Easy Horseradish Aioli

This cheater’s version of homemade horseradish aioli couldn’t be easier! Starting with mayonnaise as a base, this flavorful spread made with simple, convenient ingredients has a wide variety of uses.

I can’t say I’ve ever put plain mayonnaise on a sandwich, but flavored mayonnaises and aioli? Can’t get enough.

This horseradish aioli is an integral part of my favorite leftover steak sandwich, which is the absolute only thing I make when we find ourselves with leftover steak.

Now a disclaimer: This is not a real deal aioli as I’m taking a large shortcut and using mayonnaise as a base instead of blending eggs and all that. But what it may lack in authenticity it makes up in being a flavorful and just-zippy-enough, done-in-five-minutes kind of recipe. And we all need more of those, right?

Reasons to Love This Recipe

• This recipe tempers the bite we know and love from horseradish with a creamy aioli sauce to provide a present, bold flavor without too much spice.
• Instead of blending raw eggs, this shortcut horseradish aioli begins with mayonnaise, simplifying the process and bypassing food safety concerns.
• This dip/spread/sauce has so many uses, from a sandwich spread, to an accompaniment for meat (especially steak), fish, or vegetables, or a personal favorite: french fry dipping sauce.

Recipe Ingredients

• Mayonnaise: Use your preferred variety of mayo here, but I am partial to the “lite” style. Provided the consistency is similar to that of traditional mayonnaise, vegan-style mayos will likely work here (though I don’t have experience with them myself).
• Horseradish: Either prepared or cream-style horseradish works here, though you’ll want to use differing amounts. Because this is an easy, cheater’s version of horseradish aioli I kept it simple with convenience horseradish options over using fresh horseradish.
• Lemon juice: As this horseradish aioli is not anything that’s cooked and has few ingredients, using the best quality of ingredients is recommended for flavor. Freshly-squeezed lemon juice is preferred over the bottled version.
• Garlic: Same goes for the garlic: freshly-pressed has a stronger, brighter flavor than the jarred refrigerated varieties.
• Salt and pepper: Season to your tastes.

Easy Instructions

1. Add all easy aioli ingredients to a small bowl.
2. Whisk well to combine evenly. While it’s ready to use right away, refrigerating it for several hours (or until needed) is even better as it helps it thicken up a bit more and allows the flavors time to meld.

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Recipe Tips

• Either cream-style horseradish or prepared horseradish can be used for horseradish aioli, but you’ll want to use differing amounts. Use a smaller quantity of prepared horseradish as it has a stronger bite than cream-style. I’d recommend a rough conversion of one to one-and-a-half teaspoons of prepared horseradish to one tablespoon of cream-style to start, adding additional as you see fit.

• If you’re not a huge fan of spicy-type foods that can make your eyes water and sinuses burn in larger quantities, I recommend starting with a smaller amount of horseradish, stirring everything together, then adding more to taste. As written, the quantities listed in the recipe card will provide a pleasant flavor without an overwhelming bite, but everyone has different palates and may wish to start smaller.

• Serving suggestions: This makes a great spread for a steak sandwich or a steak-based quesadilla and a dipping sauce for french fries/potato wedges, grilled asparagus, and other vegetables, side sauce for steak and fish. Think about using it in place of plain mayonnaise for a little zip in flavor – no more boring turkey sandwiches!

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