Recipe Spotlight

Wasabi Mayo Is a Burger Topping with a Kick

Add a little POW to your burgers, seafood sandwiches, and more.
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Published Aug. 3, 2022.

A swipe of regular mayo on a burger is certainly not going to disappoint you. Its high fat content amplifies the burgers’ flavors and brings a luxurious richness to every bite. 

But why settle for simple luxury when you could kick things up a notch with a powerful, nose-clearing hit of heat? Enter: wasabi mayo.

Wasabi, also known as Japanese horseradish, is a pungent, aromatic rhizome often ground into a paste and used as a condiment for sushi. It brings a delightful zip to everything it touches, delivering the same slight burn as spicy mustard or horseradish.

For our wasabi mayo, we use powdered wasabi along with a few shakes of soy sauce for a sauce that will wake up your sandwich and your senses.

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Wasabi mayo can be added to nearly any sandwich to take it to the next level, but it’s especially perfect on a burger. And of course it's a natural pairing with fish. Add wasabi mayo to a tuna or salmon burger, or swap it for regular mayo in your next tuna salad.

This recipe takes hardly any time at all to whip up. You'll just need to set aside 10 minutes to let the flavors meld, giving you time to rinse lettuce or slice tomatoes or think about what side you want to go with your burger (we recommend Grilled Asparagus with Chili-Lime Butter, but classic Thick-Cut Oven Fries would be just as good). 

Remember: A drizzle (or a downpour) of spicy, umami-packed wasabi mayo adds a flavorful, sinus-clearing kick, so proceed with caution. Here’s how to make it.

Wasabi Mayo

SERVES 4 (Makes about 1/4 cup)

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon wasabi powder


Instructions: 

Mix mayonnaise, soy sauce, and wasabi powder together in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until flavors blend, at least 10 minutes.

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

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