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–+ servings
cilantro mayo in a bowl with a spoon
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5 from 2 votes

Cilantro Mayo

Cilantro mayo with plenty of lime and garlic makes an incredible topping for tacos, burgers, and sandwiches. Ready in five minutes.
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: Sauces and Condiments
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cilantro mayo
Servings: 1 cup
Calories: 97kcal
Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (240 grams) mayo
  • ½ cup 1 ounce/(30 grams) finely chopped cilantro (leaves and fine stems)
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Zest of 1 lime grated on a rasp
  • 2 large garlic cloves minced
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients into a medium mixing bowl and stir to combine well.

Notes

  1. You can use a good-quality supermarket mayo, an easy homemade version, or my favorite, extra-savory option: Kewpie mayo. This Japanese brand is creamier, tangier, and more umami-fied than its American counterpart.
  2. The recipe calls for a generous but not overwhelming amount of cilantro. That said, some varieties have a fairly aggressive flavor while others are positively mellow, so taste yours before using and adjust as necessary.
  3. I prefer this sauce with a little bit of texture, but if you'd like to make it perfectly smooth, you can whiz it up in a blender or food processor rather than just stirring together.
  4. If you're starting from scratch with immersion blender or food processor mayo, it's still best to mix in the additional ingredients in a second step. Mayo-making is a bit finicky, and it's important to get the initial emulsion just right. For the version you see here, you can mix in the minced garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and zest by hand after making the mayo. Don't double up on the lemon juice, salt, or pepper — there's plenty in the mayo.  For a blended version of cilantro mayo, add the additional ingredients to the food processor or blender jar after you make the mayo.
  5. I recommend making cilantro mayo at least an hour in advance to give the flavors a chance to commune. It keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for a week.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 97kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 220mg