This Burger Sauce Will Be The Hero Of Summer

This seemingly simple-looking burger sauce has a wonderfully complex balance of sweetness, savoriness, and brightness thanks to a combo of rich mayo, tart-sweet ketchup, and briny mustard. The pickle relish adds texture as well as sweetness. There's a good hit of allium-flavor from the grated garlic and onion powder, while the Worcestershire sauce contributes a supporting layer of umami.

It's the kind of sauce that can be slathered on a burger and will likely deliciously dribble down onto the patty as you savor it. It can also be spooned over fries, making it quite a multipurpose sauce.

Learn how to make burger sauce. You'll want this on everything.

Key Ingredients for Burger Sauce

Classic pantry staples are all you need for this burger sauce, so if these are in the pantry or fridge, you can make this right now:

• Mayonnaise: We like Duke's, but use your favorite.
• Ketchup: This adds umami tang and tomato sweetness. You can use your favorite. If you like a little heat, use spicy ketchup.
• Sweet pickle relish: Sweet relish adds tartness and sweetness and a little bit of crunch.
• Yellow mustard: Bright, tangy mustard makes this sauce bright and tangy.
• Onion powder: Adds depth of flavor without fresh onions which can water down the sauce.
• Worcestershire sauce: Umami-rich Worcestershire is a great way to make a sauce more complex.
• Black pepper: For seasoning.
• Grated garlic: Fresh garlic is pungent and intense, which makes it stand up to meaty dishes like burgers.

How To Make Burger Sauce

You won't need any special equipment for this burger sauce recipe. Grab a bowl and a spoon, and combine all ingredients.

The sauce is ready to use right away, or you can refrigerate it until you're ready for it. It will last up to one week if stored in the fridge in an airtight container.

Variations and Substitutions

Once you make this burger sauce for the first time, you can swap out a few things for your next batch to make it a little more your own. Consider these substitutions:

• You can sub Creole mustard 1:1 for yellow mustard. It yields a slightly spicier, brinier end product, but is delicious all the same.
• If you don't have pickle relish but you do have bread and butter pickles on hand, you can finely chop some of those and use them instead.
• We don't recommend swapping dill pickle relish for the sweet pickle relish; the sweetness and flavor of the relish is integral in balancing the sauce.

How Far in Advance Can You Make Burger Sauce?

You can make this burger sauce the day before you plan to use it; the flavors will continue to meld as it sits.

How To Store Burger Sauce

Store the sauce in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to one week.