Homemade Thousand Island Dressing

Homemade Thousand Island dressing is fresh, tangy, and a mid century favorite that tastes great on salads, sandwiches, and even as a dipping sauce for appetizers at your next party!

The Legend of Thousand Island Dressing

Legend has it that in the late 1800's, a famous actress named May Irwin was vacationing in the Thousand Islands region between the U.S. and Canada. Impressed by the salad dressing served by a local chef, she requested the recipe and took it back with her to New York. There, it quickly gained popularity, spreading to restaurants and kitchens throughout the country. I'm not sure if it's true, but it makes for a great story!

Classic Thousand Island Dressing Ingredients

Known for its signature pinkish-orange color and its rich, slightly sweet taste, this quick and simple dressing typically consists of a base made from a combination of mayonnaise and ketchup, which gives it its distinct color. This is the classic Thousand Island dressing recipe, with popular variations listed below.

Ingredients include:

• Mayonnaise (I prefer using organic mayonnaise)
• Ketchup
• Sweet pickle relish
• White onion
• Kosher Salt
• Sugar
• White Vinegar
• Pepper

If you're wondering how to make Thousand Island dressing, it couldn't be easier! All you have to do is toss all of the ingredients into a bowl and whisk them together. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to serving.

I love making salad dressing from scratch because you're eliminating artificial ingredients including preservatives, food coloring, etc. But the very best thing about it is the incredibly fresh taste! If you make this salad dressing once, you won't ever want to buy it in a bottle again.

Recipe Variations

Here are some alternatives you can try if you'd like to change things up a bit:

• Add 1 finely chopped hard boiled egg
• Use a dash or two of hot pepper sauce
• Replace the sweet pickle relish with dill pickle relish
• Include 1 teaspoon of horseradish sauce
• Substitute cocktail sauce in place of ketchup
• Add 1 clove of finely minced garlic
• Use a red onion in place of a white onion
• Add a teaspoon a Worcestershire sauce

You can also make vegan homemade Thousand Island dressing by using a vegan mayonnaise (regular mayonnaise has eggs in it.)

Serving Ideas

Here are some great serving ideas for this classic salad dressing recipe:

• On an iceberg wedge as your signature salad dressing
• As your secret sauce recipe on a hamburger
• As a tangy mayo-ketchup dressing on a reuben sandwich
• As a vegetable dipping sauce on an appetizer tray

We hope you enjoy this retro condiment recipe! If you're looking for other vintage salad dressing recipes, try our homemade vinegar and oil salad dressing, or our sweet vinegar and oil salad dressing.

Have a comment or a vintage recipe you'd like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Please rate, comment, or send me an email at [email protected]!