New Orleans Remoulade Sauce Recipe (2024)

Mayonnaise is the base for this centuries-old sauce with a well-stamped passport.

By

Joshua Bousel

New Orleans Remoulade Sauce Recipe (1)

Joshua Bousel is a Serious Eats old-timer, having started sharing his passion for grilling and barbecue recipes on the site back in 2008. He continues to develop grilling and barbecue recipes on his own site, The Meatwave, out of his home base of Durham, North Carolina.

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Why It Works

  • This combination of savory, spicy, fresh, rich, tart, and briny ingredients combine for a flavorful and exciting sauce that is perfect with seafood and fried foods.

As with many delicious things, remoulade was introduced to the world by the French. According to the Oxford Companion to Food, the sauce’s first rendition was likely in the 1600s as a “broth flavoured with chopped anchovies, capers, parsley, spring onions, garlic, and a little oil.” A century or two later, the sauce traveled to New Orleans with French settlers, where it joined the other European, African, Indigenous, and Caribbean influences being stirred into the melting pot of Creole cuisine. Over time, remoulades came to fall under two basic categories in Louisiana: those made with oil, and those made with mayonnaise (though both would be characterized as ‘piquant’ in flavor).

Some early Creole recipes for remoulade, such as ‘Sauce Remoulade (Cold)’ from 1901’s The Picayune's Creole Cook Book, called for oil to be stirred into finely-mashed hard-boiled egg yolks then flavored with tarragon vinegar, garlic, mustard, and lemon juice. Other versions from this time period include the ‘shrimp remoulade’ dishes at Galatoire’s and Arnaud’s, two historic New Orleans restaurants—each founded over a century ago—that remain in business today. Both still make their remoulades from a base of oil and Creole mustard (a punchy mix of brown mustard seeds, horseradish, and white vinegar) and season them with (more) horseradish, vinegar, ketchup, parsley, celery, and spices.

Over the decades it’s become the pink-hued, mayonnaise-based version that’s often recognized as the quintessential New Orleans remoulade. In his 1984 cookbook, Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen, the legendary Creole chef offered a blueprint for the creamy versions of remoulade we see today, with oil that’s emulsified into egg yolks before a long list of other ingredients are added. These include: horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, white wine vinegar, Tabasco, and garlic, with ketchup and sweet paprika giving the sauce its signature salmon-pink color. Because of the creamy texture and swath of acidic ingredients, it’s easier to compare this version to the tartar sauce-like remoulade within classical French cuisine.

While New Orleans remoulade may have a complicated-sounding history, there are three principles we can stand upon with certainty: If it ain’t zingy, it ain’t remoulade; variations are welcome; and any self-respecting remoulade made in New Orleans must include horseradish and Creole mustard. Don’t have access to the latter? That’s fine—a mix of Dijon and whole grain mustard are a fine substitute.

This recipe is wonderful as a condiment or dressing for poached shrimp, crab cakes, fried fish, and/or anything with a crunchy, deep-fried coating—fried dill pickles, perhaps? However you choose to eat it, this remoulade is a satisfying way to get a taste of The Big Easy.

0:52

How to Make New Orleans Remoulade Sauce

June 2011

This recipe was developed by Joshua Bousel, while this recipe's headnote was written by Lindsay Anderson.

Recipe Details

New Orleans Remoulade Sauce

Prep5 mins

Active15 mins

Resting Time60 mins

Total65 mins

Serves12 servings

Makes1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mayonnaise

  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

  • 1 tablespoon Louisiana-style hot sauce

  • 2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 teaspoons capers, roughly chopped

  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 teaspoon mild paprika

  • 1 scallion, finely chopped

  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, parsley, hot sauce, whole-grain mustard, garlic, capers, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, scallion, salt, and cayenne pepper. Let sit for 1 hour for flavors to combine, then serve or cover and store in the refrigerator.

    New Orleans Remoulade Sauce Recipe (3)

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
130Calories
14g Fat
1g Carbs
0g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories130
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g18%
Saturated Fat 2g11%
Cholesterol 8mg3%
Sodium 250mg11%
Total Carbohydrate 1g0%
Dietary Fiber 0g1%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 1mg7%
Calcium 7mg1%
Iron 0mg1%
Potassium 33mg1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

New Orleans Remoulade Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is Creole remoulade made of? ›

In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, parsley, hot sauce, whole-grain mustard, garlic, capers, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, scallion, salt, and cayenne pepper. Let sit for 1 hour for flavors to combine, then serve or cover and store in the refrigerator.

What is po boy sauce made of? ›

What's in po' boy sauce? This po'boy sauce is based on a French-Cajun classic, remoulade. It's super easy to make—just spice up your favorite mayonnaise with some Creole seasoning and mustard, along with capers, hot sauce, horseradish, lemon, garlic, and a splash of Worcestershire sauce.

What do you do with remoulade sauce? ›

Typically served as a condiment with seafood and certain vegetables. Fried soft-shell crab sandwiches may be served with remoulade as the only sauce. It is also very commonly used as a condiment for sandwiches, especially turkey. Remoulade is most commonly paired with white cheese.

What is the difference between French and Danish remoulade? ›

I have had céleri rémoulade in France dozens of times but there, the sauce is simpler than up North. It usually consists of mayo, vinegar, mustard, shallots, capers, pickles and fresh herbs. In Denmark, the sauce's texture is more like that of a coleslaw.

What is the difference between Creole and cajun flavors? ›

While very similar, the primary difference between Cajun and Creole seasonings is this: Cajun seasoning contains a combination of ground peppers—cayenne, black, white, etc. —while Creole seasoning is heavy on the herbs—paprika, oregano, thyme, etc.

What mother sauce is Creole made from? ›

Mother Tomato: Salt pork, mirepoix, tomato, tomato puree, sachet (thyme, bay leaves, garlic, parsley, peppercorns), salt, sugar, white stock, pork bones. Small tomato sauces: Creole (onion, celery, garlic, green pepper, hot pepper sauce). Milanaise (mushrooms, ham, tongue). Spanish (mushrooms, black or green olives).

What is the name of Guy Fieri's sauce? ›

Fieri's most famous ingredient is just your average blend of garlic, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. "I called it Donkey Sauce because you have to make fun of it.

What is similar to remoulade? ›

Originating in France, classic French Remoulade is similar to tartar sauce but includes additional elements like capers, herbs, and sometimes anchovies, giving it a more nuanced flavor.

What food goes well with remoulade? ›

It's a classic accompaniment to seafood dishes like fried shrimp, crab cakes, fried fish, or oysters or you can use it for dipping hush puppies, fried pickles, or french fries. But you can also use remoulade sauce as a spread or dressing for sandwiches and burgers. We especially love it with po' boys.

Why is it called remoulade? ›

Remoulade has its origins in Picardy, a region in northern France, deriving its name from a local term for horseradish, rémolat or ramolas, which suggests that horseradish may have once been the major component.

How long does remoulade last in fridge? ›

In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, paprika, lemon juice, horseradish, Cajun/Creole seasoning, hot sauce, garlic powder, dill, and salt until the ingredients are well combined. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. The sauce is good for up to 3 days.

Who invented remoulade? ›

The French invented remoulade, but it goes well with an host of American fried-food classics.

Is tartar sauce a remoulade? ›

Perhaps, with this comparison, some view tartar sauce as an offshoot of remoulade (per MasterClass and Food Republic). But it might be more accurate to say they're two different sauces derived from mayonnaise.

What's the difference between remoulade and tarter sauce? ›

Tartar sauce has often been described as a type of remoulade, with mustard stepping in for the traditional anchovy. However, tartar sauce usually features fewer components: mayonnaise, chopped capers, and sweeter pickles like cornichons. Remoulade recipes add a wider variety of herbs, along with vinegar or hot sauce.

What is Creole flavor? ›

Cajun seasoning contains paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano, onion powder, and cayenne, while Creole is made from chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and dried thyme. While different, both results lend a slightly spicy, earthy, and smoky flavor to whatever dishes they're added to.

Is Creole the same as cajun spice? ›

Cajun vs.

Popular Cajun seasonings like Tony Chachere's and Slap Ya Mama get heat from red pepper, with black pepper, salt, and garlic powder in the mix to enhance the flavor of food. Creole seasoning rounds out spicy red pepper with herbs like thyme, oregano, basil, and bay leaf.

What does Creole taste like? ›

While the spice profiles are generally similar, you'll find that Creole food is a little richer and may contain more butter or creamy sauces. One major clue about the cuisine centers around a single ingredient: tomatoes.

What's the difference between Creole seasoning and cajun? ›

The main difference between Creole and Cajun seasoning blends comes down to the ingredients: Cajun seasoning features an array of ground peppers—black, cayenne, and white—while Creole seasoning is more herbal, with recipes often containing oregano, thyme, rosemary, and paprika.

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