This rosemary chili aioli recipe takes the classic condiment to the next level. Sautéed rosemary, chili and garlic blended with creamy mayonnaise and sour cream for a mellow yet incredibly delicious aioli you can serve with prawns, fries, roasted vegetables, grilled chicken, fishcakes or as a spread in wraps, sandwiches, burgers and so on.
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What Is Aioli?
Aioli is a delicious Mediterranean sauce or dip made with garlic, olive oil, and a few other ingredients like egg yolks, lemon juice, or vinegar. It’s creamy, garlicky, and great for dipping veggies, seafood, or bread. Cooks and chefs love to play around with the recipe by adding herbs and spices to make it even more awesome!
A super simple version of aioli can be made with ready-made mayonnaise and minced garlic and there are egg-free versions of aioli where only whipped oil is used.
My Rosemary Chili Aioli
I often make variations of aioli like chipotle or honey mustard. I first made this rosemary chili aioli when I was roasting my rosemary honey lamb.
I was going to make aioli for roasted sweet potatoes as my side dish. I had a bunch of rosemary left and and thought I’d try pan-frying some of it with chili and garlic and then blend it with mayo. Pre-cooking rosemary, garlic and chili mellows out their flavours and gives them extra sweetness.
I often add a little yoghurt or sour cream to my aioli to lighten up the mayo and add some tang but you can easily keep it all mayo and add some lemon juice (for a dairy-free version, for example).
Everyone loved this version with rosemary and chili and I now frequently make it to go with roast vegetables or potatoes or as a condiment with prawns or chicken nuggets.
This aioli keeps for up to a week in an airtight container in the fridge so you can use it in many ways throughout the week.
What Goes With Rosemary Chili Aioli?
Aioli is a versatile sauce that goes well with a variety of foods and the same can be said about this version. Some popular pairings include:
- Vegetables: Aioli is great for dipping raw or roasted vegetables like carrots, celery, cucumber, bell peppers, or cauliflower.
- Seafood: It’s a classic condiment for seafood like prawns/shrimp, crab cakes, fish cakes or fried calamari. Try my fish cakes here.
- Sandwiches and Burgers: Spread aioli on your favourite sandwich or burger for a zesty kick. It goes particularly well with grilled chicken, turkey, or beef. Try it on my breakfast burger.
- French Fries: Aioli is a tasty alternative to ketchup or mayonnaise for dipping your French fries.
- Roasted sweet or white potatoes: I love this with roasted sweet potatoes in particular.
- Grilled Meat and Fish: Use aioli as a marinade or a sauce for grilled meats like steak, chicken, or pork, or fish like salmon, swordfish, or halibut.
- Canned tuna or salmon: It’s delicious to mix into a tuna or canned salmon salad or if you’re making something like my tuna melt sandwich.
- Salad dressing: Use it as a base for a chicken salad dressing or as a spin on a traditional Caesar salad. A coleslaw could take on a new twist with rosemary chili flavours.
How To Make Rosemary Chili Aioli
The full recipe card with ingredients and a nutritional breakdown is below. Here are some step-by-step photos to guide you along.
- Step 1. Pull the needle off the rosemary sprigs, cut half of the chili into rings and peel the garlic. No need to chop them finely.
- Step 2. Heat the olive oil in a small pan over medium-high heat. Add the rosemary, chili and garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes, until lightly browned and softened.
- Step 3. Transfer the pre-fried aromatics to a bowl with mayonnaise and sour cream (if using). Use an immersion blender to puree and whip everything into a smooth sauce. You can also do this in a food processor.
- If you don’t have a blender, you can chop everything very finely with a knife. Taste for seasoning and add extra salt if needed.
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Ingredients
- 2 sprigs of rosemary needles pulled off
- 4 cloves of garlic cut into 3 pieces each
- 1/2 long red chili sliced (medium heat like Cayenne chili, banana chili or red jalapeno)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
Instructions
- Pull the needle off the rosemary sprigs, cut half of the chili into rings, and peel the garlic. No need to chop them finely.
- Heat the olive oil in a small pan over medium-high heat. Add the rosemary, chili, and garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned and softened.
- Transfer the pre-fried aromatics to a bowl with mayonnaise and sour cream (if using). Use an immersion blender to puree and whip everything into a smooth sauce. You can also do this in a food processor.
- If you don’t have a blender, you can chop everything very finely with a knife. Taste for seasoning and add extra salt if needed.
- Learn how to make delicious, aromatic garlic, rosemary and chili aioli that can be used as a versatile condiment or sauce. It goes with seafood, roasted vegetables, fries, burgers, in wraps, or as a sauce or salad dressing.
I cheated a bit (because I didn’t read the instructions ahead of time). I did not saute the garlic/rosemary/pepper combo. Instead I used the garlic and rosemary fresh and used Sriracha and red chili flakes. It was delicious. Nice fresh flavors from the rosemary and garlic with lovely warmth provided by the Sriracha.
Thanks, glad that it worked without cooking those ingredients.