Our quick and easy Thousand Island Dressing is the perfect way to add a flavorful sauce to your reuben sandwiches or favorite salad recipes! Made with real, simple ingredients and feel free to adjust any of them to your personal preference. Plus, it is easy to meal prep this homemade version ahead of time and enjoy all week long!
The Best Thousand Island Dressing Recipe
We used to pick-up our favorite store-bought salad dressing at our local grocery store, but once we saw how easy it is to make our own homemade dressings we will never go back! You can easily whisk together the 7 thousand island dressing ingredients in a small bowl and use it in so many different ways. Our whole family loves to enjoy this secret sauce in so many different ways and we know it will quickly become a new family favorite for you too!
Looking to make more homemade salad dressings? You have to try our homemade blue cheese dressing – so good!
What You Will Need
- mayonnaise – keep it easy with your favorite store-bought version or feel free to make your own homemade mayo.
- sour cream – option to sub with a dairy-free sour cream option or use the regular version.
- ketchup – our family typically likes a slightly sweeter ketchup but use the one that works for you! And if you do use an unsweetened ketchup, you can always add a little sugar to your desired taste.
- sweet pickle relish – a great addition for the sweet, yet tangy flavor and a little bit of a crunch. Option to use a dill pickle relish.
- red wine vinegar – this mild vinegar can bring more tangy flavor.
- lemon juice – just a splash of acidity to help amplify the natural flavors.
- garlic – everything is always better with a little garlic in the mix for the best flavor!
- black pepper – sprinkle in some of this simple seasoning to your liking.
How To Make Thousand Island Dressing
The first steps to making this great recipe are to gather all of thousand island ingredients.
Place the handful of ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together to fully combine this creamy dressing.
Best Ways To Use Thousand Island Dressing
There are a variety of different ways to use this versatile homemade thousand island dressing recipe! The best way is to spread a generous amount of dressing on some slices of marble rye bread to make reuben sandwiches. It could be a delicious dipping sauce for homemade chicken tenders, french fries, or enjoy on your favorite grilled burger. Some people even say that this salad dressing is very similar to that special sauce used on a classic Big Mac. Of course, it is a salad dressing so it can easily be drizzled on any salad recipe, like a garden salad, wedge salad, or cobb salad with hardboiled egg!!
Made this delicious recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Thousand Island Dressing
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: Approx. 1 cup
- Category: Dressing
- Method: Counter Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
A delicious Thousand Island Dressing recipe that is packed with flavor, but not-too-sweet. Perfect for a reuben or your favorite salad!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/4 cup sour cream (reg. or dairy-free)
- 2–3 tablespoons ketchup
- 2–3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place ingredients in a bowl, whisk to combine.
- Taste and adjust any flavors, as desired.
- If possible, place in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight before use, but you can also use it right away, if you need to. The flavors just seem to develop a bit more if it can sit overnight.
Notes
- Sweetness: we tested this with Simply Sweet Heinz Ketchup and the resulting sweetness was great – of course if you use an unsweetened ketchup the resulting overall sweetness will be much less. If you find you need additional sweetness, add 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar or coconut sugar at a time until you have reached your desired touch of sweetness.
- Thin Out: if you find you need this thinner to pour on a salad, simply add in a tablespoon of water and mix again. Repeat as needed.
- Dairy-Free: use a dairy-free sour cream.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 69
- Sugar: 2.1 g
- Sodium: 175.6 mg
- Fat: 5.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 4.3 g
- Protein: 0.5 g
- Cholesterol: 12.5 mg
Natalie M. says
Fresh and delicious! It came together quickly. Using it for Rueben sandwiches tonight.
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Natalie!