Creamy horseradish sauce is one of those simple condiments that can completely change a meal. Cool sour cream and mayonnaise soften the sharp bite of horseradish, while Dijon mustard and lemon juice add just enough tang to keep the sauce bright and lively.
It is especially good with roast beef, prime rib, steak, and beef tenderloin, but there is no reason to save it only for special occasions. Spread it on roast beef sandwiches, spoon it over roasted potatoes, serve it with grilled vegetables, or add a little to burgers when you want something sharper than ordinary mayonnaise.
Best of all, this homemade horseradish sauce takes only a few minutes to stir together.
🥣 Creamy Horseradish Sauce Recipe
Makes: About 3/4 cup
Prep time: 5 minutes
Chilling time: 30 minutes
Serves: About 6–8
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 to 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish, drained
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives, optional
🥄 How to Make Horseradish Sauce
Add the sour cream, mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons of prepared horseradish, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper to a small bowl.
Stir until the sauce is smooth and evenly combined.
Taste and add another tablespoon of horseradish if you would like a stronger kick. Horseradish varies quite a bit in intensity, so it is easier to start with less and increase it to suit your taste.
Stir in the chopped chives, if using.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the sauce for at least 30 minutes before serving. A little resting time gives the flavors a chance to blend and makes the sauce taste more cohesive.
Give it another stir before serving.
🌱 What Is Prepared Horseradish?
Prepared horseradish is grated horseradish root mixed with vinegar and usually a little salt. You will generally find it refrigerated in jars near condiments, pickles, or refrigerated sauces.
For this recipe, look for prepared horseradish, not a bottled product labeled creamy horseradish sauce. Prepared horseradish gives you control over how creamy and spicy the finished sauce becomes.
Drain off excess liquid before measuring it so the sauce does not become too thin.
🔥 How Spicy Should Horseradish Sauce Be?
That depends entirely on you.
For a relatively mild sauce, use about 2 tablespoons of prepared horseradish. Three tablespoons gives it a much more noticeable bite. Serious horseradish fans can add even more.
Keep in mind that different jars of prepared horseradish can vary in pungency. Freshly opened horseradish may also taste more assertive than a jar that has been sitting in the refrigerator for a while.
The sour cream and mayonnaise help temper the heat, so adjusting the recipe is easy. Add more horseradish for extra bite or another spoonful of sour cream if you accidentally make it stronger than you intended.
🌿 Can You Make Horseradish Sauce With Fresh Horseradish Root?
Yes. Fresh horseradish root has a particularly sharp, pungent flavor and can make a wonderful sauce.
Peel a small section of fresh horseradish root and finely grate it using a box grater or food processor. Work in a well-ventilated area because freshly cut horseradish releases strong fumes that can irritate your eyes and nose.
To substitute fresh root in this creamy sauce, begin with about 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh horseradish. Mix it with about 1 teaspoon white or white-wine vinegar, then add it to the remaining sauce ingredients.
Taste carefully before adding more.
Vinegar plays an interesting role when preparing fresh horseradish. Adding it quickly produces a milder result, while waiting a few minutes before adding the vinegar allows more of horseradish’s pungency to develop.
🥩 What to Serve With Horseradish Sauce
Roast beef is probably the most famous partner for creamy horseradish sauce. The cooling sour cream and sharp horseradish balance the richness of the beef particularly well.
It is equally good with:
- Prime rib
- Beef tenderloin
- Grilled steak
- Pot roast
- Roast beef sandwiches
- Corned beef
- Burgers
- Roast pork
- Grilled salmon
- Smoked salmon
- Roasted potatoes
- Potato wedges
- Roasted carrots
- Asparagus
- Brussels sprouts
For a holiday meal, place a small bowl of horseradish sauce beside roast beef or tenderloin and let everyone add as much—or as little—as they like.
🥪 Try It on Sandwiches
Leftover roast beef and horseradish sauce are practically made for one another.
Spread a thin layer of sauce onto crusty bread, then add thinly sliced roast beef, arugula, caramelized onions, and your favorite cheese. Sharp cheddar, provolone, and Swiss all work nicely.
The sauce is also excellent on steak sandwiches and burgers. If you usually reach for mustard or mayonnaise, replacing them with horseradish sauce is an easy way to give a familiar sandwich a completely different flavor.
🥔 More Ways to Use Horseradish Sauce
You do not need a roast in the oven to justify making a batch.
Stir a spoonful into mashed potatoes for a little extra bite, or use it as a dip for crispy roasted potatoes. It can also make a flavorful accompaniment to roasted vegetables.
Try adding a small amount to deviled egg filling, potato salad, or a creamy salad dressing. Because horseradish has such a strong personality, start with a little and taste as you go.
You can even thin the sauce with a small splash of milk or buttermilk and use it as a drizzle for roast beef salads.
🌶️ Easy Horseradish Sauce Variations
Once you have the basic recipe, it is easy to adjust.
For extra-spicy horseradish sauce, simply increase the prepared horseradish a tablespoon at a time until it has the kick you want.
For a lighter sauce, replace some or all of the sour cream with plain Greek yogurt. The flavor will be slightly tangier, but it works especially well with vegetables and salmon.
For a herb horseradish sauce, add chopped chives, parsley, dill, or a combination of fresh herbs.
For a mustard-forward version, increase the Dijon to 2 teaspoons.
A teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce can also add a deeper savory note when you plan to serve the sauce specifically with beef.
⏰ Can You Make Horseradish Sauce Ahead of Time?
Yes. In fact, this is a convenient sauce to prepare before a dinner or holiday gathering.
Mix everything together, cover, and keep it refrigerated until serving time. Preparing it several hours ahead gives the flavors time to blend.
Because this creamy version contains sour cream and mayonnaise, keep it refrigerated rather than leaving it sitting at room temperature during a long meal.
❄️ How to Store Homemade Horseradish Sauce
Transfer leftover sauce to a covered container and refrigerate promptly.
For best quality, I like to make relatively small batches and use them within several days. Fresh herbs and dairy ingredients make this a sauce that is better prepared as needed rather than made in enormous quantities.
If the sauce has been sitting out at room temperature for more than two hours, it is safest to discard it.
Freezing is not recommended. Sour cream and mayonnaise-based sauces can separate after thawing and lose their smooth texture.
💡 Tips for the Best Horseradish Sauce
Use full-fat sour cream if you want the richest, smoothest texture. Reduced-fat versions can work, but the finished sauce may be slightly thinner.
Drain prepared horseradish before measuring it. Too much liquid from the jar can dilute the sauce.
Add horseradish gradually. It is easy to make the sauce stronger, but much harder to tame it after adding too much.
Fresh lemon juice provides the cleanest flavor, although a tiny splash of white-wine vinegar can be used instead.
Finally, give the sauce at least a short rest in the refrigerator before serving. Even 30 minutes makes a difference.
🍽️ A Simple Sauce With Plenty of Flavor
Homemade horseradish sauce does not need a complicated list of ingredients. Sour cream, mayonnaise, horseradish, mustard, and lemon are enough to create a creamy condiment with plenty of character.
Make it mild for a family dinner or pile in more horseradish when you want that unmistakable sinus-tingling kick.
Whether it lands beside an impressive holiday roast or gets spread onto tomorrow’s leftover-beef sandwich, this is one easy sauce worth keeping in your recipe collection.
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