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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 medium garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 1-½ tablespoons chopped dill
- 1 cup avocado oil, or olive oil or any combination of oils
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Salt and white pepper to taste
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!
Will it freeze ?
Hi, Pete…That is a great question. I have never tried freezing it but aioli is basically a jazzed up mayonnaise and my experience with freezing mayo has been less than favorable as it separated. If you decide to try freezing this lemon-dill aioli sauce I would love to hear your results. 🙂
Very disappointed in this recipe. Despite adding oil very slowly it did not emulsify. Tasty but a soupy mess.
Colleen, I’m sorry this didn’t emulsify for you. When aioli does not emulsify it can be fixed by starting with a fresh egg yolk and a pinch of salt. Whisk that together real well then very slowly add the batch of aioli that did not emulsify. One key to success when making aioli is to have your ingredients at room temperature but not too warm.
I had the same results and I had bought expensive avocado oil and used fresh dill and lemon juice, dijon mustard and followed the directions exactly, taking at least 2 minutes to drizzle the oil in. All ingredients were room temp.
Then I tried your fix of using another egg yolk and salt to start and adding the broken mixture. It’s still a runny mess. What a waste.
oh Christina, I am so sorry. I know you are frustrated. I hope you didn’t throw it all out. You can still try again to save it. If your having trouble with this technique then try an immersion blender. Some food processor motors heat up quickly and if the food processor gets warm then the aioli will warm up and break. Another possible problem could be that the blade in your food processor sits too high above the mixture to adequately blend it. Don’t count it as a waste, it is still salvageable. Especially if you use an immersion blender. If you don’t have an immersion blender then whisk it by hand, just in case the problem could be with the food processor.
I definitely need to make this aioli the next time I go to the store to grab ingredients. It looks so great. I’m going to put it on my favorite sandwich as a spread. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you, Billy for your nice comments. You will not be disappointed! It is really good with fish and when I mixed into a tuna sandwich, I loved it! 🙂
How long will this stay good in the fridge for?
Hi, Jen….After making the sauce in the blender, transfer it to a jar with a tight fitting lid and it will keep in the frige for one week. Hope you enjoy the Lemon-Dill Aioli Sauce. 🙂
This was the missing piece to my brussel sprouts! I tossed my roasted sprouts with this, some caramelized onions, and bacon pieces and it was simply divine!
Hi there, Ryan….I am so happy that this worked out for you! That sounds like a great brussels sprouts recipe with the onions and bacon plus the lemon aioli. Thanks for your comments. 🙂
This looks so delicious! Homemade condiments are the best. I’ve been making basil-garlic mayo every week, and microwave the yolk with some vinegar, water and lemon to bring it to a safe temperature, since I don’t buy pasteurized eggs.
Hi, Andrea….thanks for the tip on mixing the egg yolk and microwaving it. I will try that idea as the pasteurized eggs cost a little more and I usually have to buy a whole dozen when I really only need a couple. 🙂
I absolutely love aioli sauce and dill is one of my favorite spices. I can’t wait to try this! On an unrelated note, I am in love with your cute little jelly jar!
Thanks, Erica….it is a wonderful aioli sauce on any fish!
I would love to dip salmon in this
Hi, Kristen….it is really great on salmon….go for it! 🙂
Dill is like one of my all time favourite ingredients, I add it to almost every salad! This sauce sounds amazing!
Hi, Diana….yes, I too, love the unique taste of dill..so many uses for it!
This will go perfect with salmon burgers I am cooking tonight! Thanks for sharing!
Hi, Tania….Salmon burgers with this sauce will be sooo good! Enjoy!