Go Back

3-Minute Calabrian Chili Pepper Aioli (Calabrian Chili Mayo)

Calabrian chili pepper aioli dripping from a spoon into a white sauce bowl.
This fiery Calabrian chili aioli is THE sauce you need to elevate your meals. Imagine, creamy mayo + spicy Calabrian chili + aromatic garlic = YUMS!
Jem @ The Fruity Jem
Cook Time 3 minutes
Total Time 3 minutes
Serving Size 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 garlic clove very finely minced, or sub with 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ cup mayo both plant-based and regular mayo works; you can also make your own oil-free mayo at home using my recipe (see notes below)
  • 2 teaspoon chopped Calabrian chili peppers in oil more to taste (plus see notes below for other Calabrian chili options)
  • 2 tsp lemon juice

Instructions

  • Peel and finely mince your garlic clove. You can also use a fine grater or microplane, but be sure that they're chopped up really small so the flavors meld nicely!
  • Mix all the ingredients until you get a uniform consistency. The oil might not be fully mixed in (you can still see small specks of oil, like in the pictures), but this is completely alright!
  • Do a taste test to see if you've had enough chili, or if you would like more. If using whole Calabrian chiles and you removed the seeds, you might need 1-2 Tablespoons in total, depending on the brand.
  • Serve as a dipping sauce, use as a spread, and enjoy!

Notes

Ingredients Notes
  • Mayonnaise: you can also use this healthy version of No-Oil Mayonnaise (from either cashews or silken tofu) as the base
  • Calabrian chili: I used the chopped Calabrian chili in oil from a jar (picture provided in the blog post above under the "Ingredients" section).
    • If you can't find them, buy a jar of whole Calabrian chile and chop them up finely. You might want to deseed them to remove excess spiciness.
    • Do NOT use Calabrian chili flakes for this recipe since the flavor will not meld into the aioli.
Tips
  • The spiciness of your chili varies a lot by brand, ripeness of the chili when picked, whether the seeds are included in the mixture, and many other factors. So always start low, taste test, then possibly add more to adjust for the spiciness level!
  • Let it sit in the fridge for at least 5-10 minutes before serving, if you have that extra time. This allows the flavors to meld together beautifully.
  • Feel free to add your favorite herb like parsley, oregano, or basil to jazz this Calabrian mayo up! Adding 1 teaspoon should do the trick!