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Lemon Garlic Aioli

Lemon Garlic Aioli

Silky lemon garlic aioli made from scratch, with fresh lemon, garlic, and a good pour of extra virgin olive oil whisked into a glossy emulsion. It comes together in 10 minutes and makes everything it touches, from fries to fish to sandwiches, taste better.

By Olivea Kitchen | Published June 12, 2026

Jump to Recipe
Prep 10 min
Cook 0 min
Total 10 min
Easy

Why We Love This Recipe

Aioli is one of those sauces that turns olive oil into the main event. Made the traditional way it is mostly Olivea extra virgin olive oil whisked into something glossy and rich, so a good bottle of oil does the heavy lifting, both for flavor and for the monounsaturated fats and polyphenols it carries, including hydroxytyrosol.

Because this aioli is never cooked, the oil goes in cold and stays that way, so its character comes through in every spoonful. Fresh lemon adds brightness and a hit of vitamin C, and raw garlic brings its own punch along with its well-studied benefits.

A little goes a long way, which makes aioli an easy way to fold more extra virgin olive oil into everyday meals, from a smear on a sandwich to a dip for warm bread.

View Nutrition Facts

Recipe Success Tips

Bring the egg and lemon to room temperature.

A cold yolk and cold oil fight the emulsion and are the most common reason aioli will not thicken. Let the egg and lemon sit out for 20 minutes first. Everything comes together faster and holds better when the temperatures match.

Add the oil drop by drop at the start.

The emulsion is built in the first minute, when the oil has to be coaxed into the yolk a few drops at a time. Rush it here and the sauce stays thin and greasy. Once it looks thick and glossy you can relax into a slow, steady stream.

Grate the garlic to a paste.

Big bits of raw garlic make sharp, uneven bites. A microplane turns the cloves into a smooth paste that disappears into the sauce and seasons every spoonful evenly. Start with two cloves; you can always whisk in more at the end.

Use a fresh olive oil and whisk by hand.

The oil is most of the sauce and it is never heated, so its flavor defines the aioli. A fresh, fruity extra virgin olive oil like Olivea gives it real depth. Whisking by hand keeps the texture silky and lets that flavor shine; if you prefer a milder sauce, use half extra virgin and half light olive oil.

Keep a little warm water nearby.

As the aioli thickens it can get stiff enough to stall your whisk. A few drops of warm water loosen it back to a pourable, glossy consistency so you can keep streaming in oil. It also lightens a sauce that turned out denser than you wanted.

Season at the very end.

Whisk in the salt and lemon zest after the emulsion is built, then taste. Aioli needs enough salt and acid to wake it up, and the right amount depends on your oil and your lemon. Adjust until it tastes bright and savory rather than just rich.

Ingredients

8
servings
  • 3/4 cup Olivea Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated to a paste
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 tbsp warm water, as needed

Kitchen Tools You'll Need

Mixing Bowl
Whisk
Microplane
Citrus Juicer
Measuring Spoons

How to Cook Lemon Garlic Aioli

PREP

1
Bring the egg yolks and lemon to room temperature. Grate the garlic to a smooth paste on a microplane, then zest and juice the lemon.
2
Set a medium bowl on a damp kitchen towel so it does not slide. Whisk together the egg yolks, garlic paste, Dijon, lemon juice, and a pinch of the salt until smooth and slightly lightened in color.

EMULSIFY

3
Begin adding the Olivea extra virgin olive oil a few drops at a time, whisking constantly, until the mixture turns thick and glossy. This first minute is where the emulsion forms, so go slow.
4
Once it has thickened, add the rest of the oil in a thin, steady stream, whisking the whole time. If it gets too stiff to whisk, loosen it with a few drops of warm water and keep going.

FINISH

5
Whisk in the lemon zest and the remaining salt. Taste and adjust with more lemon or salt until the aioli is bright and savory. Cover and chill for 20 minutes to let the flavors settle, then serve.

Recipe Notes

Lemon garlic aioli is built for dipping and spreading. Use it on crispy fries and roasted potatoes, fold it into a chicken or tuna sandwich, spread it thick on warm sourdough focaccia, or spoon it over grilled fish, shrimp, or lemon chicken. It also turns roasted asparagus, artichokes, and crab cakes into something special.
Roast the garlic first for a mellow, sweet version, or stir in a spoonful of chipotle, harissa, or chopped fresh herbs. Swap the lemon for lime, or steep a pinch of saffron in the warm water for a classic Provencal touch.
Once you have a good bottle of olive oil open, it is worth keeping a few cold sauces in rotation. A bright lemon vinaigrette and a bold chimichurri rojo both start the same way: great extra virgin olive oil, raw and uncooked, doing most of the work.
If the aioli separates and looks greasy, it has broken, usually from adding the oil too fast. Do not toss it. Whisk a fresh yolk with a teaspoon of warm water in a clean bowl, then slowly whisk the broken sauce back in drop by drop and it will come back together.
Because this aioli uses raw egg yolk, use the freshest eggs you can find, or pasteurized eggs if you prefer. Store it in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Do not freeze it, since the emulsion will separate as it thaws.

Nutrition Facts per Serving

Nutrition Facts
Serving size 2 tablespoons
Calories 190
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g27%
Saturated Fat 3g15%
Trans Fat 0g
Unsaturated Fat 18g
Monounsaturated Fat 15g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.5g
Cholesterol 50mg17%
Sodium 160mg7%
Total Carbohydrate 1g0%
Dietary Fiber 0g0%
Total Sugars 0g
Includes 0g Added Sugars 0%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 35mcg4%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Vitamin D 0.2mcg1%
Calcium 6mg0%
Iron 0.3mg2%
Potassium 15mg0%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

The Best No-Cook Way to Get Olive Oil Benefits

Aioli is proof that the simplest way to enjoy olive oil is cold and uncooked, where all of its polyphenols come along for the ride. For an easy daily dose without whisking anything, the Olivea Hydroxytyrosol Supplement delivers concentrated olive polyphenols in a single capsule, a steady way to get those benefits even on no-aioli days.

Olivea Hydroxytyrosol Supplement
Olivea Hydroxytyrosol Supplement
$40.00
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Frequently Asked Questions

Aioli is a Mediterranean sauce traditionally made by emulsifying garlic with olive oil. Most modern versions, including this one, add an egg yolk and lemon to make it silky and stable. The word itself comes from the Provencal for garlic and oil.
Both are emulsified sauces, but aioli is built on garlic and extra virgin olive oil, which give it a bold, savory flavor. Mayonnaise uses neutral oil and no garlic, so it is milder and more of a blank canvas. Aioli is essentially mayonnaise with attitude.
Whisk egg yolks with grated garlic, Dijon, and lemon juice, then add extra virgin olive oil a few drops at a time until it thickens into an emulsion. Stream in the rest of the oil while whisking, season with lemon zest and salt, and chill briefly before serving.
Yes. For a quick version, stir grated garlic, lemon juice and zest, and a few tablespoons of Olivea extra virgin olive oil into a cup of good mayonnaise. You can also use pasteurized eggs if you want the from-scratch texture without raw egg.
The oil is most of the sauce and is never heated, so its flavor and its polyphenols carry straight through. A fresh oil like Olivea gives the aioli real depth and a peppery finish. Whisk by hand for the silkiest texture, or use half light olive oil if you prefer a milder result.
A broken aioli usually means the oil went in too fast. Whisk a fresh egg yolk with a teaspoon of warm water in a clean bowl, then slowly whisk the broken sauce into it drop by drop. It will come back together into a smooth emulsion.
Store it in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Because it contains raw egg, do not leave it at room temperature for long, and do not freeze it, since the emulsion separates when thawed.
It is fantastic with fries, roasted potatoes, grilled fish and shrimp, crab cakes, roasted vegetables, and artichokes. It also makes an excellent sandwich and burger spread, or a dip for warm crusty bread.
Yes. An immersion blender is close to foolproof: combine everything in a tall cup, then blend from the bottom up, lifting slowly as it emulsifies. Add the oil gradually so it has time to come together.
Homemade lemon aioli is naturally gluten-free, as long as your Dijon mustard is certified gluten-free. It is also vegetarian and dairy-free, though it does contain raw egg.

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