Russian Dressing – Barefeet in the Kitchen

Tangy, creamy, and packing a little mysterious kick, Russian dressing is a classic salad topper and dip that deserves a little more attention. Coming together in five minutes or fewer, you’ll want to have a bottle of this in the fridge at all times!

Russian Dressing

If you’ve ever eaten in a diner in the US, chances are you’ve eaten or seen Russian dressing. Whether it’s on a salad, burger, or reuben, or used as a dip for french fries or fried pickles, you’re probably familiar with this red-flecked, creamy orange dressing.

What is Russian Dressing?

This ubiquitous dressing is a combination of mayonnaise and ketchup punched up with a little prepared horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, and onion, and brightened up with a little fresh lemon juice. And despite the name, it’s decidedly American.

Dating back to the early 1900s, it was called Russian dressing because the original version contained caviar which was considered to be a Russian ingredient at the time. While many restaurants use Thousand Island dressing on Reubens these days, Russian dressing was the original spread used for the sandwich.

Russian Dressing Vs. Thousand Island

So what’s the difference between these two dressings? They sure appear similar at first glance.

Both are made from that delectable combination of mayonnaise and ketchup, and both contain some minced or grated onion, but the similarity ends there. Thousand Island is decidedly sweeter, containing sweet pickle relish. Russian has more zest and punch courtesy of the prepared horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and paprika.

In many cases, you can use them interchangeably, but my preference leans toward the Russian, personally. I like the hint of horseradish to break up the richness of the mayonnaise.

Russian Dressing Recipe

To pull together this classic dressing, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• mayonnaise
• ketchup
• yellow onion
• prepared horseradish
• lemon
• Worcestershire sauce
• paprika
• kosher salt

It’s important to note that you do not want to use creamy horseradish sauce in this recipe. Look for horseradish labeled as “prepared”, “pure”, or “plain”. Many types of horseradish are available in mild or hot; choose whichever level of zip you like best.

Russian Salad Dressing

Combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, onion, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, paprika, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk to combine.

Transfer the dressing to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve. For best results, allow the dressing to rest in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours, to allow the flavors to meld, before serving.

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