While I do sometimes keep store-bought dressing in the fridge, more often than not I prefer to make my own dressing and this easy homemade Russian dressing is a favorite in our house.
Creamy, tangy, and just a little bit spicy, it’s a go-to for topping salads but we also love to jazz up sandwiches with it or even use it as a dip for crackers and veggies.
What is Russian Dressing?
Russian dressing is a creamy sauce that’s full of tangy, sweet, and slightly spicy flavor. While it is often used as a salad dressing it’s also a great way to take sandwiches to the next level when you use it as a spread. In fact, it might be most recognizable as the dressing that’s used on a classic Reuben sandwich.
Russian Dressing vs Thousand Island Dressing
While many claim they are the same thing, there should be one subtle difference. The trouble is that they are often used interchangeably which leads to confusion. Even notable restaurants and publications have printed recipes contradictory to the proper ingredient list.
The primary difference is that Russian dressing has horseradish, while Thousand Island has finely chopped pickles or cornichons giving them significantly different textures as well as varied flavor profiles. Additionally, Thousand Island doesn’t typically contain Worcestershire sauce while it’s a must in Russian dressing. But, Thousand Island does contain an element of acidity like vinegar or lemon juice.
Why You’ll Love This Russian Dressing
There’s no shortage of reasons to fall head over heels for this delicious dressing!
- Super simple. You may already have most of the ingredients and you can combine them all in a matter of minutes if you need an easy dressing on the fly.
- Full of flavor. With elements of heat and sweetness as well as savory umami, this dressing is packed with layers of flavor.
- Accessible. Even if you have to pop to the store for the ingredients, they’re all simple and unlikely to break the bank!
Ingredients
Made with ingredients that you can easily keep on hand, you can whip up this simple dressing any time!
- Mayonnaise – Mayo gives the dressing its creamy consistency. You can use store-bought or make your own mayonnaise.
- Ketchup – Ketchup adds a little sweetness to the sauce. You can also make homemade ketchup from scratch if you prefer it over brands from the store.
- Onion Powder – Using powder makes it easier to evenly disperse onion flavor throughout the dressing.
- Garlic Powder – This powder gives the dressing its subtle garlicky flavor.
- Prepared Horseradish – Horseradish kicks up the heat in the sauce.
- Worcestershire Sauce – This hard-to-say sauce adds rich umami flavor.
- Smoked Paprika – While you can use standard paprika, I love the smoky flavor of this variety.
- Coarse Kosher Salt – Salt brings out the flavor of the other ingredients.
- Ground Black Pepper – Pepper balances the dressing with its subtle heat.
- Dry Ground Mustard – Powdered mustard also gives the sauce a bit of heat as well as tangy flavor.
Variations
While this is a fairly classic style of Russian dressing, you can put your own personal spins on it to make it your signature sauce.
- Spiciness – Try using a spicy ketchup, increase the horseradish, or add cayenne pepper powder or chili sauce.
- Pepper – Use white pepper for a touch of floral flavor.
- Herbs – Use fresh herbs like dill or parsley to add a pop of color and herbaceousness.
- Creamy Base – Swap out some or all of the mayo and replace it with Greek yogurt or sour cream for a tangier dressing.
- Pickles – Add in a bread and butter relish to give the dressing more sweet flavor or a dill pickle relish for a little bit of zing.
What To Serve With Russian Salad Dressing
I love to spoon this dressing over a simple side salad or spread it on sandwiches and burgers! It also makes for a fabulous dipping sauce for french fries, German egg rolls, chicken tenders or even zucchini fritters.
You can also use it to marinate chicken before you roast or grill it. Or serve it as part of an appetizer spread on a cheese board or as a dip for fresh vegetables. It even tastes great on grilled protein like chicken skewers.
How to Make Russian Dressing
It doesn’t get much easier than these quick steps!
- Add ingredients to bowl. Place all of the ingredients into a medium bowl.
- Whisk to combine. Using a whisk or rubber spatula, stir to combine.
- Chill. Store briefly in the refrigerator before serving.
Common Questions About Russian Dressing
Russian dressing is a mayonnaise-based dressing with ketchup, Worcestershire, and horseradish as well as seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
Russian dressing got its name from the fact that the original recipe incorporated caviar into it.
Russian dressing gets a lot of its flavor from the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce but it can have undertones of spiciness, too.
Storage and Freezing
This dressing will last all week so you can easily make it and store it for when you need it.
It’s best to make this dressing ahead of time so that the flavors can come together in the fridge.
How to Store Russian Dressing
Place the dressing in an airtight container, or cover the original bowl with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and store for up to 7 days in the refrigerator.
Can I Freeze Russian Dressing?
We do not recommend freezing mayonnaise-based sauces.
More Savory Sauces
I love a good homemade condiment or dressing. If you do too, here are a few of our favorites.
Russian Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dry ground mustard
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, onion powder, garlic powder, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt, pepper and mustard until fully combined.
- While the dressing can be enjoyed immediately, for best results, cover and chill for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors marry.
- Serve over your favorite salad or use as a dipping sauce.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Nutrition
Easy and healthy recipe, I love this. thanks for sharing
Loved this homemade Russian dressing! So much better than the bottled version.
I loved the flavor in this thick creamy dressing!
Ohh – this russian dressing is good! I used it as a spread for my sandwiches and they came out so perfectly!
This is such a delicious dressing! I buy Russian dressing at the store all the time, and this is by far the best I’ve ever had. Yum!