This smoked paprika mayo sauce comes together super easily, taking just 5 minutes from start to finish and made with only 5 ingredients. This smoky mayo pairs perfectly with a variety of foods, whether drizzled on top of fish or shrimp tacos, served with chicken wings or nuggets, or used as a dip for fries or tater tots. Just blend the ingredients together in a food processor or blender, and you’re ready to enjoy a flavorful sauce that adds a smoky kick to any dish.
This smoked paprika sauce was born when I made my grilled shrimp lettuce wrap tacos to add a little extra zip.
But I hadn’t thought about what all it could be used for in addition to that!
My go to sauce is my easy burger sauce – it has just 4 ingredients and is honestly really versatile. But this smoky mayo comes in right behind it!
While it is great on tacos, it’s also a great dipping sauce for things like chili lime chicken thighs and grilled potato slices.
And when I say that it can be made in just 5 minutes, I really mean it. It’s so super easy and can help pack a lot of flavor into a meal.
So scroll down to see the step by step pictures and instructions, as well as serving suggestions, to get the most out of this paprika mayo sauce.
Grab these 5 ingredients
(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.)
- Mayonnaise – I make this sauce with avocado oil mayo, but you can use whatever type you like.
- Spices – you just need garlic powder and smoked paprika. Make sure it’s smoked and not regular paprika as the smoky flavor is essential for this sauce.
- Lime juice – I prefer fresh lime juice versus bottled, but either can work for this recipe.
- Kosher salt – this recipe calls for Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which is my preferred salt. It is less salty by volume than other salts which means it leaves a little more room for error when salting your food. If you are using a different type of salt (kosher or otherwise), you’ll want to use this salt conversion chart from Epicurious to determine how much salt to use.
How to make smoked paprika mayonnaise sauce
(Note: please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the complete written instructions.)
This sauce is so easy to make it barely constitutes a recipe.
You just measure out the ingredients and mix them together until it’s all combined and you’re done!
What can you use smoked paprika sauce for?
There are a number of different way you can use this sauce. Here are some of my family’s favorites!
- On top of fish or shrimp tacos – in fact, my grilled shrimp lettuce tacos are what I created this sauce for!
- A dipping sauce for foods like chicken nuggets, chicken wings, fries, and tots (we love dipping either grilled russet potato wedges or grilled sweet potato wedges in it).
- On the top or the side of lightly seasoned chicken, like these smoked chicken breast or these simple grilled chicken thighs.
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5-Minute Smoked Paprika Mayo Sauce
Equipment
- A small food processor or blender
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayo
- 1 tbsp lime juice (either bottled or from ½ a small lime)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Use measuring cups and spoons to measure out the ingredients with then add them to a small food processor or blender. Place the lid on and blend gently until the ingredients start to combine (10-15 seconds).
- Stop the blender and use a spatula or other utensil to scrape the edges and get any stuck bits of spices or mayo off the sides. Put the lid back on and blend again until everything is well mixed (no more than 30 seconds).
- Use the sauce immediately or store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
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