Special Sauce for Burgers

The key to a great burger is in the toppings and condiments. No one wants a dry burger, right? It’s all about the juicy flavor, delicious toppings and sauces that make each bite better than the next. With a few pantry and fridge staples, this special sauce comes together in no time. My special sauce for burgers is the easiest recipe; once you add this to your rotation, you’ll never have another burger without it!

What does this special sauce taste like? How do you use it?

This sauce is a creamy sauce, and reminds me of the special sauce they serve at fast food restaurants. It’s got many of the components of  thousand island dressing (ketchup, mayo, relish) but a little sweetness from sugar, plus some tang from vinegar and Dijon.  It’s the perfect balance of sweet and tangy.

I use this special sauce on my burgers most of the time.  It’s easy enough to whip up in just a few minutes, because the ingredients are all pantry and fridge staples.  I always have the ingredients on hand to make this sauce. 

Some people have told me that they love this special sauce on sandwiches, or to dip veggies in as a snack!  Really, it’s great however you serve it.

This special sauce is perfect for spicing up the simplest of burgers; even if you buy a store-bought, pre-made turkey burger, you can totally jazz it up by using this sauce, some grilled onions, melty cheese, and a great bun.

What you’ll need to make special sauce for burgers

Everything you’ll need to make this special sauce can most likely be found in your fridge and pantry. 

• ketchup
  • I use regular ketchup but you can use sugar-free or reduced sugar.
• light mayo
  • You can use regular mayo, but the stats will change for the recipe.
• dijon
• sweet relish
• apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
• sugar

Frequently asked substitution questions:

Can I use Greek yogurt instead of mayo? 

I haven’t tried this, so I do not recommend it.  I think the mayo is key for this recipe, and the mayo makes up a majority of the sauce itself.  Greek yogurt is not a perfect replacement for mayo, so I would not replace the entire amount of mayo with yogurt.  If you want to use some yogurt to stretch out the mayo, that might work.  However, I recommend using the listed ingredients.  The stats are so great for this recipe, that to me, it does not pay to replace any of the ingredients. Although, to each their own!

Can I use sugar replacements instead of sugar?

There is such a small amount of sugar in this recipe, that I recommend using the real thing.  But, you can use whatever you feel comfortable with.  I just can not attest to the flavor of the sauce if sugar replacements are used!

Is the vinegar necessary?

The vinegar not only adds zesty flavor to this recipe, but it also stretches the sauce out a bit; it makes it a little thinner and easy to spread onto a bun.

Can I use dill relish?

Yes, you can use whatever you prefer or have on hand.

How to make special sauce for burgers

This truly could not be easier; just combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together.

If you want to use a food scale, you can do that as well instead of using measuring spoons and dirtying more utensils.  All of the ingredients here will include measurements in grams on their nutrition labels (i.e. light mayo, 1 tablespoon = 15g).  So you can use that as a gauge instead.  Whatever is easier for you!

Here is a link to a great food scale: Food Scale

To build the perfect burger, spread some of this special sauce on the both sides of a burger bun, and then layer on all of your other delicious burger fixin’s. 

How to store the sauce

The serving size for this recipe is 1-2 tablespoons.  The stats noted below are for 1 tablespoon, but I usually have 2 tablespoons myself, because I love a saucy burger.

And because of that, I usually don’t have leftovers of this sauce. I typically make a batch for burger night, and since I use 2 tablespoons per burger, the sauce is usually all gone by the end of the night. That’s fine with me, because this sauce only takes 5 minutes to throw together every time we have burger night, so I don’t mind at all!

However, if you do have leftovers, they will be fine in the fridge for a week.  Just make sure to keep it in a covered container or tupperware in the fridge to keep it fresh.

If the sauce appears to become separated, simply stir it for the flavors to come back together. Nothing in this sauce can truly “go bad” so there is no worry there.  Just enjoy!

Special Sauce for Burgers

The key to a great burger is in the toppings and condiments. No one wants a dry burger, right? It's all about the juicy flavor, delicious toppings and sauces that make each bite better than the next. With a few pantry and fridge staples, this special sauce comes together in no time. My special sauce for burgers is the easiest recipe; once you add this to your rotation, you'll never have another burger without it!

5 from 31 votes

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course: condiments

cuisine: American

keyword: burgers,condiments,special sauce

prep time: 5 minutes minutes

servings: 8 tablespoons

calories: 26kcal

author: Steph

cook modeprevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 4 tsp ketchup
• 1/4 cup light mayo
• 4 tsp Dijon
• 4 tsp sweet relish
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar, or white vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients.
• Spread on a burger bun for the ultimate burger experience.

Notes

WW Points:

• 1 WW point per tablespoon (all plans)

WW PersonalPoints™: Click here to track this recipe in the WW app.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tbsp | Calories: 26kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 131mg | Potassium: 16mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 24IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @sweetsavoryandsteph or tag #sweetsavoryandsteph!

Check out these other beef burger recipes:

the classic burger – the special sauce can be used for this recipe 

Skinny Big Mac Burger – the special sauce can be used for this recipe

Reuben-Style Cheeseburgers – the special sauce can be used for this recipe, as well

Italian Burger with Crispy Prosciutto

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