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Lena's Kitchen

Lena's Kitchen

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Home » Weeknight Meals » Salads

Lemon Basil Aioli

Posted: August 2, 2022 by lena gladstone | Updated: March 12, 2024

10.6K shares

You’re going to love using this Lemon Basil Aioli on everything! It’s bright, creamy, herbaceous, and so easy to make. All you need are 4 ingredients!

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small glass jar half full with a creamy green sauce.

Homemade basil aioli with lemon

It’s a sauce, a sandwich spread, and the best condiment you’ll ever taste. It’s Lemon Basil Aioli!

This homemade basil aioli is a rich and creamy condiment that’s easy to make using 4 simple ingredients:

  1. Mayonnaise
  2. Garlic
  3. Basil
  4. Lemon juice

It comes together in no time without any mess thanks to the immersion blender. Pop it in your fridge and enjoy it for up to 2 weeks!

Yes, basil aioli tastes heavenly, with its rich and creamy texture and bright, herbaceous flavors. But it’s particularly amazing because it can be used practically everywhere. Spread it on a burger or in a sandwich, drizzle some over potato salad, use it as a dipping sauce with crispy air fryer potatoes or veggies, enjoy it with baked chicken or grilled shrimp, and so much more! It’s the sauce that keeps on giving.

overhead view of lemon basil aioli in a glass jar on a wood board.

Is aioli just garlic mayonnaise?

No – it’s so much more! All aioli recipes feature oil and garlic in one way or another. The traditional version (from the Mediterranean) was made by mashing garlic and oil together in a mortar and pestle. Nowadays, cheater’s aioli recipes with mayonnaise are more common (and more hands-off).

Mayonnaise is typically used as the base before fresh garlic is added. From there, flavor boosters are added to customize the aioli recipes. There are plenty to choose from, like fresh herbs, chili powder, pesto, paprika, chipotle peppers, lime juice, roasted red peppers, and so much more.

ingredients for lemon basil aioli on a white plate.

Ingredients and substitutions

This is a 4 ingredient aioli recipe, which means there’s nowhere to hide! Make sure you use high-quality ingredients to help the sauce taste its best.

Here’s what you need:

  • Mayonnaise – Take this recipe up a notch and use homemade mayonnaise instead of storebought. If you’d like it to taste extra rich, swap the regular mayo for Japanese mayonnaise (like kewpie mayo). Egg-free plant-based mayo also works if you want to make vegan aioli.
  • Fresh basil leaves – No substitutions here! It wouldn’t be a basil aioli recipe without this fresh herb.
  • Garlic cloves – Again, only fresh garlic cloves will do here. You can blend the whole cloves into the sauce or finely grate them using a microplane. Test the garlic flavor as you go; raw garlic has a strong and pungent flavor, which can quickly overwhelm the sauce if you use too much.
  • Lemon juice – Squeeze the lemons yourself for the freshest, most vibrant flavor.
3 images showing the process of blending lemon basil aioli in a tall measuring glass.

How to make basil aioli

I love using an immersion blender to quickly and easily emulsify homemade sauces. A regular blender or food processor works well too! If you don’t have a blender, finely chop the basil and grate the garlic first, then stir everything together by hand.

Regardless of the kitchen tools you have available to you, this recipe is a breeze to put together:

  1. Combine the ingredients: Add all of the aioli ingredients to a wide-mouthed mason jar.
  2. Blend to combine: Use a stick blender or immersion blender to blend the sauce until smooth.
  3. Store or serve: Add a lid on top of the jar and store it in the fridge for later, or serve the aioli right away.
close up on a glass jar half full of lemon basil aioli.

Serving suggestions

It’s hard not to love this sauce because of 1. How easy it is to put together, and 2. Its variety of uses. Seriously, you can use it practically anywhere!

  • It’s the best upgrade to regular mayo on BLAT sandwiches, caprese burgers, tea sandwiches, and banh mi sandwiches.
  • It’s a MUST on this prosciutto and mozzarella sandwich.
  • Turn it into a salad dressing by adding a teaspoon of white wine vinegar or extra lemon juice. 
  • Use it as a dipping sauce with french fries, air fryer artichokes, pizza, and vegetables.
  • Drizzle it on top of roasted vegetables and potatoes.
  • Serve some on the side of chicken, shrimp, or fish.
  • It’s a creamy sauce you can stir into potato salad, macaroni salad, boiled baby potatoes, and egg salad.

Storing

To store: The lemon aioli will last for up to 2 weeks when it’s stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

overhead view of lemon basil aioli in a glass jar on a wood board.

Want more homemade sauces and dressings? 

  • 5-Ingredient Tomato Vinaigrette
  • Romesco Sauce
  • Ranch Dressing
  • Homemade Caesar Dressing
  • Red Chimichurri Sauce

Did you try this Lemon Basil Aioli? Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below and giving this recipe a rating! Don’t forget to take a picture tag me on Instagram or use #lenaskitchenblog to be featured in my stories! I love seeing what you come up with!

Lemon Basil Aioli

4.5 from 12 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Total Time: 5 minutes mins
Servings: 4 oz
Author: Lena Gladstone
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
You’re going to love using this Lemon Basil Aioli on everything! It’s bright, creamy, herbaceous, and so easy to make. All you need are 4 ingredients!

Ingredients

  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves
  • 2-3 cloves garlic
  • 1 ½ tablespoon lemon juice, or more to taste

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients into a mason jar and blend with a stick blender or add to blender and blend well.
  • This will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Notes

Turn the aioli into a salad dressing by adding a teaspoon of white wine vinegar or extra lemon juice. This will elevate any of your sandwiches, fries, or salad. This would be delicious with fish or chicken or tossed with boiled baby potatoes for a potato salad or egg salad. Possibilities are endless.
Course: Condiment, Sauce
Cuisine: French, Mediterranean
Keyword: aioli, condiment, dip, dipping, dressing, sauce, sides

Nutrition

Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 179mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 652IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 0.5mg
10.6K shares

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Reader Interactions

4.50 from 12 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Reviews
Questions

Comments

  1. Christie

    at

    5 stars
    I made this today because I have three Basil bushes going crazy right now. This was really delicious! I blanched my Basil first, then shocked in ice water. I thought that might help my immersion blender along plus keep the color.
    Thank you for the inspiration.

    Reply
    • lena gladstone

      at

      So happy you tried it. I personally just pop in the leaves and don’t blanch them, but glad it worked out for you and you enjoyed it. Love having a batch in the fridge to enjoy with meat, veggies, on sandwiches… you know what it would be good in, egg salad and a chicken salad.

  2. Sharon K

    at

    I have an abundance of basil this summer. I was wondering if the Lemon Basil Aioli could be frozen in small batches to be used over the next three months. Thank you in advance.

    Reply
    • lena gladstone

      at

      No, aioli should not be frozen because the mayonnaise in it will break and become unpalatable when defrosted. But you can preserve the basil in oil and use it later to add to an aioli or other dishes. Hope this helps.

  3. Grace

    at

    5 stars
    We LOVE the sauce and have made it several times! I saw the comment about using a nutribullet and the recipe going horribly wrong… we also use a nutribullet and it’s been great so far…

    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • lena

      at

      I’m so happy to hear that Grace, it’s one of my favorites to make year round to elevate sandwiches or fries.

  4. Christina

    at

    1 star
    Wow! What did I do wrong? Followed recipe exactly, and ended up with something that looked like a green shamrock shake. Flavor way off and all I can taste is basil. It’s Christmas Eve and cannot run to the store to re-purchase ingredients. Blended in a Nutribullet. Was that my mistake?was able to correct with more Mayo Lemon zest pepper and salt and lots of garlic.

    Reply
  5. Toni

    at

    5 stars
    awesome!

    Reply
  6. Inna

    at

    Hello, this sounds so amazing but I can’t find basil anywhere 😔 is there anything I could substitute for basil? Thank you!

    Reply
    • lena

      at

      hi Inna, it’s a really yummy recipe for sure. You should be able to find basil year-round at most grocery stores, I get mine at Trader Joes all the time.

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Welcome, glad you’re here!

Hi, I’m Lena Gladstone, the recipe developer and food photographer behind Lena’s Kitchen. Here you will find approachable food recipes to share with the whole family. Keto friendly, weeknight dinners all made with fresh ingredients. Click here to learn more!

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