Basil Garlic Aioli sauce made from scratch only takes a few minutes to make and the result is a flavorful dip or spread that packs a real raw garlic punch.
This basil garlic aioli recipes yields an aioli sauce that is perfect on sandwiches and burgers, but it also pairs deliciously well with fries!
BASIL GARLIC AIOLI
Pin it to your DIPS & SPREADS BOARD to SAVE it for later!
Follow Self Proclaimed Foodie on Pinterest for more great recipes!
Homemade Basil Garlic Aioli is a great way to use the basil from the garden, or from the store if you aren’t the best gardener. This is a perfectly easy recipe.
Whether you use it as a dip for your fries and tater tots (notice I said and instead of or because who could choose between the two?) or as a spread on a burger or a sandwich, you will love this garlic aioli recipe.
I don’t know why, but its really hard to find recipes for homemade aioli. I love to make flavored aioli for french fry dipping and burger spreading, but when I scour the interwebs for inspiration, most of the recipes tell you to mix stuff with mayonnaise. Why? Tell me why?
Making your own homemade version is lickity split plus you get the added satisfaction of getting to say that you made it from scratch. Otherwise, you’re just stirring something into mayonnaise (which is totally fine, mind you, but I like to pretend I’m an over achiever sometimes).
What is the best way to enjoy this basil garlic aioli?
The first time I made this aioli sauce recipe, we had friends over for dinner and I made caprese burgers.
Now, for the basil component of the burgers, I was left with a few options:
- just put fresh basil on the burgers in lieu of lettuce and call it a day
- whip up some basil pesto, or
- do right by our guests and whip up a homemade basil garlic aioli that will have them heading home with stinky raw garlic breath.
Yes.
Stinky garlic breath always wins.
How to make homemade basil garlic aioli:
I used my tried and true recipe for my chipotle aioli and simply removed the chipotle and small amount of sugar in the recipe and threw in a bunch of basil. BAM. Perfection.
You can make homemade aioli sauce in the blender or with an immersion blender. I’ve made it both ways and can tell you that, although both methods work, I much prefer the immersion blender.
The trick is to emulsify all ingredients except the oil first. That means fully blend them until they are fully mixed and thick. That’s why I prefer the immersion blender over the counter blender – it gives me more control. I like to hold the mixing end if the immersion blender down near the bottom until I can tell the mixture has emulsified. Only then do I pull it up gradually and add the oil.
It works either way, though.
Leftover aioli. Now what?
Here are some ideas of what you can do with any leftover basil garlic aioli:
- You can use garlic aioli as dressing for potato or tuna or chicken salad.
- Dip steamed artichoke leaves in aioli!
- Make potatoes aioli. It’s a potato salad with boiled potatoes, aioli, and fresh parsley… typical in Spain.
- Use basil aioli as a sauce on grilled fish or chicken, on grilled or steamed vegetables.
- If you want to get real fancy, you could make a traditional French aioli platter: Take a large tray/platter, and put a bowl of aioli in the center. Surround this with cooked & trimmed artichokes, poached cod, beef carpaccio, blanched snow peas and green beans, steamed new potatoes, cherry tomatoes, hardboiled eggs, sliced red bell pepper, sliced zucchini…really, whatever vegetables appeal to you. You can leave out the meat and fish entirely, or do shrimp instead. Sprinkle the whole platter with chopped parsley and capers, and enjoy!
- Basically, anything your average store bought mayo is used for can be replaced with flavorful homemade aioli.
Kitchen tools used to make Basil Garlic Aioli:
Food Processor – I have a big one. Sure it’s heavy and can sometimes be a pain to clean depending on the recipe, but it does the job and it does it well.
Garlic Press – Having a good garlic press can make all the difference. I use this one because it’s not only easy to squeeze, but it’s easy to clean. Both are equally important, in my opinion.
Flexible Measuring Cups – My sister and I first found these at a cooking class and we thought they were just the best invention. Any time you are measuring and/or pouring liquid, these are simply the best to have on hand. They make a great gift for your favorite cook, too!
Citrus Squeezer: These are the best ways to quickly get all of the juice out of a lemon, lime or orange without the seeds!
Watch the recipe video below for step-by-step instructions on how to make four different kinds of homemade aioli!
Basil Pesto Aioli
RECIPE VIDEO
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons fresh basil about one large handful of leaves
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced (about 2-3 large cloves)
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- Place basil, garlic, yolks, lemon juice, and salt in food processor. Pulse to combine.
- Turn processor on and slowly pour in olive oil mixed with the vegetable oil. Process until aioli forms, about a minute. Turn processor off, scrap sides, process again until combined.
- Serve immediately or store in air tight container in refrigerator until ready to use. Makes approximately one cup.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally created in 2015 and has been updated with more fun facts and tidbits for your reading pleasure.
Veronica @ Big Blue House
July 2, 2015 at 6:08 pmOh yummy! I’ve got a whole bunch of basil in the garden that’s just waiting to be turned into this!!
Sarah
July 23, 2015 at 8:05 pmThis sounds great! However, I don’t see egg yolk in the ingredient list but they are mentioned in the instructions. How many egg yolks did you use? Thanks!
Sarah
July 23, 2015 at 8:06 pmNevermind! I see them now!
Sue
September 25, 2015 at 9:13 amHow long will this keep in the frig? I assume it cannot be frozen?
Krissy
September 25, 2015 at 2:56 pmHi Sue, I haven’t tried freezing aioli before. I would think it would last 4-7 days in the frig? Not sure… we usually devour it the day I make it. We’re big fry dippers in our house! – Krissy
Belle
November 28, 2015 at 7:02 pmcan I substitute another ingredient for the egg yolk?
Krissy
December 3, 2015 at 4:36 amHi Belle, I know of no other way to make aioli than with egg yolk. Sorry. 🙁 Krissy
Carole
April 18, 2017 at 3:33 pmYou can. Do a google search. You’ll find a recipe.
Em
June 3, 2016 at 1:09 pmI’m going to make this tonight. Sounds amazing! And perfect for sweet potato fries. I’ll leave another review after I make it. Here’s the thing though…I have been looking online for over an hour, trying to find a way to replicate my favorite restaurant’s chipotle pesto peanut aioli sauce. I know it sounds like a weird combo but it’s honestly the tastiest thing ever. So I’m going to try to combine your chipotle aioli recipe with this one…and maybe add some peanut butter? I’m nervous…we’ll see what happens. That said…if you feel like giving it a shot sometime and come up with a yummy result, I would be FOREVER GRATEFUL!!!
Krissy
June 5, 2016 at 7:06 amIn my option, peanut butter makes everything better! If you happen to make it your way, please let me know how it turns out! Krissy
Carmen
June 24, 2016 at 6:17 pmHello! Can I use a regular blender instead of a food processor? I love home made mayo, but can not get it right. Any advise? I’m doing something wrong. Help!
Krissy
July 4, 2016 at 6:46 amHi Carmen, I have a Blendtec and love it, but have always used my food processor to make my aioli. I think if you got the speed setting right, a blender would do the trick. I just don’t know what that is. Krissy
Lauren Meinecke
July 2, 2016 at 5:17 amDue to health issues, I cannot use veg oil….is there any reason why all evoo wouldn’t work?
Krissy
July 4, 2016 at 6:37 amHi Lauren, EVOO would work, but the aioli might not be as thick. If you don’t mind a thinner aioli, then you’re good to go! -Krissy
Randal Doerner
June 4, 2018 at 3:16 pmAvocado oil.
Missy
July 15, 2016 at 9:20 amHow is the egg prepared for the aioli? Do you use the raw egg yolk?
Krissy
July 24, 2016 at 6:41 amYep! I hope that doesn’t gross you out because its WONDERFUL! Krissy
Terry
July 29, 2016 at 5:20 pmRecipe sounds yummy but ingesting something with raw egg makes me very nervous!
Krissy
August 7, 2016 at 7:42 amI hear ya! If it makes you feel any better, I’ve never gotten sick. 🙂 -Krissy
Lisa
March 21, 2017 at 11:19 amI got VERY ILL ingesting raw egg yolks!! Not worth it 🙁
Krissy
May 19, 2017 at 6:06 amOh no! I’ve always been told that the quality and freshness of the eggs make all the difference.
Guest
November 16, 2017 at 8:45 pmThe standard mayonnaise that you buy from the supermarket or get in deli sandwiches is made with raw egg yolks. All mayo is.
Abbie Rolf
November 30, 2017 at 11:05 amAn alternative would be to use pasteurized egg yolks from a carton instead of fresh.
Elizabeth Woolfolk
July 31, 2016 at 1:51 pmMine came out really thin…is that normal?
Krissy
August 7, 2016 at 7:41 amMine was pretty thin too. The thickest aioli I’ve ever made was my chipotle aioli – all the others were rather thin and best used as a spread or a dip. -Krissy
Melissa
September 18, 2016 at 1:51 pmI made this today with avocado oil instead of veggie oil, and it came out thick and perfect. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! It is delicious!
Krissy
September 20, 2016 at 5:36 pmAwesome! I’ll have to try that next time! -Krissy
Patti
September 22, 2016 at 10:09 amThe easiest best aioli recipe..finally found one! And it gets quite thick which I loved.
Tim
March 16, 2017 at 5:29 pmCan you somehow cook the egg yolks ?
Krissy
March 17, 2017 at 4:21 amI know this grosses a lot of people out, but essentially they’re not cooked. As long as you use good quality pasteurized eggs, you should be good to go.
Cami
April 7, 2017 at 6:03 pmI cant use olive oil: a family member is allergic. Is there a good substitute?
Krissy
May 19, 2017 at 5:53 amNot that I know of.
Katie
June 15, 2017 at 12:01 pmI’ve cut vegetable oil out of my diet. How would I substitute that?
Krissy
July 14, 2017 at 6:44 amavocado oil, perhaps?
Brooke
July 9, 2017 at 5:54 pmThis was very good! How long does it stay in the fridge for?
Krissy
July 14, 2017 at 6:27 amI would say at least a week.
Sarq
August 24, 2017 at 11:50 amI made this today and it’s super runny! Probably the consistency of water. What happened? Can I fix it?
Krissy
August 28, 2017 at 3:26 pmHi Sara, I replied to someone else and we figured they didn’t add enough basil. Could that be it?
Renee
September 2, 2017 at 6:49 pmOh my word– I came across this recipe when I was looking at your pulled pork recipe (brining right now). I just whipped it up & it is amazing!!
Darlis
December 11, 2017 at 4:53 pmI substituted the basil with parsley and it tastes great. Plus I only used olive oil, yum.
Ivette
December 24, 2017 at 2:27 pmTried this today and it turned out great. The only thing I would do differently would be to add only 1/4 tsp salt. Mine was way too salty.
Carrie
January 2, 2018 at 8:31 pmMade this today with homemade frys and wow it was amazing. Sooo good I couldn’t stop talking about it. thanks for the great recipe
Krissy
January 8, 2018 at 9:24 amGlad it turned out. Thank you!
Gayle Dunning
March 4, 2018 at 10:53 amI have about 1/4 cp of homemade basil pesto, do you think if I add egg yolks lemon juice and extra avacado oil it will be ok? I want to use for salmon burgers spread.
Thanks
Krissy
March 7, 2018 at 6:09 amI have no idea how thick it will be, but I think it will be a delicious spread!
patrick
April 11, 2018 at 11:19 amHELLO,
Aioli is not american cuisine like it is suggested and written in your blog. It is a traditional Mediterranean sauce found from Spain,Provencal France and the southern coast of Italy.
Thank you
Krissy
April 11, 2018 at 1:25 pmHi Patrick, I didn’t know that! The Mediterranean is on my bucket list of places to visit (and eat until I can’t eat anymore). Question for you… would it be wrong for me to consider my version as American since it’s not traditional?
Mallory
June 6, 2018 at 8:20 pmI made this exactly as shown. It’s insanely good. I put it on a turkey sandwich with sour dough and arugula. AMAZING.
Krissy
June 7, 2018 at 6:42 amSo glad you liked it!!!
Pam
July 8, 2018 at 12:26 pmOh.my.goodness! Thick, creamy, pure heaven! Put it on a turkey sandwich on sourdough with fresh tomato and it was to die for!
Tina
September 2, 2018 at 8:20 pmCan this be canned?
Krissy
September 3, 2018 at 11:21 amI’ve never canned aioli so I have no idea. Sorry!
Rachael Yerkes
September 17, 2018 at 2:28 pmThis tastes so stinking good! I want to dip everything in it
Kim - Today's Creative Life
September 17, 2018 at 5:04 pmI just introduced Ranch with Fries to my 87 MIL, I bet she’s really love this too!
Michael Wurm Jr.
September 17, 2018 at 5:05 pmAioli is my FAVORITE!! I’ve never had this flavor combination. It was SO delicious! Thank you!!
xo Michael
Stef
September 17, 2018 at 7:51 pmI love the idea of using this with potatoes. I have a ton of potatoes in the house right now and totally want to try this with the basil in our garden. You made me hungry!!
Julie
September 17, 2018 at 8:15 pmI love aiolis on anything and everything and can’t wait to try this one!
Allison
September 24, 2018 at 9:34 amOh my gosh – this looks AMAZING! I could eat it with a spoon. Ha!
Tayler Ross
September 24, 2018 at 9:45 amI want to dip allllll the things in this aioli! It looks so good!