The Easy Burger Sauce Formula
Creamy, tangy, sweet and savory: the four parts of a great burger sauce, stirred together in five minutes.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Total
- 5 min
- Makes
- 3/4 cup, enough for 6 burgers
Almost every good burger sauce follows the same pattern: something creamy, something tangy, something sweet and something savory. Once you know that, you can make it with whatever is in the fridge.
The formula
| Part | Classic choice | Swaps |
|---|---|---|
| Creamy | Mayonnaise | Greek yogurt, sour cream |
| Tangy | Pickles and pickle brine | Relish, lemon juice |
| Sweet | Ketchup | BBQ sauce, a little honey |
| Savory | Mustard, garlic, paprika | Worcestershire, hot sauce |
The Easy Burger Sauce Formula
- Prep
- 5 min
- Total
- 5 min
- Makes
- About 3/4 cup, enough for 6 burgers
Ingredients
Method
Stir everything together in a small bowl.
Taste and adjust: more brine for tang, more ketchup for sweetness or more cayenne for heat.
Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes if you can; the flavors blend as it rests.
A new recipe from our editors: times are estimates and have not yet been confirmed in our own test kitchen. Use the doneness cues and temperatures above.
Questions, answered
Can I make burger sauce without mayo?
Yes. Plain Greek yogurt or sour cream works well; add a teaspoon of olive oil for richness.
What is burger sauce made of?
Usually mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard and pickles or relish, seasoned with garlic and paprika.
