
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.
Recipe Success Tips
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
- 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
How to Cook Lemon Garlic Aioli
PREP
EMULSIFY
FINISH
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Facts per Serving
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.



