Chorizo Mayo Is The Dipping Sauce And Burger Topping Of Our Dreams

Sausage-flavored mayo sounds like a tough sell. What about a rich dipping sauce packed full of meaty flavor, topped with crispy morsels of chorizo? Chef Thom Bateman calls it chorizo mayo, a rich sauce that's equal parts savory, zesty, and spicy — perfect for dipping fries or topping burgers.

A recent TikTok from Chef Bateman laid out the recipe in full. It all starts with the chorizo, which you finely dice before adding it to a cold pan with neutral oil. Then, as you raise the heat slowly and gently over the span of 30 minutes, the fat should render out completely. This liquid gold will become the flavorful base of the chorizo mayo. Bateman also adds a pinch of smoked paprika after this step to intensify the red color and sweet smokiness.

Next, you strain off the chorizo bits to save for topping, but don't dump your oil and fat mixture; you'll need this to emulsify in the mayo. Let it cool while you dry out the chorizo bits in the oven for 10 minutes. You can then start whisking together the mayo base, starting with two egg yolks, mustard, sherry vinegar, and lime juice. Once the oil is cooled, you begin adding it in a slow stream to the mayo as you whisk, ensuring the mixture coheres into a smooth, uniform texture. Bateman finishes his mayo with chives and parsley and seasons it to taste with salt and lime juice. Last of all, he tops the mayo with the crispy bits of chorizo from earlier.

Many TikTok commenters seemed to be tantalized by the orange-colored, flavor-packed mayo. One wrote: "This is elite." However, only a handful of viewers seemed to have actually tried making the sauce. Another chimed in: "Tried this. It was a disaster."

@chefthombateman

All about the Sauce, 45 of 50. Chorizo Mayonnaise, this was so delicious I can't even explain the joy it gave it me. Definitely not an everyday sauce but a real winner for a treat! We all deserve one... 100g chorizo 200ml vegetable, sunflower or avocado oil 1 tsp smoked paprika 2 egg yolks 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 1 tbsp Sherry or red wine vinegar Juice of 1/2 lime Handful of flat parsley Handful of chives Salt and lime juice to taste 1. Add the diced chorizo to a cold pan with the oil, bring the heat up gently to render out the fat and crisp up the chorizo add a tsp of smoked paprika and cook for approx 25-30 mins on low. 2. Strain the oil through a sieve and set aside to cool, add the chorizo to a tray and dry out in an oven at 150c for 10 mins 3. Add the yolks, mustard, vinegar and lime to a bowl with a pinch of salt, break it up with a whisk and stream in the now cooled chorizo oil consistently whisking until the mayo forms 4. Add the herbs and season to taste with salt and lime juice #sauce #sauces #series #mayonnaise #chorizo

♬ original sound – Chef Thom Bateman

Anyone who has made mayo from scratch will recognize the building blocks of Bateman's process. Mayo needs an oil component, an emulsifier (usually egg yolks), and flavoring. The chef's twist on the condiment loads the oil — the most abundant ingredient — with chorizo's fat and flavor, giving the usually subtle flavor profile of mayo a gut punch. When finished, chorizo mayo resembles movie theater nacho cheese dip topped with tiny bacon bits. Really, it's a complex, deeply flavored sauce that will elevate anything it's used on.

Bateman is using Spanish chorizo, a cured pork sausage that is flavored with paprika and other aromatics that give it a characteristically spicy, sweet, and smoky flavor. Popularly used to flavor dishes like paella, the sausage has long been a magic ingredient that can enhance main courses and charcuterie platters alike. It's easy to understand why this powerful flavor would go well with a tangy base of mayo — think sriracha or chipotle mayo, only more. Unfortunately, Hellman's hasn't introduced a chorizo flavor yet, so those who are intrigued by the recipe have to take a stab at making it themselves.