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Saffron Aioli is a rich, aromatic and savory sauce with bold flavor! Essentially a homemade garlic mayonnaise with the extra luxury of saffron infused into it, it is, quite simply, magical.
Ready in just 10 minutes, saffron aioli (pronounced I-oh-lee) is the kind of sauce that will take just about any dish to the next level in delicious savoriness! Made with egg yolks, raw garlic, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard and, of course, saffron, it’s complex in flavor, yet super easy and quick to prepare.
What Exactly is Aioli?
At its most basic level, modern aioli is mayonnaise flavored with garlic.
Classic aïoli, a.k.a, le beurre de Provence, on the other hand, is a thick, creamy and rich, emulsified garlic sauce made with raw garlic, salt, olive oil and a little bit of water that was not originally made with eggs.
My aioli recipe is a bit classic and a bit modern. I use fresh, raw grated garlic, lemon juice and bit of mustard with rich extra virgin olive oil and the emulsifying powers of egg yolk.
And, while the original, authentic aioli recipe, that hails from the Mediterranean, is garlic-only-based, I added saffron to my version because (a) I’m obsessed with saffron, (b) it adds incredible flavor and color to an already amazing sauce, and (c) it’s a nod to my other favorite Provenćal dish– bouillabaisse.
Referred to as “red gold” and hailed as the word’s most expensive spice, saffron is derived from the stigma of the crocus flower, hand-picked one-by-one. It has a subtly sweet, hard-to-pin-down “je ne sais quoi” fragrance and flavor and is a stunning ability to transform dishes, adding and intense golden hue as well. Although it is quite expensive, a little goes a long way!
Having said this, you can certainly leave out the saffron and still have the most amazing homemade garlic mayo.
I love how quick this homemade saffron aioli is to make and how darn impressive it is! It goes great on sandwiches, with roasted potatoes, artichokes, shrimp and more. And you can dip pretty much any raw or steamed vegetable, bread and cracker into it for a perfect appetizer. (See Serving Suggestions below.)
If you’ve never made garlic saffron mayonnaise from scratch, I urge you to give this recipe a try. Mangia bene!
Main Ingredient Notes
Just a few ingredients needed to make the best homemade saffron aioli:
- Saffron: Saffron spice is derived from the stigma of the crocus flower and saffron threads are hand-picked one-by-one. It has a subtly sweet, hard-to-pin-down “je ne sais quoi” flavor and is a stunning ability to transform dishes. Although it is quite expensive, a little goes a long way!
- Egg: Raw egg is used in this recipe and in all classic mayo-based recipes. The lecithin in the egg yolks plays a crucial role as an emulsifier. This means that it helps to bind the oil and lemon juice together, creating the characteristic creamy texture of mayonnaise. Without it, the sauce would separate into oil and watery liquid. If you’re skittish about using raw eggs, consider buying and using pasteurized eggs.
- Garlic: The defining flavor of an aioli! The amount of garlic to use is up to you. The recipe as written results in a very bold tasting sauce, so free to dial it down by reducing the amount of raw garlic. Alternatively, roasted garlic or confit garlic can absolutely be substituted for some of the raw garlic for a softer, overall flavor. Be sure to finely mince the garlic to make it more of a garlic paste. Do not use jarred, chopped garlic as its taste will not work in this recipe.
- Oil: A fair amount of oil is used to make saffron aioli (it’s the bulk of the ingredients!), so it’s important to like the flavor of the oil you use. As this is an aioli rooted in southern France and not a plain mayonnaise, use a high-quality extra virgin olive oil, but not one that is overtly peppery (unless you really want to). Note that since extra-virgin olive oil’s flavor is generally very robust, I divided the full amount of oil in the recipe (1 cup) between 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil and 1/3 cup of a more neutral oil, such avocado oil. You can adjust these proportions, if desired.
- Lemon Juice: The acid that helps to stabilize the mixture, balance out the flavors and add delicious taste. Please use freshly squeezed lemon juice and not the shelf-stable jarred stuff, that has an odd taste. As an alternative to fresh lemon juice, you can use white wine vinegar.
- Dijon Mustard: This is kind of a magical ingredient when it comes to making homemade mayonnaise. It not only adds delicious flavor, but also acts as a stabilizer and emulsifier along with the egg, reducing the risk of the mayo breaking.
More recipes with saffron: Slow Cooked Lamb Ragu, Sicilian Pasta Con Sarde, Cucuzza Squash Soup, Easy Italian Pasta with Potatoes
How to Make Saffron Aioli
- Prep and gather all ingredients. Make sure the egg is at room temperature. Mince the garlic.
- Mix the lemon juice and saffron together in a small bowl and let them sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour, to give the saffron a chance to infuse its color and flavor into the lemon juice. Mix a few times as it sits.
- Then, place the egg, garlic, saffron/lemon juice mixture and Dijon mustard into a food processor and puree. While the processor is running, SLOWLY add the oil to the mixture, one to two drops at a time, until the aioli is thick and the oil is incorporated. The small insert in the food processor cover should have a tiny pinhole in the center that is perfect for this. Pour the oil into the lid and then let it drip into the mixture gradually.
- Once the aioli emulsifies and starts to thicken, you can add the oil in a slightly quicker thin stream, instead of drop by drop. After all the oil has been added, season with salt and pepper to taste. That’s it!
The Best Recipes to Pair with Saffron Aioli
Saffron Aioli is a perfect dipping sauce or condiment for all these delicious dishes:
Frequently Asked Questions
It will last 10 days to 2 weeks under refrigeration in a sealed container. Keep in mind that homemade mayonnaise does not contain any preservatives, so it does not have a long shelf life. Make and enjoy it regularly!
If the aioli develops an unusual color, strange taste or sour smell, discard it as it’s likely spoiled.
If you’re skittish about using raw eggs, consider buying and using pasteurized eggs. Alternatively, you can pasteurize the eggs by holding them in 140° water for three minutes, then shock it in an ice bath, peel it and proceed with the recipe.
An aioli could possibly break if it is overprocessed. Excess blending could cause it to overheat and separate.
If the aioli breaks or is too runny, here is how you can fix it:
– Add an additional room-temperature egg yolk and blend again for the shortest amount of time possible. (Over-whipping may have caused the aioli to break.)
– Alternatively, whisk a portion of the failed aioli with a little water until it’s emulsified, then transfer it back to the food processor with the remaining mixture and process for the shortest time possible to make things right.
No. Do not freeze aioli or any homemade mayonnaise. Freezing can disrupt the emulsion and cause the saffron aioli sauce to separate and become very unappealing once thawed.
Serving Suggestions
Saffron Aioli is such a fun, bold, colorful and flavorful sauce with a luscious creamy texture. It’s perfect as a dipping sauce for your favorite dippers–whether they be raw vegetables (crudités), crispy artichoke hearts, calamari or chicken tenders, French fries, chicken wings, pretzels (crunchy or soft), fried shrimp, baccala fritters, crab cakes, steamed artichokes or more.
Other than as a dipping sauce, my favorite way to enjoy saffron mayo is as a sandwich spread for all manner of sandwiches, like:
- Chicken cutlets or leftover baked ham with arugula and raw red onion;
- Roasted vegetables with fresh mozzarella;
- Turkey meatballs with panko-crusted zucchini and Italian fried peppers;
- Leftover pulled lamb shoulder with crumbled feta cheese;
- Italian pork shoulder with sharp provolone and roasted peppers; and
- All burgers!
You can also mix some with buttermilk for a creamy salad dressing. And, sometimes, I’ll even add it into the filling mixture for deviled eggs or fold some into my favorite potato salad recipe!
Le Grand Aioli Provençal
In Provence in southern France, they actually make aioli the center of a meal referred to as Le Grand Aïoli or Aïoli Garni. At it, dishes like poached white fish and shrimp, assorted blanched and raw vegetables, potatoes, hard boiled eggs and sometimes bread and crackers surround (and support) a large bowl of the revered garlic sauce. All these (mostly-unseasoned) accoutrements are then casually dipped into the aioli as the whole meal.
It’s essentially a joyous, fun and casual feast of dippers around the piece de resistance: the aioli.
It was at my first grand aioli at my Uncle Tony’s house in Les Arcs, Provence, France in 2005 that I finally understood what is so special about this homemade sauce. Of course, I had learned the proper way to make homemade mayonnaise in cooking school. (It’s one of the five mother sauces, after all!) But, in my fast-paced world of foodservice and retail food, for years I’d simple whisk some garlic confit into mayonnaise, call it aioli, make a sandwich and be done with it.
Don’t get me wrong–that aioli hack is delicious, too! But, until you experience a homemade, sharp and exploding garlic aioli, you haven’t lived.
Uncle Tony made his aioli by hand in his larger-than-life, marble mortar and pestle that was made from the same stone as the Statue of Liberty. Seriously. Plus, he used the most fruity, local, extra-virgin olive oil in it and it was, quite simply, perfection.
Add some saffron threads to that and then just drop the mic!
TOP TIPS FOR SAFFRON AIOLI
Although this recipe has only a few simple ingredients, the technique is important and makes all the difference in its success. Here are a few tips:
- First, make sure all ingredients are at room temperature and that the egg is fresh. This is really important!
- If you have cold eggs and no time to leave them out on the counter to come to room temperature, place them into a bowl of warm water for five minutes.
- For a simple garlic mayonnaise (and a less expensive sauce), you can skip the saffron for a more authentic aioli recipe.
- The more finely-minced the garlic is, the better it will incorporate into the aioli. Use a garlic press or smash the fresh garlic into a paste for the best result. A microplane zester can also be used to grate the garlic.
- The amount of garlic to use is up to you. The recipe as written results in a very bold tasting aioli, so free to dial it down by reducing the amount of raw garlic.
- If you’d like to soften the pungent flavor of raw garlic a bit, immerse the grated/minced garlic into the saffron lemon juice mixture for about 5 minutes before making the aioli.
- Likewise, since extra-virgin olive oil’s flavor is generally very robust, I divided the full amount of oil in the recipe (1 cup) between 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil and 1/3 cup of a more neutral oil, such avocado oil. You can adjust these proportions as well, if desired.
- Shelf-Life: Homemade aioli will last 10 days to 2 weeks under refrigeration in a sealed container. Keep in mind that homemade mayonnaise does not contain any preservatives, so it does not have a long shelf life. Make and enjoy it regularly!
- Do not freeze aioli or any homemade mayonnaise. Freezing can disrupt the emulsion and cause the saffron aioli sauce to separate and become very unappealing once thawed.
I hope that you are enjoying my Italian food blog and all of my Italian recipes and Italian-American recipes!
If you’ve tried this Saffron Garlic Mayonnaise recipe, please let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
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Saffron Aioli (Homemade Garlic Mayonnaise)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 tsp fresh lemon juice
- Generous pinch saffron threads
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1½-2 Tbsp minced or grated garlic (See Notes.)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup neutral oil, such as avocado oil
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- Pinch ground white or black pepper
Instructions
- Prep and gather all ingredients according to specifications above. Make sure the egg is at room temperature.(Please see the section above in the blog post for Step-By-Step instructions with photos.)
- Mix the lemon juice and saffron together in a small bowl and let them sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour, to give the saffron a chance to infuse its color and flavor into the lemon juice. Mix a few times as it sits.4 tsp fresh lemon juice, Generous pinch saffron threads
- Then, place the egg, garlic, saffron/lemon juice mixture and Dijon mustard into a food processor and puree.1 large egg,, 1½-2 Tbsp minced or grated garlic, 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- While the processor is running, SLOWLY add the oil to the mixture, one to two drops at a time, until the aioli is thick and the oil is incorporated. The small insert in the food processor cover should have a tiny pinhole in the center that is perfect for this. Pour the oil into the lid and then let it drip into the mixture gradually.⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil, ⅓ cup neutral oil,
- Once the aioli emulsifies and starts to thicken, you can add the oil in a slightly quicker thin stream, instead of drop by drop.
- After all the oil has been added, season with salt and pepper to taste. You can also add an extra splash of lemon juice at this point, if desired. Note that homemade aioli will not be as thick as store-bought mayonnaise.
- Place the aioli in an airtight container once it is finished and refrigerate. It will hold in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
- Enjoy the saffron aioli as a dipping sauce, a sandwich spread or more! Check out Serving Suggestions above for more ideas. Buon Appetito!
Notes
- First, make sure all ingredients are at room temperature and that the egg is fresh. This is really important!
- If you have cold eggs and no time to leave them out on the counter to come to room temperature, place them into a bowl of warm water for five minutes.
- The more finely-minced the garlic is, the better it will incorporate into the aioli. Use a garlic press or smash the fresh garlic into a paste for the best result. A microplane zester can also be used to grate the garlic.
- The amount of garlic to use is up to you. The recipe as written results in a very bold tasting aioli, so free to dial it down by reducing the amount of raw garlic. Alternatively, roasted garlic or confit garlic can absolutely be substituted for raw garlic for a softer, overall flavor.
- If you’d like to soften the pungent flavor of raw garlic a bit, immerse the grated/minced garlic into the saffron lemon juice mixture for about 5 minutes before making the aioli.
- Likewise, since extra-virgin olive oil’s flavor is generally very robust, I divided the full amount of oil in the recipe (1 cup) between 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil and 1/3 cup of a more neutral oil, such avocado oil. You can adjust these proportions as well, if desired.
- The aioli can also be made in a tall glass using a hand blender, but you may find that you do not have enough hands if you are by yourself to position and run the hand blender, hold the cup and also dribble in the oil.
- If you’re skittish about using raw eggs, consider buying and using pasteurized eggs. Alternatively, you can pasteurize the eggs by holding them in 140° water for three minutes, then shock it in an ice bath, peel it and proceed with the recipe.
- You can discard and not use the egg white, if desired. It has a small amount of stabilizing power and adds some body to the aioli, but isn’t crucial.
- If the aioli is too thick, you can stir in a teaspoon of water to loosen it.
- If the aioli breaks or is too runny, here is how you can fix it:
- Add an additional room-temperature egg yolk and blend again for the shortest amount of time possible. (Over-whipping may have caused the aioli to break.)
- Alternatively, whisk a portion of the failed aioli with a little water until it’s emulsified, then transfer it back to the food processor with the remaining mixture and process for the shortest time possible to make things right.
- Homemade aioli will last 10 days to 2 weeks under refrigeration in a sealed container. Keep in mind that homemade mayonnaise does not contain any preservatives, so it does not have a long shelf life. Make and enjoy it regularly!
- If the aioli develops an unusual color, strange taste or sour smell, discard it as it’s likely spoiled.
- Do not freeze aioli or any homemade mayonnaise. Freezing can disrupt the emulsion and cause the saffron aioli sauce to separate and become very unappealing once thawed.
The the saffron infused aïoli is gorgeously appealing thank you so much, Michele
My pleasure, Susan! Hope you enjoy the recipe!
It’s always a treat to enjoy this beautiful saffron aioli!