Best Horseradish Cream Sauce Recipe

This horseradish cream sauce recipe is rich, tangy, and bold with just the right kick.

It truly is the kind of sauce you’ll want to try on absolutely everything, and it comes together in less than five minutes.

What Makes This Sauce So Good?

This sauce has a fantastic balance that’s both luxurious and exciting.

The cool, rich base perfectly tames the fiery horseradish, while the other ingredients add layers of tangy, savory, and peppery flavor.

Ingredients Needed for the Recipe

Each ingredient here plays a specific role in building the sauce’s perfect flavor and texture.

Gather these simple items, and you’re moments away from something spectacular.

• Prepared Horseradish: This is the star, providing that iconic, sinus-clearing heat and pungent flavor. Make sure it’s the plain jarred version, not a pre-creamed sauce.
• Sour Cream: It forms the creamy, cool foundation that balances the horseradish’s intense heat beautifully.
• Mayonnaise: This adds a touch of richness and helps create a smoother, more cohesive and spreadable consistency.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: A little splash brightens the whole sauce, cutting through the richness and making the other flavors pop.
• Worcestershire Sauce: It’s the secret weapon, adding a subtle depth of savory, umami flavor that’s hard to pinpoint but essential.
• Salt and Pepper: These fundamentals season the sauce, rounding out and enhancing every single other ingredient in the bowl.

How to make Best Horseradish Cream Sauce Recipe?

The process is almost embarrassingly simple, which is part of its magic.

You get a huge reward for a very small amount of effort, and that’s always a win.

Step 1- Gather and Measure

Pull all your ingredients from the fridge and pantry.

Taking a moment to measure everything out now makes the next step completely foolproof.

Step 2- Combine Everything

Simply add all the ingredients into a medium-sized mixing bowl.

There’s no special order here—just dump them all in together.

Step 3- Mix and Taste

Stir everything vigorously with a spoon or whisk until the mixture is completely smooth and uniform.

Now, taste it. This is your chance to make it yours, so adjust the salt, pepper, or even an extra dash of horseradish if you dare.

Step 4- Rest and Serve

You can serve the sauce immediately, and it will be delicious.

Letting it rest for 30 minutes in the fridge, however, allows the flavors to meld and become even more harmonious.

Endless Ways to Serve Your Sauce

I created this for roast beef sandwiches, and it’s a legendary pairing.

But then I got curious, and started putting it on… well, everything.

It’s incredible as a dip for hot fries, crispy onion rings, or even sturdy potato chips.

Slather it on grilled burgers, pork tenderloin, or use it as a baked potato topper.

It elevates simple chicken fingers and makes a prime rib roast feel like a true celebration.

The bold flavor even stands up to fried foods like shrimp or stuffed mushrooms beautifully.

Tips

A few little insights can make your sauce experience even better.

• For the best texture and flavor, use full-fat sour cream and mayonnaise. The sauce will be richer and less prone to weeping.
• If you’re using a fresh jar of horseradish, know that its heat is most potent when first opened and mellows over time in the fridge.
• Feel free to swap the apple cider vinegar for white wine vinegar or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for a different kind of bright acidity.
• If you substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream, your sauce will have a tangier, slightly thicker character—it’s great, just different.
• For a smoother, more elegant sauce perfect for dolloping, whisk it a bit longer or even use a small food processor to blend.

Storing Your Horseradish Cream

Store any leftover sauce in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.

It will keep beautifully for up to two weeks, its flavors continuing to develop.

I do not recommend freezing this sauce, as the dairy base will separate and become grainy when thawed.

Just keep it chilled, and enjoy it within that two-week window—trust me, it won’t be a problem.

A Quick Word on the Horseradish

Getting the right horseradish is the only tricky part, and it’s not really tricky at all.

You’re looking for prepared horseradish, which is simply grated horseradish root preserved in vinegar.

It’s usually found in a jar in the refrigerated section near the condiments or seafood.

Avoid jars labeled “horseradish sauce” or “creamed horseradish,” as those are already mixed with dairy and will throw off your recipe.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can make your own by grating fresh horseradish root and mixing it with a dash of vinegar and a pinch of sugar.

Just be warned, fresh is incredibly potent and will make a much hotter final sauce.