Spicy mayo is a sriracha-spiked homemade mayonnaise built from egg yolks, olive oil, lemon, and parsley. It takes 15 minutes and tastes nothing like the jarred stuff — the texture is richer and the heat is actually adjustable. If you need a quick burger sauce that works on almost anything, this is it.
Before you start
The one technique that makes or breaks this recipe is how slowly you add the olive oil. Emulsification only holds when the oil is introduced in a thin, steady stream — pour too fast and the mixture breaks into a greasy puddle that no amount of blending will fix. The other thing that matters is ingredient temperature: cold egg yolks straight from the fridge resist emulsifying, so give them the full 30-minute rest at room temperature before you turn on the blender. Both of these steps cost you nothing except a little patience, and skipping either one is the reason most first-time batches fail.
Ingredient notes
- Olive oil: Use a light or pure olive oil rather than extra-virgin. Extra-virgin has a strong, bitter flavor that becomes more pronounced as it emulsifies, and it can make the mayo taste sharp rather than creamy. A neutral-flavored light olive oil gives you a cleaner base.
- Sriracha: The recipe calls for 2 teaspoons, which gives a moderate heat. If you want more punch without adding more liquid, a small amount of cayenne stirred in at the end is a cleaner option than doubling the sriracha.
- Flat-leaf parsley: Curly parsley works in a pinch but has a slightly more bitter, grassy flavor. Flat-leaf is the better call here.
Common problems and fixes
- Mayo broke and looks oily and separated: Start fresh with one egg yolk at room temperature in a clean blender, then slowly drizzle the broken batch into it exactly as you would fresh oil. The new yolk re-emulsifies the broken mixture.
- Mayo is too thin after blending: The refrigeration step is doing real work here — don’t skip it. An hour in the fridge firms the emulsion significantly. If it’s still thin after chilling, your oil was likely added too quickly.
- Flavor tastes flat or bland: Add salt in small increments and blend briefly after each addition. A few extra drops of lemon juice also brightens the whole thing fast.
- Mayo has a bitter aftertaste: This is almost always the olive oil. Switch to a lighter variety next time. You can partially mask it now by adding a small pinch of sugar and blending to combine.
- Parsley turned the mayo an odd green-gray color after a day: This is oxidation from the fresh herb. It’s safe to eat but looks unappetizing — add the parsley only to the portion you plan to use that day and keep the rest plain.
Storage and reheating
Store the mayo in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use the expiration date printed on your egg carton as your cutoff — that’s the hard deadline regardless of how it looks or smells. In practice, a batch made with fresh eggs typically keeps well for up to two weeks. Write the date on the container so you’re not guessing later. This mayo does not freeze — the emulsion breaks on thawing and the texture becomes grainy and unrecoverable. There’s no reheating step; serve it cold or at room temperature straight from the fridge.
Spicy Mayo Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 medium egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 medium lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons parsley flat-leaf
- 2 teaspoons sriracha sauce
Instructions
- Separate egg yolks and add them to your blender along with the lemon juice. Let them sit for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to an hour. Room-temperature ingredients produce the best results.
- Once they've come to room temperature, add your salt and ¼ cup olive oil to the mix.
- Blend for 30 seconds until ingredients are combined and have begun to emulsify. Pour the remaining olive oil into a measuring cup with a pour spout. With the blender, slowly—and I mean slowly—start drizzling the remaining olive oil into the blender. This process usually takes between 3 to 4 minutes. The mixture will gradually thicken, and you should hear your blender motor change and slow down as it works harder as the mayo thickens.
- At this point, if you're making basic mayo, you're done. Transfer the contents of the blender into an air-tight plastic container or, my favourite, a mason jar. Refrigerate the mayo for an hour before using it. This allows the mayo to thicken and congeal a bit.
- If you want to fancy up your mayo a bit, add the lemon zest, parsley, and sriracha sauce and blend to combine. Taste and add more of the above ingredients to suit your palate and spice preferences, then refrigerate as mentioned above. The expiration date on the eggs you used is the expiration date for your mayo. Mel suggests you mark your container with the expiration date, but my mayo never lasts long enough for the date to matter!
Nutrition
FAQ
Can I use a hand whisk instead of a blender?
Yes, a whisk works fine and gives you more control over the emulsification. Whisk the yolks and lemon juice together first, then add the oil drop by drop to start, switching to a thin stream once the mixture begins to thicken — the process takes about 8 to 10 minutes by hand.
Can I use whole eggs instead of just yolks?
You can, but the result will be noticeably thinner and lighter in color. Yolks alone carry more lecithin, which is what holds the emulsion together and gives the mayo its thick, rich texture — skip the whites if you want the real thing.
Is it safe to eat mayo made with raw egg yolks?
The lemon juice lowers the pH of the mixture, which inhibits bacterial growth, but it does not eliminate the risk entirely — raw eggs carry a small salmonella risk. If you’re serving anyone immunocompromised, pregnant, elderly, or very young, use pasteurized eggs, which are widely available in most grocery stores.
More burger recipes to try
- Wendy’s Spicy Chicken Copycat
- Korean Fried Chicken Burger
- Spicy Jalapeño King Burger
- Ultimate Crispy Chicken Burger