Homemade mayo really is easier than you think. Just a handful of ingredients and a stick blender, and you’ll have thick, creamy mayonnaise in under a minute. It also makes a great base for garlic mayo, chilli mayo, burger sauces and dressings.
Ingredients
- 1 whole egg, room temperature
- 225ml neutral oil, such as sunflower or rapeseed
- 10ml fresh lemon juice (about 2 tsp)
- 5g Dijon mustard (about 1 tsp)
- 1g fine salt (about ¼ tsp)
Method
- Combine everything
- Add the whole egg, oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and salt to a tall, narrow container that’s only slightly wider than the head of your stick blender.
- Start from the bottom
- Place the stick blender right at the bottom of the container, making sure the egg is underneath the blender head.
- Blend
- Blend on full power without moving the blender for around 5–10 seconds. You’ll see a thick, pale mayonnaise begin forming at the bottom.
- Bring it together
- Once the bottom has emulsified, very slowly lift the blender upwards to incorporate the remaining oil. Give it a couple of gentle up-and-down movements at the end until everything is thick and creamy.
- Adjust
- Taste and add more salt or lemon juice if needed. If you’d like a slightly thinner mayonnaise, blend in 1 tsp of water at a time until you’re happy with it.
Easy Variations
| Variation | Add |
|---|---|
| Garlic mayo | 1–2 finely grated garlic cloves |
| Chilli mayo | 1–2 tsp chilli sauce or chilli oil |
| Herb mayo | Small handful of parsley, chives or dill |
| Mustard mayo | Extra 1–2 tsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard |
| Lemon mayo | Extra lemon juice + finely grated zest |
| Smoky mayo | ½–1 tsp smoked paprika |
Storage
Transfer to a clean airtight container and keep refrigerated. Because it contains raw egg, I’d keep this deliberately conservative and use it within 3–4 days.
Note:t he narrow container really matters with this method. If the container is too wide, the blender may struggle to catch the egg and oil properly and the mayonnaise is more likely to split.