Easy Russian Dressing Recipe (2024)

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The key ingredient in a Reuben sandwich, this Russian dressing adds a creamy, savory pop to any sandwich. Here’s how to make Russian dressing.

Easy Russian Dressing Recipe (1)

If you’ve had a Reuben sandwich, you know that creamy, savory sauce that makes you unable to stop inhaling it? Yes, that’s Russian dressing. It’s very easy to make at home, and a slather of it makes any sandwich undeniably delicious. It’s made of mayonnaise, ketchup, and a few other key tangy and savory ingredients that work together to make it altogether addicting. Alex and I have a vegetarian Reuben sandwich recipe that features it, and our new favorite is our Coleslaw & Swiss Reuben. Here’s how to make Russian dressing at home!

Easy Russian Dressing Recipe (2)

What is Russian dressing?

So what is Russian dressing? Russian dressing is an American dressing made of mayonnaise, ketchup, and a few other savory ingredients. It’s the main condiment on a Reuben sandwich, which is its claim to fame. Of course as you might expect, there is nothing Russian about it! It was invented in the early 1900’s in America.

These days, Russian dressing has mostly been supplanted by Thousand Island dressing, which is sweeter and not as spicy. Alex and I don’t eat it as a salad dressing, but instead use it as a sandwich spread, which is a common use for it.

Easy Russian Dressing Recipe (3)

How to make Russian dressing

Russian dressing is very simple to whip up at home: you might even have some of these ingredients in your refrigerator already! Simply combine mayonnaise and ketchup for the dressing base, then stir in some minced shallot and dill pickles, and a few shakes of hot sauce. While some Russian dressing recipes are spicier and call for horseradish, we’ve chosen to simply use hot sauce here. Use as much as you like for your taste (though we love spicy food, we don’t make our Russian dressing too spicy).

That’s it! You can use Russian dressing as a Russian salad dressing instead of Thousand Island. Or you can do what Alex and I do and use it as a sandwich spread! There are so many different sandwiches it would work well on: it would even add a super savory flair spreading a little in a quesadilla. Here are the sandwich recipes we’ve used it on:

  • The Vegetarian Reuben
  • Swiss & Coleslaw Sandwich (The Rachel)

Alex and I are obsessed with the hearty, savory quality of savory sandwiches like the Reuben, which is why we created a vegetarian version of the sandwich that we make at home. This sauce in particular brings that signature tang and creaminess to a Reuben or our new Swiss & Coleslaw Sandwich — and brings in something it totally nostalgic. In Alex’s words, it makes it taste like a Big Mac! While it’s not a “healthy” food, a little bit of it goes a long way. Just a small hint can really amp up the flavors in a humble sandwich!

Related: Homemade Thousand Island Dressing | Creamy Avocado Dressing

Easy Russian Dressing Recipe (4)

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This recipe is…

This recipe is vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free. For vegan and plant-based, use vegan mayo.

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Easy Russian Dressing Recipe (5)

Russian Dressing Recipe

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  • Author: Sonja
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: About ¾ cup 1x
Print Recipe

Description

The key ingredient in a Reuben sandwich, this Russian dressing adds a creamy, savory pop to any sandwich. Here’s how to make Russian dressing.

Ingredients

Scale

  • ¼ cup finely chopped shallot
  • ¼ cup finely chopped dill pickles
  • ¼ cup organic ketchup
  • ½ cup mayonnaise (vegan, as necessary)
  • A few dashes hot sauce, to taste

Instructions

Mince the shallot and the dill pickles. Stir them together with the ketchup and mayonnaise. Add hot sauce to taste. Store refrigerated for several months.

  • Category: Sauces
  • Method: Mixed
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Russian dressing, Russian salad dressing, What is russian dressing, How to make russian dressing, Reuben sandwich sauce, Sauces

vegan vegetarian gluten free

Published on / Last updated on

Categorized In:

  • Cooking Basics
  • Recipes

Tagged with:

  • Dairy-Free
  • Dressing
  • Gluten-Free Recipes
  • Hot Sauce
  • Ketchup
  • Mayonnaise
  • Plant-Based
  • Reuben
  • Russian
  • Sandwiches
  • Sauce
  • Shallot
  • Vegan Recipes
  • Vegetarian Recipes

About the authors

Easy Russian Dressing Recipe (6)

Sonja & Alex

Hi, we’re Alex and Sonja Overhiser, married cookbook authors, food bloggers, and recipe developers. We founded A Couple Cooks to share fresh, seasonal recipes for memorable kitchen moments! Our recipes are made by two real people and work every time.

About Us

Easy Russian Dressing Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is a Russian dressing made of? ›

Typically piquant, it is today characteristically made of a blend of mayonnaise and ketchup complemented with such additional ingredients as horseradish, pimentos, chives, mustard, and spices.

What can substitute for Russian dressing? ›

What can be substituted for Russian dressing? Thousand Island dressing is the perfect substitute for Russian dressing, as they are very similar. Store-bought or homemade Thousand Island will work just fine.

Is there a difference between Russian dressing and Thousand Island dressing? ›

The ingredient that differentiates Russian dressing from Thousand Island is—drumroll, please—horseradish. When you have Russian dressing accenting a hearty sandwich like a Reuben, the horseradish can be hard to detect, especially when you've got the sharp, funky flavors of sauerkraut to contend with.

What is Ken's Russian dressing? ›

Ken's Deluxe Russian Dressing is a creamy, full-bodied delight. The perfect blend of sweet ketchup, mayonnaise, and relish with mild spicy notes from chili sauce and red bell pepper. A flavor-forward Russian dressing with sweetness and tang.

What is the flavor of Russian dressing? ›

What Is Russian Dressing? Russian dressing is a creamy condiment or salad dressing typically made of mayonnaise, ketchup, pimento peppers, chili sauce, and horseradish. The combination of chili sauce and horseradish gives this creamy salad dressing its characteristically piquant (or spicy) flavor.

What does Russian salad contain? ›

Chop potatoes and carrot. Peel and chop eggs. Mix potatoes, carrot, eggs, pickles, peas, ham, and dill together in a large bowl. Stir in mayonnaise until salad is evenly coated.

Can you use Miracle Whip in place of mayonnaise? ›

Basically, you can use Miracle Whip dressing anywhere you use mayo — on sandwiches, in dips and for recipes. But because of its sweeter and tangier flavor, there are a few recipes in which it might not work as well. For example, if you're baking, you may want to stick with mayo because of its full-fat profile.

Why is Russian dressing called Thousand Island? ›

It was most likely invented by Sophia LaLonde and named for the Thousand Islands region between northern New York and southern Ontario, Canada. Per Eater, Russian dressing might be getting phased out—at least the name is. Whether people use one recipe or another, they tend to dub it Thousand Island to avoid confusion.

Is Catalina the same as Russian dressing? ›

While the two dressings share many of the same core ingredients, they are not identical. Both Catalina Dressing and Russian dressing contain Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and paprika. This combination of ingredients gives both dressings their sweet and savory tangy flavor.

What is in Dorothy Lynch dressing? ›

Ingredients: Tomato Soup (Water, Tomato Paste, Modified Cornstarch, Distilled White Vinegar, Salt, Rice Flour, Sodium Benzoate added as a preservative, Citric Acid, Onion Powder), Sugar, Soybean Oil, Vinegar, Salt, Spices, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate to maintain freshness, Nisin (Natural Preservative).

Does Kraft make Russian dressing? ›

Incredibly versatile, you can use Kraft Russian Dressing to top your favourite salads, as a marinade for chicken, or as a dip for vegetables such as carrots or broccoli – the possibilities are endless!

Is a Reuben better with Russian dressing or Thousand Island? ›

Reuben Sandwich Recipe

To make Reuben sandwiches, along with quality rye bread you'll need either Russian Dressing or Thousand Island Dressing. As mentioned above, both are commonly used and it just comes down to personal preference whether you prefer spicy or sweet.

What is Olive Garden's dressing called? ›

Olive Garden has two versions of its salad dressing: signature Italian and Light Italian. The signature Italian is a vinaigrette, but instead of olive oil and balsamic vinegar as you might expect, it's made with soybean oil and distilled vinegar.

Does French dressing taste like Russian dressing? ›

French dressing, while also reddish in color from ketchup and paprika, is more of a traditional vinaigrette with a base of oil and vinegar. Russian dressing is spicier and more piquant thanks to the addition of chili sauce, horseradish, and hot sauce.

How is Russian salad called in Russia? ›

It's also known as insalata russa in Italian or Olivier salad in Russian. This creamy vegetable salad is a popular antipasto throughout Italy and especially in my region Piedmont.

What's the difference between Russian and Catalina dressing? ›

Russian dressing typically contains mayonnaise and horseradish. Together, these two ingredients give Russian dressing a much more decadent creaminess than Catalina Dressing. In contrast, Catalina Dressing contains vegetable oil and vinegar, which thin the dressing and make it less rich and more pourable.

Is Russian dressing same as French or Catalina? ›

Russian dressing combines mayonnaise, ketchup, spices, and horseradish, while French dressing typically contains mayo, ketchup, vinegar, sugar, onion, and garlic (via Thrive Cuisine).

What is Russian mayonnaise? ›

Russian mayonnaise pours, it is is not thick and stiff like American mayonnaise. It is slightly more mustardy and acidic. It also does not have that nasty soy bean oil after taste present in American mayonnaise. Never, ever substitute any oil for refined sunflower oil.

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