Basil Mayo is a super easy and delicious mayonnaise recipe with only four ingredients in 5 minutes of prep time! This mayonnaise is perfect on sandwiches, burgers, and as a dipping sauce.
I'm definitely not known for having a green thumb, but I do love growing basil every year in my "garden." Sometimes it grows, sometimes it doesn't. Regardless, I will seek out heaps of basil from the farmers market if it doesn't, because there's nothing I love more than a caprese salad or a fresh batch of homemade pesto in the summer! Another favorite use for fresh basil? Basil mayo!
I love flavored mayonnaise as a condiment to jazz up every day dishes. This basil flavored mayonnaise is going to take your turkey sandwich for meh to YEAH! in just 5 minutes of prep time and four simple ingredients. Okay, five if you count salt!
Fresh Basil - of COURSE there must be fresh basil leaves in basil mayonnaise. Definitely don't use dried basil, as the results will not be nearly as delicious and you will not have the fresh basil flavor.
Mayonnaise - Since mayonnaise is one of the main ingredients, I would use a quality mayonnaise. My favorite is Sir Kensington and if I don't have that, I use Olive Oil Mayonnaise, both of which I find at my local grocery store. You can really use any type of mayonnaise that you prefer, including vegan mayonnaise, avocado oil mayonnaise, and light mayonnaise.
Lemon Juice - lemon juice adds some acidity to balance out the mayonnaise.
Fresh Garlic - just one clove of fresh garlic adds a ton of flavor to this mayonnaise with basil.
Sea Salt - just a pinch to bring out the flavors. You can add fresh cracked black pepper, too if you like pepper.
This recipe is seriously so incredibly easy. Be sure to refer to the recipe card for complete directions.
To a small food processor, place basil, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Pulse until the basil is pureed as much as possible. It will not be completely pureed in a food processor. You can also use a high speed blender if you'd like it to be more blended.
That's it! So simple and delicious. Serve in a small bowl. Store the basil mayonnaise in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
There are a ton of uses for basil mayo, and you can really use it like you would use any mayonnaise. Here are our favorite ways to use it.
Sandwich Spread - This can be used on a simple turkey sandwich, a BLT, a club sandwich, an egg sandwich, really any sandwich! My favorite sandwiches with basil mayo are a BLT or a tomato and lettuce sandwich.
Burger Spread - Take your burger game to the next level this summer by adding basil mayo! This would be perfect with my Air Fryer Turkey Burgers!
Dipping Sauce - This is a great condiment and is delicious with fries, roasted potato wedges, sweet potato fries, grilled potatoes, grilled veggies, or tater tots to dip in. Even potato chips are delicious with this basil mayo!
Avocado Toast - of course I couldn't forget this trendy menu item! Spread your toast with basil mayo before topping with avocado for a burst of summer flavor.
Chicken Salad - I haven't tried this yet, but I think this would a delicious substitute for regular mayo in chicken salad - especially this recipe!
Topping for Fish - Basil mayo would be delicious on salmon, tilapia, or cod fillets.
Potato Salad - this would be delicious used in a summer potato salad in place of regular mayonnaise!
This recipe is *perfect* as is, but here are some variations you can think about!
Use pesto. No fresh basil? You can make pesto mayo instead for a similar flavor! Simply replace the basil leaves with ¼ cup of pesto.
Add other fresh herbs. If your herb garden is bursting, you can use this as a basis for other variations of herb flavored mayonnaise. Fresh cilantro, fresh parsley, fresh dill, and thyme would all be delicious options to substitute for fresh basil.
Mix by hand. No food processor or blender? No problem. Simply finely chop the basil and then stir the ingredients together in a small bowl.
Basil has a sweet and peppery flavor which pairs well with many other herbs including oregano, dill, parsley, thyme, and chives.
I would not recommend using dried basil, as it is the main flavor of this mayonnaise and you want that fresh basil flavor.
So many things! We love using it on burgers, sandwiches, wraps, as a dipping sauce, on avocado toast, and I even will thin it out with a little milk and use it as a salad dressing.
If you tried this Basil Mayonnaise Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below.
Just made this for burgers on the grill and had to do a little taste test.:) It is SO good, I could eat it by the spoonful! This will definitely be on repeat at our house.
Yum!!
Basil mayo was excellent. I used it on a Cajun turkey and cheddar sandwich. Going to try it on baked chicken breasts.