Remoulade Sauce won me over on my first trip to New Orleans. I still remember that first taste, creamy and spicy and layered in a way I hadn’t expected. I’ve tried a lot of versions since, and this is the one I keep coming back to. It starts with a mayonnaise base and gets its character from Cajun seasoning, whole grain mustard, hot sauce, and fresh horseradish.
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I’ve found that the best remoulade sauces start with good mayonnaise rather than olive oil (though some Louisiana recipes insist otherwise). I’ve also skipped the dill pickles or pickle relish that many recipes include. They compete with the capers and muddy the bright flavors I love. Whether you’re serving it with crab cakes, using it as a dip for boiled shrimp, slathering it on a po’ boy sandwich, or making a proper Shrimp Remoulade, this sauce makes seafood taste even better.
“This remoulade/sauce is absolutely delicious!!! Perfect on any kind of seafood, especially crayfish, prawns and fish cakes.”
elisabeth
Table of Contents
Recipe at a Glance
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Skill Level: Easy
Remoulade Sauce Ingredients
- Mayonnaise: Use your favorite brand of full-fat mayonnaise (not salad dressing) for the base.
- Whole Grain Mustard: Whole grain mustard adds little pops of mustard seed throughout the sauce. Smooth Dijon works too, but the flavor is usually sharper and you’ll lose the texture.
- Ketchup: Just a touch of ketchup, for color and a little sweetness against the spice. I like to use brands that don’t use high fructose corn syrup.
- Garlic: One small clove of fresh garlic.
- Fresh Horseradish: Freshly grated horseradish has more life to it than prepared. The pungency varies a lot in a fresh root, so taste as you go.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice, not bottled.
- Capers: I coarsely chop my capers so you get little bursts of brine in every bite.
- Fresh Parsley: Ideally flat-leaf Italian parsley.
- Green Onion: Both the white and green parts of the green onion, for a mild onion bite and a little color.
- Cajun Seasoning: Cajun seasoning is what gives the sauce its Louisiana character. Creole seasoning works too and is often a bit milder.
- Hot Pepper Sauce: I use Tabasco or Crystal hot sauce. Adjust to your heat preference.
How to make Remoulade Sauce
In a medium bowl combine: mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, garlic, horseradish, lemon juice, capers, parsley, green onion, Cajun seasoning, and hot sauce; stir until smooth. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
5 Recipe Tips
- Go light on the heat. The Cajun seasoning and hot sauce are where it’s easy to overdo it. I always start with less than I think I want, mix everything together, then taste and add more. The heat needs to play nicely with whatever seafood you’re serving, not steal the show.
- Chop, don’t mince. Coarsely chop the capers, parsley, and green onions. You want to see flecks of each one in the finished sauce, and you want to taste them individually as you eat.
- Make it ahead. Mix the sauce at least an hour before you plan to serve it. It really does taste better after the flavors have had time to come together in the fridge.
- Thin with lemon, not water. If the sauce ends up thicker than you want, a splash of lemon juice keeps it bright. Water just flattens the flavor.
- Fresh matters here. Fresh lemon juice and fresh horseradish make a real difference, and bottled versions of either won’t get you to the same place. I keep a piece of horseradish root in the freezer so I always have it on hand. It grates easily when frozen and lasts for months.
Recipe Options
- Lighter version. Swap half the mayo for Greek yogurt. The character shifts but it’s lovely with delicate seafood like sole or scallops.
- No whole grain mustard? Dijon works fine, though you’ll lose those little pops of mustard seed.
- No fresh lemon? White wine vinegar is a workable swap. The tang is a bit different but the sauce still comes together.
- More heat. I’ll add a pinch of cayenne along with the extra hot sauce. The two kinds of heat layer differently than just dialing up the Tabasco.
- Different herb. Fresh dill is good in place of parsley if you’re serving the remoulade with salmon or trout instead of crab or shrimp.
- Milder version. Creole seasoning is what I reach for when I’m cooking for someone who doesn’t love spicy food. You still get the Louisiana flavor without the bigger kick.
Tartar Sauce vs. Remoulade: What’s the Difference?
Both sauces start with mayonnaise but they’re meant for different things. Tartar sauce is simple. Mayo, pickles, sometimes a little lemon and herbs. It’s what you want with fish and chips or on a fried fish sandwich, where you need something cool and creamy to sit against the hot crispy fish.
Remoulade is more complex and comes in two main styles. French Remoulade s the subtler one, closer to tartar but with capers, herbs, and sometimes anchovies. Louisiana remoulade, the version on this page, goes bigger with Cajun spices, mustard, and hot sauce. It’s the sauce for crab cakes, shrimp cocktail, or a po’ boy when you want something that holds its own next to the seafood.
Storage
Leftover Remoulade Sauce keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks if you used store-bought mayonnaise. If you used homemade mayo, plan to use it within a week. Stir before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard or dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 small clove garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh horseradish or prepared horseradish
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice ideally fresh
- 1/4 cup capers coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley coarsely chopped
- 1 green onion (scallion) coarsely chopped
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning or Creole seasoning (less spicy)
- 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce such as Tabasco brand
Instructions
- Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until smooth. To allow flavors to meld, refrigerate for an hour or more. Serve.
Notes
- Makes about 1-1/3 cups
- Use within 2 weeks if using store bought mayonnaise and 1 week with homemade mayonnaise.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Didn’t have capers or green onion but did have everything else when I needed to make this. I did add a tad bit more of ketchup to suit my taste. I actually halved the recipe and it was fantastic! Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed this and made it your own, MJ!
How do u ou make Remoulade shrimp salad? I had this year’s ago at the Blue Marlin in Westwego & I still think about it!
Hi there, Jeannette. Here’s my recipe for =>> Shrimp Remoulade, it’s is one of my favorites!
Please tell me the proportions of the ingredients to make my own creole seasoning as I cannot get it where I live.
Hi there, Carole! Have a look at this recipe from another blogger I trust for great recipes.
This remoulade/sauce is absolutely delicious!!! Perfect on any kind of seafood, especially crayfish, prawns and fish cakes.
I’m so happy you’re enjoying it, Elisabeth!
With all those yummy ingredients, this sounds like it would be delicious on a show, lol! I love homemade dips and sauces so I know I have to give this one a go soon 🙂
A good remoulade sauce can be used in so many ways! I love Cajun food, so remoulade shows up quite often around here, too. And perfect timing on this recipe with Mardi Gras coming up next week! Now I’m craving Cajun comfort food like you wouldn’t believe… 🙂
This is delicious. I was wondering about the stone ground mustard but all of the ingredients work well together. Now I want crab cakes too, but will be having this with sauteed flounder.
Thank you, Nansea. So glad you’re enjoying it!
My cousin is just learning to cook and I wanted a simple remoulade sauce recipe for her to make and be able to adjust to her taste. This is perfect, thank you so much. She drizzled it over a burger toped with thin sliced onion rings. Superb!!
That’s so nice to hear, thank you, Ellie! And that sounds like one delicious burger!!
Marissa, my search is finally over for the best remoulade sauce EVER! I just finished the ingredients for shrimp salad (my own recipe) and your remoulade just made the dish perfect! My husband said it’s the best yet! We live on the Gulf of Mexico so shrimp, as well as, all fresh seafood is readily available nearly year round. Crab cakes another favorite just waiting for your remoulade! Thank you so much, Carolyne in south Alabama
Thank you, Carolyne. You made my day!! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the remoulade sauce! And love how you think with the crab cakes – perfect combo!
This recipe looks amazing! Thanks so much for sharing. I’m curious about how the flavor profile would change with prepared horseradish compared to fresh grated… which do you prefer?
Hi Miranda! Both work well in the recipe, but I love the flavor of fresh horseradish. To me it tastes a little cleaner / sharper than the prepared version.
My husband loves crabcakes and this sauce will be perfect!
It’s funny, ever since I posted this, everyone keeps bringing up crab cakes and now I’m CRAVING crab cakes! 🙂
When I hear remoulade, I always think of Cajun food…more specifically, I always think of Catfish Po’Boys! There was this place in Baton Rouge that made the best po’boys, and I really really miss swinging by there for a delicious lunch. Maybe I’ll just have to recreate that one here at home sometime. Thanks for the classic and Cajun versions here, Marissa!
I love the sound of Catfish Po’Boys, David! Thanks for the tip!! 🙂
I think I could use this sauce on lots of things! This looks really good and I almost ALWAYS like a little kick to my recipes. Just a little, however, as my Norweigan blood is not designed for crazy heat.
We’re the same way, Ben. We have to drop the heat in a lot of recipes – nice that it’s easy to adjust for people like us and for those who like their food super SPICY. 🙂
Interesting. I don’t normally eat mayo on its own, but I occasionally mix it with something else like greek yogurt. Few times I’ve tried a very healthy combo of mayo and ketchup, and it was good too. Here, I lile the addition of pickles and capers. Nice touch!
Thanks so much, Ben!
What a perfect dip to have on hand for sandwiches and snacks that need a little kick!!
Exactly! Thank you, Katherine!
Hi Marissa. I’m on the Louisiana spicy side for remoulade. I quite often make it for shrimp or crab cakes and your recipe sounds delicious! Now I’m craving crab cakes!
Hi Dorothy! Now I’m craving crab cakes too!!! 😉