Easy Peasy Roasted Jalapeno Aioli
This homemade aioli is borderline effortless and goes so well with grilled meats and veggies. It’s creamy & tangy, has a subtle kick from the roasted jalapeno, and only takes a few minutes to come together.
or read on for step-by-step instructions with photos
The Foolproof Way to Emulsify Aioli
Aioli is a condiment similar to mayonnaise but traditionally made with garlic, olive oil, egg yolks, lemon juice, and salt to create a deliciously creamy and garlicky sauce. Emulsifying the ingredients properly can be the hardest part of making this classic sauce, but it doesn’t have to be with this easy technique.
Let’s break it down:
Emulsifying means taking water and oil-based ingredients that naturally repel each other and forcing them to form a stable solution.
With the help of “lecithin”, a natural emulsifier found in egg yolks, and blending the ingredients vigorously with an immersion blender, we can easily make a stable emulsification every time.
Because of the powerful vortex created by the immersion blender, you can simply add all of the ingredients together and let the machine do the rest - no need to trickle the oil in slowly!
The shear force will break the oil into tiny droplets and disperse them evenly into the water-based ingredients.
Then the lecithin will keep the mixture stable by forming a protective layer around the oil droplets ensuring they stay suspended in the solution.
So you’re left with a creamy, thick sauce, that’s especially delicious on grilled asparagus, shrimp, or potato wedges but works well with almost anything.
I also use this foolproof emulsification method to make my 5-minute hollandaise sauce, another beginner-friendly recipe to try next!
What you’ll need
Ingredients
1 large egg, whole
5 cloves garlic, peeled
½ cup neutral oil such as canola or grapeseed
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 - 2 jalapenos
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
salt, to taste
Equipment
Immersion blender and blending pitcher
Saucepan and heat source
Makes: 1.5 cups (375 ml)
Prep: 5 min Cook: 10 min
How to make it
jump to short video
Step 1
Confit the garlic.
Place the peeled garlic and neutral oil in a saucepan on low heat. Gently cook the garlic in the oil until it has softened enough to be easily smashed with a fork - about 5 min. Then transfer it into a vessel to cool down to room temperature and place it in the fridge for faster cooling.
Step 2
Prep the jalapeno.
Roast the jalapeno in a small pan over medium-high heat until slightly softened and the skin has blistered. Transfer to a plate to cool down to room temperature and place it in the fridge for faster cooling.
Once cooled, deseed and roughly dice. Leave the seeds in if you prefer a spicier sauce.
I roasted two, but only used one deseeded jalapeno because they were so hot!
Step 3
Gather ingredients.
Meanwhile, gather the remaining ingredients: egg, apple cider vinegar, yellow mustard, extra virgin olive oil, and salt.
We’ve been living in Mexico for a few months, in case you were wondering why all the labels are written in Spanish!
Step 4
Combine ingredients.
Once the confit garlic has cooled down to room temperature, measure and add all the ingredients into the pitcher of an immersion blender or similar tall container.
Step 5
Blend.
Place the immersion blender in the blending pitcher, ensuring it is submerged and resting at the bottom.
Start blending, keeping it at the bottom until you see the bottom half of the mixture become smooth and creamy. Slowly raise the immersion blender to let the oil floating on top emulsify with the rest until the whole mixture is homogenous and thick.
Taste to adjust the seasoning with more salt and vinegar if needed.
Step 6
Serve.
Transfer to a bowl and serve with your favorite grilled meats and veggies.
My tips
Use room-temp ingredients - room-temperature ingredients emulsify more easily. If the ingredients are too cold or hot the aioli could be more susceptible to splitting.
Oil matters - a mix of neutral and extra virgin olive oil lets the other ingredients shine. Using olive oil alone can make the aioli taste slightly bitter and overpower the other ingredients.
Use whole eggs - using the whole egg, whites, and all, means there’s less waste and there’s no need to adjust the thickness. An aioli made with only egg yolks usually needs water added to loosen it. Since egg whites are mostly made up of water and protein, they naturally adjust the aioli to the perfect thickness.
Serving suggestions - serve this aioli with grilled meats such as shrimp, chicken, lamb, or chorizo sausage. Spoon on top of veggies such as sauteed asparagus, Brussels sprouts, Italian-style marinated vegetables, or potato wedges. Or use it as a sandwich spread or creamy dip for chips or veggies.
Substitutions
Neutral oil - use any neutral oil you have on hand such as vegetable, safflower, sunflower, soy, peanut, or light olive oil. If you only have extra virgin olive oil on hand, remember that it can overpower the other ingredients, adding extra garlic, jalapeno, vinegar, and mustard will help to balance it out.
Garlic - substitute confit garlic for roasted garlic or fresh garlic.
Mustard - I went with yellow mustard because that’s all I had on hand. It can be substituted for any mustard you might have such as Dijon or grainy, however, these mustards can be stronger in flavor so adjust accordingly.
Vinegar - substitute for other light-tasting acids you have on hand such as lemon or lime juice, or vinegar such as white wine or plain white.
Roasted jalapeno - use raw or pickled jalapenos instead for a fresher spicy kick. Other chili peppers such as serrano, poblano, or chipotle would work well. Or instead of peppers try grilled onions, sundried tomatoes, fresh herbs, truffle oil, horseradish, or get creative and try something new!
Storage
Stored in an airtight container this aioli should last up to a week in the fridge.
I don’t recommend freezing this.
Dietary Notes: Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Vegetarian, Low-carb
That’s it, enjoy!
This aioli went a long way over the week, we incorporated it into quite a few things. One of our favorites was adding chopped grilled onions, cheddar, pickles, and cream cheese to turn it into one of the most addictive chip dips ever.
It’s so versatile and easy to make, you’ll see in the short video below that I even had my husband put it together while I filmed. I’m not saying he’s a bad cook, but you definitely don’t need to be a professional chef to make this sauce at home.
If you love spicy sauces, try my zhoug recipe (spicy Middle-Eastern green sauce) or maple brown butter hot sauce, both are delicious and versatile condiments!
Summary
Jalapeno Aioli Recipe
This creamy, tangy aioli is a breeze to make. Upgrade your next summer barbecue with this flavorful sauce!
Makes: 1.5 cups (375 ml)
Prep: 5 min Cook: 10 min
Ingredients
1 large egg, whole
5 cloves garlic, peeled
½ cup neutral oil such as canola or grapeseed
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 - 2 jalapenos
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
salt, to taste
Instructions
Confit garlic. Cook peeled garlic in neutral oil on low heat until soft (about 5 min). Cool to room temperature.
Roast jalapenos. Roast the jalapenos in a pan over medium-high heat until skin blisters. Cool, deseed, and dice.
Combine and blend. Once garlic and jalapenos are cool, combine all ingredients in a blending pitcher. Blend with an immersion blender until creamy, starting at the bottom and gradually raising to incorporate the oil. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Serve. Transfer to a bowl and enjoy with your favorite grilled foods.
Top Tips
Use room temperature ingredients for easier emulsification and to prevent splitting.
Blend neutral and extra virgin olive oil for a balanced flavor - using only olive oil can make it bitter.
Use whole eggs to avoid waste and maintain perfect thickness - no need to adjust consistency with water like when using only yolks.
Have you ever tried making homemade aioli or mayonnaise? Let me know in the comments how it turned out!
Enjoy!
