What Is Buttermilk mayonnaise and How Can I Use It?
Here's everything worth knowing about buttermilk mayonnaise and how to pick it, what it is, how to store it, and what to use instead, plus 1 recipe to cook tonight.
Key Points
- Buttermilk mayonnaise is mayo thinned and soured with buttermilk into a pourable, tangy dressing.
- It is the base for ranch and creamy herb dressings and dips for vegetables.
- Cultured dairy makes it perishable: keep it cold and use within three to four days.
What is buttermilk mayonnaise?
Buttermilk mayonnaise is regular mayonnaise loosened and soured with buttermilk. Stirring buttermilk into the finished sauce thins it to a pourable consistency and adds a fresh, tangy bite that plain mayo does not have.
It is the backbone of ranch and other creamy herb dressings, where the buttermilk tang is the whole point. For the base sauce it starts from, see mayonnaise.
How to Use It
Think of it as a dressing rather than a spread.
Whisk in herbs, garlic, lemon, or a little vinegar and it coats salad greens, dresses a slaw, or pours over a grain bowl. It works as a dip for vegetables and wings too, and it pairs naturally with crisp, watery things like an Asparagus Salad with Pecans.
Because it is thinner and contains cultured dairy, it is more perishable than straight mayonnaise and does not hold up to heat.
Buying and Storing
Keep it cold and use a homemade batch within three to four days, the same as any buttermilk-based dressing. Stir before each use, since it can separate slightly as it sits.
Quick facts
- In Chinese
- 酪蛋黄酱
- British (UK) term
- Buttermilk mayonnaise
- en français
- babeurre mayonnaise
- en español
- mayonesa suero de leche
Recipes using buttermilk mayonnaise
There are 1 recipe that contain this ingredient.
Asparagus Salad with Pecans
Chilled asparagus salad on red leaf lettuce with a spoonful of buttermilk mayonnaise and chopped pecans. Elegant composed presentation at just 15 calories per serving.
