This Horseradish Sauce recipe is so easy to make and has the best flavor! Just a few simple ingredients combine to make this sauce the perfect creamy condiment for Prime Rib, any kind of Steak, Corned Beef and Cabbage, Pot Roast, French Dip Sandwiches, you name it! Done in 5 minutes. Originally published March 11, 2022.
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I used to live in Indianapolis and worked as the secretary for a small non profit company. Every year they hosted a big old fancy pants dinner at a locally famous restaurant where they wined and dined certain Very Important People.
I was there as an underling on the sidelines, making sure the evening went perfectly. Imagine my dismay when the first course appetizer was served and all 30 of our Very Important Guests took their first bite… and in unison squeezed their eyes shut, pinched the bridges of their noses, and bowed their heads with looks of intense pain. Some even had tears streaming down their faces. What was going on?? Have we poisoned our guests??
That was when someone explained to me that the restaurant was famous for the level of horseradish in their Shrimp Cocktail appetizer. Everyone had been there before and knew what to expect, but they forgot to mention this trial by fire situation to me. I was about to call 911, for real.
If you have never had Horseradish before, get ready for it! It seriously packs a punch! But it is SO delicious (especially if you don’t use so much that it makes you cry). I’m in love with it!
What is Horseradish Sauce?
Horseradish is a large white root, in the same family as mustard and wasabi. Prepared Horseradish is shredded horseradish root mixed with little vinegar, sold in jars at the store, usually near the mustard.
We are taking that jar of prepared horseradish, draining off some of the vinegar, and mixing it with sour cream, mayo, and lemon juice to make a fabulous sauce to serve with meat and whatever else you can think of! I’ve got tons of ideas below. The flavor is seriously so unique and delicious. Once you make it you will be wanting to put it on everything!
What is in Horseradish Sauce?
Here’s a quick shopping list to help you gather your ingredients. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions!
- Sour cream
- Mayonnaise
- Lemon
- Prepared horseradish
- Chives
How to make Horseradish Sauce
This is done in 5 minutes y’all. Here’s what you need:
- sour cream
- mayonnaise
- lemon juice
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- prepared horseradish
- chives, optional
Swirl your sour cream in a bowl, and lay out your ingredients just so. This is a really important step.
Just kidding. Scoop in some mayo. The amounts don’t have to be exact; you can totally eyeball the ingredients for this recipe if you want. Use more sour cream than mayo.
Next up: horseradish. Here’s what a spoonful of prepared horseradish straight out of the jar looks like. Do you see how it’s a little watery?
It’s actually vinegar-y. We are going to strain out some of that liquid now. Press a spoon down and spread it out.
You can see how much liquid comes out. We don’t want a sauce that’s too thin! We want it nice and creamy.
Add in some lemon juice and salt and pepper, then stir it all up.
Last but not least, stir in some freshly chopped chives, and voila! That’s it!
I’m telling you, once you taste this, you will be trying it out with every meal you have for the foreseeable future! Here are some fun ideas.
What is Horseradish Sauce good on?
MEAT! Horseradish is so good with all different kinds of meat, most especially beef. Here are some of my favorites:
- Try it with this Ribeye steak
- Prime rib
- Corned Beef and Cabbage, this is a classic combination for St. Patrick’s Day!
- Pot roast, you could even swirl some into your mashed potatoes on the side
- Spread on French dip sandwiches instead of mayo
- Serve with grilled chicken
- Replace the chimichurri with horseradish sauce in this appetizer: Steak Toast Bites
- Serve with grilled veggies like peppers, zucchini, asparagus, cherry tomatoes
- Use fresh dill or tarragon instead of chives, and serve with pan seared salmon
- Serve it with baked ham!
- Shrimp, tilapia, or any kind of fish!
More ways we like to serve Horsey Sauce
- Top your baked potato!
- Add a little bit to your potato salad
- Swirl into mashed potatoes. Are you noticing a theme here?
- Top scrambled eggs
- Try it with Sushi instead of wasabi!
- Combine with ketchup and a little Worcestershire sauce to make a killer shrimp cocktail sauce
- Stir into guacamole, salsa, hummus, any dip!
- Spread it on your next sandwich in place of mayo
Storing Homemade Horseradish Sauce
How long does this Horsey Sauce Recipe stay fresh?
Horseradish sauce will stay fresh if kept covered in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. You can always just follow your nose to see if it’s okay to eat. I haven’t tried freezing horseradish sauce, but I don’t think it’s a good candidate for the freezer. You generally don’t freeze sour cream or mayo, and that’s what it’s made of. It will likely break down and become watery.
That’s about it my friends! What are you going to put it on first?? And just for old times sake, here’s the old photo of the first time I posted this recipe back in 2012, once again to go alongside Corned Beef! Nothing could be better.
Enjoy! And Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Horseradish Cream Sauce FAQs
Horseradish isn’t made of anything other than itself; it’s a white root vegetable. But what you’re probably asking is “what is the horseradish condiment that I’ve had before?” It depends on its preparation, but you might have just had a simple mixture of the grated horseradish root, vinegar, and salt (maybe a little sugar too). Prepared horseradish, like we’re using in this recipe for creamy horseradish sauce, is just that.
I’ll tell you one thing: if you’re stuffed up, horseradish sauce is going to decongest you. Like, FAST. And kind of painfully, if you really load it on whatever you’re eating. I don’t recommend going overboard, because it can burn your throat and potentially irritate your stomach if you hit it too hard. However, it might be a merciful thing to serve if you or someone you love is really congested (and enjoys the flavor of horseradish).
The main benefit of horseradish for me is that I like eating it on potatoes, meat, veggies, and more in this spicy, creamy, borderline addictive sauce.
You can find many sources that will tell you horseradish is basically a miracle food with cancer-curing properties, antioxidants out the wazoo, etc etc. I’m eating horseradish sauce in super small quantities (because it’s so intense) and I’m eating it because I love the flavor. The horseradish isn’t bad for you, but I’m also mixing it with mayo and sour cream…so draw your own conclusions about health benefits there.
There’s really no substitute for horseradish in horseradish sauce. I don’t know how else to say that guys. If you don’t have horseradish, maybe wait until you do to make this? It’s a pretty unique flavor. If you’re just looking for something spicy, you can go buy some spicy mustard or some wasabi sauce at the store, but it won’t be the same as horseradish.
More sauce recipes to love!
- Easy Chimichurri Sauce << so good with steak
- How to Make Balsamic Reduction << good with any meat!
- Creamy Buttermilk Ranch Dressing << you will never go back to store bought.
- Garlic Aioli Recipe << I dip EVERYTHING in this!
- Easy Thai Peanut Sauce << so good with Chicken Satay
- The Best Cheese Sauce << just like Shake Shack!!
- The Best Chipotle Mayo <<best sandwich of your life
- Pizza Sauce from Jo Cooks
- Oh My! Steak Sauce from Novice Chef
- Gremolata Recipe from Cookie and Kate
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Horseradish Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 & 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, about half a lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish, drained, or more to taste
- fresh chives, chopped
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add 1/2 cup sour cream, 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, the juice from half a lemon (about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons), 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and black pepper to taste.
- Place 3-4 tablespoons prepared horseradish in a strainer and press it through with a spoon until it gets a little dried out. Add the drained horseradish to the bowl.
- Whisk it all together. Add about a tablespoon of chopped chives. Serve cold or room temperature with Corned Beef and Cabbage, steak, or Pot Roast!
- Store leftovers covered in the fridge. It will stay fresh for about 2 weeks!
Fabulous horseradish cream sauce! I switched up plain Greek yogurt for the mayonnaise to make it a bit healthier. 😋
Ooh good idea Lisa! Love this hack. Thanks for sharing!
I think this is a good base horseradish sauce. Great tips on straining the horseradish so it isn’ over thin and vinegary. You’re putting lemon juice in it so you substituting a bright flavor for flat vinegar IMHO. I would suggest cutting back on the amount of horseradish and then adding to your taste. Always easy to add more. Secondly, I think a little Worcestershire sauce adds another note of flavor. Again, we’re talking tiny add. Think of it like adding bitters into a cocktail. A little goes a long way. Finally I saw another recipe that said if you don’t add the chives, you can store the sauce in a tight container for 2-3 weeks. For me great idea since I cook only for myself and having it last longer gives me more time to enjoy. Chives can always be added to a small portion when it is served, they’re there for color more than flavor. Oh, chope the chives fresh and sprinkle on tops of the sauce.
Thanks for your tips Bill, so glad you enjoyed it!
Yum! Thank you! ☺️
Have you tried using raw horseradish? I have a few plants in my backyard, wondering if I dig up a few roots to make ‘prepared horseradish’ ?
Hi Laurie! Yes absolutely! Check out this recipe for Prepared Horseradish. They you could use it to make this sauce. Enjoy!