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Homemade Mayonnaise, No Machines Required

Homemade Mayonnaise is better than the stuff in a jar in every single way, it needs 5 ingredients which you probably already have and NO tech!

Making this mayo without a blender takes 10-15 minutes and it is incredibly easy, all you need is a bit of elbow grease.

Close up thick and creamy golden mayonnaise on a spoon showing texture.

The Best Mayonnaise

The internet is alive with folk arguing about the best “brand” of mayonnaise… They are all wrong, sure a jar of mayo will do in a push but NOTHING beats homemade mayo!

But you need, 74 obscure ingredients right? Erm nope! You need 5 ingredients, all of which are probably in your cupboard.

And the tools you need expensive tools right? Erm… You need a heavy bowl, a cloth and a whisk.

And time, it takes forever right? 10 minutes, that is it, and that includes resting time when your arms are tired!

This recipe is pretty much the late great Michel Roux’s classic mayo recipe.

Any dude that held Michelin stars for longer than I have been walking is alright by me!

Although he prefers vinegar in his mayo, I lean much towards lemon juice.

Close up peri peri chicken burger served with red onion and smoked cheese.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do if my mayonnaise splits?

If you do this often enough your mayo will split. It happens, it’s usually as a result of adding the oil too quickly!

Do not panic. Stop… Hammertime! Sorry, not sorry. Weigh out the ingredients for a second batch and start again in a clean bowl.

When you have got half of the oil into your new batch start adding the split mayo a teaspoon at a time.

It will come back together. You will end up with a double batch of mayo, but on the plus side, extra mayonnaise!

Can I make this in a blender?

Yes, I have added instructions further down in the recipe. The reason that I usually make mayonnaise without a blender is because it produces a smaller batch.

If you are using a blender then you will almost certainly need to make a double or maybe even a triple batch.

How long will homemade mayo last in the fridge?

Homemade mayonnaise will last for up to 5 days in a jar in the fridge.

Why is your mayo yellow/golden?

I always make mayonnaise with the yolk only, as far as I am concerned it produces a richer-tasting and altogether better mayo.

Couple that with the use of rapeseed or canola oil, which are the same thing, and you end up with a beautifully coloured mayo.

A QUICK NOTE!

Mayonnaise works much better if your egg is at room temperature, which is not a problem for us Europeans, but if you are in the States you need to plan ahead.

Tuna pasta salad with peas, corn and red onion.

Serving Suggestions

What on earth can you do with some gloriously thick and delicious homemade mayo… I could make this section go on forever, but I will try and keep it short and sweet.

Flavouring mayo is where it is at, the most famous is aioli, which is essentially mayo with a boatload of garlic.

You can turn it up to 11 by making roasted garlic aioli, it’s perfect for dipping your air fryer chips into!

A couple of honourable mentions go to this saffron garlic mayonnaise and this ketchup mayo sauce.

I’ve also got a peri peri chicken burger (pictured further up the page) with peri peri mayo, a Korean fried chicken burger with a gochujang mayonnaise (pictured below) and also a wonderful fish burger with sriracha mayonnaise.

Or you could make yourself the bestest egg, mayo and cress sandwich that you’ve ever eaten or a killer tuna pasta salad (pictured above)!

Korean-influenced crispy fried chicken burger with gochujang mayo and kimchi.

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

  • Mixing bowl, the heavier the better to prevent it from moving around on your work surface.
  • Whisk.
  • Measuring jug or cups and spoons.
Creamy golden homemade mayonnaise made without a blender.
Yield: 200ml

Homemade Mayonnaise Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

When you absolutely positively must have the very best mayonnaise then you need homemade. It needs 5 ingredients and takes just 10 minutes and you need no toys!

Ingredients

  • 1 Large Egg Yolk (at Room Temperature)
  • ½ Tbsp Dijon Mustard
  • 125ml (½ Cup) Rapeseed or Canola oil
  • Lemon Juice or Vinegar to taste
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

By Hand

  1. Place the egg yolk and mustard into a heavy glass bowl and whisk until completely combined.
  2. Add half a teaspoon of oil and whisk until completely emulsified.
  3. Add a teaspoon of oil and whisk again until your mix is completely emulsified.
  4. Repeat this process until all of the oil is added and you have a thick mayo.
  5. After the for 5 or 6 teaspoons you can add more oil at a time.
  6. When you have a rich creamy mayo, add in the lemon juice or vinegar and salt then whisk again to bring everything together.

In a Food Processor *YOU WILL NEED TO DOUBLE THE RECIPE*

  1. Add the mustard and egg yolk into the bowl of your food processor and blend until it comes together.
  2. Now slowly begin pouring in your oil with the food processor running, you can speed up the flow of oil as your mayonnaise begins to get some structure.
  3. When you have a rich creamy mayo, add in the lemon juice or vinegar and salt then blend once more to bring together and job done.

Notes

Calorific value refers to the whole recipe

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

1

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1156Total Fat: 125gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 112gCholesterol: 370mgSodium: 864mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 9g

Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.

Did you make this recipe?

If you made this recipe, I'd love to see what you did and what I can do better, share a picture with me on Instagram and tag me @krumplibrian and tell me how it went!

rachel

Sunday 15th of October 2023

HI everyone! the recipe was great. amazing mayo! my family loved it and we ate almost all of it. only one small typo that I saw... you accidently (hopefully it was an accident) wrote "rapeseed" instead of what I presume was supposed to be "grapeseed" when talking about oil types in the ingredients list...

Brian Jones

Monday 23rd of October 2023

Glad you enjoyed the mayo, there is no typo in the recipe though. Rapeseed oil is ancient and the name comes from the Latin word Rapum which is linked to the plants "roots" (see what I did there) in the turnip family, but it predates the the name "canola" which it is known as in the US and Canada, interestingly the name canola was originally a trademark name of the Canadian rapeseed oil company.

Brian Jones

Sunday 5th of June 2016

Yeah the joys of one handed work trying to put a face on to camera... It was fun to make, I don't own a blender or processor so it is all hard work for me ;)

Meaghan | Cook. Craft. Love.

Wednesday 18th of May 2016

Why have I never made my own mayo before? I dislike the store bought stuff but this might be right up my alley!

Brian Jones

Sunday 5th of June 2016

I always forego shop bought mayo but love the homemade stuff, the fact that you can tailor the flavours to your own likes makes it so much better.

Mary (The Godmother @ Goodie Godmother)

Monday 16th of May 2016

I like to add a clove or two of garlic to mine too. I've only used yellow mustard though, so definitely planning to use the whole grain dijon I have in the refrigerator instead with the next batch. :)

Brian Jones

Sunday 5th of June 2016

I do on occasion add garlic, the beauty of homemade mayo is that you can add any flavours you like and it will be awesome!

Hillary Reeves

Friday 13th of May 2016

Oh, this is dangerous for me, Brian! I'm a mayonnaise maniac. Could eat it out of the jar with a spoon & have! This looks soooo yummy.

Brian Jones

Sunday 5th of June 2016

Hehe, you sound like my wife who I caught eating this with a spoon :o

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