Horseradish Sauce - Once you make this simple and quick creamy sauce, you'll want to have some around all the time! It's the perfect accompaniment for prime rib, roast beef sandwiches, beef tenderloin, hamburgers, even a baked potato! It's one of those recipes that is just sublime in it's simplicity and purity.
We chose to make this horseradish cream sauce to complement our corned beef for St. Patrick's day, because of it's ability to make the most humble of ingredients zesty and exciting. You certainly don't have to wait for a holiday to bust out this perfect steakhouse condiment, (or sandwich spread), though. Keeping it in your fridge is not an issue, as it stays fresh for 2 weeks!
Sometimes all it takes is a few simple ingredients in the right combination to take a dish to the next level. The best part is when it doesn't take a master chef's skills to do it, just mixing it up will do. Just like our creole remoulade, you can have this perfect sauce done from start to finish in a matter of minutes. The horseradish flavor and cool sour cream base make this a natural pairing for our tri tip recipe also!
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What You're Going to Need!
- Horseradish - See the above description. If used in moderation, this ingredient can actually be quite refreshing. If you would rather have a more intense and pungent flavor, by all means, just add a little bit at a time, tasting as you go, until it is to your taste.
- Lemon - The acidity of fresh lemon juice really helps to compliment and cut through the spiciness of the horseradish.
- Worcestershire Sauce - The umami taste in Lea & Perrins makes it the perfect addition.
- Sour Cream - In order to get the creamy texture and tangy flavor that we're looking for here, heavy cream will just not do.
- White Pepper - While we almost always prefer the gentle heat that black pepper has, the black specks in this seem out of place, and the more blistering heat that white pepper has makes for the best horseradish sauce in the end.
- Salt - Just a little bit of kosher salt will "season to taste"!
- Parsley - For fresh flavor and a little pop of color.
See recipe card for quantities.
Recipe
Best Creamy Homemade Horseradish Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Horseradish-Hot Hot Heat!
Jarred horseradish? Of course, you can grate your own fresh horseradish root if you would like, but there are a few reasons for using what's labelled as "prepared horseradish". The root has been peeled, finely grated, and then salt, vinegar, and sometimes sugar is added.
This root vegetable may appear to be quite harmless in the produce section, but once you start working with it, you'll see that it can really hurt you. The fumes that it creates while processing it can be overwhelming.
Once you've suffered through peeling and grating it, you'll still need to salt it and soak it in some apple cider vinegar, (please don't use white vinegar, that stuff tastes like medicine!), and allow it to sit for a day or two to get it ready.
But Isn't Fresh Horseradish Better?
That's not the only thing, though. It's impossible to tell how much of a spicy kick the homemade stuff will have in the end until the last minute. It's best to just stick with what you can find in the condiment aisle. Remember that this is supposed to be an easy recipe!
How to Make Homemade Horseradish Sauce
- Combine everything except for the lemon and parsley.
2. Squeeze the lemon juice into the sauce, careful not to add any seeds.
3. Chop and add the parsley.
4. Stir everything together, and voila, easy horseradish sauce!
Chef Tip
Keep in mind that the flavor of horseradish will "bloom" as it sits. Between the first time and the next time that you taste this sauce, it will have less of a rich flavor, and more biting heat. Make it a little less strong at first, you can always add some more heat if needed later.
Substitutions &Variations
This recipe is already gluten free, but can also be:
- Vegetarian - just use vegetarian Worcestershire sauce in place of regular.
- Vegan - use the sauce above and substitute vegan sour cream.
- Spiciness Level - of course you can use more or less horseradish to adjust this, but adding some of your favorite hot sauce can also be deliciously piquant.
- Mustard - adding a little Dijon is a common variation, and adds some extra "zip".
- Fresh Garlic - including this ingredient is especially tasty for beef roasts, like a prime rib recipe.
- Greek Yogurt - yogurt is a perfect substitute for the sour cream, especially if you don't have sour cream in your fridge.
- Fresh Herbs - some thyme, chives, or even a touch of rosemary can add an interesting complexity.
There are so many ways to customize this sauce!
Storage & Helpful Hints
In an airtight container, this sauce will keep its freshness for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. This condiment does not freeze well.
Don't add all of the horseradish at once. Put a little bit in, and taste as you go to get the perfect amount. One brand name of prepared horseradish versus another will have varying degrees of flavor.
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Can this sauce go well with pork dishes or chicken? - Absolutely! This sauce is just as fantastic with pork tenderloin or chicken breast as it is on a steak sandwich.
Jason Miller says
Best horseradish sauce for corned beef.