Learn how to make tangy fry sauce with a secret ingredient — it's sure to rival anything you've had at Crown Burger or Arctic Circle!
Jill Nystul·November 30, 2023
Years ago I posted about Mississippi Comeback Sauce, and it reminded me an awful lot of my favorite Utah-style fry sauce recipe! If you’ve ever eaten at a burger joint in Utah or Idaho (whether Crown Burger, Arctic Circle, Sconecutter, etc.), you may have already encountered fry sauce. It’s practically a state treasure, and definitely up there with thebest tasting condiments ever.
Utah-based burger chain Arctic Circle claims to have invented fry sauce in the 1940s, but combinations of ketchup and mayonnaise are not exactly unique! There’s an Argentinian version called “golf sauce” or salsa rosada, a German version called rott weiss (“red white”), and many others besides. Variations of this ketchup mayo sauce recipe are enjoyed worldwide!
It wasn’t until a friend of mine opened a hamburger joint not too long ago that I learned the key to making the best fry sauce at home. As odd as it might sound, it’s a super simple ingredient:pickle juice! The delicious tanginess of pickle juice (or pickle brine) elevates an otherwise pedestrian combination ofmayonnaise and ketchup into the creamy, savory fry sauce Utahns know and love.
Give this easy fry sauce recipe a try the next time you make homemade french fries or reheat leftover fries. (Bonus points if you make it with homemade mayo — it really makes a difference!)
How To Make Fry Sauce As A Dip Or Condiment
Ingredients:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 3-4 tsp pickle juice
Directions:
Mix together the mayo, ketchup, and onion powder in a small bowl and whisk thoroughly. Add the pickle juice one teaspoon at a time, stirring after each addition, to taste, then transfer your finished homemade fry sauce dip to an airtight container for storage.
You can use any kind of pickle juice, dill or sweet. They’ll have slightly different flavors, so experiment to find the one you find the tastiest. Trust me, both are fabulous!
Storing And Using Homemade Fry Sauce
I like to make just enough fry sauce for a meal, but sometimes I end up with leftovers. Store leftover fry sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
It makes a great dipping sauce for french fries and other foods, including smashed potatoes, potato wedges, onion rings, corn dogs, chicken wings, and jalapeño poppers. I love it with chicken nuggets too (though I won’t say no to a good honey mustard sauce!) You can dip most crispy snack foods into this amazing sauce!
We also like to use this homemade fry sauce recipe as a dressing or condiment — it makes a fantastic addition to burgers, hot dogs, and the like. It has a great sweet and tangy flavor as is, but occasionally I’ll stir in a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce for added umami.
BONUS: Customize This Fry Sauce Recipe
The basic recipe is tried and true, but there are endless variations on fry sauce you can try if you want to expand your horizons. Some people swap out the ketchup for bbq sauce or chili sauce, while others use Miracle Whip rather than standard mayonnaise.
As I said before, you can also experiment with different pickle juices, spices, and other flavorings. You might want to add a bit of lemon juice or vinegar or even horseradish! You could swap the garlic powder for onion powder (or use a bit of both), or add a pinch of smoked paprika or cayenne pepper, a dash of hot sauce or tabasco sauce, some brown mustard or black pepper — the fry’s the limit!
If fry sauce sounds similar to thousand island dressing, that’s because it is — the biggest difference is the presence of pickle juice, rather than picklerelish. But you could use relish if you prefer, or swap out the juice or relish for apple cider vinegar. However you finish it off, this tangy mix of ketchup and mayo is sure to become your new favorite condiment!
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What’s your favorite dipping sauce for french fries?
Utah Fry Sauce Recipe
Jill Nystul
Forget ketchup—we Utahns only want one sauce alongside our fries, and that's fry sauce. It's easy to make once you know the secret ingredient.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 5 minutes mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Calories 1652 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 3-4 tsp pickle juice
Instructions
Combine mayo, ketchup, and onion powder in a small bowl.
Add pickle juice one teaspoon at a time, to taste.
Nutrition
Calories: 1652kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 4gFat: 168gSaturated Fat: 26gPolyunsaturated Fat: 100gMonounsaturated Fat: 38gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 2733mgPotassium: 392mgFiber: 1gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 761IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 1mg
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