Dairy Free Gluten & Grain Free Keto Nut Free Paleo Vegan Whole30

Wasabi Mayonnaise

This Wasabi Mayo recipe comes together with just three ingredients including mayonnaise, wasabi paste, and lemon juice. Creamy, tangy, and slightly spicy, it’s the perfect condiment to add bold flavor to protein, salads, and all your favorite recipes!

I’m a big fan of making my own condiments. In my opinion, it’s the easiest way to achieve the best flavor, plus it allows you to control exactly what goes into your dips, sauces, and marinades, which often eliminates the need for preservatives, unhealthy oils, and refined sugars. However, I have to admit that I was a little intimidated to try my hand at creating wasabi mayo. With the intricate flavor, I thought it had to be difficult to make, but I couldn’t have been more wrong! As it turns out, wasabi mayonnaise is virtually failproof and comes together with just three simple ingredients in a matter of minutes. Now, I’ll never go back to store bought options again! One taste, and I know you’ll feel the same.

Table of Contents

Ingredients You Need To Make This Wasabi Mayo

What Is Wasabi

How To Make This Wasabi Mayo

Can I Use Wasabi Powder

Is This Wasabi Mayo Spicy?

Ways To Use This Wasabi Mayo

How Long Will Wasabi Mayo Last In The Fridge

Wasabi Mayonnaise

Why You Will Love This Wasabi Mayonnaise

A basic recipe with just three simple ingredients minimal prep time and no cooking, you can prepare the mayo in minutes.
With simple instructions, it turns out perfectly from the first time you make it and every time after.
Leftovers store well, so you can prepare a large batch at once, and keep it on hand to add flavor to all your favorite recipes.
You can easily adjust the taste (more lemon juice or wasabi) and texture to suit your preferences and satisfy your taste buds.
Tangy and savory, this condiment can be used to add bold flavor to a wide variety of recipes.
Homemade wasabi mayo is nut-free, gluten-free, and can be made Paleo and Whole30-friendly, too.

Ingredients You Need To Make This Wasabi Mayo

Mayonnaise: any type of store-bought mayonnaise or homemade mayo can be used as the base of the wasabi mayo. Sour cream or Greek yogurt can also be used in place of mayo if needed, but note that the taste and texture will change slightly. If you are vegan feel free to use vegan mayonnaise.
Wasabi Paste: The main ingredient, this is a spicy condiment is a green paste made with the grated rhizome of the wasabi plant. You can find it in the Asian section of your local grocery store, a local Asian grocery store, or online.
Lemon Juice: This helps cut the acidity of the mayo and balances the heat of the wasabi. Freshly squeezed lemon juice is best. Or, rice vinegar will also work. For a richer flavor you can replace the lemon juice with an equal amount of soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos.

What Is Wasabi

Also known as Japanese horseradish, Wasabi is a plant that is part of the Brassicaceae family. It’s often considered to be the root of the plant but is actually a rhizome, which is a fleshy, underground root-like stem that is located between the plant’s leaves and its stem. The rhizome is grated and served fresh, often as a condiment alongside sashimi and sushi.

How To Make This Wasabi Mayo

If preparing your own homemade mayonnaise recipe, do so first. For a creamy homemade mayonnaise recipe, I recommend using a good oil like light olive oil, but any neutral oil such as avocado oil, grapeseed oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil will do. Add the room temperature egg yolk (discarding the egg white from the whole egg), oil of choice, fresh lemon juice, regular or Dijon mustard, and kosher salt to a clean bowl or a wide mouth mason jar. Use an immersion blender, hand blender, or stick blender, high-speed blender, or food processor to blend the ingredients, creating a smooth consistency. If using a high-speed blender or food processor, add the oil last, and drizzle it in a slow, thin stream as the food device runs on low speed to create an emulsion of oil and the remaining ingredients for the best results. Be careful not to add too much oil!
Add the mayonnaise, wasabi paste, and lemon juice to a small bowl.
Whisk until the ingredients are smooth and well combined.
Adjust the ingredients until your desired taste and consistency are achieved.

You can find full step by step instructions in the recipe card below

Can I Use Wasabi Powder

You can use wasabi powder in this recipe, but I don’t recommend replacing it with the wasabi paste completely. Otherwise, the texture of the sauce is likely to become too gritty. Instead, use 1 ½ teaspoons of wasabi powder and 1 ½ teaspoons of wasabi paste. This will create a bolder, spicier flavor without altering the smooth, creamy texture.

Is This Wasabi Mayo Spicy?

Wasabi mayonnaise is spicier than plain classic mayonnaise. However, it’s not as spicy as plain wasabi. When combined, the ingredients create a subtly spicy taste with tangy, pungent, slightly sweet notes. It does require a slightly acquired taste. However, it’s a great option for those who want a little extra flavor with their meals but don’t love a lot of heat! Plus, unlike pre-made wasabi mayo, you can easily adjust the spice level of this homemade version to suit your flavor preferences. For example, feel free to include ground mustard or curry powder for extra tang. Or, include fresh herbs for a bright, refreshing taste that balances some of the heat. You can even add chipotle powder, a dash of hot sauce, or a super spicy wasabi chipotle mayo!

Ways To Use This Wasabi Mayo

I love to use wasabi mayonnaise with traditional Chinese recipes, Japanese recipes, and Asian-inspired meals like Salmon Bowls with Creamy Wasabi Sauce, Sesame Crusted Air Fryer Tuna Steak, Dynamite Shrimp Sushi Bowls, and wagyu burgers. However, it’s also great for adding a richer flavor to steamed or roasted vegetables, brown rice, Asian cabbage salad, skirt steak, or grilled fish. Some people even like to use it in sandwiches, wraps, egg salad, potato salad, chicken salad, and tuna salad. You can also use it in place of or in addition to your favorite salad dressings or alongside soy sauce on sushi night. Or, it makes for a delicious dip, especially when flavored with a touch of lime juice and thinned out with cold water.

Additionally, just because wasabi mayo is commonly used with Asian-inspired meals doesn’t mean you can’t use it to add flavor to a variety of recipes. Feel free to experiment with using it in Mexican recipes, Indian recipes, Thai recipes, Korean recipes, and Italian recipes to create a fusion of flavors! So, feel free to get creative, and experiment to find what combinations you like best!

How Long Will Wasabi Mayo Last In The Fridge

I recommend making this delicious homemade mayo with wasabi in small batches to keep it fresh. When stored in an airtight container, it will last in the fridge for up to one week. Just be sure to give the mixture a good stir before using it to redistribute any of the ingredients that might have separated or settled at the bottom of the jar. Also, make sure to not freeze the mayo as it does not thaw well. Luckily, it’s quick and easy to prepare fresh the next time a craving strikes!

Here are a few more delicious recipes for condiments and dips that you might enjoy:

If you make this Wasabi Mayonnaise recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think, or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!