Guy Fieri's Donkey Sauce Is Really Just Mayo with Stuff In It  (2024)

There are a few things that Guy Fieri is known for: his meticulously spiked hair, high-fiving chefs on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, and Donkey Sauce. Fieri's off-white condiment seems to come on just about everything at Guy's American Kitchen and Bar in Times Square. You may remember Pete Wells' deeply offended review of the restaurant in which he described Donkey Sauce as "Miracle Whip with minced raw garlic." And as it happens, he wasn't too far off. Recently, Fieri admitted that Donkey Sauce is aioli, or mayonnaise's not-too-distant cousin. While mayonnaise and aioli are made from the same emulsion of egg yolk, lemon juice, oil, and a little mustard, aioli typically has garlic paste whisked into the mixture as well.

Fieri explained the origins of Donkey Sauce years ago: Apparently, working in a cruise ship kitchen, he heard one cook say to the other, "You have to put sauce on the burgers or you're a jackass." The other chef, a non-native English speaker, asked for an explanation of the word "jackass." After a definition was given, he said, "Oh, so it's donkey sauce." And voila, the most reviled condiment in culinary history was born.

In a recent interview with Thrillist, Fieri set the record straight about Donkey Sauce: "It's aioli. ... I called it Donkey Sauce because you have to make fun of it." Fair enough. The Donkey Sauce recipe is actually mayo, combined with roasted garlic, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper. That's it.

If you want to make Donkey Sauce for your Fourth of July burgers, be my guest. Just maybe don't invite Pete Wells.