m so glad you liked it.
Make it easy on yourself.
An inversion blender is the only way to have no-fail mayo or aioli. You just have to make it in a pint jar or something that is tight that allows the shape of the inversion blender. After dumping in ALL the ingredients together. Then place the blender on the bottom and leave it there for like 5 seconds while it emulsifies. Bring up the blender slowly to the top. Preston. Takes about 10-15 seconds to make. No dripping of oil. You can make it as think as you want. Gordon Ramsay has a video if you don’t understand this.
–from a very old lady who refuses to buy mayo (soybean oil being terrible for you)
Thank you, Das….?
You’ve probably discovered this by now. The immersion blender is the only way to go when making mayonnaise, aioli, dressings. Put all ingredients in the provided jar (or mason jar) with the oil last. Place the stick in the bottom of the jar, blend for 15 seconds an then pull stick upwards till you reach the emulsified stage. Takes a minute, no drizzling or soupy outcome. Hop on over to One Minute Mayonnaise, you find plenty of recipes. I’m a bit of a condiment nut !
Thanks, Cynthia….I will check it out ?