Chili Lime Mayonnaise for Full GAPS

Chili lime mayonnaise takes a cup of finished homemade mayo and gives it fresh lime, garlic, a little cayenne heat and smoky paprika. It is a cold sauce, so the avocado oil stays unheated. Blend the additions through the mayonnaise until the color is even and there are no pockets of dry spice.

Start with homemade avocado-oil mayonnaise. This recipe seasons the finished condiment; it does not make a new emulsion from raw oil and yolks. The lime juice loosens the mayo, while the zest adds citrus aroma without another pour of liquid.

For a pourable sauce to spread through a salad or meal, make the separate creamy chili lime dressing. It uses juice from five limes rather than the two in this mayonnaise.

Our older children can cook and follow directions, and most of my weekday cooking happens before I leave for second shift. A short recipe is useful, but I still want it to say what goes into the bowl and what the mixture should look like when it is done. Here, having the plain mayonnaise ready is the job to do first. The seasoning and blending come afterward.

Use this creamy sauce with cooked meat or spoon some over scrambled eggs, both serving ideas that suit its lime and chili flavors. You can put a little beside the food and add more as you eat. The garlic and cayenne are noticeable even though this is a small amount of spice across the batch.

Ingredients And Flavor

One cup of finished homemade avocado-oil mayonnaise: Measure the mayonnaise after it has been made. You need a cup of the creamy condiment, rather than a cup of oil plus the other ingredients. A smooth, fully combined plain mayonnaise gives the lime and spices an even base.

Two limes, with zest from one: Use two limes total. Finely zest one before juicing, then juice both and remove the seeds. The zest and juice are listed separately in the card so each amount can scale, but the zested lime is one of the limes you juice. You do not need a third fruit for the zest.

The green outer peel gives a fresh citrus scent. Grate lightly and stop before digging into the white pith. Lime size and juiciness vary, so this recipe uses the juice of the whole fruits rather than promising a fixed tablespoon yield.

Three crushed garlic cloves: Crush them before adding them to the mayonnaise. The processor distributes the garlic through the sauce, but starting with crushed cloves helps avoid leaving a large piece in an otherwise creamy spoonful.

Half a teaspoon of natural sea salt: This is the measured seasoning for the batch. Your homemade mayonnaise already has its own ingredients, including salt. Have that base finished before measuring the cup you will use here.

One-eighth teaspoon of pure cayenne and three-quarters teaspoon of smoked paprika: Cayenne supplies the heat. Smoked paprika supplies the smoky pepper flavor and warm color. Use the single spices, without sugar, starch or seasoning-blend fillers. Measure the small cayenne quantity carefully; it is easier to see in a measuring spoon than when shaking it over the processor.

Full GAPS Ingredients

This is a Full GAPS condiment after the ingredients have been introduced. Dr. Natasha’s Gut and Physiology Syndrome includes avocado oil and describes cold-pressed oils as foods to use unheated. There is no cooking step in this recipe. The homemade mayonnaise supplies the oil and egg yolks, and the added seasonings stay cold with it.

Use homemade mayonnaise rather than assuming a commercial jar has the same ingredients. The linked avocado-oil mayonnaise has its own measured recipe. Finish that base, check that it is creamy with no separate oil remaining, and measure the cup for this sauce.

The ingredient list has no dairy. It does contain egg from the mayonnaise, so it is not an egg-free sauce. Cayenne and paprika are pepper spices. If those foods have not been introduced, keep this recipe for later rather than treating the creamy texture as a reason to use it during early Intro.

For a different chili flavor, try chipotle lime mayonnaise. This version uses measured cayenne and smoked paprika. Choose the recipe whose seasoning you want, and follow that recipe’s quantities.

How To Make Chili Lime Mayonnaise

1. Have The Plain Mayonnaise Ready

Make the homemade avocado-oil mayonnaise first if you do not already have a fresh batch. Measure one cup of the finished mayonnaise. It should be evenly creamy, with no clear oil floating above it.

The five-minute timing for this chili lime recipe assumes that the base is ready. Making the mayonnaise itself is a separate kitchen job. You can prepare it ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator until you are ready to season this portion.

2. Zest And Juice The Limes

Wash and dry the limes. Finely grate the zest from one lime into a small bowl, then juice both fruits. Keep the seeds out of the juice. Crush the garlic and measure the salt, cayenne and smoked paprika.

Zesting is easier before the fruit has been squeezed and softened. Look for fine green flecks rather than long, thick pieces of peel. You should smell the citrus as the outer peel is grated.

3. Load The Food Processor

Put the measured mayonnaise, lime zest, lime juice, crushed garlic, salt, cayenne and smoked paprika into the food-processor bowl. I use my Ninja BN801 food processor for this cold mixing step. Secure the bowl and lid according to the appliance instructions before starting it.

The paprika can sit in orange-red patches on the pale mayonnaise before mixing. The lime juice will look separate at first. Those are the parts you want distributed through the whole sauce, rather than left around the bowl edge.

4. Process Until Evenly Combined

Puree until the ingredients are mixed through. Stop the machine before opening it. If mayonnaise or dry spices remain on the side, scrape them down with the machine stopped, secure the lid again and process until combined.

Look for an even creamy color, with tiny zest flecks and no dry paprika pockets. The mixture should look smooth rather than streaked with clear liquid. Because it contains fresh lime juice, it can be softer than the plain mayonnaise you started with.

There is no need to run the machine for a long fixed time after everything is mixed. Check the actual sauce. A smooth spoonful with the garlic and spices distributed is the useful endpoint.

5. Refrigerate And Serve

Transfer the finished sauce to a clean container, cover it and refrigerate. Use a clean spoon when serving, then return the covered container to the refrigerator.

Spoon a little onto cooked meat or serve it alongside scrambled eggs. Its lime flavor and cayenne warmth are concentrated enough that you can start with a small amount. The recipe card divides the batch into sixteen servings; that is not a promise of an exact finished volume from differently sized limes.

Making It Ahead And Storage

Have the plain mayonnaise ready before you start, and keep it refrigerated while you prepare the limes. You can measure the dry spices together in a small bowl so the cayenne does not get lost among the other jobs.

Store the completed chili lime mayonnaise covered in the refrigerator and use it within three to four days. Start with freshly made mayonnaise when preparing a batch. Flavoring an older jar does not restart its storage time.

A date label is helpful when you have more than one homemade sauce in the refrigerator. Take out the portion you need with a clean utensil instead of leaving the whole container on the table through the meal.

For a doubled batch, follow the doubled amounts in the card, including both the lime-juice and lime-zest lines. Use the same fruits for zest and juice. The mixing method stays the same, with enough room in the processor for the larger batch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Am I Making Mayonnaise From Scratch Here?

You are seasoning mayonnaise that has already been made. Start with one cup of the finished avocado-oil mayonnaise from the linked recipe. The lime, garlic and spices are added after that base is creamy.

Why Are The Zest And Juice Separate In The Card?

The recipe uses zest from one lime and juice from two. Listing them separately lets both quantities double correctly. At the original amount, you still need only two whole limes. Zest one, then juice both.

What Makes It Smoky And What Makes It Hot?

Smoked paprika brings the smoky flavor. Cayenne brings the sharper heat. They have different jobs, so use the measured quantity of each rather than treating them as interchangeable red powders.

Why Is Mine Softer Than Plain Mayo?

You have added the juice of two limes to a cup of mayonnaise. Juicier limes add more liquid, so the final consistency can vary. Check that the mixture is evenly combined rather than expecting the exact stiffness of the original plain mayo.

Can I Use It Warm?

Add it to the food at serving time. This is an unheated mayonnaise sauce, and the cold-pressed avocado oil stays unheated. You do not simmer it into a pan sauce.

Recommended Equipment

Use the Ninja BN801 food-processor bowl, measuring cups and spoons, a fine grater or zester, a citrus juicer and a small bowl for the juice. Keep a spatula ready for scraping the processor with the machine stopped.

A clean covered jar or food-storage container holds the finished sauce. Nothing needs heating, and there is no pan or hot-blending step. Follow the Ninja instructions when handling its sharp removable blade.

More Homemade Sauces For Your Meals

Keep the plain avocado-oil mayonnaise recipe handy as a base, or choose the chipotle lime mayonnaise when you want that different chili flavor. Making each condiment separately lets you measure the amount a meal needs without folding another full recipe into dinner.

My upcoming Sauces, Dressings & Condiments Cookbook will collect more of these homemade options. Visit the WFLI shop for the cookbook collection as it becomes available.