If you’ve eaten at any burger joints in Utah or Idaho (like Crown Burger, Arctic Circle, or Sconecutter), you might be familiar with our favorite dip and condiment: fry sauce. In fact, I think you would be hard-pressed to find a Utahn who doesn’t think fry sauce is the best-tasting condiment for burgers and fries!
Jillee’s Take:
Utah-based burger chain Arctic Circle claims to have invented the original fry sauce in the 1940s, but combinations of ketchup and mayo are not exactly unique! Variations of this ketchup mayo sauce recipe are enjoyed worldwide, from Argentinian salsa rosada (“golf sauce”) to German rott weiss (“red white”).
It wasn’t until a friend of mine opened a hamburger joint that I cracked the code to making great homemade fry sauce. A splash of pickle juice elevates the somewhat pedestrian combination of mayonnaise and ketchup, transforming it into the creamy, savory fry sauce we Utahns know and love.
If you’re looking for a delicious french fry sauce to try, make this easy fry sauce recipe the next time you make fries or reheat leftover fries at home.
Table Of Contents
How To Make Fry Sauce
What is fry sauce, you ask? Fry sauce is typically made with mayo and ketchup and may include pickle juice, vinegar, or various seasonings. (Fry sauce is similar to Thousand Island dressing, but uses pickle juice rather than pickle relish.)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 3-4 tsp pickle juice
Directions:
Add the mayo, ketchup, and onion powder to a small bowl and whisk thoroughly to combine. Add the pickle juice one teaspoon at a time, stirring and tasting after each addition. Store your finished homemade fry sauce dip in an airtight container in the fridge.
You can use juice from any jarred pickles in this recipe — dill, bread and butter, and even sweet pickles are all great options!
How to Enjoy Leftovers
Store leftover fry sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Using Your Homemade Fry Sauce
Fry sauce makes a great dipping sauce for crispy oven-baked french fries, potato wedges, onion rings, corn dogs, chicken wings, jalapeño poppers, chicken nuggets, and hush puppies. You can dip most crispy snack foods into this amazing sauce!
This homemade fry sauce recipe makes a delicious dressing and condiment too. It’s a fantastic burger sauce and a great addition to hot dogs and sandwiches. It has a wonderful sweet and tangy flavor, but a dash of Worcestershire sauce is great for added umami.
Customizing Your Fry Sauce
The basic recipe is tried and true, but there are endless delicious variations on fry sauce for those who want to expand their flavor horizons. Some people swap out the ketchup for BBQ sauce or chili sauce, while others use Miracle Whip rather than standard mayonnaise.
Here are a few flavorful additions you might like to try:
More Ideas You'll Love
- Mustard: Adds a sharp, tangy flavor.
- Relish: Swap the pickle juice for relish for added texture and crunch.
- Paprika: Adds a rich, smoky flavor and a hint of sweetness.
- Salt: Use to balance a sweeter sauce or enhance overall flavor.
- Honey: Adds sweetness.
- Lemon juice: Use instead of pickle juice for a tangier sauce.
- White vinegar: Use instead of pickle juice for tanginess without the pickle flavor.
- Minced pickles or capers: Use instead of pickle juice.
- Horseradish: Adds heat and flavor.
- Seasoned salt: Use instead of onion or garlic powder.
- Hot sauce: Adds heat.
- Spicy brown mustard: Adds heat and tangy flavor.
- Black or white pepper: Adds subtle heat and great flavor.
- Worcestershire sauce: Use for a savory flavor without adding more salt.
- Ground cumin: Adds earthiness and umami.
“I use red wine vinegar in [fry sauce] to cut the sweetness. I also like to season it with Canadian steak spice.”
– OGT Reader Ellen D.
BONUS: Restaurant Fry Sauce Copycat Recipes
Think a certain restaurant chain has the best fry sauce ever? These copycat fry sauce recipes will help you replicate that fry dip at home!
| Mayonnaise | Ketchup | Acid | Seasonings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arctic Circle Fry Sauce | 1 cup | 1/2 cup | 3-4 tsp pickle juice | 1/2 tsp onion powder |
| Crown Burger Fry Sauce | 1/2 cup | 1/4 cup | 1 Tbsp vinegar | 1 Tbsp sugar, 2 tsp relish, pickle juice, salt to taste |
| Zips Fry Sauce | 1 cup | 1/2 cup | 1 Tbsp vinegar or pickle juice | Sriracha, seasoned salt, onion or garlic powder, black pepper (all to taste) |
| Five Guys Fry Sauce | 1 cup | 2/3 cup | 1 Tbsp pickle juice | 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp paprika, pinch of cayenne (optional) |
(Looking for Dairy Queen fry sauce? Unfortunately, it no longer appears on their menu or website, but any of the variations above are sure to be fairly close!)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fry Sauce Gluten-Free?
To make homemade fry sauce gluten-free, ensure that the mayonnaise you’re using doesn’t contain soy. Most ketchups and pickles are gluten-free as they don’t contain malt.
Does Fry Sauce Contain Dairy?
Fry sauce gets its creamy quality from mayonnaise, which is made using oil and eggs. No dairy here!
Where Did Fry Sauce Originate?
Utah-based burger chain Arctic Circle claims to have invented fry sauce in the 1940s, but whether they were truly the first to combine ketchup and mayo is uncertain.
Is Fry Sauce Vegan?
Since most mayonnaise is made with eggs, most fry sauces are not vegan. You can make vegan fry sauce at home using store-bought or homemade vegan mayo.
Conclusion
Now that you know exactly what is in fry sauce, you can enjoy it at home anytime you like! This easy dipping sauce for fries is sure to become a new family favorite.
What’s your favorite dipping sauce for french fries?
Fry Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 3-4 tsp pickle juice
Instructions
- Combine mayo, ketchup, and onion powder in a small bowl.
- Add pickle juice one teaspoon at a time, to taste.
Video
Nutrition
More Ideas You'll Love
Ok……. dill pickle juice I’m assuming… please specify dill or sweet in recipes.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You just made Arctic Circle fry sauce. That was our family business for 30 years and I made that everyday. Packaged fry sauce was so not the same. And I still have to make it for my friends and kids even though haven’t had Arctic Circle in years
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Also similar to Thousand Island dressing which has cut up pickles in it. Another good sauce on fries is tartar sauce, typically used on fish.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It’s very similar to McDonalds’ “secret sauce,” which my family imitates by combining mayo, ketchup, a bit of mustard, and sometimes pickle relish. The pickle relish, I assume adds the same flavor profile as the pickle juice in your recipe. I like the color better with the addition of a little mustard. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This was not invented in america. We in American have our own name for it called fry sauce. Its orginal orgins is from latin america. It orginaly is called salsa rosada. Aka salsa golf. Its also known by as other names depending on the country you live in. This guy from Utah DIDNT creat this. Please do not feed the public facts on orgins of food that is not true.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Interesting! Thanks for the info – I had no idea :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It is really so hard to tell where recipes originate from unless you are the one who actually did it.
Jillian I am a foodie and I LOVE that you spend the time to dig up these recipes for us. We always mix mayo and ketchup, but I will be trying the pickle additions. Thank you!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Get a life!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I worked in a drive in Utah as a car hop in the 1960’s, back when fry sauce began. Lets say it this way, the ORIGINAL recipe for fry sauce is mayo and catsup. We used to make it by the gallons.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You can change it any way you like, you can make it low cal, you can make it taste like pickles, whatever.
The fact remains it is, mayo and catsup.
I wonder if Miracle Whip would work in place of the mayonnaise? I can’t stomach mayonnaise. I think it’s because mayonnaise has a bland taste. Whenever cooking at home and the recipe calls for mayonnaise. I go straight for the Miracle Whip.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Down here in Alabama we have a variant on Mississippi Comeback sauce or your Utah Fry sauce that most of us call Guthrie’s sauce because that’s the Alabama chain that served it first. Now Zaxby’s serves basically the same thing. it’s mayo (our sour cream or plain yogurt), ketchup, worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper. There are some variants between the two chains but those are the basics. And it’s dah-bomb!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.OR sour cream/yogurt, not OUR. duh
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Please, don’t be “catty” on this site. We love it, or , or , or,
(happy, now?) or we wouldn’t be here. We all make mistakes and I’m sure you do too. Try to be nice to everyone, even if you can’t see them. :)
I think she was directing the “DUH” to herself.
We had an Arctic Circle in the town where I lived in High School (Olympia, WA) and it was quite the hang out. I don’t remember the fry sauce (40 years is a long time between tastes), but I’d like to share my fry dip mix … mayo and Tapatio (or that other hot sauce). About 1+ T to a cup of mayo. Awesome-sauce. That is all. The end.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I and my brothers grew up with Arctic Circle fries and yummy fry sauce! We too asked for mayo and ketchup to make our own in restaurants without fry sauce. I’m looking forward to trying it with the dill pickle juice and other suggested ingredients. Love your blog Jillee! Thanks……
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Artic Circle!! Oh my goodness, I lived at ” Acey Birds”
Please log in or create a free account to comment.when I was in high school. Every lunch period and after
school would find a bunch of us dipping tons of fries into the little paper cups of that sauce. I could have had it instead of some of the milk shakes I ordered!! :) Sweet memories…..
Mayo and ketchup reminds me of Mom’s homemade thousand island dressing! I like homemade ranch dressing for fries and use a simple recipe. Mayo, fresh chopped dill, little onion and garlic powder.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Being an old Utahan, I agree with the first comment by Larene. The old basic way was just using mayo and Ketchup. Even to this day, when I go somewhere that doesn’t have fry sauce, I ask for mayo and Ketchup on the side and make my own. Gotta have fry sauce with fries! However, your spiced-up versions sounds pretty yummy, too.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I too am wondering, sweet or dill pickle juice? I am assuming dill but would love someone to give us a definite answer.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Dill is classic, sweet will work great too :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I cannot wait to try this! We just searched for a recipe like this last night, and all felt it was “missing something” We have a batch left over in the fridge, so I will be adding some pickle juice today and see if that’s what it needed. If not, I appreciate the title “comeback Sauce” andI will google that recipe. We searched it as “Zax Sauce”, which we love to eat at Zaxby’s.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have the same question – do you use sweet pickle juice or dill pickle juice?? Do not see where Jodie’s question was answered. Sweet versus dill will make a huge difference! Thanks
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Either is fine – I like dill better!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I just recently learned about fry sauce and I love it. I have always eaten my fries plain because I don’t care for ketchup (too sweet). I use red wine vinegar in mine to cut the sweetness. I also like to season it with Canadian steak spice. I will have to try the dill pickle juice.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I mix sour cream with ketchup for my fry sauce! There is a lot less fat than with mayo and it is even lower if you use light sour cream. You don’t miss the fat and you don’t even know it is light!i sometimes add a touch of dill pickle relish also. If you have never tried dill relish you are missing out on a treat…much better than that too sweet other relish! Love your blog Jillee!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great ideas Nancy!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Condensed tomato soup in place of ketchup also works great and then it isn’t super sweet. It also helps if you need to watch sugar. I do 2/3 c mayo, 1/3 c sour cream and 1/2 c condensed tomatoe soup. Don’t reconstitute the soup. Use it straight out of the can and freeze the other half. Try the combo on fried shrimp! Heaven!!
Sweet pickle or dill pickle juice in your fry sauce?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Either works great, but I prefer dill :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi! Just wanted to say that REAL FRY SAUCE Does NOT have pickle juice nor pickle relish in it!!!!! It is made with Real Mayo and Ketchup. The alterations came later. Just sayin”
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Wo cares??
Please log in or create a free account to comment.