This gluten free homemade Spicy Thousand Island Dressing recipe is made from scratch with mayo, chipotle sauce, and dill pickles.
I love to make my own dressings so that I can customize them to my tastes. One of my favorite dressings to make from scratch is this Thousand Island Dressing with a kick!
I am a huge fan of making sauces and dressings from scratch. A little extra effort tends to yield pretty positive results. Homemade tartar sauce? Totally delicious. DIY ranch dressing? Super tasty.
There are obvious benefits to making your own dressings and sauces such as the fact that it's healthier as the bottled versions tend to contain preservatives and any number of mystery ingredients.
The major contributing factor in this decision is the fact that Thousand Island Dressing contains ketchup - An ingredient I CANNOT STAND.
I thought long and hard about how to create a version of this creamy and decadent dressing without it and the ingredient that takes it place is adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers. It gives the dressing a smoky and spicy kick.
This sauce is everything we love about Thousand Island Dressing except that it's better because it's made with no ketchup.
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What Is Thousand Island Dressing?
Thousand Island Dressing is a condiment that is mainly used as a salad dressing or on top of sandwiches or burgers. The sandwich you'll most commonly find it slathered on is the Corned Beef Reuben Sandwich or Rachel sandwich.
Many fast food restaurants across America top their burgers with some version of this sauce. The most notable include the Big Mac from McDonald's and the 'secret spread' from In-N-Out Burger.
It's usually made with mayo, ketchup or some kind of pureed tomato mixture, and sweet relish. Sometimes hard boiled eggs are added to thicken it and it can be prepared with cream.
What Does 1,000 Island Taste Like?
The taste of this iconic dressing is tangy and a typically a little sweet. The mayo makes it creamy and the pickles or relish give it a nice salty kick.
This sauce can be described as 'zesty' - It's savory, sweet, and tangy at the same time.
Why Is It Called Thousand Island Dressing?
The origins of this dressing are that of typical American folklore. It's said that the name comes from the Thousands Island region that lies along the St. Lawrence River between the United States and Canada.
Apparently a fishing guide's wife made the dressing for the first time and served it to her husband as part of his shore dinner.
That's one version of the story, anyway. There are others but all of them trace back to that Thousand Islands region.
Spicy Thousand Island Dressing Ingredients
This recipe is so easy to put together and contains ingredients that are commonly found in your cupboard and fridge.
Here's What You'll Need To Make It:
- ¾ cup Mayo
- 2-3 Tbsp. Adobo Sauce
- ½ cup Deli-Style Kosher Dill Relish or finely chopped Kosher Dill Pickles
- 2 tsp. Lemon Juice
- 2 tsp. Sugar
- ¼ tsp. Garlic Powder
- ⅓ cup Chopped Chives
- Pinch Kosher Salt and Pepper
What Is Adobo Sauce?
Adobo sauce is the tangy, spicy red sauce that comes in a can of chipotle peppers. Chipotle peppers are dried, smoked jalapenos.
You can purchase a small can of them to flavor your favorite Mexican dishes and the adobo sauce is the stuff that comes in the can.
You can purchase it in the Mexican foods section of your local grocery store or on Amazon if you are unable to get it locally. A small can will only cost you a few dollars. I always have a can of this stuff on hand.
What Kind Of Relish Is Best?
This Spicy Thousand Island Dressing recipe calls for Deli-Style Kosher Dill Relish and not the sweet relish that is typically used. You can purchase Kosher Dill Relish in the condiment section of your local grocery store or you can substitute it by chopping up some kosher dill pickles.
IF you love sweet relish you can certainly use that instead of the kosher dill relish - You can customize this recipe as you like.
How To Make Homemade Thousand Island Dressing
All of the ingredients are added to a small bowl and mixed together until combined - That's it! This recipe is SO easy to prepare.
- Mince ⅓ cup of chives.
- If using kosher dill pickles (and not kosher dill relish) finely chop ½ cup of kosher dill pickles.
- Add ¾ cup mayo, 2-3 Tbsp. adobo sauce, 2 tsp. lemon juice, 2 tsp. sugar, ¼ tsp. garlic powder, and a pinch of kosher salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir until combined using a small whisk or a fork.
- Add the relish or chopped pickles along with the minced chives. Stir until combined.
The dressing is ready at this point. You can serve it immediately or set it in the fridge for an hour or so to let the flavors meld.
Chipotle sauce is a bit spicy - If you find that it's a bit spicy simply add more sugar to balance it out.
You can add more lemon juice if you'd like to thin the dressing out a bit or less if you like a thicker dressing. Extra mayo can also be added for a thicker dressing.
Love to make your own dressings and sauces? Don't Miss These:
- Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing
- Roasted Poblano Avocado Sauce
- Lemon Tarragon Sauce
- Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
- Herbed Tahini Sauce
- Cashew Cilantro Sauce
How Long Does This Dressing Last?
This dressing will last 4-5 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Keeping it covered will prevent it from drying out. It's best used fresh and I would not keep it any longer than this.
Can It Be Frozen?
I also do not recommend freezing this dressing as it would likely separate - It truly is best to prepare in small batches and use it as you need it.
How To Use Thousand Island Dressing
What's this stuff used for and why bother making it at all? My absolute favorite way to enjoy Spicy Thousand Island Dressing is slathered on a Reuben Sandwich and I also add it to Rachel Sandwiches.
You can use it to top a lettuce or veggie salad - It would be great on top of a wedge salad. This dressing is one of those old-school sauces I could see served with a wedge salad alongside a steak at a steak house.
It's also great on top of burgers like this Juicy Lucy Burger or sliders - Beef, turkey, or chicken burgers are all great pairings.
You can definitely get creative and serve it with anything 'Reuben-esque'. It would be delicious made into reuben dip, as a sauce for reuben egg rolls, or served with reuben casserole.
It's a great 'go-to' recipe for a game day menu. Other game day menu favorites include Southwest Baked Egg Rolls, Crispy Air Fryer Mushrooms, and Crockpot Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs!
If you love chipotle sauce and have some leftover feel free to use it in these dishes!
- Chipotle Chicken Panini
- Skillet Chipotle Chicken Tacos
- Southwest Chipotle Slaw
- Black Bean Mushroom Burgers
- Chipotle Baked Rice Balls
Looking For More Homemade Dressings? Don't Miss These!
Creamy Italian Salad Dressing
Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing
Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing
Healthy Ceasar Dressing
Strawberry Vinaigrette
Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing
Spicy Thousand Island Dressing
Ingredients
- ¾ cup mayo
- 2-3 Tbsp. adobo sauce
- ½ cup deli-style kosher dill relish or chopped kosher dill pickles
- 2 tsp. lemon juice
- 2 tsp. sugar
- ¼ tsp. garlic powder
- ⅓ cup chopped chives
- pinch kosher salt
- pinch pepper
Instructions
- Mince ⅓ cup of chives.
- If using kosher dill pickles (and not kosher dill relish) finely chop ½ cup of kosher dill pickles.
- Add ¾ cup mayo, 2-3 Tbsp. adobo sauce, 2 tsp. lemon juice, 2 tsp. sugar, ¼ tsp. garlic powder, and a pinch of kosher salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir until combined using a small whisk or a fork.
- Add the relish or chopped pickles along with the minced chives. Stir until combined.
- This dressing may be served right away or stored in the fridge for 1-2 hours to let flavors meld.
CAMILLA HAWKINS
This Thousand Island Dressing sounds super yummy! I used to have this dressing all the time in the 80's and then I just stopped having it, would love to try your version and bring back memories:-)
Christine
Thanks, Camilla! This is definitely one of those throwback recipes that's fun to bring out once in awhile! 🙂