Garlicky Harissa Aioli (In Just 5 minutes!)
This garlicky Harissa Aioli is reminiscent of a classic aioli sauce, but with a little smokey spicy kick from Morocco’s favorite hot sauce. You’ll love how easily this comes together (I’m talking 5 minutes) with a jar of harissa, mayo, lemon juice, garlic, and oil. Serve as a side sauce with grilled meats, or slathered on bread in sandwiches and burgers.
We are heading into grilling season and I’m thinking one of the best gifts I can give to you is this harissa aioli. It’s the perfect sauce to pair with lamb, beef, chicken, white fish, seafood, you name it!
This stuff has that perfect combination of spicy, creamy, salty, and acidic, with just the right amount of smokey from the spices and peppers.
The North African hot sauce is already loaded with bold flavor from red chili peppers, garlic, and spices. It adds so much flavor to the classic aioli ingredients without needing to put in any extra effort.
Throw a batch together in minutes and serve alongside these grilled lamb chops or spread on toasted brioche buns with these harissa burgers.
Ingredients
How to Make Harissa Aioli
To Blend or Not To Blend?
If you like the flavor and texture of harissa paste, I recommend using a whisk to combine all the ingredients. I’m a fan of this method as you still get small flecks of the red peppers and garlic.
For smoother harissa dipping sauce, you can blend your harissa aioli with an immersion blender to really marry everything together.
Where to use Harissa Aioli
We whip up a batch of this harissa mayo in my kitchen whenever we’re having steak with sweet potato fries (which is pretty often).
It’s a family favorite to pair with red meat-forward recipes and slathered on bread for an epic sandwich situation.
Quick Tips
- Use a high quality mayonnaise. This is the base for the harissa aioli and will result in a more delicious end result
- Don’t skip on grating the garlic. This is key in infusing maximum flavor into this sauce, minced garlic won’t be the same
More Tasty Sauces
Enjoy,
Garlicky Harissa Aioli (In Just 5 minutes!)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Sauce, Dip
- Method: Stirred
- Cuisine: Moroccan, North African, Tunisian, American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This garlicky Harissa Aioli is reminiscent of a classic aioli sauce, but with a little smokey spicy kick from Morocco’s favorite hot sauce. You’ll love how easily this comes together (I’m talking 5 minutes) with a jar of harissa, mayo, lemon juice, garlic, and oil. Serve as a side sauce with grilled meats, or slathered on bread in sandwiches and burgers.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp harissa paste
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- optional: salt & pepper
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients. In a bowl or jar combine the mayo, harissa, lemon juice, oil, and grated garlic.
- Whisk together. Whisk everything well until a creamy smooth aioli forms. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
Notes
- use an immersion blender for step 2 if you’d like a smooth sauce without any flecks of red pepper or garlic
- store any leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days