Give Homemade Burgers A Boost With A Topping That Inspired One Of Burger King's Best Whopper Sauces

Often, the difference between a good burger and a great burger comes down to toppings. Is the lettuce crispy enough? Is there just the right amount of onion? Did the cheese get a chance to melt? And what about the sauce? Burger King's Peppercorn BLT Whopper is a great example of how the right sauce can put a new spin on a familiar burger. The secret was its creamy peppercorn aioli, which adds a subtle kick of heat to the familiar ingredients — and you should try it at home.

Although the words are sometimes used interchangeably, aioli and mayo are not the same thing. A good peppercorn aioli is about more than just adding pepper to mayonnaise. The combination of freshly ground peppercorns, garlic, and other savory ingredients creates a sauce with a little heat and a richness that works particularly well with a homemade burger. 

Burger King said its version brings garlic and umami notes, along with a light kick from the peppercorns. Those are exactly the kinds of flavors that can give a homemade burger a boost, complementing rich, savory ingredients while providing a tasty contrast to any fresh, acidic toppings you add.

Making your own only requires a few minutes and a handful of ingredients. All you really need is mayonnaise, peppercorns, some fresh garlic, and lemon juice. You can opt to use a little lemon zest for added brightness or a small amount of olive oil to thin the sauce out when mixing.

The peppercorn aioli that Burger King uses is a commercial product. Like most sauces you'd find on a grocery store shelf, it contains additional ingredients to help maintain its consistency. Your homemade version won't taste exactly the same, but it's easy to make. 

An added bonus of a homemade peppercorn aioli is that you can really focus on the aspects of the flavor you want most. Grinding your own peppercorns allows you to control how much of that peppery taste and heat is present in the sauce. Freshly ground pepper also brings an earthy, aromatic flavor that contrasts nicely with the creamy mayonnaise, savory beef, and whatever other toppings you add. 

You can take a note from Burger King's book on flavor pairings for your homemade burgers. The peppery bite of the aioli makes it a particularly good match for salty, smoky ingredients like bacon. The richness of the mayonnaise helps balance those stronger flavors, while the peppercorns add another layer of seasoning without overpowering anything. 

Using fresh garlic instead of garlic powder gives the aioli a sharper, more pungent flavor. Garlic doesn't bring the same peppery heat, but its sharpness adds another kind of intensity to the sauce. The acidity of the lemon cuts through the richness of the mayo and the beef patty. You can adjust the amount of lemon juice to make the sauce more or less tangy, depending on how much acidity you want to balance the other elements. Try it yourself and see why we thought that the Peppercorn BLT Whopper deserved to be a full-time addition to the Burger King menu.