22 Uses for Mayonnaise You Probably Didn’t Know About (2024)

RD.COM Food

22 Uses for Mayonnaise You Probably Didn’t Know About (1)

ByJeff Bogle

Updated: Aug. 08, 2024

    The reliable creamy condiment is so versatile in the kitchen, as we learned by hanging out in Hellmann's test kitchen with actress and author Ellie Kemper, but you may be surprised to know that mayonnaise's many uses don't end there.

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    22 Uses for Mayonnaise You Probably Didn’t Know About (2)

    courtesy Jeff Bogle

    Upping the ante on grilled cheese

    To produce a rich, golden crust on your kid’s grilled cheese, or better yet, on your decadent adult version with caramelized onions, braised beef short rib, and Gruyere, brush the outside of a crusty Italian bread with Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise instead of butter as Ellie Kemper, one of the stars of Bridesmaids, demonstrates. The result is the most gourmet, Instagram-worthy meal you can produce in only minutes. Mayonnaise truly is the secret to making the best grilledcheese ever.

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    22 Uses for Mayonnaise You Probably Didn’t Know About (3)

    Africa Studio/Shutterstock

    Secret ingredient for the moistest cake ever

    What is mayo, really? Eggs and oil, which is what’s probably going in your cake recipe anyway. But adding straight Hellmann’s Mayonnaise to your cake mix will produce the moistest cakes you’ve ever baked. Weird, we know, but you’re welcome!

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    22 Uses for Mayonnaise You Probably Didn’t Know About (4)

    rattiya lamrod/Shutterstock

    Make your plants shine

    Everyone has a plant or two adorning their home, the neglected leaves of which are, probably, dull and dusty. Shake off that accumulated dust, put a dab of mayo on a cloth, and wipe each leaf giving them a shine. Mayo gives your plants new life, just like these hacks and tips for healthy houseplants.

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    22 Uses for Mayonnaise You Probably Didn’t Know About (5)

    courtesy Jeff Bogle

    A green goddess of a dip

    Sure, guacamole is delicious but a surefire way to blow your guests’ minds during your next summertime picnic is to whip up a batch of green goddess dressing by smashing together avocados, green onion, lime juice, parsley, basil, and garlic mayonnaise. The result is an epic dip for chips as well as for a darling crudités platter.

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    22 Uses for Mayonnaise You Probably Didn’t Know About (6)

    courtesy Jeff Bogle

    French fry condiment

    If you’ve ever been to Europe, specifically the tasty trio of France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, you may not be surprised to see mayonnaise drizzled or lumped unceremoniously atop a paper cone of frites. There’s a reason why—it is sublime! Try mayo instead of ketchup the next time you order a basket of fries no matter where you are. Here’s why American’s put ketchup on their fries instead of mayo.

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    22 Uses for Mayonnaise You Probably Didn’t Know About (7)

    Fevziie/Shutterstock

    Sunburn soother

    For when you run out of aloe or that expensive after-sun lotion you bought in a panic when your kid was crying in pain after a hot day at the beach, crack open a jar of mayo and rub some cool, creamy mayo on you or your kiddo’s sunburn. The soothing impact is instant…as is the urge to lick it off.

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    22 Uses for Mayonnaise You Probably Didn’t Know About (8)

    AtlasStudio/Shutterstock

    White barbecue sauce

    For BBQ sauce every bit as creamy as it is smokey, give this super simple and quick Alabama white barbecue sauce recipe a try the next time you smoke ribs or grill chicken. You may never go back to that store-bought reddish-brown BBQ sauce again.

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    22 Uses for Mayonnaise You Probably Didn’t Know About (9)

    Aleydah G/Shutterstock

    The surprise in lemon surprise bars

    The crust of these light, summery sweet bars are made with only three ingredients: flour (2 cups), mayo (3/4 cup), and sugar (1/2 cup). When topped with sugar (1 1/2 cups), all-purpose flour (1/4 cup), four eggs, and the juice of two lemons, then baked in two stages (crust alone for 15 minutes, crust with topping for another 20) at 350 degrees in a 13×9 pan lined with foil, these bars will quickly become a family favorite you won’t mind making because your kitchen barely gets dirty during baking.

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    22 Uses for Mayonnaise You Probably Didn’t Know About (10)

    Yupa Watchanakit/shutterstock

    Sticker residue remover

    This mayo hack from One Good Thing by Jillee is pure genius: We’ve all bought a super cute mason jar or similarly adorable decorative items only to find that the price and bar code stickers refuse to come off without leaving behind a sticky residue. Mayo can help! Get as much of the stickers off as you can with your fingers, then apply a thick layer of mayonnaise and let it sit for a few minutes. The fat in the mayo will start to dissolve the adhesive allowing you to simply rub away the rest. Note: mayonnaise also works to help remove that bumper sticker you regret putting on your car.

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    22 Uses for Mayonnaise You Probably Didn’t Know About (11)

    courtesy Jeff Bogle

    Grilled street corn topping

    Instead of boring old butter, stir some garlic, ginger, lime, and Sriracha together with mayo then liberally brush that creamy spread on the corn as it comes in hot off the grill. If you like the taste of cilantro, sprinkle some of the greenery atop the finished product to give your grilled corn a gourmet restaurant presentation.

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    22 Uses for Mayonnaise You Probably Didn’t Know About (12)

    MosayMay/Shutterstock

    Hair conditioner

    Per our pals at Taste of Home, “the egg yolk in mayo is naturally moisturizing as well as nourishing because it is rich in fats and proteins.” If you can stomach it while naked and wet, “apply mayonnaise to hair like you would any conditioner, let sit for 20 minutes and then rinse and cleanse with a gentle shampoo.” Try these 19 hair home remedies to treat all your hair woes.

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    22 Uses for Mayonnaise You Probably Didn’t Know About (13)

    Elena Veselova/Shutterstock

    Make kale and quinoa tasty for nonbelievers

    Kale and quinoa are extremely healthy but some folks still are not on board because of taste and/or texture. Mix Hellmann’s or Best Foods Vegan Carefully Crafted Dressing and Sandwich Spread with chopped shallots, fresh dill, white balsamic vinegar, and Dijon mustard along with cooked quinoa and baby kale to produce the most flavorful way to introduce kale and quinoa to nonbelievers.

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    22 Uses for Mayonnaise You Probably Didn’t Know About (14)

    Anna Shepulova/Shutterstock

    The healthiest kind of French fries

    No frying oil and no potatoes are used in the making of these healthy French fries! Brush a baking sheet with mayo then cut a small zucchini into sticks and place neatly on the sheet. Brush the veggies with more mayo before coating them with a panko bread crumb and Parmesan cheese mixture. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes and never look at zucchini the same way again.

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    22 Uses for Mayonnaise You Probably Didn’t Know About (15)

    KayaMe/Shutterstock

    Clean your home

    It is possible that mayo might be magic. Not only can it be used to make everything from barbecue sauce to cake, according to Taste of Home, mayonnaise is capable of cleaning nearly as good as baking soda. Some mayo on a clean cloth will remove fingerprints from stainless steel appliances, take watermarks away from wood furniture, and, get this, make crayon scribbles disappear from your child’s playroom!

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    22 Uses for Mayonnaise You Probably Didn’t Know About (16)

    vm2002/shutterstock

    Thanksgiving’s golden brown surprise

    Rub Tom Turkey with mayo before popping him in the oven and when the timing goes off hours later, your bird will be Instagram fabulous.

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    22 Uses for Mayonnaise You Probably Didn’t Know About (17)

    Littlekidmoment/Shutterstock

    Head lice treatment

    We haven’t tried this yet (and hope we never have to!) but when it comes to lice in our kid’s hair we are open to any and all ideas to quickly and painlessly kill them all. One Good Thing tells us to apply mayo to the affected hair, cover completely with a shower cap, and sleep on it. In the morning, comb out the hair then shower and, with luck, the lice will be dead and gone forever. If you like this, you’ll appreciate these other home and beauty uses for mayonnaise, too.

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    22 Uses for Mayonnaise You Probably Didn’t Know About (18)

    Rimma Bondarenko/Shutterstock

    A burger binding agent

    You may enjoy a smear of mayo atop a burger with a swirl of ketchup too but try putting mayo into the ground meat mixture (maybe with some ground brisket and short rib to take your grilling game up a level this year). The oil and egg will bind the meat together perfectly and help to make every bite extra decadent.

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    22 Uses for Mayonnaise You Probably Didn’t Know About (19)

    Prostock-studio/Shutterstock

    Cuticle repair

    Honestly, the best part of using the fat in mayo to both repair cuticles and at the same time strengthen fingernails and moisten dry skin is getting to lick your digits clean after the at-home mayonnaise treatment is finished. Try using mayo to soften your dry, callous feet too. Here are 8 other natural ways to get amazing skin.

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    22 Uses for Mayonnaise You Probably Didn’t Know About (20)

    from my point of view/Shutterstock

    10-minute biscuits

    This recipe is a real surprise! Mayo in biscuits? Yep, together with just 2 cups of flour, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 3/4 cup of milk, just a 1/2 cup of Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise will deliver shockingly scrumptious biscuits in only ten minutes at 450 degrees after dropping 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto an ungreased baking sheet.

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    22 Uses for Mayonnaise You Probably Didn’t Know About (21)

    Piyawat Nandeenopparit/Shutterstock

    Gum be gone

    It is inevitable that every single child will eventually get gum stuck in their hair. Instead of busting out the scissors, open the fridge and grab some mayo. According to Rachel Ray Every Day, “the natural emulsifiers [of mayonnaise] may help soften the sticky gum,” making it easier to remove, thus leaving their precious locks intact. Should you keep your mayo in the fridge? Here’s where the condiment storage debate ends.

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    22 Uses for Mayonnaise You Probably Didn’t Know About (22)

    Ratov Maxim/Shutterstock

    Easy vegetarian summer rolls

    Buy a pack of spring roll wrappers this summer to make an easy vegetarian treat to serve at a backyard picnic or just simply as a delicious veggie-filled lunch on a random weekday. Mix together some Hellmann’s Organic Chipotle Mayonnaise with thin strips of cucumber, matchstick carrots, broken-up thin prepared rice noodles, and sliced green onion. Fill the roll wrappers according to the package directions and voila, you’ve used mayonnaise to quickly make a light, healthy meal or snack.

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    22 Uses for Mayonnaise You Probably Didn’t Know About (23)

    ANUCHA PONGPATIMETH/Shutterstock

    A clean WD-40 alternative

    Don’t have any WD-40 on hand to silence that squeaky door? No worries, because mayonnaise does the trick as well and without the inevitable oil drips on the floor. Just put a dab of mayo into any squeaky door or cabinet joint or hinge and let the magic properties of this delicious oily condiment go to work. And if you do have WD-40 on hand, you’ll definitely want to know these 46 amazing uses for it.

    Originally Published: August 22, 2019

    Author

    Jeff Bogle

    Jeff is a freelance writer covering travel, cars and parenting for Reader's Digest. In addition to contributing to numerous national publications, including the Washington Post, Esquire, Travel + Leisure and Fodor’s, he has written two parenting books, including the guided journal 100 Questions for Dad. An award-winning photographer, he lives in ...

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    22 Uses for Mayonnaise You Probably Didn’t Know About (24)

    22 Uses for Mayonnaise You Probably Didn’t Know About (2024)

    FAQs

    What can mayonnaise be used for? ›

    Mayonnaise is an incredibly versatile ingredient in the kitchen. Of course, it's the star of the show for many sandwiches, including BLTs and chicken salad. Mayonnaise also serves as the base for most of your favorite cold salads, such as macaroni salad, potato salad, and broccoli salad.

    What can you use old mayonnaise for? ›

    The Mayo Clinic - 9 Unusual Uses for Mayonnaise
    • Step 1: Polishing Ivory Piano Keys. ...
    • Step 2: Conditioning Dry, Brittle Hair. ...
    • Step 3: Exfoliating Your Skin. ...
    • Step 4: Cleaning Up Crayon Marks. ...
    • Step 5: Strengthening Fingernails. ...
    • Step 6: Removing Tar, Sap, and Sticker Residue. ...
    • Step 7: Restoring Wood Furniture. ...
    • Step 8: Removing Rings.

    What is a random fact about mayonnaise? ›

    9 Things You Should Probably Know About Mayonnaise
    • Mayonnaise can be made with nothing more than oil, egg yolks and lemon juice (or vinegar). ...
    • Barack Obama hates mayonnaise. ...
    • Many of our favorite condiments are made with mayo as their base. ...
    • It's most commonly believed that mayonnaise was invented in 1756 by a French chef.
    Sep 18, 2015

    What was mayonnaise originally used for? ›

    According to culinary historians, mayonnaise was first prepared by a French chef in 1756 as a part of a victory feast for capturing the Port Mahon located on the island of Minorca, Spain. In those days, sauces were prepared by combining cream and eggs.

    What is mayo most commonly used for? ›

    Mayonnaise (/ˌmeɪəˈneɪz/), colloquially referred to as "mayo" (/ˈmeɪoʊ/), is a thick, cold, and creamy sauce commonly used on sandwiches, hamburgers, composed salads, and French fries. It also forms the base for various other sauces, such as tartar sauce, fry sauce, remoulade, salsa golf, ranch dressing, and rouille.

    Is there anything good about mayonnaise? ›

    Source of vitamins: Mayonnaise contains vitamins E and K, which support immune function and blood clotting, respectively. Provides choline: Egg yolks in mayonnaise are a good source of choline, essential for brain and nervous system function.

    What makes mayonnaise go bad? ›

    It's the inclusion of egg (typically just the yolk) that makes mayo perishable. "Traditionally, mayonnaise is made with raw egg yolks, and therefore carries a slight risk of salmonella infection," explains food scientist Harold McGee in his book On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen.

    What can you do with out of date mayonnaise? ›

    For safety reasons, it's suggested not to eat mayonnaise after the expiration date on the jar. Unopened jars of mayo that have been sitting in the pantry should be thrown out once it is a week past their best-by date. Opened jars, when refrigerated, should be thrown out by the one-month mark past its best-by date.

    How long until mayo goes bad? ›

    Mayonnaise. If you regularly make dishes like sandwiches and pasta salad, there's a good chance you have a jar of mayonnaise in the fridge. That opened container of mayonnaise will last for about two months, so long as it's stored properly, says Baker.

    Why people don t eat mayonnaise? ›

    "Its viscous quality is the sort of thickness that you'd get from fluid oozing out of a rotted carcass as anyone who has ever poked a rotted squirrel with a stick can attest," Pierre-Louis writes. "Disgust also tends to align strongly with our revulsion about bodily fluids."

    What is the most famous mayonnaise? ›

    Real Mayonnaise Hellmann's

    What culture eats the most mayonnaise? ›

    Mayonnaise is a customary, prized food in Russia

    The world's largest nation's infatuation with mayonnaise is nothing new, as the condiment has a rich Russian history. It was first introduced to the country in the mid-19th century, and quickly became a favorite among the upper classes.

    What is Russian mayonnaise? ›

    Russian mayonnaise pours, it is is not thick and stiff like American mayonnaise. It is slightly more mustardy and acidic. It also does not have that nasty soy bean oil after taste present in American mayonnaise. Never, ever substitute any oil for refined sunflower oil.

    What is the oldest brand of mayonnaise? ›

    Schlorer's Mayonnaise is credited as being the first mayonnaise put in jars and sold commercially, in 1907. The first products trademarked by the Schlorer Delicatessen Company were Mrs. Schlorer's Mayonnaise and Mrs. Schlorer's Olivenaise in 1917.

    What was mayonnaise first name? ›

    Antoine Careme, the chef often credited with inventing haute cuisine, liked to call his mayonnaise "magnonnaise," claiming that the word was derived from the French verb manier, which meant "to stir," thanks to the continuous stirring necessary to make a good batch.

    Can you freeze mayonnaise? ›

    In terms of food safety, mayo can be safely frozen, defrosted, and eaten. Freezing can help mayo last up to three months, but that doesn't mean it will be the same when you thaw it. Mayo is a permanent emulsion, a stable and cohesive blend of water (from eggs and vinegar) and oil.

    Can mayonnaise be used in pizza? ›

    Cheesy Mayo Pizza Recipes

    The addition of Hellmann's mayo to your sauce enhances the sweetness and delightful acidity of the tomato base, and creates a unique flavour that's the perfect complement to any cheese topping.

    Can you add mayonnaise to hot potatoes? ›

    Not Dressing The Potatoes at The Right Time

    When using vinaigrette, don't let the potatoes cool before dressing them. And when making a mayonnaise-based potato salad, stay away from dressing warm potatoes. The hot potatoes will cause the mayonnaise to melt and become oily.

    What does mayonnaise remove? ›

    Mayonnaise is an effective DIY treatment for water stains because it contains egg yolk, oil, and vinegar. The fat from the egg yolks and oil penetrates into the finish and replaces the moisture from the water stain. Meanwhile, the mild acidity from the vinegar helps break down the stain.

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