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Sriracha Mayo

A measured blend of mayonnaise, sriracha, lime, and quiet accents of garlic and sesame makes a creamy, tangy chile sauce.
Glossy coral sriracha mayonnaise fills a small bowl beside a fresh lime wedge.

Sriracha mayo is quick to mix, but its balance depends on restraint. Starting with a measured amount of chile and tasting after a short rest keeps the sauce creamy while letting heat and tang come through.

Start with a useful ratio

Two tablespoons of sriracha to one cup of mayonnaise makes a medium-heat sauce with enough chile flavor to stand up to the rich base. Use one tablespoon for a milder version or three for a hotter one, keeping the mayonnaise fixed so the texture stays consistent.

Keep the accents measured

Fresh lime brings a clean tang, while a little finely grated garlic adds savoriness without creating a chunky texture. A quarter teaspoon of toasted sesame oil lends aroma; a larger pour can quickly crowd out the chile and lime.

Sriracha is being stirred into mayonnaise in a small bowl until the color turns coral.
Sriracha is stirred gradually into mayonnaise before the other seasonings are added.

Let the flavors settle

Whisking until glossy distributes the seasonings through the mayonnaise, and a 15-minute chill gives the garlic and chile time to meld. The sauce also thickens slightly when cold, so tasting it immediately can lead to over-seasoning.

Finish by tasting

After resting, stir and taste for the relationship between chile heat, lime tang, and richness. Add sriracha by the teaspoon or lime by the quarter teaspoon, then serve the sauce cold as a dip or condiment.

Chilled sriracha mayonnaise has a creamy, even coral surface with a few fine garlic specks.
The chilled sauce is smooth and glossy, with an even coral color and no visible oil beads.

Sriracha Mayo

8 2-tablespoon servings
20 minutes total

Ingredients

  • •  1 cup mayonnaise
  • •  2 tbsp sriracha
  • •  2 tsp fresh lime juice
  • •  1 small garlic clove, finely grated
  • •  1/4 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • •  1/8 tsp fine salt

Method

  1. Set up the bowl

    Spoon the mayonnaise into a small mixing bowl and measure the remaining ingredients before stirring so the chile and acid can be added in controlled amounts.

    Look for: The mayonnaise is smooth and ready to accept the seasonings without lumps.

  2. Add the chile

    Stir in 1 tablespoon of sriracha until the mayonnaise is evenly coral, then mix in the second tablespoon for the balanced medium heat; use 1 tablespoon total for milder sauce or 3 tablespoons total for hotter sauce.

    Look for: No dark streaks of sriracha remain, and the sauce has an even coral color.

  3. Season with tang

    Add the lime juice, grated garlic, toasted sesame oil, and fine salt, stirring slowly so the small amount of sesame oil perfumes the sauce without dominating it.

    Look for: The lime smells bright, with garlic and sesame in the background rather than leading.

  4. Whisk until creamy

    Whisk and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl until the sauce is glossy and completely uniform, then cover the bowl for chilling.

    Look for: The sauce looks satiny with no garlic clumps or oil beads on the surface.

  5. Rest the sauce

    Refrigerate the covered sauce for 15 minutes so the chile, lime, garlic, and sesame settle into the mayonnaise before you judge its final balance.

    Look for: The chilled sauce has a cohesive aroma and remains thick enough to cling to a spoon.

  6. Taste and adjust

    Stir once, taste the rested sauce, and add sriracha a teaspoon at a time for more heat or lime juice a quarter teaspoon at a time for more tang, tasting after each addition before serving.

    Look for: Chile heat, lime tang, and creamy richness register together without one masking the others.