Makes 1 cup (240 ml)
Ingredients
1 large organic egg yolk 1/2 teaspoon (10 ml) coarse ground sea salt 1 teaspoon (5 ml) filtered water 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1 cup (240 ml) extra light olive oil
Instructions
Add the yolk, sea salt, water and lemon juice to a large bowl (the bigger, the better) and whisk to combine. Note: Be sure your bowl has a rubber bottom or you twist a dish towel into a ring around the base to keep the bowl from moving as you whisk. Measure out the oil in a measuring cup that will be easy to pour in a steady stream (I prefer to use my 2-Cup Pyrex measuring cup). Drizzle in a few drops of oil and whisk to combine with the yolk mixture, add a few more drops to establish the emulsion. Add in the oil at a slow drizzle and whisk continuously. The mixture should be thick enough to cling to your whisk. This step should take anywhere between 7-10 minutes to complete, take your time with the oil stream. Think turtle speed, slow and steady. Use a spatula to transfer your mayonnaise to a glass dish or container with a lid such as a mason jar. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Enjoy!
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Paleo mayo is the five-ingredient kitchen staple that makes every other paleo sauce possible. An egg yolk emulsifies with extra light olive oil in a slow, patient drizzle until the mixture turns thick and creamy. Lemon juice and sea salt finish it, and the whole jar keeps for a week in the fridge.
Pro Tips
- Turtle speed on the oil drizzle is the entire technique. Start with a few drops to establish the emulsion, then pour in a thin, steady stream while whisking constantly.
- Use extra light olive oil, not extra virgin. Strong, peppery olive oil makes a mayonnaise that tastes bitter and overpowers everything you use it in.
- The mixture should be thick enough to cling to your whisk before you stop. If it looks thin, keep whisking — the emulsion tightens as more oil incorporates.
- A tall jug and a hand whisk work better than a wide bowl. The narrow vessel keeps the oil stream landing exactly where the whisk is working.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my mayo breaks and goes runny?
Start a fresh yolk in a clean bowl and slowly whisk the broken mixture into it. Nine times out of ten you rescue the whole batch.
How long does paleo mayo keep?
Up to a week covered in the refrigerator. Use it as the base for ranch, thousand island, and dips throughout the week.
Can I use a different oil?
Avocado oil makes a neutral, creamy mayo that many people prefer to olive oil. Avoid strongly flavored oils for the same reason you skip extra virgin.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Measure out the oil in a measuring cup that will be easy to pour in a steady stream (I prefer to use my 2-Cup Pyrex measuring cup).
- Drizzle in a few drops of oil and whisk to combine with the yolk mixture, add a few more drops to establish the emulsion.
- Add in the oil at a slow drizzle and whisk continuously. The mixture should be thick enough to cling to your whisk. This step should take anywhere between 7-10 minutes to complete, take your time with the oil stream. Think turtle speed, slow and steady. Use a spatula to transfer your mayonnaise to a glass dish or container with a lid such as a mason jar.
- Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
