Spicy Mayo

This spicy mayo recipe is creamy, spicy, and tangy with a simple 1:1 ratio of mayonnaise to sriracha. The lemon juice is optional, but I like adding it because it cuts through the richness and keeps the sauce from tasting heavy. Use it on salmon bowls, burgers, shrimp, chicken, fries, roasted vegetables, sushi-style meals, and cheesy steak recipes.

I use this sauce with salmon bowls, Teriyaki Salmon Bites, Hot Honey Salmon Bites, Salmon Burgers with Canned Salmon, Burger Bowl, and Ground Chicken Burgers. It is also great as a dip for Crispy Keto Chicken Tenders, and I drizzle it over Keto Philly Cheesesteak Pockets and Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Quick to make: Stir everything together in one small bowl.
• Easy to adjust: Add more mayo to make it milder, more sriracha for extra heat, or lemon juice if it needs brightness.
• Better than store-bought: You can make it as spicy as you want and use what you already have.
• Works with a lot of meals: Use it as a dip, drizzle, or spread for seafood, burgers, bowls, chicken, fries, and sandwiches.

Ingredients Needed

• Mayonnaise: Use a mayo you already like. It makes up half of the sauce, so the flavor matters.
• Sriracha sauce: This gives the sauce its classic spicy mayo flavor and smooth texture.
• Lemon juice, optional: Adds brightness and balances the richness of the mayo.

Best Spicy Mayo Ratio

This recipe uses a 1:1 ratio of mayonnaise to sriracha. For this recipe, that means:

1/4 cup mayonnaise + 1/4 cup sriracha

This ratio makes a spicy mayo with noticeable heat. For a milder sauce, start with 2 tablespoons of sriracha instead of 1/4 cup, then add more after tasting.

How to Make Spicy Mayo

Whisk the Sauce

Add the mayonnaise, sriracha, and optional lemon juice to a small bowl. Whisk until smooth.

Taste and Adjust

Taste the sauce before serving. Add more mayonnaise if it is too spicy. Add more sriracha if you want more heat. Add lemon juice if the sauce tastes rich but flat.

Thin It for Drizzling

For bowls, salmon bites, shrimp, or fries, add a tiny splash of water and whisk again. Keep it thicker if you are using it as a dip or burger spread.

Sriracha Substitutes and Variations

Sriracha gives spicy mayo its classic flavor, but these swaps also work:

• Chili crisp spicy mayo: Stir chili crisp oil into the sauce after mixing, or use it as the main heat source. It adds heat, savory chili flavor, and crunchy texture.
• Truffle spicy mayo: Use truffle hot sauce instead of sriracha. This works well with Burger Bowl, fries, steak bowls, and roasted vegetables.
• Milder spicy mayo: Start with 2 tablespoons of sriracha instead of 1/4 cup. Add more after tasting.
• Lemon spicy mayo: Add the optional lemon juice for a brighter sauce. I like this version with seafood, Salmon Burgers with Canned Salmon, shrimp, and chicken.
• Other sriracha swaps: Chili garlic sauce, sambal oelek, chipotle hot sauce, and gochujang can also work. If the sauce is thinner than sriracha, start with less so the spicy mayo does not get watery.

Is Spicy Mayo Keto?

Spicy mayo can be keto-friendly when you use mayonnaise and a hot sauce that fits your needs. Check the sriracha or hot sauce label since some brands include sugar.

Spicy Mayo vs. Bang Bang Sauce

Spicy mayo is creamier, simpler, and more heat-forward. This recipe uses mayo, sriracha, and optional lemon juice.

Bang Bang Sauce is sweeter and tangier, so I use it when I want more of a sweet-spicy dipping sauce. Use spicy mayo for burgers, bowls, salmon, shrimp, fries, and cheesy steak recipes. Use bang bang sauce for crispy shrimp, chicken, fried bites, or anything that needs a sweeter sauce.

What to Serve with Spicy Mayo

For salmon, drizzle it over salmon bowls or serve it with Teriyaki Salmon Bites, Hot Honey Salmon Bites, Honey Garlic Salmon Bites, or Salmon Burgers with Canned Salmon.

For burgers and bowls, use it on Burger Bowl, Ground Chicken Burgers, or as a spicier option instead of Burger Sauce.

For chicken, serve it as a dip for Crispy Keto Chicken Tenders. You can also drizzle it over taco-style bowls made with Chipotle Chicken, rice or cauliflower rice, avocado, lettuce, and salsa.

For seafood, try it with Pan Seared Shrimp or use it on shrimp bowls, salmon patties, and sushi-style meals.

For cheesy steak recipes, drizzle it over Keto Philly Cheesesteak Pockets or Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers.

Top Tips

• Use the 1:1 ratio for more heat: This recipe uses equal parts mayo and sriracha.
• Add lemon juice if it tastes heavy: The lemon juice balances the mayo and makes the sauce taste brighter.
• Add more mayo to make it milder: This is the easiest way to lower the heat.
• Add water to make it drizzle: Start with a tiny splash so the sauce does not get too thin.
• Stir chili crisp in last: This keeps the crunchy bits from getting lost in the sauce.

FAQs

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