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 remoulade sauce 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 New Orleans sauce made of? ›

Directions. Mix together mayonnaise, chili sauce, mustard, olive oil, lemon juice, hot sauce, and Worcestershire in a medium bowl. Stir in scallions, parsley, olives, celery, capers, and garlic. Season with salt, chili powder, and black pepper.

What to eat with remoulade sauce? ›

If you do any traveling around Louisiana you'll find that it seems like almost everyone has their own "secret recipe" for this sauce. It's served most often with shrimp and crab cakes, po boy sandwiches, and even chicken. It's also awesome as a substitute for ketchup with French fries.

Why is it called remoulade? ›

White remoulade, which is closer to the original French style, is more of a mayonnaise-based sauce. Many believe the word “remoulade” comes from “remola,” a French word for a radish used in early versions of the sauce.

What is similar to remoulade? ›

Classic French remoulade resembles tartar sauce.

How to thicken remoulade sauce? ›

Depending on your use of this sauce, you can thin if needed with a little white wine or stock to reach desired thickness, or you can thicken it with a little corn starch.

Is tartar sauce same as remoulade? ›

Classic French remoulade resembles tartar sauce in both its ingredients and uses, but there are some important differences: tartar sauce uses herbs sparingly, while remoulade makes liberal use of tarragon, chervil, and other aromatic herbs.

What's the difference between aioli and remoulade? ›

Ingredients. The major difference between traditional remoulade and aioli has to be the ingredients. Both sauces include simple ingredients that you already have in your pantry. However, the base of the remoulade is mayonnaise, while aioli is an oil emulsion.

What is an interesting fact about remoulade? ›

Rémoulade is originally from France, but can now be found throughout Europe and in the United States, specifically in Louisiana Creole cuisine. It is often used with French fries, on top of roast beef items, and as a hot dog condiment, although there are many other applications around the world.

Does remoulade have dairy? ›

Is there dairy in remoulade sauce? There isn't! This sauce is made up of mayonnaise, spicy brown mustard, lemon juice, capers, several spices and seasonings, and hot pepper sauce. It's totally dairy-free.

What's close to Creole Mustard? ›

Homemade Mustard, Dijon and Spicy Brown are the top 3 creole mustard substitute. You can also use stone ground mustard as replacement.

Is remoulade the same as tartar sauce? ›

Classic French remoulade resembles tartar sauce in both its ingredients and uses, but there are some important differences: tartar sauce uses herbs sparingly, while remoulade makes liberal use of tarragon, chervil, and other aromatic herbs.

Is aioli just garlic mayonnaise? ›

Unlike mayonnaise, which is made by emulsifying oil into egg yolks, aioli is made by pounding garlic into a paste and then gradually adding olive oil to the mixture, creating a thick and creamy sauce. The garlic gives aioli its characteristic pungent flavor, while the olive oil adds richness and depth.

What is the difference between mayonnaise and remoulade? ›

In French cuisine, rémoulade is a derivative of the mayonnaise sauce, with the addition of mixed herbs (parsley, chives, chervil and tarragon), capers, diced cornichons and optionally some anchovy essence or chopped anchovies.

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