The New Orleans sauce that ruined plain mayo for me!
Spicy Cajun flavors will always remind me of visiting my grandparents. They lived in a small town just outside of New Orleans called Slidell. Some of my favorite memories are of us going out to eat at a local spot where I’d always order a big basket of fried shrimp.
One time, they served it with this delicious mayo-like sauce, but it was different. It had a spicy kick that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. My curiosity got the best of me, so I had to ask the waitress. She replied, “Oh honey, that’s just Remoulade Sauce!” I’ve never been able to settle for plain mayo ever since.
This Cajun Remoulade Sauce is my take on that memory. It’s creamy, spicy, and tastes like it came straight out of a Louisiana kitchen. If you love bold Cajun flavors, you’ll also want to try my Cajun Seasoning and Blackened Salmon.
We’re used to a Danish remoulade sauce. This spicy delight was a revelation! Now becoming one of our go to recipes for so many dish accompaniments. Thank you!
– Lesley
What Is Remoulade Sauce?
Remoulade sauce is a traditional Louisiana sauce with a mayonnaise base, often including Creole mustard, paprika, garlic, and Cajun or blackened seasoning. In the recipe below, it gets a kick from Louisiana-style hot sauce and a tang from pickle relish and prepared horseradish.
Remoulade is sometimes confused with tartar sauce, which is made with mayonnaise and pickles but lacks the spicy components like Cajun seasoning, hot sauce, or paprika. You can tell the difference by their color: remoulade has a red hue, while tartar sauce is white.
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
Mayonnaise is the base of the whole sauce. Duke’s mayo is my go-to, but Hellmann’s and even an avocado oil-based kind will work great.
Creole Mustard is key to getting that classic flavor. If you can’t find it, spicy or regular mustard are suitable substitutes, but Creole mustard really makes it taste authentic.
Pickle Relish adds a tangy, slightly sweet bite. Dill or sweet both work, but will affect how sweet the sauce is. You can also finely dice pickles in place of relish.
Lemon Juice adds a bit of freshness to the sauce. Freshly squeezed is best, but bottled juice will work too.
Paprika and Cajun Seasoning give it the flavor we know and love! Try my Homemade Cajun Seasoning for a little less heat.
Horseradish adds that signature zing. Make sure you don’t leave it out and be sure to use the prepared kind (in a jar), not the fresh root.
Hot Sauce, Garlic, and Worcestershire round out the flavor with heat, depth, and a little umami kick.
Combine the ingredients.
Add the mayonnaise, Creole mustard, pickle relish, lemon juice, paprika, Cajun seasoning, horseradish, hot sauce, minced garlic, and Worcestershire sauce to a medium bowl. Whisk everything together until the sauce is smooth and evenly combined. You want a consistent pinkish-red color throughout.
Taste the sauce after mixing and adjust to your preference. Want more heat? Add another dash of hot sauce. More tang? A little extra lemon juice goes a long way.
Refrigerate and serve.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the sauce for 1 to 2 hours (or up to 24 hours) before serving. This step is critical, so don’t skip it! Letting the sauce rest allows all of the flavors to meld together. The longer it sits, the better it tastes.
Making this ahead? The sauce actually tastes BETTER the next day. Make it the night before and let it sit in the fridge overnight for the best flavor.
How to Store Remoulade Sauce
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Give it a good stir before serving if it’s been sitting for a while.
Make ahead: This sauce is a GREAT make-ahead recipe. Mix it up to 24 hours before you need it. The flavors get even better overnight.
Can I freeze it? Freezing isn’t recommended since the mayonnaise base can separate and change texture when thawed.
What to Serve With Remoulade Sauce
There are SO many dishes and recipes you can serve with this flavorful sauce. Here are some favorites:
- Blackened Salmon — the smoky fish with creamy remoulade is a PERFECT combo
- Blackened Shrimp Tacos — drizzle it right on top
- Baked Potato Wedges — the best dipping sauce
- Crab Cakes — a classic pairing
- Salmon Burgers — spread it on like you would mayo
- Air Fryer Fish — crispy fish + spicy sauce = SO good
FAQs
Remoulade sauce goes on just about anything you might put mayonnaise on. Try it on fried pickles, sandwiches (especially po’boys), crab cakes, fried fish, blackened salmon, shrimp tacos, or fried green tomatoes.
Aioli is an emulsified sauce usually made from oil, garlic, and egg. It can be seasoned, but it’s closer to plain mayonnaise. Remoulade starts with a mayo-like base and then gets kicked up with spices, mustard, hot sauce, and other bold flavors.
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Cajun Remoulade Sauce Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise*
- 3 tablespoons Creole mustard or spicy
- 2 tablespoons pickle relish dill or sweet
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce such as Tabasco
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and whisk to combine.1 cup mayonnaise*, 3 tablespoons Creole mustard, 2 tablespoons pickle relish, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish, 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- Store remoulade sauce for 1-2 hours or overnight so the flavors can meld together for best taste.
- Serve remoulade sauce with baked potato wedges, over fried fish, with crab cakes or chicken and enjoy!
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Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I made this today, to go with crab cakes. I also want to use it with blackened shrimp and veggies. Although it was tasty, with just the right amount of heat (made exactly as written), I found it a touch too salty for our tastes. Perhaps I should have used sweet relish rather than dill? I’ll try that next time.
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Susan! Unfortunately different ingredients have differing amounts of salt. I hope you try it again. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
Is the mustard powder or prepared? Thank you
Creole or spicy mustard, the prepared condiment, is called for in this recipe.
We’re used to a Danish remoulade sauce. This spicy delight was a revelation! Now becoming one of our go to recipes for so many dish accompaniments. Thank you!
PS: love the crab cakes too!!😊
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Lesley! So glad it’s a new go-to. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
Thank you for this recipe, so glad I found it. Well I put it together with pantry items I had on hand as I limit trips to the store these days. No relish, but I did have olive tapenade and used 1 tbls. Alas, no horseradish bit it turned out delicious just the same. I made this before breakfast and could not stop tasting it. This will go great with bang bang shrimp for dinner later.
So happy you enjoyed it! And sounds like you made some great substitutions. Thanks so much for your comment and rating 🙂
Lots of spice and full of flavor. Made this remoulade sauce to go with some bbq-spiced shrimp.
So happy you enjoyed the recipe, Nancy!! Thanks for your comment and rating 🙂 I bet the bbq shrimp were amazing!
Absolutely love remoulade sauce. I cannot wait to make this at home!
Yay! I can’t wait to hear what you think 🙂
I made it exactly as the recipe stated. I thought it tasted like too much mayo, and was a tad bit salty. I am letting it sit in the fridge, to blend and will taste it later. I noticed an asterik by the mayo, but never an explanation of why it was there. Next time, I think I will cut down on the mayo a little bit.
Thank you so much for your honest review, Cody! It definitely largely depends on the type/brand of ingredients used. The asterisk next to mayo is that you can use avocado oil mayo if Paleo or Whole30 (mentioned in the recipe notes.) Thanks for your comment!