Ready in less than 10 minutes, this Classic Thousand Island Dressing is the best way to show off any fresh greens! With a hint of sweetness and tanginess, this creamy dressing recipe is easy to whip up with just 6 ingredients.
More than just a salad dressing it’s also wonderful on crockpot Mississippi chicken sliders, or as a dip for fresh veggies or air fryer green beans or oven-roasted Brussels sprouts.
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This dressing has been a staple in my kitchen for years. I use it to dress my greens, but it has so many other uses. It’s a must on my Slow Cooker Corned Beef Reuben Sliders and when grilling season starts, it’s the perfect topping for a juicy burger.
Where Does Thousand Island Dressing Come From?
Its original name Thousand Island Dressing, has graced many a restaurant’s menu but you might also know it as “special sauce” or “secret sauce.” As far as the history of the recipe, it appears it was introduced in the early 1900’s and is named after New York state’s Thousand Islands region. It’s usually a combination of ketchup, mayo, relish, and some vinegar.
What Makes This Dressing So Good?
This dressing has a unique flavor profile. Its ingredients, typically including mayonnaise, ketchup, pickle relish, and spices, create a well-rounded taste experience. Its smooth texture and zesty notes make it an excellent accompaniment for salads, burgers, sandwiches, and even seafood.
Ingredients For Thousand Island Dressing
- Mayonnaise – This should be good-quality, creamy mayo, not dressing. Some recipes use Greek yogurt, but I find that to be too tangy for this sauce.
- Ketchup – Any ketchup will do, but I wouldn’t use a no-added-sugar one. This dressing needs the sweetness from the ketchup to balance the lemon juice.
- Sweet Pickle Relish – Another slightly sweet item, the pickles add a little texture.
- Lemon Juice—All Thousand Island dressing recipes use some type of acid, some vinegar, and some citrus. I prefer using lemon juice because it brings brightness to the sauce, but white vinegar will also work.
- Grated Onion – This is another textural part, like relish. Other recipes use hard-boiled chopped eggs, but I feel grated onion provides a better texture but adds the essential sweet and tangy flavor of onion. I use white onion but feel free to use yellow.
- Salt and Black Pepper – Always taste and adjust to your preferences.
Recipe Variations And Additions
- Use jalapeno relish or add my candied jalapenos instead of the pickle relish.
- You can use sweet chili sauce or Picante sauce instead of the ketchup.
- Additional ingredients, such as lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, or chili sauce, can enhance the dressing’s flavor complexity.
How To Make This Homemade Thousand Island Dressing
Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine well. Transfer to a mason jar and store for up to a week.
Donya’s Success Tips
To save dishes, you can mix up this dressing right in a mason jar. This is great for storing and traveling with the dressing.
Quick Thousand Island Questions
The most significant difference is that Russian dressing contains horseradish. Otherwise, these sauces are pretty similar.
You can store this in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
What To Put This Dressing On
I am not kidding when I say this dressing goes well with so many dishes. Some of my favorites are Salad For A Crowd, Roast Beef and Cheese Sandwiches, or Air Fryer Chicken. It’s also delicious as a dipping sauce for French fries, Baked Salami Chips, and Loaded Tater Tot Bites.
More Homemade Salad Dressings
If you tried this Thousand Island Dressing Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
Ingredients
- 2 cups mayonnaise (NOT salad dressing)
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 heaping tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons grated onion
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, lemon juice, grated onion to a small bowl. Whisk together until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Can be stored in refrigerator in sealed container for up to one week.
Notes
- Use jalapeno relish or add my candied jalapenos instead of the pickle relish.
- You can use sweet chili sauce or Picante sauce instead of the ketchup.
- Additional ingredients, such as lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, or chili sauce, can enhance the dressing’s flavor complexity.
Nutrition
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Steal my favorites for a done-for-you menu that packs in the flavor
I did add a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. This dressing is delicious.
Wonderful! Thanks so much.
~Donya
Very good thousand island dressing, made this for my Ruben sandwiches! Excellent
My daughter made this tonight for our Ruben sandwiches. It was quick to bring together and very tasty!
Hahahaha. I assume you mean 2 heaPing tablespoons of pickle relish, not heaLing.
Yes, Cate! LOL!!! Goodness gracious. Thanks so much for the shout out.
Have a wonderful day.
XO,
~Donya
But really, aren’t they the same thing!? ?