What does aioli mean? Aioli is a sauce made by mashing garlic and olive oil into a paste, sometimes with the addition of egg. Traditionally, Spanish-style aioli is a thick paste made only from garlic and olive oil, while French-style aioli often includes egg. Sometimes aioli is used as a fancier word for mayonnaise, especially when it has garlic in it. In all of its forms, aioli is an emulsion, meaning its ingredients are specially blended into smooth consistency. Example: The menu says aioli, but I’m pretty sure this is just mayo.
1895–1900; < French aïoli < Provençal, equivalent to ai garlic (< Latin allium ) + oli oil (< Latin oleum; see oil)
How does aioli compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Aioli is a French sauce made with garlic, egg, and olive oil. If you describe aioli as "fancy mayonnaise," you're not wrong! Although aioli is extremely similar to mayonnaise, there are a few basic differences. While mayo is usually an emulsion of canola oil, egg yolk, vinegar or lemon juice, and salt, garlic is at the heart of aioli. Traditionally, it's made by crushing a lot of garlic and thoroughly mixing it with olive oil (and sometimes egg). Purists insist that this is true aioli, a word that comes from the French ail, "garlic," and the Latin oleum, "oil."
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Sauces like Lemon Garlic Aioli and Spicy Chili Truffle will roll out under a new Minor’s Kitchen brand, inspired by an existing one for professional chefs, Nestlé said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
So, consider this week's column our unofficial Aioli Week™, and if you have any lingering questions about condiments — aioli or not — send them my way at [email protected].
From Salon • Mar. 28, 2021
When I saw this question, my first thought genuinely was aioli — hence why it's making an appearance during Aioli Week ™.
From Salon • Mar. 28, 2021
Aioli should be made no more than a couple of hours in advance.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2014
Salade de Poisson, Aioli, is made by taking any cold fish, say salmon, with this menu.
From Twenty-four Little French Dinners and How to Cook and Serve Them by Moore, Cora
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
