Lightened Up Homemade Russian Dressing

A healthier homemade Russian Dressing perfect for sandwiches (reubens of course!), burgers, salads and more! Made with avocado oil mayo, Greek yogurt, and all the classic flavorings, this creamy and savory dressing will become a staple in your refrigerator. 

This homemade Russian Dressing is an easy and delicious version that’s both healthier and tastier than the store-bought varieties.

What is Russian Dressing

We know Russian Dressing is savory, delicious and great on a burger. But how many of us really know what goes in to this pale orange sauce?

Russian Dressing is a creamy pink-hued mayonnaise-based dressing flavored with horseradish, chili sauce, paprika, minced shallot and sometimes Worcestershire. 

Contrary to popular belief, Russian Dressing actually originated in America. It’s believed to have gotten its name due to the addition of caviar in early versions of the recipe.

How to Use Russian Dressing

Most notably used on the beloved reuben sandwich—a griddled corned beef and Swiss cheese sandwich. Russian Dressing is great on burgers, drizzled over salads, or used as a dip for chicken, fries, roasted potatoes, and chips. 

How Russian Dressing is Different from Thousand Island

It’s not a surprise that Russian Dressing and Thousand Island Dressing are often confused for one another! Both feature a mayonnaise and ketchup or ketchup-style chili sauce base which causing them to take on a light ruby hue. 

Their similarities end there however, Thousand Island dressing tends to be a bit sweeter commonly features pickle relish. In contrast, Russian Dressing is more savory and gets its spicy flare from horseradish and hot sauce. 

Thousand Island Dressing is a creamy mayonnaise-based salad dressing flavored with chili sauce and finely chopped green olives, pickles or pickle relish, onion, bell peppers and/or hard-boiled eggs. Like Russian Dressing, Thousand Island dressing is often used on sandwiches and burgers. 

Also a creamy mayonnaise-based dressing, Russian dressing is flavored with chili sauce, paprika, prepared horseradish, minced shallot and occasionally pimientos. Russian dressing is less sweet and more savory and spicy than Thousand Island Dressing. 

• 

• 

Prepared Horseradish

What is prepared horseradish? Prepared horseradish is grated horseradish root combined with vinegar. It can be found in small glass jars in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. It’s often by the deli meat and cheese, smoked fish, or prepared salads and sandwiches.

Avoid using the creamed variety sold near the unrefrigerated condiments like mustard, mayonnaise and ketchup.

Chili Sauce

Chili sauce is a ketchup-style burger/fry sauce flavored with onion, garlic and spices. It’s sold in a tall glass ketchup-style bottle and is commonly found near the ketchup and barbecue sauce. Chili sauce is traditional in Russian Dressing and is very similar to regular ketchup, which means either can be used.

It’s important to point out that both chili sauce and ketchup contain corn syrup. For a more natural, lower-sugar option I recommend using unsweetened ketchup and a dash of honey if needed.

Dietary Specifications

The notes below specify how to adapt this recipe to fit various diets.

Paleo: Be sure to use avocado oil mayonnaise (I prefer Sir Kensington’s) and replace the chili sauce with a combination of unsweetened ketchup and additional hot sauce. I recommend this unsweetened ketchup. Replace the yogurt with additional mayonnaise.

Vegan: This recipe is not vegan. To make it vegan, use vegan mayonnaise in place of the avocado oil mayonnaise and the Greek yogurt. Skip the Worcestershire and add a few dashes of liquid aminos instead. 

Keto: Skip the chili sauce and use a combination of keto ketchup and red pepper flakes (or additional hot sauce). I recommend this unsweetened ketchup. 

Gluten-Free: this recipe is naturally gluten-free.

Serve this dressing with 

If you try this Russian Dressing recipe, let me know! I’d love to hear how you use it. Leave a comment with a star rating below. Snap a photo & tag @zestfulkitchen on Instagram. I love hearing about and seeing your ZK creations!

Print