5 Sauces Anyone Can Make to Instantly Level Up Your Cooking
Discover how to transform one simple mayonnaise base into five delicious, versatile sauces that will instantly level up your cooking. From zesty and spicy to fresh and herby, these easy variations add bold flavour to sandwiches, salads, grilled meats, and more, without any complicated techniques. Perfect for meal prep, quick weeknight dinners, or impressing guests with minimal effort. One base, endless possibilities.
Mayonnaise
Ingredients
- 1 Whole Egg
- 15 ml White Vinegar
- 10 g Dijon Mustard
- 180 ml Neutral Oil Avocado or Sunflower Oil
Method
- Add the egg, vinegar, mustard, and oil to a tall jar, in that order, so the egg sits at the bottom.
- Insert an immersion blender all the way to the bottom of the jar. Without moving it, blend on high for 10–15 seconds until the emulsion starts to form and turn opaque at the base.
- Once it's holding together, slowly tilt and lift the blender through the rest of the mixture, blending until fully combined, smooth, and thick.
- Season to taste and transfer to an airtight jar. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Chef's Tips
Use a fresh egg, ideally at room temperature — freshness matters more here since it stays raw, and a fresher egg emulsifies more reliably too.Keep the immersion blender flat on the bottom of the jar and don't move it for the first several seconds — this lets the emulsion form at the base first, then slowly lift and tilt it through the rest of the oil once it's started to thicken.Add the egg, vinegar and mustard to the jar before the oil, as written — mustard acts as a natural emulsifier, and having it in contact with the egg first helps the mixture come together and stay stable.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate for up to 4 days in an airtight jar or container. Freezing isn't recommended, since the raw-egg emulsion will split once thawed. No reheating required — this one's served cold.
Serving 3tbspCalories 281kcalCarbohydrates 0.2gProtein 1.2gFat 31gSodium 31.5mgSugar 0.1g
Herby Mayonnaise
Ingredients
- 250 g Mayonnaise
- 15 g Dill
- 10 g Flat Leaf Parsley
- Salt & Pepper
Method
- Add the base mayonnaise, dill, and parsley to a tall jar — no need to chop beforehand, the immersion blender will break them down.
- Blend on high speed in short bursts, moving the blender through the full depth of the jar, until the herbs are fully incorporated and the mayo turns a light, even green.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and white pepper as needed. Transfer to an airtight jar and refrigerate until ready to use.
Chef's Tips
Blend in short bursts rather than one long continuous blend — pushing it too hard and too long can heat the mixture through friction, which dulls the herbs' colour and can turn the flavour slightly bitter.Push the blender down through the whole depth of the jar as you go — this makes sure the herbs get fully broken down and evenly distributed rather than staying concentrated near the top.Taste and adjust the seasoning at the end, as written — fresh herbs vary a lot in intensity batch to batch, so this step matters more here than in a plain mayo.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate for up to 4 days in an airtight jar or container. Freezing isn't recommended, since the raw-egg base will split once thawed. No reheating required — this one's served cold.
Serving 2tbspCalories 282.6kcalCarbohydrates 0.4gProtein 1.3gFat 31.1gSodium 34mgFiber 0.1gSugar 0.2g
Chilli Crisp Mayonnaise
Ingredients
- 250 g Mayonnaise
- 60 g Chilli Crisp Oil
- 15 ml Buttermilk
- Salt & Pepper
Method
- Give the chilli crisp oil a good stir before measuring, to redistribute the settled solids.
- Add the base mayonnaise, chilli crisp oil, and buttermilk to a bowl. Mix gently until fully combined and streaked evenly with chilli crisp.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and white pepper as needed. Transfer to an airtight jar and refrigerate until ready to use.
Chef's Tips
Stir the chilli crisp oil well before measuring it out — the fried garlic and chilli solids settle at the bottom of the jar, so a properly mixed spoonful gives you a balanced hit of both oil and crunch rather than just the oil.Mix gently rather than stirring vigorously — the base mayo is already emulsified, and overworking it here risks loosening that emulsion instead of just folding the new ingredients through.Taste and adjust the seasoning at the end, as written — chilli crisp brands vary a lot in saltiness and heat, so this step matters more here than usual.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate for up to 4 days in an airtight jar or container. Freezing isn't recommended, since the raw-egg base will split once thawed. No reheating required — this one's served cold.
Serving 2tbspCalories 332.5kcalCarbohydrates 0.8gProtein 1.3gFat 36.1gSodium 239mgFiber 0.5gSugar 0.2g
Tartare Sauce
Ingredients
- 250 g Mayonnaise
- 2 slices Dill Pickle Minced
- 1 Shallot Diced
- 20 g Capers Minced
- 5 g Flat Leaf Parsley Chopped
- ¼ Lemon Juiced
- 15 g Dijon Mustard
- Salt & Pepper
Method
- Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and mix well to combine. Check the seasoning and adjust with salt and white pepper as needed. Transfer to an airtight jar and refrigerate until ready to use.
Chef's Tips
Mince the pickles, shallot and capers finely and evenly — uneven mincing is what makes some bites chunky and flavourful while others taste like plain mayo.Pat the minced pickles and capers dry if they're carrying a lot of brine — too much liquid can thin out the mayo base more than you want.Decide chunky or smooth intentionally rather than doing both: mix by hand in a bowl for the classic chunky tartare texture, or blend briefly with an immersion blender if you want it smoother and more spreadable — just don't over-blend, or you'll purée the pickles and capers and lose the texture entirely.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate for up to 4 days in an airtight jar or container. Freezing isn't recommended, since the raw-egg mayo base will split once thawed. No reheating required — this one's served cold.
Serving 2tbspCalories 284.8kcalCarbohydrates 1gProtein 1.4gFat 31.1gCholesterol 34.8mgSodium 137.3mgFiber 0.3gSugar 0.4g
Outback Sauce
Ingredients
- 250 g Mayonnaise
- 4 g Smoked Paprika
- 4 g Garlic Powder
- 20 g Tomato Ketchup
- 20 g Creamed Horseradish
- 15 ml Worcestershire Sauce
- Salt & Pepper
Method
- Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and mix well to combine. Check the seasoning and adjust with salt and white pepper as needed. Transfer to an airtight jar and refrigerate until ready to use.
Chef's Tips
Add the horseradish gradually and taste as you go — brands vary a lot in heat intensity, so it's easy to overpower the rest of the sauce if you add it all at once without checking.Whisk the smoked paprika and garlic powder in first before the wetter ingredients — this helps them disperse evenly through the mayo instead of clumping.Let the sauce sit in the fridge for at least 15–20 minutes before serving if you have time — this gives the Worcestershire and horseradish a chance to meld into the mayo rather than tasting separate.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate for up to 4 days in an airtight jar or container. Freezing isn't recommended, since the raw-egg mayo base will split once thawed. No reheating required — this one's served cold.
Serving 2tbspCalories 296.8kcalCarbohydrates 3.1gProtein 1.6gFat 31.5gSodium 176.5mgFiber 0.3gSugar 1.5g
Ranch Sauce
Ingredients
- 250 g Mayonnaise
- 120 g Sour Cream
- 60 ml Buttermilk
- 2 g Fresh Dill
- 2 g Flat Leaf Parsley
- 2 g Fresh Chives
- 4 g Onion Powder
- 4 g Garlic Powder
- ¼ Lemon, Juiced
- Salt & Ground White Pepper
Method
- Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and mix well to combine. Check the seasoning and adjust with salt and white pepper as needed. Transfer to an airtight jar and refrigerate until ready to use.
Chef's Tips
Finely slice the chives rather than chopping them roughly — chives bruise and turn slimy if cut too coarsely or with a dull knife, which can make the ranch look muddy instead of fresh and flecked.Let the sauce sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving, if you have time — ranch is one of those sauces that genuinely improves once the buttermilk and herbs have had a chance to meld.Thin with a little extra buttermilk if using it as a dressing rather than a dip — the consistency as written is closer to dip thickness, and a dressing usually wants to be pourable.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate for up to 4 days in an airtight jar or container. Freezing isn't recommended, since the raw-egg mayo base and sour cream will split once thawed. No reheating required — this one's served cold.
Serving 2tbspCalories 325.8kcalCarbohydrates 1.8gProtein 2.1gFat 35gCholesterol 46.5mgSodium 52mgSugar 1.3g
Recipe Notes
How To Make Mayonnaise By Hand
Start the base
Whisk together the egg, mustard, and vinegar (or lemon juice) in a bowl until smooth and slightly thickened.
Begin emulsifying:
While whisking constantly, add the oil very slowly, drop by drop at first. This is crucial—go too fast, and the mayo can break. Once it thickens and emulsifies, you can increase to a slow, steady stream.
Keep whisking:
Continue pouring and whisking until all the oil is incorporated. The mixture should be thick and glossy.
Season:
Whisk in a pinch of salt, taste, and adjust with more salt, lemon juice, or mustard if needed. Only season if you’re only making the mayonnaise. If you’re using this recipe as a base, season after adding additional ingredients.
Storage Instructions
Store all the mayonnaise and sauce recipes in a clean, sterilised jar or container. All these mayonnaise and sauce recipes will last up to 1 week in the fridge. If using store-bought mayonnaise, it will last up to 2 weeks.
Watch How To Make The Recipe
Did You Like This Recipe?
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Not tried yet but it sure will be delicious. All the recipes i tried so far are goooood.
Question: how long and how can you store it? Or is it a one time use?
Hey Irm, Thank you. All of these sauces are fantastic. I highly recommend the herby mayo and outback sauce. The storage info is on this page. Its 1 week for homemade mayo and if using store bought, youll get up to 2 weeks.