Looking for a dip with a little kick, a little smoke and some decent tang? A smoked paprika aioli fits the bill quite nicely. Whip this up instead of your basic aioli the next time you’re looking to dress up your fried appetizers. It’s a terrific French fry dipping sauce, and it’s a perfect spicy condiment for crab cakes, fried shrimp, calamari and hamburgers, just to name a few.
🌶️ Quick recipe snapshot
| Flavor profile | Creamy and tangy, with wood smoke from the paprika, raw garlic and a squeeze of lemon. |
| Primary heat source | Half a teaspoon of smoked paprika. Hot smoked paprika brings a little heat, and sweet brings none. |
| Heat level | None to mild, depending on the paprika you use. |
| Texture | Smooth and creamy, tinted a soft orange by the paprika. |
| Best uses | French fries, crab cakes, fried shrimp, calamari and burgers. |
| Customization ideas | Hot smoked paprika or cayenne for heat, chipotle for more smoke, Greek yogurt for a lighter dip. |
| Before you start | Five minutes to mix and 30 in the fridge. Check whether your smoked paprika is sweet or hot. |
Flavor notes
Traditional aioli, from Catalonia and Provence, is garlic worked into olive oil, and the name means garlic and oil. This is the shortcut many American menus call aioli: good mayonnaise with garlic stirred in, ready in five minutes with no emulsion to whisk by hand.
The smoked paprika is what makes it. Spanish pimentón de la Vera is dried over oak fires, and that smoke carries right through the mayonnaise. Smoke isn’t heat, though, and a tin of smoked paprika can be sweet, bittersweet or hot. If you want the little kick, buy hot smoked paprika, labeled picante, while sweet smoked paprika, or dulce, gives you all the smoke and none of the burn. Our guide to smoked paprika vs. regular paprika covers the difference.
Garlic paste blends in smoothly, so you won’t get chunks of garlic in the dip. No tube or jar? A small clove grated on a fine grater does the same job, with fresh garlic’s sharper bite.
The lemon is only half a teaspoon, but it keeps the aioli bright next to fried food. And give it the 30 minutes in the fridge the recipe calls for, so it’s cold and the flavors have had time to come together.
Adaptation ideas
Most of these change the heat, the smoke or the richness.
- Want more heat? Use hot smoked paprika, or add a pinch of cayenne.
- Want more smoke? Stir in a little chipotle powder or minced chipotle in adobo, which adds heat along with the smoke.
- Out of smoked paprika? Our list of smoked paprika substitutes has options, though regular paprika gives you the color without the smoke.
- Want it lighter? Use half plain Greek yogurt and half mayonnaise.
- Need more? The recipe doubles easily, so make half a cup for a crowd.
Serving ideas
This aioli is at its best next to anything fried or grilled.
- With fries: French fries, spicy sweet potato fries or roasted potato wedges.
- With seafood: Crab cakes, fried shrimp and calamari.
- On burgers and sandwiches: Spread it on the bun in place of plain mayo.
- With vegetables: Grilled corn, roasted cauliflower or raw vegetables for dipping.
Storage notes
Keep the aioli covered in the fridge, and treat it like the mayonnaise it’s made from. Give it a stir before you serve it.
But it doesn’t freeze well, since mayonnaise-based sauces tend to separate once thawed, and at a quarter cup a batch it’s easy to make fresh whenever you need it.
Like this recipe? You’ll love these too:
- Ancho Aioli: A mild, earthy aioli with lime and a little cumin.
- Harissa Aioli: Big chili flavor and warm spices from harissa paste.
- Fiery Sriracha Fries: Baked fries with sriracha, ready in thirty minutes start to finish.
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Smoked Paprika Aioli
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice fresh
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika sweet (dulce), or hot (picante) for a little heat
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste or 1 small clove, finely grated
Instructions
- Put all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until fully mixed.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes for best taste.
