If you live in Idaho, Utah or in some areas of Oregon and Washington states, the odds are good that creamy, tangy French Fry Sauce is the condiment served when you order fries. It's a wonderful alternative to plain ketchup and a delicious, versatile dipping sauce.
Serve fry sauce with french fries (of course!) but it's equally delicious with French Tacos, Buttermilk Chicken Tenders and much more.
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⭐ Why Melinda Loves French Fry Sauce
French Fry Sauce reminds me of home. Whether dining in a restaurant or passing through the local drive-thru for a burger, this condiment is almost always offered with french fries in Idaho.
It's super easy to make. Fry sauce is ready to enjoy in less than five minutes.
French Fry Sauce goes on more than just fries! My family enjoys it on everything from sandwiches to chicken tenders and hamburgers.
🥣 Ingredients to Have on Hand
Mayonnaise: This is the creamy base for your fry sauce and most recipes, including this one, call for two parts mayonnaise to one part ketchup. Use your favorite brand of regular mayonnaise, not reduced fat.
Ketchup: Use the best quality ketchup, I like to use either Heinz or (affiliate link) Portland Brand ketchup. It's the ingredient that adds a tomato sweetness to fry sauce.
Smoked Paprika: I keep a jar of this in my spice cabinet just for this recipe, but smoked paprika can be used in almost any recipe that calls for regular paprika so be assured it will go to good use.
Ground Mustard: Use the ground mustard spice, not the mustard used as a condiment on hot dogs.
Worcestershire Sauce: This adds wonderful depth to the fry sauce flavor.
Scroll to the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
📖 Substitutions
Use regular paprika instead of smoked paprika if that's what you have on hand.
If your family likes a little heat in your fry sauce, add a dash or two of Cayenne Pepper.
Pro Tip: In my experience, making many, many batches of French fry sauce and experimenting with lots of ingredients, there's no need to add vinegar, tabasco sauce or pickle juice to fry sauce, although many other recipes call for it. All of those ingredients thin the texture and throw off the flavor.
🥗 Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: In a small bowl, place the mayonnaise and ketchup. (Photo Above)
Step 2: Add the spices and Worcestershire sauce (Photo Above)
Step 3: Use a whisk or fork to thoroughly blend the ingredients. (Photo Above)
Step 4: Place the fry sauce in a serving bowl or better yet, in a squeezable condiment bottle. (Photo Above)
💭 Recipe FAQs
Use mayonnaise for the smoothest French Fry Sauce, with a consistency that will remind you of the fry sauce from your favorite childhood hamburger stand. Any brand will work great, I don't recommend Miracle Whip simply because of its added sweetness.
Once blended, the ingredients will stay fresh and delicious and stored in a sealed container for about 7 days in the refrigerator.
The only slight similarity is the color. Fry sauce is smooth and creamy. Thousand Island dressing can include small pieces of pickle, pimientos, olives and onions. It's also sweeter than French fry sauce.
It was developed, almost by accident, in the 1950s in an Arctic Circle hamburger franchise in Provo, Utah. Although other areas of the world enjoy a similar blend of ingredients and refer to it as everything from "salsa golf" in Argentina and Uraguay to "aurora sauce" in Japan. (Wikipedia) the unique dipping sauce for french fries caught on quickly and is now an iconic condiment in Utah, Idaho and beyond!
🥘 What to Serve with Fry Sauce
Serve as a Condiment: Just about any fried food tastes delicious with fry sauce. Try it with Ivar's Copycat Fried Cod and Old Fashioned Salmon Patties for a great alternative to tarter sauce.
French Fries: It probably goes with saying, but French Fry Sauce goes great with french fries just as naturally as ketchup! Keep a jar on hand.
Hamburgers: Use fry sauce in place of mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup on your next hamburger or Cheeseburger Pie and taste the difference!
Sandwiches: Fry sauce is fantastic with thinly sliced corned beef and deli-sliced turkey. Try it on your next sandwich with some pickles and lettuce, it's a delicious combination!
🍽 More Sauces and Dips
French Fry Sauce is a delicious addition to everything from fries to burgers, but check out these additional dips and sauces for more ideas and inspiration.
If you tried French Fry Sauce or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below.
Recipe
Kristie McCurdy says
We just made Melinda’s French Fry Sauce or “Fry Sauce” and it was marvelous. Growing up in Idaho, Fry Sauce was a staple. Now living in Louisiana, this recipe brings me back home!
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
Thank you for the wonderful comment, I'm thrilled that you made my Fry Sauce and that you loved the nostalgic flavors of Idaho! 🙂
Juyali says
This sauce is so delicious. I also like it with fried plantains (tostones). I grew up eating a very similar sauce in venezuela (we added some yellow mustard). So so good!
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
I'm intrigued to try fry sauce with fried plantains! Thank you for the five star rating Juyali.
Claudia says
I've tried making French Fry Sauce before, and it was a delicious addition to my fries! The tangy and creamy flavors really complement each other perfectly.
Sonja says
I feel I'm finding this just way too late in my life! I mean, where was this sauce when I was having french fries at the pool in Germany? Or when ordering fries in Ireland? I think I need to make this a thing here, so more people learn about it, it's so yummy!
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
Thank you Sonja! I agree, the whole world needs to know about fry sauce. 🙂
Nicole says
This sauce was so delicious! It is perfect for dipping fries, chicken nuggets, and even adding to a burger. Yum!!
Adriana says
Wow this sauce is perfect for fries and almost anything!
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
.