For The Best Homemade Spicy Mayo, Reach For The Sriracha Bottle

Sriracha mayo has become such a popular condiment in recent years that you can now buy it bottled — though, given how easy this stuff is to make, I don't know why you would. I mean, the recipe is right there in the name. For an incredible spicy, garlicky sauce for dipping fries and chicken nuggets, spreading on burgers, punching up sandwiches, and the like, simply combine store-bought mayo with store-bought sriracha. Start with about a quarter of a cup of the chili sauce to a cup of mayonnaise, then adjust the heat upward from there, to taste. Now you've got the basics down. 

That said, there are a couple more ingredients that will enhance this dynamic duo, and you've probably already got them on hand, too. As is often the case, a bit of acidity will liven up the flavors here, so add a squeeze of lemon or lime — it may not even register as citrus on the palate, but it'll play a crucial role in brightening the flavor. To further round out the spice, add garlic, either garlic powder or freshly grated; if the latter, consider letting the mayo sit in the fridge for a while before serving, to mute the pungency of the raw garlic. And feel free to adjust the salt to your liking.

Sriracha may be a fan favorite for homemade spicy mayo, but it's just the beginning of the opportunities to make an easy mayo-based sauce or spread at home — read on for more ideas.

Mayonnaise takes well to just about any kind of hot sauce, from Louisiana-style to buffalo — so if you've got another preference, go wild. If you're cooking with canned chipotle peppers and wind up with leftover adobo sauce, stir that into mayo for a smoky spread that'd be great on a turkey and avocado sandwich. In the last couple years, one of my favorite lunches has been cheesy fried eggs on good bread slathered with a combination of mayo and Chinese chili crisp (Lao Gan Ma for me, though check out our chili crisp rankings for other possibilities). Or combine sauces: Make spicy barbecue mayo by folding store-bought BBQ sauce into mayo, then enhance it with a few squirts of sriracha (and a dash of lime juice).

Not into spice, but still seeking a vibrantly flavored spread? You've got plenty of options. Go in a ranch-dressing direction, for instance, by adding fresh or dried dill, fresh-ground black pepper, and a dash or two of garlic powder. Boost your mayo with Old Bay seasoning and a squeeze of lemon — then serve it on crackers with smoked fish, or mix it into the best tuna salad ever. The list of single-ingredient mayo hacks is essentially endless, and it's hard to go wrong with any single one: Pesto or chimichurri. A wee bit of fish sauce (another route toward perfect tuna salad). Horseradish. Prepared mustard. The world is your canvas, and mayonnaise your brush.