If you’re looking for a decent and healthier alternative to Mayonnaise in a spicy Mayo recipe, look no further than the chilled container of Greek yogurt sitting in the frozen section of your grocery store.
Don’t worry, we’ll explain all the whats and whys of the substitution in the rest of the article.
Can You Use Greek Yogurt As Mayo?
Yes, you can use Greek yogurt as a direct substitute for mayonnaise in various recipes including spicy Mayo, but the taste and texture of the final dish may be different, albeit, not terrible!
Greek yogurt and mayonnaise are not identical twins when it comes the way they taste (obviously a case for kewpie mayo); the former has a tangier/sour taste and is thicker in texture (though if you mix the water that normally sits above the thick mass of yogurt, you could end up thinking it out a bit more), while mayonnaise is more on the side of neutral and creamy.
Even with this distinction, Greek yogurt and mayonnaise are still interchangeable in many recipes, without any consequences.
Besides, there’s tons of benefits for ditching the bottle of Mayo and going for the thicker bottle of strained yogurt.
For example:
Greek yogurt, even the full fat option, has significantly fewer fat and subsequently calorie content than any type of mayonnaise out there: talk about roughly 5g of fat and 100 calories per 100g of full fat Greek yogurt, compared to the 72g of fat and 670 calories per 100g of mayonnaise.
The lower fat and calorie content makes Greek yogurt a better option for those looking to maintain or lose weight, or are generally looking to reduce their overall calorie or fat intake for one reason or the other.
Greek yogurt is also an excellent source of highly bioavailable protein — a better one than mayonnaise, with about 10g of protein per 100g serving compared to just 1g of protein per 100g of mayonnaise serving.
Protein is an essential nutrient for building muscle mass as well as maintaining it, and it also helps with the feeling of satiation by increasing the levels of appetite-suppressing hormones which is super helpful when it comes to weight management.
Aside from that, many unsweetened greek yogurt brands contains a good amount of live active bacteria cultures, also known as probiotics, which are bacteria that are super beneficial for gut health because they help to support the already thriving population of good bacteria in there from being overwhelmed by bad bacteria somewhere along the line, thereby promoting digestive health, immunity, and even promoting regular movement of bowel. Mayonnaise, on the other hand, does not contain probiotics.
Both Mayo and Greek yogurt also have a low cholesterol level which means they’re both one step closer towards reducing the risks of heart disease.
And lastly, greek yogurt is loaded with an abundance of minerals and vitamins such as zinc, calcium, cobalamin and vitamins B6, B5 and B12.
These nutrients contribute to a healthy bone, muscle function and energy production, among a myriad of the vital functions they perform in the body.
While mayonnaise also contains some nutrients, its overall nutritional profile is not as impressive as that of Greek yogurt.
Here’s a side-by-side comparison of Greek yogurt and mayonnaise (based on 1 tablespoon serving size 14g):
- Calories: 14
- Total Fat: 0.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.6 g
- Cholesterol: 3 mg
- Sodium: 9 mg
- Protein: 1 g
- Calories: 90-100
- Total Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.6 g
- Cholesterol: 5.8 mg
- Sodium: 88 mg
- Protein: 0.1 g
What Type Of Greek Yogurt To Use As A Substitute For Mayo In Spicy Mayo?
What type of Greek yogurt to use really tailors down to your specific dietary needs as well as flavor and taste preference.
Feel free to opt for a plain, full-fat or low-fat version, depending on which suits your situation best.
When going with the low-fat version, make sure to pay attention to the overall sugar content, as sometimes the decrease in flavor that accompanies the reduction in fat content is often balanced out with the addition of sugar.
Here are some popular brands to look out for include:
- Oikos (by Dannon)
- Stonyfield
- Fage
- Chobani
- Siggi’s
- Wallaby Organic
How Much Greek Yogurt To Substitute For Mayonnaise?
When substituting Greek yogurt for mayonnaise in a recipe, a 1:1 ratio almost always works well, meaning that you’ll replace the same amount of mayonnaise with Greek yogurt.
For instance, if your recipe calls for 1 cup of mayonnaise, you should use 1 cup of Greek yogurt instead.
However, if you want to retain some of that familiar and delicious mayonnaise flavor (fat), you can use a combination of Greek yogurt and mayonnaise, but it should never exceed the recommended amount in the recipe.
So, this time, in the same 1 cup scenario, you can use half cup Greek yogurt and half cup mayonnaise.
Spicy Mayo With Greek Yogurt Recipe
Making spicy mayo using Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise is quite simple.
Here’s a simple recipe for that:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (full-fat or low-fat)
- 2 – 3 tablespoons Sriracha sauce (or any other hot sauce of your choice)
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice or lime juice
- Salt to taste
Instructions:
Combine everything in a small mixing bowl and taste to adjust the seasoning and level of heat using the sriracha as well as other ingredients such as cumin, cayenne pepper and smoked paprika.
You can even add sugar if you feel like the mixture lacks sweetness, and some bit of water to thin out the mixture.
What Can You Put The Spicy Mayo On?
Here are some ideas on how to use the explosive spicy mayo you just created:
- Use it to eat tacos and quesadillas
- Use it as a dip for fries, sweet potato wedges, onion rings and grilled or roasted veggies.
- Use it to compliment seafood dishes like crab cakes or roasted shrimp.
- Pair it with roasted, grilled or baked poultry.
- Use it as a replacement for Mayo in deviled eggs
- Use it as a topping for loaded baked potatoes
- Drizzle it on Sushi and poke bowls
- Use it as a spread on burgers, sandwiches and wraps.
- Use it as a salad dressing
In short, try it out in many situations where you’d use a normal mayonnaise. It may work, it may not, but most of the time, it will.
