You know, for years, the idea of a perfect roast dinner felt incredibly intimidating to me. All those elaborate sauces and side dishes seemed reserved for chefs, not a guy who used to rely on takeout three nights a week! But if you want to truly elevate your roast beef or prime rib from “good” to “oh my gosh, I need the recipe,” you need one thing: a fantastic sauce. Forget spending ages over a stove; we’re making my Bold 5-Minute Creamy Horseradish Sauce for Prime Rib. This tangy, wonderfully sharp sauce, built around proper horseradish, is the secret weapon that gives you that restaurant-quality, sinus-clearing zing in less time than it takes to set the table. Trust me, this quick condiment is pure cooking joy!
- Why You Need This Easy Horseradish Condiment (Quick 10 Minute Sauce)
- Ingredients for the Best Sauce for Prime Rib
- How to Make Creamy Horseradish Sauce Recipe Step-by-Step
- Expert Tips for a Steakhouse Horseradish Cream
- Serving Suggestions: The Best Sauce for Prime Rib and Roast Beef
- Storage and Reheating Instructions for Homemade Horseradish Sauce
- Making Prepared Horseradish From Scratch (When You Need Sharp Fresh Horseradish)
- Frequently Asked Questions About This Zesty Dipping Sauce
- Nutritional Data for This Bold Flavor Sauce Recipe
- Nutritional Data for This Bold Flavor Sauce Recipe
Why You Need This Easy Horseradish Condiment (Quick 10 Minute Sauce)
Look, if you’re like me, you love incredible flavor, but you don’t love complicated tasks, especially on a busy weeknight or right before serving guests. That’s why this recipe is a lifesaver! We’re talking about a fully developed, deeply flavorful sauce ready in just five minutes. It’s the ultimate easy horseradish condiment.
This isn’t some runny, weak dip. It delivers a zesty, sharp punch balanced perfectly by the cool creaminess of the sour cream and mayo. It’s such a quick 10 minute sauce, yet it tastes like you spent hours achieving that perfect steakhouse profile. You can stir this together right before dinner, chill it briefly, and instantly feel like a culinary genius. It makes even basic sandwiches taste special!
Ingredients for the Best Sauce for Prime Rib
Getting the best results starts, as always, with knowing exactly what you’re putting into that bowl. Since this is such a simple recipe, every single item needs to be the best version you have on hand. We need one cup of sour cream to give us that beautiful coolness, and crucially, half a cup of prepared horseradish, which you absolutely must drain really well—I mean it! Excess liquid makes everything runny.
For depth, we’re adding in two tablespoons of mayonnaise for richness and a teaspoon of Dijon mustard for a little extra tang. Don’t forget the fresh lemon juice, salt, and pepper to bring all those bold flavors into focus. You can find my favorite sauce for prime rib guide, just in case you need an extra pairing idea, right here. This recipe is all about that perfect balance!
How to Make Creamy Horseradish Sauce Recipe Step-by-Step
This is where the magic happens, and honestly, it’s so fast you might still be looking for your mixing bowl! The beauty of this recipe is that there’s absolutely no cooking involved—just pure, active mixing. Remember that step earlier about draining your prepared horseradish? That’s the most important prep work here. Do that first so you don’t end up with a runny mess.
Once drained, we just combine everything. This is such a bright, spicy cream sauce, and it comes together so quickly. We’ll chill it later, but first, we blend!
Combining the Base Ingredients for your Spicy Cream Sauce
In your bowl, whisk together the sour cream, the well-drained prepared horseradish, the mayonnaise, and that Dijon mustard. You want to stir this vigorously until everything totally disappears into a smooth, uniform base. That mayo adds a great body and richness, making this a real keeper in the world of mayonnaise based sauce creation.
Flavor Adjustments and Chilling the Horseradish
Next, just fold in your fresh lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Now, this is my favorite part for building flavor: taste it! If it’s not sharp enough for your liking—and remember, we want bold flavor—just add a tiny bit more of the drained horseradish. Once you’ve dialed in that perfect zing, cover the bowl. You have to chill this mixture for at least fifteen minutes before serving. Seriously, don’t skip it! That 15 minutes allows the ingredients to marry up properly and really develop that wonderful, deeply balanced flavor. For more inspiration on easy mixing techniques, check out my guide to my creamy mushroom sauce recipe!
Expert Tips for a Steakhouse Horseradish Cream
Okay, now that you’ve seen how ridiculously fast this comes together, let’s talk about making it truly legendary. If you are aiming for that authentic, deep flavor you get at a great steakhouse, the quality of your prepared horseradish really matters. You want the sharpest one you can find. And please, for the love of bold flavor, make sure you drain that jarred stuff thoroughly! I can’t stress that enough—extra liquid means a watery sauce, and nobody wants a sad, thin topping for their roast.
To nail that perfect steakhouse horseradish cream texture, I sometimes swap out half the sour cream for heavy cream. It makes the sauce a touch lighter, but keeps that amazing body, which is perfect if you’re serving it alongside a heavy prime rib. If you happen to love my copycat Big Mac sauce, you already know I love tweaking ratios to get that perfect mouthfeel. A little quality control here makes all the difference!
Serving Suggestions: The Best Sauce for Prime Rib and Roast Beef
So, you’ve mixed up this incredible, zesty concoction! Now, where do you put it? Honestly, this bold flavor sauce recipe was designed specifically for rich, glorious cuts of beef. It’s the absolute best sauce for prime rib you’ll ever make—the sharpness cuts right through the richness in the most satisfying way.
But don’t stop there! It’s fantastic spooned over leftover roast beef sandwiches, making them instantly better than any deli version. I call it the ultimate tangy beef topping! I remember the first time I served this at Christmas; everyone stopped talking when they took a bite of their rare roast beef because the flavor just popped. It’s a fantastic side sauce for holiday dinner, but honestly, I use my leftovers for dipping french fries. Talk about a great dipping sauce!
Storage and Reheating Instructions for Homemade Horseradish Sauce
One of the best things about whipping up a fresh batch of homemade horseradish sauce is knowing you have something delicious waiting in the fridge for later! Since this sauce is totally cold and full of dairy, we don’t actually reheat it; it’s meant to be served chilled.
Keep it covered up tight in an airtight container, and it holds onto that beautiful sharpness beautifully for up to a full week. Seriously, the flavor might even get *better* overnight as the ingredients mingle. It’s perfect for using on leftover steak sandwiches all week long. No fuss, just flavor!
Making Prepared Horseradish From Scratch (When You Need Sharp Fresh Horseradish)
I know our recipe calls for the store-bought stuff because we’re aiming for that 5-minute magic, but sometimes you want the *real* deal—that fiery intensity you just can’t replicate on a shelf! If you want to try making your own prepared horseradish, you absolutely need to move fast to lock in that punch.
You’ll need a good food processor or a blender for this, otherwise your eyes will water for hours! The key is speed; you want to chop the raw root quickly and immediately mix it with a tiny bit of vinegar and water to stop the enzymatic reaction that creates heat. If you want the full breakdown on making the most potent sharp fresh horseradish recipe possible, I’ve scribbled down all my notes over on the blog. It’s an absolute game-changer for any savory dish!
Frequently Asked Questions About This Zesty Dipping Sauce
It’s funny how even the fastest recipes bring up questions! I get it, we all want to make sure we’re getting that perfect flavor profile, especially when we’re trying to nail that copycat steakhouse sauce vibe. That’s why I’m here to help clear up any confusion about this fantastic zesty dipping sauce.
Can I make this horseradish sauce recipe ahead of time?
Oh, totally! In fact, I really encourage it. While this sauce is ready in five minutes, it tastes even better after it has hung out in the fridge for a little bit. That chilling time lets the sharpness of the horseradish mellow just slightly while the lemon and Dijon do their thing with the cream. You can whip it up the day before, keep it covered tight, and pull it out right when you serve your roast.
How do I make this copycat steakhouse sauce even spicier?
That’s the question I like to hear! If you really want that extra sinus-clearing wake-up call, you have a couple of options. First, when using prepared horseradish, make sure you are using a brand that leans toward the sharper side. Second, you can add just a splash—I mean a *tiny* splash—of distilled white vinegar right when you add the lemon juice. It amplifies the tang and the heat immediately without changing the creaminess too much. Start small, though, because vinegar is powerful!
What if I don’t have sour cream? Can I use Greek yogurt?
Yes, you absolutely can use Greek yogurt, and it makes a great swap if you want a slightly thicker or tangier base! Think of it as turning this into a super-flavorful sour cream horseradish dip alternative. Just know that Greek yogurt can sometimes be a bit thicker than sour cream when mixed cold, so you might need to add an extra teaspoon of milk or just a tiny bit more lemon juice to loosen it up to that perfect, pourable consistency we’re aiming for. Check out my favorite quick sauce tips, including using yogurt in my pantry staple burger sauce!
Nutritional Data for This Bold Flavor Sauce Recipe
I always try to give you guys a clear picture of what we’re putting into our food, even if it’s just a side condiment! Keep in mind that these numbers are estimates, as they depend heavily on the exact brands of sour cream and mayonnaise you use. But for a standard two-tablespoon serving size, here’s what you can generally expect from this delicious, bold flavor sauce recipe.
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 85
- Fat: 8g (4g Saturated)
- Carbohydrates: 2g
- Protein: 1g
- Sodium: 150mg
We’re keeping the sugar low here, which is great, since the flavor comes straight from that sharp root! If you want to see more of what I’m cooking and baking currently, come say hi over on Facebook!
Nutritional Data for This Bold Flavor Sauce Recipe
I always try to give you guys a clear picture of what we’re putting into our food, even if it’s just a side condiment! Keep in mind that these numbers are estimates, as they depend heavily on the exact brands of sour cream and mayonnaise you use. But for a standard two-tablespoon serving size, here’s what you can generally expect from this delicious, bold flavor sauce recipe.
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 85
- Fat: 8g (4g Saturated)
- Carbohydrates: 2g
- Protein: 1g
- Sodium: 150mg
We’re keeping the sugar low here, which is great, since the flavor comes straight from that sharp root! If you want to see more of what I’m cooking and baking currently, come say hi over on Facebook!
PrintBold 5-Minute Creamy Horseradish Sauce for Prime Rib
Make the best steakhouse horseradish cream sauce at home in under 10 minutes. This zesty, tangy condiment perfectly complements prime rib, roast beef, and steak.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 0 min
- Total Time: 5 min
- Yield: About 1.5 cups 1x
- Category: Condiment
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup prepared horseradish, drained well
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Gather all your ingredients. You need sour cream, prepared horseradish, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream, drained prepared horseradish, mayonnaise, and Dijon mustard.
- Stir the mixture until all ingredients are fully incorporated and the sauce is smooth.
- Add the fresh lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Mix again until just combined.
- Taste the sauce. If you want more sharpness, add a small amount more prepared horseradish. If you want it tangier, add a few more drops of lemon juice.
- Cover the bowl and chill the sauce in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes before serving. This allows the flavors to blend.
- Serve this easy horseradish condiment with your favorite roast beef or prime rib.
Notes
- Drain the prepared horseradish thoroughly using a fine-mesh sieve or by pressing it between paper towels. Excess liquid makes the sauce watery.
- For a copycat steakhouse sauce flavor, use high-quality, sharp prepared horseradish.
- You can substitute half of the sour cream with heavy cream for a slightly lighter texture.
- This sauce keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 85
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 8
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Unsaturated Fat: 4
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 2
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 1
- Cholesterol: 20



