Roasted Red Pepper Aioli with Garlic
This delicious Roasted Red Pepper Aioli with Garlic tastes amazing, doesn’t need many ingredients, and is completely easy to make! And be sure to check out my suggestions for 20 things that would taste great with Red Pepper Aioli!
PIN the roasted red pepper sauce to try it later!
Say hello to one of my favorite sauce recipes when I want something easy but impressive. I first tried this Roasted Pepper Aioli with Garlic when my friend Margarethe made it for a party many years ago, and since then I’ve been eating it on everything! This sauce isn’t spicy, but it’s full of flavor from the roasted red bell peppers and garlic, and slightly creamy from the mayo and olive oil.
Through the years I’ve enjoyed it many times on Grilled Garlic Chicken, frittata, scrambled eggs, and grilled fish. Look below for links to 20 more serving suggestions for this amazing red pepper aioli sauce! And this has become such a favorite for me that I’m featuring it as my Friday Favorites pick for this week; hope you will try it when you need a special sauce to impress your family or friends!
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Roasted Red Peppers in a jar (affiliate link)
- garlic puree or Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
- mayo
- extra-virgin olive oil
- sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Where did my friend first find this Roasted Red Pepper Aioli recipe?
Margarethe found the recipe in Giada’s Family Dinners (affiliate link) where it was served with toasted garlic bread, but as soon as I tasted the red pepper aioli that Margarethe made I started thinking of low-carb options you could eat with it.
What makes this roasted red pepper aioli especially good?
If you google it, there are probably literally hundreds of recipes for roasted red pepper sauce. But I’m all about EASY, and I love that this sauce can start with a jar of roasted red peppers, and it literally takes a few minutes to make with a food processor. Then chill for a few hours and you have an amazing sauce that will impress your friends!
What is Aioli Sauce?
Aioli is a creamy emulsion sauce that’s similar to mayonnaise, and it’s use in cuisines around the world. Although they are similar, classic Aioli is not the same as mayo. Now that Aioli has become trendy though, there are many variations to the sauce, but it almost always contains garlic.
Can you make the red pepper aioli with freshly-roasted red peppers?
You could definitely make the red pepper sauce even more impressive by roasting red peppers on a grill to make the sauce, but I definitely thought it was completely delicious made with Roasted Red Peppers in a jar (affiliate link).
How to make Roasted Red Pepper Aioli with Garlic:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- You could start by roasting red peppers on a grill if you prefer, but I loved the sauce made with Roasted Red Peppers in a jar (affiliate link).
- The original recipe didn’t use the whole jar of peppers, but I adapted it to use 2 whole roasted peppers or a 12 oz. jar of roasted red peppers. If you’re using peppers from a jar, they need to be drained very well.
- Then use a double layer of paper towel and blot both sides of the peppers as dry as you can get them. (Don’t skip doing this or the aioli will be watery.)
- Coarsely chop the peppers (you should have about 1 cup of chopped pepper.)
- Put peppers and garlic in the food processor and process for 20-30 seconds, until peppers are mostly pureed.
- Add the mayo and pulse about 8-10 times, until the mayo is mixed well with the peppers. (You may need to scrape down the sides once or twice.)
- Then leave the motor running and add the olive oil, one tablespoon at a time, while the processor is running.
- Season the finished aioli with a bit of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.
- Using the whole jar of peppers or two whole freshly-roasted red peppers will give you about 1 1/2 cups of red pepper sauce, or about 8 servings if you use 3 tablespoons as the serving size.
- I liked it after it chilled for an hour or two, when the sauce had slightly thickened.
- This will keep for more than a week in the fridge, but it probably won’t last that long.
- And we absolutely loved the sauce on the Grilled Garlic Chicken that was the first thing I tried it on!
20 Things to Eat with Roasted Red Pepper Aioli:
- Greek Meatballs (already tested with the sauce by my friend Bonnie!)
- Air Fryer Turnip Fries
- Pork Tenderloin
- Spicy Grilled Eggplant
- Air Fryer Marinated Chicken Breasts
- Oven-Fried Green Tomatoes
- Rosemary Mustard Grilled Chicken
- Sauteed Scallops with Garlic
- Air Fryer Artichoke Hearts
- Easy Garlic and Lemon Shrimp
- Roasted Asparagus
- Baked Chicken Nuggets
- Air Fryer Pork Loin Roast
- Grilled Boneless Pork Chops
- Baked Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Beef and Sausage Italian Meatloaf
- Grilled Chicken and Veggie Kabobs
- Turkey Parmesan Meatballs
- Spicy Air Fryer Fish
- Grilled Chicken with Tarragon Mustard Marinade
(If anyone tries the sauce paired with other things and finds a winner, please share in the comments!)
Roasted Red Pepper Aioli with Garlic
This Roasted Red Pepper Aioli with Garlic is amazing, and also amazingly easy to make! And once you try this recipe you're going to want to eat it on just about everything.
Ingredients
- one 12 oz. jar roasted red peppers (see notes)
- 1 T garlic puree or minced garlic (or a little less if you’re not that into garlic)
- 1/2 cup mayo (see notes)
- 3 T extra-virgin olive oil
- sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Follow instructions for roasting and peeling freshly roasted red peppers if you’re using fresh peppers. If using a jar of red peppers, put peppers into a colander placed in the sink and let drain for a few minutes. Then use a double layer of paper towels to blot both sides of the peppers, drying them off as much as you can.
- Coarsely chop peppers.
- Put chopped peppers and garlic into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process about 20-30 seconds, until peppers and garlic are finely pureed.
- Add mayo and pulse about 8-10 times, or until mayo is well-mixed with the peppers. (You may need to scrape down the sides with a rubber scraper a few times.)
- Leave the motor running and add the olive oil through the feed tube, 1 T at a time, blending for a few seconds after each tablespoon of oil.
- Season sauce to taste with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.
- I like this best when it’s been chilled for an hour or two, which will slightly thicken the sauce.
- This aioli keeps for at least a week in the fridge, but you probably won’t have it around that long!
Notes
You can use 2 freshly roasted red peppers or about 1 cup diced roasted red pepper if you prefer. I used full-fat mayo, but reduced-fat mayo would also work.
Nutritional information is based on a serving size of three tablespoons of sauce.
Recipe adapted slightly from Giada’s Family Dinners.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 163Total Fat 17gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 14gCholesterol 6mgSodium 161mgCarbohydrates 4gFiber 1gSugar 2gProtein 1g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This roasted red pepper aioli is low-carb, Keto, gluten-free, dairy-free, low-glycemic, Paleo, Whole 30, and even vegan. The sauce has mayo and olive oil, but it has more roasted red pepper than high-fat ingredients, so even if you use full-fat mayo like I did, I think a few tablespoons of this spooned over some lean chicken or fish would be okay for any phase of the original South Beach Diet.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Sauce Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was first posted in 2010 when my friend Margarethe brought it to a party at my house! It was last updated with more information and serving suggestions in 2023.
49 Comments on “Roasted Red Pepper Aioli with Garlic”
Thanks for the recipe. But could you change the title? It’s redundant. “Roasted Red Pepper Aioli with Garlic” – an aioli is with garlic by definition, since “aioli” means garlic mayo (well, literally “garlic and oil”). You wouldn’t publish a recipe for a “guacamole with avocado” or “marinara sauce with tomato” 😉
I am so sorry you are so bothered by that, but these days in order to be successful on the internet recipe titles have to be based on what people are searching for, even when it might not make sense to people who are more knowledgeable about food.
The taste was great, but I found the sauce to be very thin even though I thoroughly dried the roasted red peppers. Next time I’m thinking I will try processing the peppers and then squeeze the excess water out using paper towels or cheesecloth.
Interesting, that wasn’t a problem for me. But the tip you mention should help.
This sauce is delicious and will be on our regular rotation! Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Nutrition facts? please and Thank you
That info is now in the post.
I love this as a duping sauce along with onion marmalade for fried green tomatoes! Yum! It's great with so many sandwiches too!
Michelle, absolutely BRILLIANT to use this for fried green tomatoes! I am going to add a link to here to my recipe for those!
This is fabulous on chickpea fries. I'm pretty sure I ended up on the chick pea fries page from your page but maybe not a direct link. Have had it bookmarked for a long time 🙂
I made this recipe last night, it was really delicious. The aioli could be used on sandwiches or maybe even pasta? I just used the canned red peppers and I am not sure it makes a bit of difference in this recipe (as opposed to roasting your own). It was so good on the chicken, thanks for the recipe!
Barb, you are so welcome. That made me smile!
Just dipped my finger into your aioli and cannot WAIT to put it on my sandwich. YUMMY x 100. Thanks for making us all feel like gourmet cooks!
So glad you liked it!
Tried this last night. I was worried after makin the sauce that it would be too sweet for my personal taste but when combined with the chicken marinated in garlic and lemon juice it was perfect. So tasty! Definitely a new staple in my apartment.
Paula, so glad you enjoyed it, and I love the way you have used it. I'll have to try that myself!
I made this for the first time today and it won't be the last – it's gorgeous. I mixed it with cottage cheese, tomatoes, cucumber, radishes and spring onions, and served it with the grilled garlic chicken. Now trying to decide how to eat the rest of it (although very tempted to tuck in with a spoon! Can't wait to try some of your other recipes now.
Jeanette, that sounds great. Good idea to eat it with asparagus!
Kalyn,I loved this recipe! I'm so glad I tried it…red peppers are one of my favorite ingredients! Tonight I tried it on chicken and steamed asparagus…absolutely delicious :0)
Justin, so glad you liked it. I thought this sauce was addictively good!
Made this tonight over chicken along with your cilantro-ginger rice. It was great!
I had made something like this before, but didn't have mayo and added mangos instead. The mayo gave it a more "sauce" like texture which was what I wanted 🙂 Thanks!
Christie, I would be interested to hear how it works.
I want to try making this using sour cream or perhaps Greek yogurt instead of mayo. I'm not a big fan of mayo. I'll let you know how it goes when I do.
I haven't tried the mayo with olive oil, but most mayo is made with soybean oil, which is also a "good fat."
You mentioned that soybean oil is a “good fat”. That was 13 years ago. I’m wondering if you still hold the same opinion, especially considering soy is genetically modified and is sprayed with the cancer causing weed killer, glyphosate?
I don’t have time to keep up with all the food research these days, let alone go back and edit every opinion I had 13 years ago, and the policy of my site has always been “everyone gets to make their own food choices.” So if you are concerned about soybean oil, definitely use something else.
My mayo of choice is Kraft's reduced fat with olive oil. That way it's mostly "good" fat. And it still tastes great! I've got mine in the fridge chilling now and I can't wait to use it on my leftover chicken for dinner. 🙂
Susie, hope she likes it. It's not overly spicy, but you could certainly add some dried red pepper flakes or hot sauce!
I have a daughter that loves spicy foods and peppers and I am always looking for new recipes to make for her. I can't wait to make this one for her. Thanks for sharing.
Lydia, I'm guessing you'll love it. (And tell Ted thanks again, I love the trivet!)
I can already tell this will become a favorite in our house. It would be delicious on roasted vegetables, or even on an omelet. (And the maker of the trivet loves your photo, by the way.)
Pioneer Cookerella, hope you like it.
Thank you for the awesome recipe! A restaurant I used to work at had a killer red pepper aioli to dip their calamari in, and I've been looking to duplicate it ever since. Can't wait to try!
Beth, that does sound like a lot of work, but lucky you to have them now. I bet you'll fall in love with this sauce.
I've been thinking of playing around with something like this. I canned a bushel of roasted reds last year. Not something I want to do every year LOL. In fact it was a while before I wanted to open a jar. But now I have to give this a try over the weekend. I just might go through those jars pretty quickly.
Beth
Susan, a spoon would work!
I know exactly what I would eat this with – a spoon. Sounds great. I'm a sucker for a good sauce, especially if you toss in a little mayo. Thanks for the recipe – I think. ; )
Cindi, I know what you mean! And really it's great with the bottled peppers.
Meeta, glad you like it. Also my new favorite sauce!
Joanne, so far it's been great on everything I've tried with it.
Cookcat, thanks so much for that nice feedback.
Kalyn, your blog is such a wonderful and helpful site. Every time I visit I always find something great to eat with helpful hints. It is truly inspirational!
The color in this aioli just beckons to me! This does seem like such a multi-purpose spread! Good as a dip for crudites but also for so much more.
oj yum! this is a lovely combination roasted peppers and garlic – i think i found my new favorite sauce!
Oh YUM! I will be buying roasted red peppers on my next trip to the grocery store. I'm so glad that this recipe uses the bottled red peppers, because I probably wouldn't get around to making this if I had to roast the peppers first! I know it's not that hard to do (roasting peppers)…but this is so much easier! Can't wait to taste it!
Erin, not sure why your comment wasn't there when I answered Sangeeta, but have fun trying it.
Amber, glad you like it.
Julie, thanks! I love it.
Sounds seriously delicious!
My garden should have an abundance of red peppers in a few weeks time. This looks like the perfect way to use a few of them. Thanks Kalyn!
Sangeeta, I've been eating it on everything!
This sounds wonderful Kalyn! I love aioli and am really looking forward to trying this!
Hi Kalyn ..
this sauce looks so yummy and gorgeous , i can imagine the possible uses it can have on my table.