Spicy Mayo

Published by Fork Around & Find Out Kitchen — presented in the Lila editorial voice. Editorial standards

Quick Answer

Spicy Mayo whisks mayonnaise with sriracha, lime juice, and a drop of sesame oil into the two-minute drizzle that finishes sushi bowls, tacos, and fries.

Jump to Recipe

Spicy mayo is a two-minute sauce with an unreasonable résumé. Half a cup of mayonnaise, sriracha, lime juice, toasted sesame oil, and a pinch of salt can finish sushi bowls, tacos, fries, sandwiches, roasted vegetables, and whatever else on the plate has started looking underdressed. The balance is more important than the complexity because there is no complexity. Sriracha brings heat, garlic, and sweetness; lime keeps the mayonnaise from feeling heavy; toasted sesame oil adds a nutty aroma that only needs a quarter teaspoon. Whisk until the sauce is completely smooth and evenly orange, then taste before reaching for anything else. More sriracha makes it hotter; another spoonful of mayo pulls it back. This is also one of those sauces where a squeeze bottle can make you feel suspiciously competent. Put three clean lines across a rice bowl and suddenly dinner looks like somebody in the kitchen owns tweezers. The sauce itself remains five ingredients and zero drama.

Prep5 minutes

Cookno cooking

Total5 minutes

Servesabout 2/3 cup

DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

Servings

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sriracha
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

1Whisk the mayonnaise and sriracha together in a small bowl until the color is a completely even orange with no streaks.
2Whisk in the lime juice, sesame oil, and salt.
3Taste. For more heat, add sriracha a teaspoon at a time; for a richer, milder sauce, add a spoonful of mayo.
4Use immediately, or transfer to a squeeze bottle for clean drizzling over bowls and rolls.

Nutrition Information

Estimated per serving: 2 tablespoons (about 5 servings in the batch).

160Calories

0 gProtein

1 gCarbohydrates

17 gTotal Fat

3 gSaturated Fat

0 gFiber

1 gTotal Sugars

270 mgSodium

9 mgCholesterol

Estimated from the ingredients and quantities in this recipe using standard food-composition values. Brand choices, trimming, cooking loss, optional ingredients, and actual portion size can change the numbers. How we calculate nutrition estimates.

Pro Tips

Measure the sesame oil — a quarter teaspoon means a quarter teaspoon. Toasted sesame is powerful, and one heavy pour takes over the whole sauce.
Whisk until the color is fully even. Orange streaks mean pockets of pure sriracha, and someone's bite is going to find one.
A squeeze bottle is worth the dollar it costs. The thin zigzag drizzle is half the reason restaurant bowls look like restaurant bowls.

Substitutions

mayonnaise → Kewpie mayonnaise The sushi-bar standard — richer and tangier. Skip the added salt if you use it.

sriracha → gochujang, 1 tablespoon Deeper, sweeter, more fermented heat; whisk thoroughly since it is thicker.

lime juice → rice vinegar Same brightening job with a softer, less fruity edge.

Storage Instructions

Store covered, or in its squeeze bottle, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Shake or stir before using.

Make Ahead

It holds perfectly for a week, so make it whenever — but at 5 minutes flat, it is also the last thing worth doing before dinner hits the table.

Freezing

No — mayonnaise splits when frozen and thawed, and this sauce takes five minutes to remake. The freezer has nothing to offer here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this ahead of time?

It holds perfectly for a week, so make it whenever — but at 5 minutes flat, it is also the last thing worth doing before dinner hits the table.

How do I store the leftovers?

Store covered, or in its squeeze bottle, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Shake or stir before using.

Can I freeze it?

No — mayonnaise splits when frozen and thawed, and this sauce takes five minutes to remake. The freezer has nothing to offer here.

Can I adjust it for what I have on hand?

Yes — the mayo-to-sriracha ratio is the whole dial, anywhere from 4-to-1 (mild) to 2-to-1 (assertive). The lime and sesame stay constant; they are seasoning, not structure.

What's the most common mistake to avoid?

Measure the sesame oil — a quarter teaspoon means a quarter teaspoon. Toasted sesame is powerful, and one heavy pour takes over the whole sauce.

How long does it take?

About 5 minutes from start to finish, including no cooking of active cooking. Five minutes, zero cooking, one bowl — this is the sauce you make while something else finishes in the pan.