Quick and Easy Thousand Island Dressing (Ready in 5 minutes)!

Skip the store-bought salad dressing and make this homemade Thousand Island Dressing recipe. This creamy dressing requires just a handful of ingredients and is ready to use in only 5 minutes.

Thousand Island Dressing

Homemade dressing kicks any recipe up a notch, and this homemade salad dressing is no exception. Similar to Russian Dressing, Thousand Island dressing has a mayonnaise base and is spiked with a tangy kick from relish and a sweet flavor from the ketchup.

I’ve tested this homemade version countless times and find this is the perfect mix of creamy, tangy and sweet. This “special sauce” is the perfect one to use on a Reuben Sandwich and Reuben Dip. 

Ingredients

Here are a few of the basic ingredients needed to make this iconic salad dressing, along with substitution options. For the complete list of ingredients, see the recipe card below.

• White Vinegar – sub in lemon juice if you don’t care for vinegar.
• Onion – adds texture to the dressing. Omit if you don’t like raw onions.
• Ketchup – you can use Heinz chili sauce in place of the ketchup.
• Sweet Pickle Relish – You can sub in dill pickle relish or finely minced bread and butter pickles.
• Sugar – the ketchup and relish are already sweet, so you can omit and add, as needed, at the end.

TIP- Experiment with the ratios of the Thousand Island ingredients to suit your taste preferences. 

How to Make

Making your own Thousand Island Dressing is straightforward and takes no time. Just add everything to a small bowl and mix to combine. Taste and adjust the ratios to suit your tastebuds. 

Recipe Variations and Tips

Here are a few variations to consider and my tips for success!

• Yield – this makes 2 cup of dressing, which equals 8 servings (2 tbsp. per serving)
• Mix Up The Creamy Base – Use half mayo and half sour cream for a nice variation.
• Amp Up The Heat – Add a dash of horseradish, dijon mustard, or cayenne pepper to add some heat.
• Hard-Boiled Egg – The rumor is that the original version had diced hard-boiled eggs. Add away if that’s your jam.
• Storage – Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Uses

Thousand Island Dressing isn’t just for Corned Beef! Use it as a dipping sauce for french fries or hamburger sauce (hello, Big Mac)! You can even slather it on a Crab Louise Salad or garden salad in place of ranch dressing or blue cheese sauce. The creamy texture works on just about anything.

Thousand Island Dressing

Skip the store-bought salad dressing and make this homemade Thousand Island Dressing recipe. This creamy dressing requires just a handful of ingredients and is ready to use in only 5 minutes.

Print Pin Share on Facebook

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 213kcal

Author: Darcey Olson

Cost: $3

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup finely diced white onion
• ¼ cup ketchup
• ¼ cup sweet pickle relish, drain excess liquid (*Note 1)
• 2 tsp white vinegar (*Note 2)
• ½-1 tsp granulated sugar
• ½ tsp finely minced garlic
• ¼ tsp salt, optional
• ⅛ tsp black pepper

Notes

Note 1 – You can sub in dill pickle relish or finely minced bread and butter pickles. Note 2 –  Sub in lemon juice if you don’t care for vinegar.

Nutrition

Calories: 213kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 381mg | Potassium: 44mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 150IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.2mg