Why you’ll love it
Jalapeno mayo is wonderfully creamy, a little sweet, and a bit tangy, with a spicy kick from the little bits of jalapeno all the way through. It’s the perfect combination of flavours and textures, and it tastes great with a variety of different dishes!
- Great when used as a dip or a spread.
- You can decide how fine you want the jalapenos — leave it chunkier if you prefer.
- Comes together with easy-to-find ingredients.
- The ideal blend of cool and spicy flavours, thanks to the mayo, sour cream, and fiery jalapenos.
If you like dips and sauces as much as I do, you’re going to love this jalapeno mayo recipe. Spicy fresh jalapeno peppers come together with zesty lime, savoury garlic, and creamy mayonnaise to bring you a punch of complex flavour.
Gotta love a delicious condiment. Don’t miss my recipe for fresh jalapeno relish either.
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Ingredients you’ll need
Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.
- Mayonnaise: Opt to use quality store-bought mayo or, even better, homemade.
- Sour Cream: For even more added tang. Alternatively, you can simply use more mayonnaise instead.
- Jalapeno Peppers: The heat level of this jalapeno mayo dip will depend on that of your peppers. Taste-test them before adding so you can decide how many you want to add.
- Garlic: Warm, savoury, and earthy, garlic. A large or small garlic clove is up to you, depending on your love of garlic (especially when raw) but please make sure to use fresh.
- Lime Juice: For added zing! Use freshly squeezed juice if you can, but bottled will work in a pinch. You could also swap it for lemon juice or white wine vinegar.
- Dried Oregano: Robust and herby, the oregano compliments the lime nicely.
- Salt: Just a pinch to taste.
Variations
- Want to make a jalapeno aioli? Stick to this recipe but add another small garlic clove and blend the jalapeno more finely.
- Try adding some fresh cilantro (coriander) for a more herbal flavour.
How to make Jalapeno Mayo (step-by-step)
Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.
- Prepare the jalapenos: Remove the ribs and seeds but keep the seeds until your jalapeno mayo recipe is mixed up — you can add some in for extra heat if you want it.
- Blend: Place the peppers in a mini food processor (see tips section if you don’t have one) and blend so they become very fine (photo 1).
- Incorporate the other ingredients: Add the lime juice, mayonnaise, sour cream, oregano, and salt and process until well combined (photo 2).
- Taste test: Taste your jalapeño mayo and adjust as needed with seeds for extra heat or a pinch of salt. Enjoy!
If you want a consistency more suited to being able to drizzle, just add 1 teaspoon lime juice or water (depending on if you want more tang or not) at a time to get it to the consistency you like.
What to serve with jalapeno mayo dip
I first created this jalapeno dip recipe for my spicy chicken bites — they pair perfectly. It can be used in so many other ways though.
It would also taste great with chicken wings, steak bites, shrimp, as a mayo for burgers, or even in tacos. Try it on one of these recipes:
Tips and tricks
- Don’t have a mini food processor or blender? No problem. You can also just as easily mince up the jalapenos with a sharp knife and a chopping board. Use a rocking action with your dominant hand holding the handle, and your other hand resting on top of the blade at the pointy end. Rock it over and over, backward and forward, to chop the jalapenos more and more finely. Then just mix it all up in a small bowl.
- Consider roasting the jalapenos first: This does add an extra step to this jalapeno mayo recipe, but it’s well worth it if you like smoky flavour. Broil them in the oven until they become charred and blistered. Allow them to steam in a bowl covered in plastic wrap for a few minutes before peeling off the charred skin and chopping.
FAQs
Just like regular mayo, jalapeno mayo can be stored in the fridge for about 3-4 days. Keep it in an airtight container or a glass jar with a lid for the best results. Always be sure to check for signs of spoilage before using.
Keep in mind you will get a different flavour profile but you can use pickled jalapenos if you can’t find fresh. They’re still so delicious and you get a little extra tang to the jalapeno mayo too. These can often be hotter than fresh, so stir some in, taste, and add more if you’d like.
Most of the heat comes from the seeds and ribs, so if you want a milder dipping sauce make sure to remove those. You’ll reduce the spiciness — and still be able to enjoy the flavour of the peppers.
Yes, you can certainly make this jalapeno dip recipe with poblano, Anaheim, serrano, or habanero peppers. You could even use capsicum (bell pepper). All that being said, it won’t be jalapeno mayo anymore!
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Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise (good quality store-bought or homemade)
- 2 tablespoons sour cream, or more mayo (notes 1)
- 2 jalapeno peppers (notes 2)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1-2 teaspoons lime juice
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- pinch salt
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
- Mini food processor (helpful but not necessary)
- Serving glass or pot
Instructions
- Deseed and remove the ribs from the jalapenos then roughly dice. Keep the seeds in case you want to add them for heat later.
- Place the jalapenos into a mini food processor and blend very finely. If you don’t have a processor you can just mince them using a knife and chopping board.
- Add the lime juice, mayonnaise, sour cream, oregano and salt and process to combine.
- Taste. You can add more lime juice for more tang, more salt if required or add some of those jalapeno seeds if you want more heat.
- Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.
Notes
- Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons). Check yours before measuring.
- Yield: Recipe makes about ¾ cup.
- Serving size based on around 2 tablespoons.
- This dip can be made dairy-free/vegan by usig vegan / dairy-free alternatives for the mayonnaise and sour cream.
- Storage: Can be stored in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for 3-4 days. Give it a good mix up before using.
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