Want to learn how to make homemade mayonnaise? This recipe is made with a few simple ingredients and the traditional technique for a delicious homemade condiment.This recipe makes about 2 cups of mayonnaise, feel free to cut it in half if you want to make less.
2high-quality egg yolkspasteurized egg yolks are recommended
1teaspoonDijon mustard
2cupsneutral vegetable oilsafflower, canola or grapeseed are my favorite
6tablespoonswhite wine vinegarOR Cornichon pickle juice for more flavor; or use less to taste
1teaspoonlemon juiceor more to taste
saltto taste
Instructions
Prep egg yolks: Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl or measuring jug until pale in color, fluffy and increased in volume (about 2-3 minutes of vigorous whisking). Add the mustard and beat for 1-2 more minutes. (Depending on the size of your bowl/measuring jug, you may need to tilt it to whisk this smaller amount properly.)
Add half of the oil: Start to slowly pour the oil into the eggs while continuously whisking fast. I pause the oil after each tablespoon or so to fully incorporate the oil in the bowl before slowly pouring in more.
Loosen mixture: Once about half of the oil has been added, stop pouring in more. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of the vinegar to loosen the mixture (it will also turn paler in color).
Add remaining oil: Once the vinegar has been whisked in, slowly pour in the remaining oil, constantly whisking well.
Season: Once you have incorporated and emulsified all of the oil, you should have a very thick mayonnaise. Season with lemon juice, more vinegar (or pickle juice) and salt to taste. Keep the mayonnaise refrigerated at all times and use within 5 days.
Notes
Ingredient notes
Egg yolks:The USDA recommends using in-shell pasteurized egg yolks to safely make homemade mayonnaise. I personally choose to use correctly refrigerated, organic grad AA raw egg yolks. Use what you are comfortable with, but I would only recommend using the freshest, highest-quality eggs for this recipe.
Oil: You must use a neutral vegetable oil to make mayonnaise! Otherwise, it will taste off. Safflower, canola or grapeseed all work great. I’ve also heard people like peanut oil or avocado oil, but I never tried it myself. I know many recipes call for olive oil, but I never use it for mayo. If you absolutely want to use olive oil, please use a light one that doesn’t have a strong taste.
Mustard: The mustard helps a great deal with the emulsification, so please do not skip it. If you can’t have mustard, leave it out but know that your mayo may be a little more difficult to whisk.
Lemon juice/salt/vinegar: These ingredients are key to a delicious mayonnaise. You need the acid to offset the richness, and you need the salt to make the mayo tasty. Season to taste once all of the oil has been added, just be mindful of the amount of vinegar you add – if you add too much, your mayonnaise can split (I have added up to 6 tablespoons without any issues).
Recipe tips
Homemade Mayonnaise is simple, but it does take a lot of active work for about 10 minutes. You must keep whisking to incorporate all of the oil, otherwise your mayo will not come together.
If your mayo tastes bland/oily and seems too thick before you’re seasoning it, don’t worry! That’s normal. The vinegar (or pickle juice) will offset the richness and also give the mayo the right consistency.
Make sure to salt your mayonnaise enough, else it will be bland. I recommend salting little by little and stirring in your salt with a spoon once you have added your vinegar, in order to avoid overmixing the mayo.
You can technically make mayonnaise in a food processor or using an immersion blender, but not everyone owns these gadgets, so I decided to share the traditional method using a whisk. The immersion blender method in particular does need some skill and needs to be done very carefully; and I do personally prefer the whisk method. Also, every kind of motorized blender produces more heat than hand whisking, which can affect the quality of the oil and therefore the mayo. And it’s easier to break the emulsion with a blender, too. This recipe really doesn’t take too much time, so I believe for the best result, we don’t need to resort to shortcuts.
If you use pasteurized egg yolks and are wondering what to do with the pasteurized egg whites you have left over, make some extra-airy Tiramisu!
How do you fix broken mayonnaise?
Don’t worry, you can fix your broken mayo. Either beat another egg yolk, or beat a teaspoon of mustard in a new bowl.Slowly add your broken mayo, beating it well. Once all of your mayo has been added, it should be re-emulsified.