30-Second Mayonnaise is the perfect storm of recipes. Just 2 ingredients, 30 seconds, and you have one of the great sauces in culinary history
Just think about it—the freshest, creamiest, purest mayonnaise possible, in 30 seconds. That’s way less time than it takes to grab a jar at the supermarket and wait on the checkout line.
I’ve made mayo from scratch before, the old fashioned way, standing by the food processor for many minutes sloooooowly drizzling the oil according to the classic method for making mayo. Actually French chefs use a whisk, which is even more laborious. My arm literally ached the next morning. If you’ve made your own mayonnaise the old fashioned way and loved it, you owe it to yourself to try this.
There are lots of youtube videos demonstrating how to make this, but they are all a little different, and I went through several attempts at this before figuring it out. From my experience, it’s the egg being at room temperature that makes the difference. I made it several times, with safflower oil, and then pure olive oil. You can also make it with virgin olive oil, but it will be richer, more yellow, and have a stronger taste. That can be a p;us in some recipes. You can flavor your mayonnaise with a little lemon juice and mustard, and salt, but it isn’t necessary.
Yes you need an immersion blender to make this, but you should have one anyway, they aren’t expensive and there’s a lot you can do with them from pureeing soups right in the pot to making smoothies. I have to say this was the most fun I’ve had in the kitchen in a long time.
Ingredients
- 1 whole egg (use pasteurized for safety) at room temperature
- 1 cup mild oil, like safflower, canola, or pure olive oil
- 1 mason jar or other jar that is just wide enough to fit your immersion blender (I used a Kerr Wide Mouth Pint Jar)
Instructions
- Make sure your egg and oil are at room temperature, this is important. Put your egg and oil in the bottom of a glass jar that fits your immersion blender. Ideally, it should be a close fit.
- Put the immersion blender down into the cup and rest it at the bottom. Turn it on and blend, keeping it at the bottom until you start to see the mayo thicken. Then gently raise the blender head to blend the rest of the mayo. Stop the machine when you see that the entire jar has thickened. Don’t over-blend or the mayo will 'break'. Note: If you see that the mixture turns creamy before you have raised the blender, you can stop.
- Give it a stir and then cap the jar and store in the fridge. Eat it up within the week.
Notes:
- The size of your jar matters, if it is too big, you won’t get an emulsion. Use a jar that just fits the ingredients and your immersion blender.
- If you have trouble getting the mayo to thicken, add another egg.
- If you want to flavor your mayo, you can add the juice of half a lemon and a teaspoon of mustard. That’s the classic seasoning, but of course you can do anything you want, it’s your mayonnaise ;)
Pasteurized eggs are safe to use raw because they have been heated just enough to kill bacteria, but not enough to cook the eggs. Try to find them at your local store, but if you can’t, you can easily pasteurize your own eggs at home, directions HERE.
I’m already planning to make a simple old fashioned macaroni salad with my fresh mayonnaise. What will you make with yours?
I bet you'll love these too!
Minimal Monday: Hearts of Lettuce with Thousand Island Dressing (and homemade mayo!)
Minimal Monday: Homemade Ketchup!
Minimal Monday: Caribbean Habanero Hot Sauce
Shrimp Salad with Grapefruit Mayonnaise
How to Make Homemade Old Fashioned Relish
Minimal Monday: Blood Orange Vinegar
Minimal Monday: Authentic Caesar Dressing in 30 Seconds
Minimal Monday: A Trio of Finishing Salts
82 Comments
Paula Dannels
May 29, 2017 at 9:21 amWOW! I never thought of using my wand mixer. I added a scant THE of lime juice and a squirt of yellow French’s mustard to my “regular” mayonnaise. This is as I super easy!
Sue
May 29, 2017 at 9:42 amThanks Paula, this is one of my favorite recipes, and I’ve varied it in tons of ways ~ I bet you’ll find lots of uses for the technique, too :)
Joh
March 6, 2017 at 6:51 amok, I’ve been making mayonnaise like this for several years. It is a great method.
Some tips:
1 – like the recipe says, room temperature for everything. You can put the egg in hot water from the tap for about five minutes to accomplish this.
2 – the size of the jar is critical. If it’s too big, the oil in the egg will not come in proper contact and the emotion won’t happen. The 1 pint Mason jar is the perfect size, and has the added benefit of being a storage container when you’re done.
3 – This does form mayonnaise, but it does taste pretty boring. Conditional mayonnaise has some acidity to counteract all the oil, so a little lemon juice, wait for Sherry vinegar, and Dijon mustard would all help give it a little snap. With some salt also.
4 – bonus addition – a can of chipotle en adobo peppers.
Sue
March 6, 2017 at 6:56 amLove all this feedback, thanks! I really like the idea of adding chipotle, I may do that in a post all by itself!
Joan Howard
April 10, 2017 at 6:32 pmLong ago I found, in an antique store, a Wesson Oil ‘mayonnaise maker’…a straight-sided quart size jar with a metal lid and a heavy mesh plunger that went through the lid into the jar. On the jar was the recipe — ‘An egg, 2 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar, teaspoon each mustard, salt, sugar dash of pepper. Beat in thoroughly as poured from can 1 pint Wesson Oil
I have used it occasionally ever since. Sometimes I even ‘use’ it only to refer to the ‘recipe’ while I measure my ingredients (but NO SUGAR…EVER) into my quart jar and blend with my ‘outboard’ or immersion blender. KitchenAid’s fits perfectly into wide mouth Mason jars but not into the narrow-mouth. The antique jar had a concave lid so the oil could well up in it and drizzle down onto the other ingredients as they mixed. This method is easier, even, than the Wesson Oil jar method, and I, too, always use light olive oil and lots of different additions…all lemon juice, all flavored vinegar….hmmm…that fabulous grapefruit vinaigrette you make? The possibilities, as they say, are endless, the results always delicious! Thanks!
Sue
April 10, 2017 at 7:43 pmLove this ~ wish I could see that ‘mayo maker’ Joan!
Donsld
February 20, 2017 at 8:56 amHas anyone tried making mayo in a Silver Bullit sized blender?
Maddy
January 13, 2017 at 7:44 pmI tried this recipe but it didn’t work
Sue
January 13, 2017 at 8:13 pmSorry Maddy, I’m here to answer questions if you have any!
Caroline @ Pinch Me, I'm Eating!
November 19, 2016 at 6:46 amI’ve always sworn by Hellman’s mayo but this looks so easy and amazing! I’ve never made my own mayonnaise but I think I’m going to have to give this a shot. I bet it’s awesome!
Sue
November 19, 2016 at 7:15 amIt really is, Caroline. And I think one of the best things about this is how many ways you can customize it.
Suze
October 17, 2016 at 7:59 pmMy first try with this recipe and it WORKED! Yay! And thank you!
I have a Breville immersion blender and it’s the bomb, BUT the darn thing is just a tiny bit too wide to fit in a wide Mason jar… So I made in a glass Pyrex 2-cup measure and it worked fine. Transferred to the Mason jar and it’s in the fridge. I used avocado oil, and put a tablespoon on lemon juice and teaspoon of yellow mustard. I am VERY pleased. All the commercial mayo in this area (Hellman’s, Blue Plate, Kraft and Duke) has soybean oil in it, even the one that has some olive oil. :( Now I can make my own!
Sue
October 17, 2016 at 8:20 pmI love the idea of using avocado oil, and you hit it right on the head about the commercial brands, they’re fine, but when you do it from scratch you can really get something special :) Thanks for taking the time to comment, Suze.
Diana
October 9, 2016 at 9:51 amSaw Mario Batali make mayo with this method once. Blew my mind. Then couldn’t find it again to learn exactly how he did it. THANK YOU!!
Sue
October 9, 2016 at 10:38 amIt’s really fun to do, Diana!
Marion
September 14, 2016 at 8:23 amMine didn’t work, one fresh egg from my chickens and a cup of oil. I beat for over three minutes and it is very runny. Help!!
Sue
September 14, 2016 at 8:59 amAdd an extra egg, Marion, it should thicken up instantly!
Mary Jo
May 4, 2016 at 11:57 amNO WAY!!!!! I couldn’t believe this worked! I’ve been making it the tedious way forever!!! Amazing and so easy! Needs seasoning, but that will be fun to play with.
Sue
May 4, 2016 at 1:00 pmYay Mary Jo! I felt the same way the first time I tried it :)
Mayo Lover
April 16, 2016 at 10:57 amI have made mayo in a blender and a food processor, and I am so going to try this. I absolutely loathe that store mayo generally contains soy. (Soy is not good for you, people, unless it is fermented.)
Question about speed used with the immersion blender. Mine has 2 speeds (fast & faster), and there are some with 5 speeds. Your method doesn’t define which speed to use. So, does it matter what speed one uses? Thanks for the recipe and answer.
Sue
April 16, 2016 at 12:11 pmGosh, mine only has one speed. My guess is that you would use the top speed. Let me know what happens!
Philippine
March 14, 2016 at 11:59 amThank You si Mush i can made my cols law salad (grâce à toi) sorry îm french…
You’r Mayo because verry famous in Paris now! I just add a Little lemmon Juce…
? philippine
Sue
August 26, 2016 at 12:09 pmThank you Philippine!!
Misty
March 13, 2016 at 8:37 pmI have my grandmother’s cast iron meat grinder. Every year after Thanksgiving and Christmas, I grind up the rest of the turkey and mix it with homemade mayonnaise. My niece and her daughter and I then have the best turkey sandwiches EVER!
Sue
March 13, 2016 at 8:53 pmNice! I have my mom’s old meat grinder, but I’ve never used it — you’ve inspired me :)
Karin
February 23, 2016 at 7:39 amThis recipe worked out great. I used sunflower oil. Lovely thick mayonaise. Thank you.
Sue
February 23, 2016 at 8:02 amI’m so glad you gave it a try and it worked for you Karin — isn’t it such fun??
Kimberly
January 29, 2016 at 10:47 pmI was so excited to try this recipe that I went out and purchased a KitchenAid 2 speed hand blender. It was on sale for $39. We had company over for dinner and I was telling them about your recipe and thought I would just go ahead and whip it up. I pulled an egg out of the refrigerator and put it in a cup of warm water for about 3 minutes. The recipe works like magic and created a creamy cup of mayonnaise. We all tried it and decided it was bland. I looked at the ingredients on my jar of best foods mayonnaise in the refrigerator and added several dashes of salt, a pinch of sugar, several drops of fresh lemon juice, and about an eighth teaspoon of white vinegar. The end result was really delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Tiffany
September 24, 2015 at 5:28 pmI know you said use within the week. If you don’t use it all in a week should you dump and start new or what?
Sue
September 24, 2015 at 5:55 pmIf it smells fine it can be used for more than a week, Tiffany.
Evey
May 19, 2015 at 8:30 amMine looked perfect until I tired to raise the hand blender slowly. The blender was suctioned to the bottom of the jar and as I tried to pull it up it came up quick and in a split second it was ruined :(
Sue
May 19, 2015 at 8:33 amHmm, It sounds like your blender did the job without needing to be raised up, I will amend the instruction to mention that, thanks, and I hope you give it another try.
M
April 28, 2015 at 10:01 amMind blown!! Seriously! I also have used the food processor, pour the oil VERY slowly in method in the past and this had changed my world! Thank you!!!
Sue
April 28, 2015 at 11:43 amThanks M — I agree that this is such a huge improvement over the old ‘drizzle so slowly your arm aches’ method ;)
Stacy
January 23, 2016 at 7:38 amM,
Do you pour the oil as soon as you start the processor or you can put them in it together and then start it? I want to use my processor too.
Sue
January 23, 2016 at 9:15 amStacy when you use a processor you need to drizzle the oil in VERY slowly while the processor is going, and after you have added the other ingredients.
30-Second Mayonnaise | Paleo Recipes & Ideas
April 14, 2015 at 2:06 pm[…] Get the Recipe: http://theviewfromgreatisland.com/2013/06/minimal-monday-30-second-mayonnaise.html […]
lulu's mama
March 3, 2015 at 4:53 pmI cannot believe how simple and delicious this is. I used lime (ran out of lemon) and brown mustard. So good. Trying lemon and dill next time. Thanks for the tips, the room temp egg and immersion blender make a huge difference, and you’re right, I already had everything I needed .
Sue
March 3, 2015 at 5:17 pmLime sounds right up my alley — I’m so glad you had success, it really is miraculous!
amy davis
February 7, 2015 at 5:03 pmTurned out perfect! Thanks for sharing this marvelous recipe, I’ll be making mayo more often now. :)
Sue
February 7, 2015 at 5:13 pmI’m so happy to hear it Amy — you have to try a flavored version next, like dill or lemon. Or chipotle. Or…the possibilities are endless :)
R. Gunn
January 19, 2015 at 12:51 amYou mentioned you would give directions for pasterizing eggs but I don’t see directions. Would love to know. thanks.
R.Gunn
Sue
January 19, 2015 at 7:42 amThat is a link in the post, it will take you to an article explaining the process, which is basically this—
To pasteurize large eggs, place them in a saucepan filled with water and fitted with a digital thermometer. Turn on the heat and bring the water up to 140F.
Keep the water temperature at 140F for 3 minutes (and no more than 142F), reducing the heat on the burner if necessary. Remove eggs from hot water and rinse thoroughly with cold water.
Store in the refrigerator until needed or use right away.
Jumbo sized eggs need to 5 minutes in 140F water.
(source: BakingBites.com)
Amber
January 5, 2015 at 11:43 amI love homemade mayo! I usually use a food processor but an immersion blender would be much easier. Thanks for this!
Sue
January 5, 2015 at 11:46 amI think the immersion blender works better, at least from my experience. I think it’s because all the blending is concentrated in the small space and the mayo just ‘blooms’ instantaneously! Enjoy Amber!
Barbara Von Aspern
January 3, 2015 at 8:46 pmI was wondering if you could use coconut oil? Has anyone tried that?
Sue
January 3, 2015 at 8:58 pmThat’s a great question, I’ll try it and let you know!
kea
May 20, 2015 at 6:28 pmTried it with a 50/50 with coconut oil. It’s great If you like coconut, can taste it(I’m so used to it I thought it was fine) but it becomes quite solid in fridge. Good for spreading, but not good for dipping my sweet potato fries!
Sue
May 21, 2015 at 4:04 amGreat to know, thanks Kea!
An IC Kitchen | the garlic whisperer
June 21, 2014 at 6:34 am[…] some cream, add some maple syrup, whir until thick. Boom. I’ve also seen a recipe for homemade mayo that is just oil, egg, and salt. Totally trying that. Mine is a cuisinart, and I just got the […]
vida
June 13, 2014 at 5:07 amDidn’t work…I guess there’s a reason why it takes all people and chefs, longer to make mayo
Sue
June 13, 2014 at 7:06 amI’m so sorry it didn’t work for you, Vida. I’ve made it many times with great success. It is dependent on everything being ‘just so’, though. Your oil and egg need to be at room temperature, for instance I hope you give it another try!
Dolly Madison
March 30, 2015 at 7:27 pmMine won’t thicken. I wonder if that’s because I used a quart jar instead of a pint.
Sue
March 30, 2015 at 7:29 pmI’ve made it so many times, I’m not sure what went wrong with yours, Dolly. You are using an immersion blender?
Dolly Madison
March 30, 2015 at 7:53 pmAhah! It was indeed the jar. Problem solved. Wonderful.
Sue
March 30, 2015 at 8:07 pmThanks for letting us know, Dolly :)
Mary S
February 22, 2014 at 7:25 pmIf this isn’t the bee’s knees!! Thank you, thank you!!
Brenda
February 22, 2014 at 2:25 pmI love this recipe! I have made my own mayo this way for years and I was amazed that a bit of lemon juice, salt, and dry mustard makes it taste like store bought mayo! In the past I have made it with curry, garlic, and (my personal favorite) dropped in one canned chipotle pepper! So many possibilities to try!
lea
August 28, 2013 at 8:47 amHi sue! Mine didn’t work…all was room temp….used farm eggs. I’ve blended now for 3 mins. No change. what coulda happened?
Foodiewife
August 25, 2013 at 3:06 pmI, once, tried to make my own mayo in a food processor but didn’t succeed. Aha! This looks so much easier. Of course I have an immersion blender. Love it! I can’t imagine using a jar of it within a week–unless I make my creamy coleslaw or ranch dressing. Love this!
Around the Interwebs | the garlic whisperer
August 24, 2013 at 7:21 am[…] enough. The hard part is finding the time. Along the same vein, this recipe for 2 ingredient homemade mayo is intriguing. Mayo, usually made with soy, is verbotten for […]
saeed ahmed thanvi
June 24, 2013 at 9:43 pmWorld’s Most Popular Cars, Hot Speed Cars, Hot Cars with Hot Girls, Cars Latest Pictures with all info, Latest updates Cars Models and Company Cars, Strange Vehicles, Concept Cars, Top 10 Expensive Cars in the World.
Visit this Link for More Strange Vehicles and Cars with Latest info and Pictures
WorldLatestVehicles.com
Trista Anodei
June 22, 2013 at 3:43 pmAbout what blending speed would you recommend– somewhere in the middle? Does it make a difference?
Pink Patisserie
June 21, 2013 at 2:34 pmThis is brilliant and fantastic! Homemade mayo is the best but I, like you got frustrated with fiddling with the processor and drizzling and etc, etc. Thank you for sharing this!
Magnolia Verandah
June 18, 2013 at 6:45 amOh my goodness how simple is that! I am off to make some potato salad.
Sue/the view from great island
June 18, 2013 at 3:16 pmI ran off to make macaroni salad, post coming tomorrow!
Savory Simple
June 18, 2013 at 11:31 amI was just making deviled eggs yesterday and thinking how much better they’d be with homemade mayo. There’s no excuse with your version!
Sue/the view from great island
June 18, 2013 at 3:14 pmI know, it’s crazy! I think I’m just going to be whipping up mayo every day for the next few weeks, it’s addictive!
RC1956
June 17, 2013 at 11:35 pmIs it possible to use a food processor. Haven’t got an immersion blender yet but want too
Sue/the view from great island
June 18, 2013 at 3:16 pmIt is possible, and I have a post about that here:
http://theviewfromthegreatisland.blogspot.com/2012/03/minimal-monday-hearts-of-lettuce-with.html
It just takes a little more time because you have to slowly drizzle in the oil as the machine runs. But it’s still worth it! Good luck!
Chris Scheuer
June 17, 2013 at 6:55 pmVery cool, I have to try it!
La Table De Nana
June 17, 2013 at 8:29 pmMe too!
Bourbon & Pearls
June 17, 2013 at 4:27 pmAmazing, thanks Sue!
Abbe@This is How I Cook
June 17, 2013 at 4:27 pmThis looks like so much fun. I’ve done the whisking thing but this sounds so much better. Thanks!
Sue/the view from great island
June 18, 2013 at 3:18 pmIt is so much fun because it’s instantaneous, and the creamy mayo just burbles (is that a word?) up in the jar, so cool.
Gerlinde in Dallas
June 17, 2013 at 4:15 pmWow, I had no idea it was possible to make mayonnaise this way. I can’t wait to give this a try!
Sue/the view from great island
June 18, 2013 at 3:19 pmYou’ll have a blast, just remember to have the egg and oil at room temp, and keep the blender at the bottom of the jar until you see the white mayo forming.
tumbleweed-contessa
June 17, 2013 at 4:12 pmGreat idea and pictures. Thanks! We’re having a party at Tumbleweed Contessa and I’d love it of you linked this to What’d You Do This Weekend?
http://www.tumbleweedcontessa.com/blog/whatd-you-do-this-weekend-20/
Love people. Cook them tasty food.
Linda @ Tumbleweed Contessa
Anonymous
June 17, 2013 at 3:24 pmWhen you flavor, do you add the lemon and salt before or after you blend?
Sue/the view from great island
June 18, 2013 at 3:20 pmI believe you can do it either way, but I did it after.
Averie @ Averie Cooks
June 17, 2013 at 2:38 pmBest use EVER of an immersion blender! I just gave one away in conjunction with my cookbook last week. Wish I would have known about this- would have told people about it. I need to make this, asap! Step by step pics are super helpful, too!
Sue/the view from great island
June 18, 2013 at 3:22 pmMine pretty much sits in the drawer most of the time since I don’t make too many pureed soups, etc, but it earned its keep with this!