Homemade Basil-Garlic Mayonnaise is easy, soy-free, keto-friendly and delicious! There are no raw eggs. The egg yolk is cooked to a food-safe temperature in the microwave. Grab a bowl and whisk and make this!
Wow, homemade basil-garlic mayonnaise is easier than I thought it'd be. And ten times more delicious than store-bought mayo.
I mean, you'd never catch us dipping a spoon into grocery mayo for a taste every time we need something from the fridge.
But, we can't resist this homemade mayo, with its hint of pesto flavor from the dried basil. (I even spread it on toast!)
And, it does not require any raw eggs nor fancy equipment — just a microwave, bowl and whisk. Delicious, easy and salmonella free!
Yes!
So, what compelled me to make mayonnaise? It was soy, I tell you.
A member of my household has a sensitivity to it. And if any of you've ever tried to buy soy-free products, you know the stuff is.in.everything.
It's soy frustrating! Soy annoying!
I'm soy-ry, I can't help myself...
And, even though I made mayonnaise out of necessity, I urge you to try this at home. It's so good!
How to make homemade mayonnaise
All you have to do is whisk an egg yolk with a bit of water, lemon juice and vinegar and microwave the mixture until it comes to a boiling point. (The acid prevents curdling. Plus, the lemon provides bright, refreshing flavor, and the vinegar adds a nice kick.)
Whisk a little more, then, chill it for ten minutes. Then, add your salt, basil, garlic...and ever so slowly pour in canola or light olive oil while whisking to make a creamy emulsion.
Done!
Recipe tip
Homemade mayo can sometimes turn into liquid if the emulsion breaks. If this happens, you can fix it by placing ½ tablespoon of water in a bowl and slowly whisking in your broken mayo in a thin stream until the mayo comes together again.
Soy long, store-bought mayo!
Soyonara!
How to use homemade mayo
Besides eating it straight out of the jar or spreading it on toast, you have lots of options! It's wonderful as a dipping sauce for:
- Pan-Fried Cod
- Fried Baccalà
- Gluten-Free Crab Cakes
- Italian Zucchini Fritters
- Italian Chicken Cutlets.
And definitely try it on sandwiches with Homemade Turkey Lunch Meat!
More recipes like this
- Garlic Compound Butter
- Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip
- Lemon-Flavored Olive Oil
- Spinach Pesto
- Gremolata Condiment
Enjoy!
(Recipe Source: Cooking with Mamma C, using a microwave method from Harold McGee in his book The Curious Cook, as described in Cook's Illustrated.)
Homemade Basil-Garlic Mayonnaise
Ingredients
- 1 extra-large or jumbo egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon water
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 pinch salt
- ⅛ teaspoon dried basil
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅔ cup canola or light olive oil
Instructions
- Place your egg yolk in a small, microwaveable bowl. (Save the egg white for scrambled eggs or another use.)
- Whisk in the water, lemon juice and vinegar. Cover the bowl with wax paper and heat in the microwave for 25 seconds, or until the mixture starts to boil. Whisk the egg mixture again and heat for another 5 seconds, or until it starts to bubble again.
- Whisk once more, cover, and chill the egg mixture in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, whisk in your salt, basil and garlic powder. Then, very slowly pour the oil into your egg mixture in a thin stream, while whisking constantly. The mixture will emulsify and thicken into a creamy mayonnaise. (If you pour the oil in too fast, it will not emulsify.)
- Store the mayo in a covered jar in the refrigerator for up to a week. See notes if your mayo separates into liquid.
Deron Shank says
What are some different flavor combos available ? Im a guy thats just getting into cooking because I recently became a single man and am going on a carnivore diet. So this is a perfect replacement for regular mayo. Thanks for any info anyone can give me. Much appreciated.
Mamma C says
Hi Deron - I'm glad this recipe is helpful. I haven't tried other flavors, but as long as you keep the lemon and vinegar, you can try different herbs and seasonings, add Parmesan, etc. I'd try one with smoked Paprika, onion powder and garlic powder. If you google mayo flavors, I'm sure you'll find lots of ideas.