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Tangy, creamy, and packing a little kick, Russian Dressing is a classic salad topper and dip that deserves your attention, now! What’s not to love about a dressing that comes together in just a few minutes? It’s hard not to just keep a bottle of this on hand.
For the past fifteen years, I have been developing custom, homemade salad dressings. There’s nothing quite like the thrill of chasing the perfect blend of seasonings and ingredients, and finally getting it exactly right. Homemade is always so much better than bottled with fresher, brighter flavors. Have you tried Russian dressing? It’s similar to thousand island dressing, but with a zestier, spicy kick.
Russian Dressing
When I was growing up, my mother didn’t make salad dressings. I didn’t even know it was possible. Salad dressing came from the store, and then it lived in the fridge. So, despite my love of flavorful dressings, it was many years later before I first tried making them for myself.
You can imagine my happy surprise, upon discovering how quick and easy it is to throw them together. You’re going to love this recipe for Russian dressing. It only takes a couple of minutes to measure the ingredients into a jar and give them a whisk. Then, just let it chill in the fridge and it will be ready when you are!
Ingredients and Substitutions
The Bite – Yellow onion and horseradish are a dynamic duo in this dressing, adding a zesty bite to the otherwise creamy and tangy dressing. For horseradish, you can use plain, pure, or even prepared varieties. But, I don’t recommend using creamy horseradish.
The Base – Ketchup and mayonnaise combine for a creamy base that is both rich and slightly tangy.
Worcestershire Sauce – Don’t you mean… the BESTershire sauce? Ok, maybe the name won’t catch on. But, a splash of this adds a savory element that I just adore.
Lemon Juice – Fresh squeezed citrus brightens all the other flavors in this dressing, and balances the richness of the mayonnaise.
Seasonings – I use salt to enhance the other flavors, and paprika for the tiniest of kicks.
Recipe Tip
- Chef’s knife – I’ve been recommending this knife for beginner cooks for almost 15 years. The price simply can’t be beat for quality.
- Cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Whisk
- Jar
How to Make Russian Dressing
Mincing the Onion: I start by peeling, halving, and then finely mincing the onion. The smaller the pieces, the better they will distribute through the dressing. The leftovers can go into an airtight container for later use.
Juicing the Lemon: If you’re like me and want fresh lemon juice, now is the time. You can use a juicer, or just slice the lemon in half and squeeze by hand.
Combining It All: Combine everything in a bowl and whisk to combine. Transfer the dressing to sturdy jar and cover with a lid.
Chilling: I let the dressing chill in the fridge until ready to serve. I recommend giving it at least 12 hours, so that the flavors have time to marry.
Expert Tip
The trickiest part of Russian dressing is getting the sweet-tangy-spicy balance just right. You’re going to want to start with a little less horseradish than you think you’ll need, then taste and adjust after it chills. The flavors intensify in the fridge, so if it feels slightly mellow at first, that’s a good sign! You can adjust the flavors if necessary just before serving.
Adjust Spice Level – Many types of horseradish are available in mild or hot. Just choose whichever level of zip you like best. You can also adjust the amount of paprika in this dressing to taste, if you want a little more kick.
Manage the Texture – If you measure carefully, this recipe makes a dressing that is just right for drizzling over salads. But, if for whatever reason it’s too thick, you can add just a splash more of lemon juice or water and whisk again or just give it a shake in the jar.
Serving Suggestions
A drizzle of this dressing over your favorite greens completely transforms lunch, especially if you’re following my guide to eating salad every day. It’s bold enough to stand up to the heartiest toppings, but balanced enough to keep me coming back for more.
And, once I have a jar of this dressing in the fridge, I’m just looking for excuses to use it. It’s absolutely perfect in these corned beef sliders. Or stir some into my Reuben dip to take the classic deli flavors right over the top.
Make Ahead & Storage
Make Ahead: This recipe should absolutely be made ahead of time! You can skip the chilling step, but I don’t recommend it. Time in the fridge makes this dressing so much better.
How to Store: I store this dressing in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for several days.
More Classic Salad Dressings
- Homemade Ranch Salad Dressing
- Bleu Cheese Salad Dressing
- The BEST Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Caesar Dressing
Frequently Asked Questions
Typically, this is a result of not enough mayonnaise. To thicken the dressing, you’ll want to add a spoonful at a time and whisk, until you reach the desired consistency.
Creamy varieties are made by mixing prepared horseradish with a base, like mayonnaise. Using it in this recipe will change the texture and flavor profile.
You bet! Scroll up, my friend. Did you not catch the suggestion of corned beef sliders? This is one of my preferred ways to use up leftover dressing. It spreads easily over bread, adding loads of flavor to your favorite deli meats and cheeses.
Very fine. If you have a microplaner, you could even use that instead of using a knife. You don’t want to have noticeable chunks of onion in the dressing. We just want to get the unmistakable bite of onion flavor throughout.
Russian Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons finely minced yellow onion
- 2 tablespoons horseradish "plain" or "pure" or even "prepared" varieties are fine, not "creamy" horseradish sauce
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¾ teaspoon paprika adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste
Instructions
- 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 5/26/25 – recipe notes and photos updated 4/29/26}
Very good russian dressing
I’m glad you like it!
Made this and the ranch dressing for the people I work with. Both are very good and can’t wait for them to try it tomorrow with their salad.
I’m glad you’re enjoying the dressings!
we use avocado mayonnaise – will this be a problem for the Mayo ingredient for your recipes?
If avocado mayo is your preference, it will work fine.