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American

Thousand Island dressing

Non-vegetarian

A rosy, creamy dressing of mayonnaise and ketchup studded with chopped pickles, onion and hard-boiled egg — for salads, Reuben sandwiches and burgers.

Thousand Island dressing is an American sauce, ready in about 25 minutes and made with mayonnaise and tomato ketchup. It serves 8 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep
10 min
Cook
0 min
Rest
15 min
Total
25 min
Serves
8
Level
Beginner
Calories
136

Ingredients

8 servings (about 30 g each)

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Finely chop the pickles, onion and egg (opens in a new tab) (if using). Squeeze excess liquid from the pickles.

    An onion being chopped on a board
    How it looks · Photo: Christina & Peter on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Stir together the mayonnaise (opens in a new tab), ketchup (opens in a new tab), lemon juice (opens in a new tab), paprika (opens in a new tab), Worcestershire, salt and pepper (opens in a new tab), then fold in the chopped ingredients.

  3. Step 3

    Chill for 15 minutes before serving.

    • 1 min

About this dish

Origin
Thousand Islands (US–Canada border), United States · Origin disputedNamed after the Thousand Islands region of the St Lawrence River; several competing stories claim its creation.Also popular in CanadaMore food from United States
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Sauces · Condiments, chutneys & relishes
Cooking method
No-cook
Taste
creamy, sweet & sour, tangy
Diet
Pescatarian · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Keto-style · Low-carb
All labelsPescatarian · Non-vegetarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Keto-style · Low-carb
Without the optional extras: Vegetarian (lacto-ovo), Eggetarian, Ovo-vegetarian, No gluten ingredientsWith the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Lacto-vegetarian, Egg-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Child-friendly · Make-ahead
Cook more with
Mayonnaise · Tomato ketchup · Dill pickles · Red onion · Lemon juice · Paprika
Techniques
Knife skills · Pickling

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Eggsfrom mayonnaise, egg
  • Contains, can be adapted: Fishfrom worcestershire sauce
  • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom worcestershire sauce
  • May contain: Mustardfrom mayonnaise, tomato ketchup, dill pickles
  • May contain: Celeryfrom tomato ketchup, worcestershire sauce
  • May contain: Sulphitesfrom worcestershire sauce

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

136 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 34 g · recipe makes 8

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 1%
  • Carbohydrate 6%
  • Fat 93%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy136 kcal402 kcal
Protein0.3 g0.9 g
Carbohydrate2.2 g6.6 g
Net carbohydrate2.1 g6.2 g
Sugars1.6 g4.9 g
Added sugars——
Fibre0.1 g0.4 g
Fat14.1 g41.7 g
Saturated fat——
Trans fat0 g0.1 g
Cholesterol8 mg23 mg
Sodium253 mg749 mg
Salt equivalent0.6 g1.9 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
33 mg
Calcium
6 mg
Iron
0.1 mg
Magnesium
2 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
7 µg
Vitamin C
1 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
—
Folate (DFE)
—

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: egg, worcestershire sauce.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Use sweet pickle relish for the classic American taste, or chopped dill pickles for a sharper dressing.

Common mistakes

  • Not squeezing the pickles, so the dressing turns watery overnight.

Serve with

  • Iceberg wedge salad
  • Reuben sandwiches
  • Burgers and fries

Food safety

  • Hard-boil the egg until the yolk is firm. Keep the dressing chilled and use within 4 days (2 days with the egg); do not leave out for more than 2 hours.

Storage

  • Refrigerate up to 4 days (2 days with the chopped egg).

Variations

  • Burger sauce: Use less ketchup, add yellow mustard and a pinch of garlic and onion powder.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Goes with

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2

Make it milder, swap ingredients for your diet, change the batch size or thickness — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

Reviews & corrections

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