Remoulade substitutes
Remoulade substitutes — 6 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Homemade Danish remoulade
Same amount as the remoulade
Makes about ½ cup. For jarred remoulade
Half a cup of mayonnaise, 2 tbsp finely chopped drained sweet pickle relish or cornichons, 1 tsp Dijon, 1 tsp sugar, ¼ tsp turmeric, ¼ tsp mild curry powder, 1 tbsp very finely chopped onion or white cabbage, and salt. Rest 30 minutes.
The quickest substitute for Danish remoulade is tartar sauce with half a teaspoon of sugar and a pinch each of turmeric and mild curry powder stirred into every quarter cup. Better still, make it: mayonnaise, finely chopped pickle relish, Dijon, sugar, turmeric and curry powder come together in five minutes.
- Verdict —
- Works
- Best for —
- hot dogs
Updated 19 Aug 2026 · no sponsored swaps
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of remoulade | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Homemade Danish remouladehot dogs | Same amountMakes about ½ cup. For jarred remouladeWorks | Works |
| 2 | Tartar saucefried fish | Same amountPlus ½ tsp sugar and a pinch each of turmeric and mild curry powder per ¼ cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Thousand Island or burger saucehot dogs | Same amountTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Mayonnaise + Dijon + pickle brinefried fish | Same amount4 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 tsp Dijon, 2 tsp pickle brine, pinch of sugarYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 5 | Louisiana-style remouladefried shrimp | ½ cup mayonnaise, 1 tbsp Creole or whole-grain mustard, 1 tsp paprika, ½ tsp horseradish, a dash of hot sauce and a squeeze of lemonTweak it | Tweak it |
| 6 | Greek yogurt + Dijon + relishfried fish | ½ cup Greek yogurt, 1 tsp Dijon, 2 tbsp drained relish, 1 tsp sugar, pinch of turmericYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
Homemade Danish remoulade
similar taste and texture
Half a cup of mayonnaise, 2 tbsp finely chopped drained sweet pickle relish or cornichons, 1 tsp Dijon, 1 tsp sugar, ¼ tsp turmeric, ¼ tsp mild curry powder, 1 tbsp very finely chopped onion or white cabbage, and salt. Rest 30 minutes.
- Best for
- hot dogs, fried fish, roast pork sandwiches, smorrebrod, frikadeller
This is the real answer rather than a compromise, and it tastes convincingly like the jar. It is very slightly less smooth because commercial remoulade is emulsified finer, which nobody notices on a hot dog. Resting is what makes it taste right.
Tartar sauce
different taste, similar texture
The closest ready-made product on an ordinary supermarket shelf, since it shares the mayonnaise-and-chopped-pickle foundation.
- Best for
- fried fish, hot dogs, fish cakes, chips
Sharper and much less sweet, with no turmeric-curry warmth and no yellow colour, so a Danish open sandwich made with it tastes lemony and pickly rather than sweet-savoury. The sugar and spice adjustment closes most of the gap in under a minute.
Thousand Island or burger sauce
different taste, similar texture
Right sweetness, right creaminess, and already contains chopped pickle, which is most of what Danish remoulade is.
- Best for
- hot dogs, burgers, fried fish, sandwiches
Tomato-forward and distinctly pink rather than pale yellow, with a slightly jammy sweetness. On a hot dog it works fine; on smorrebrod the colour is wrong and the ketchup note fights the rye and the fish.
Mayonnaise + Dijon + pickle brine
different taste and texture
The sixty-second version when there is nothing chopped in the fridge and dinner is already on the plate.
- Best for
- fried fish, chips, sandwiches, hot dogs
Creamy, tangy and pleasant, but completely smooth, so you lose the little crunch that makes remoulade interesting, and there is no curry or turmeric aroma. Add a pinch of turmeric if you care about the colour.
Louisiana-style remoulade
different taste, similar texture
If your recipe is American rather than Danish, this is probably the remoulade it means, and it is a genuinely different sauce.
- Best for
- fried shrimp, crab cakes, po' boys, fried green tomatoes
Spicy, brick-orange and savoury with no sweetness at all. Use it in place of Danish remoulade only if you actively want heat, because it changes the character of a Danish dish completely rather than approximating it.
Greek yogurt + Dijon + relish
different taste and texture
The lighter version for anyone avoiding a mayonnaise-heavy sauce.
- Best for
- fried fish, salads, wraps, vegetable dips
Tangier, thinner and much less rich, so it tastes fresh rather than indulgent, and it will loosen and slide off anything warm. Drain the yogurt in a sieve for 20 minutes first if you want it to hold on a sandwich.
Questions
5 questionsCan I use tartar sauce instead of remoulade?
Yes, it is the closest thing on a normal supermarket shelf, because both are mayonnaise with chopped pickle. Tartar sauce is sharper and not sweet, so stir half a teaspoon of sugar and a pinch each of turmeric and mild curry powder into every quarter cup and you will be very close to Danish remoulade.
What is Danish remoulade actually made of?
Mayonnaise, finely chopped pickled vegetables (usually cucumber and cabbage or cauliflower), mustard, sugar, vinegar, turmeric for the yellow colour and a little mild curry powder for warmth. That combination is why it tastes sweet, tangy and faintly spiced rather than simply like flavoured mayonnaise.
Is Danish remoulade the same as Louisiana remoulade?
No, they share a name and a mayonnaise base and nothing else. Danish remoulade is sweet, pale yellow and mild. Louisiana remoulade is spicy, orange-red and savoury, built on Creole mustard, paprika, horseradish and hot sauce. Swapping one for the other changes the dish rather than substituting for it.
Can I just leave the remoulade out?
On a hot dog or a plate of fried fish, yes, though the dish will be noticeably drier and less interesting because remoulade is supplying both the fat and the acid that cut the frying. On smorrebrod, where it is the layer holding everything together, mix mayonnaise with a teaspoon of Dijon and a spoon of drained relish instead. It takes a minute.
How long does homemade remoulade keep?
About a week in a sealed jar in the fridge, though it is limited by the date on the mayonnaise you used, so check that first. The flavour actually improves after a day. If it separates or the pickle has released liquid, stir it back together before serving.
Tips for substituting remoulade
5 tips- Chop the pickles very fine and squeeze the brine out before folding them in. Wet pickle is the reason homemade remoulade weeps a puddle on the plate ten minutes after serving.
- Turmeric is doing the colour and mild curry powder is doing the aroma. A quarter teaspoon of each per half cup is plenty; go heavier and the sauce starts reading as an Indian condiment rather than a Danish one.
- Make it at least half an hour ahead, and a day ahead is better. The mustard, sugar and pickle need time to settle into the mayonnaise, and freshly mixed remoulade tastes disjointed.
- Add remoulade to hot food at the last possible second. On fried plaice, a roast pork sandwich or a hot dog it splits and slides once it warms, so spoon it on at the table rather than in the kitchen.
- If it tastes flat, the fix is almost always sugar or salt rather than more mustard. Danish remoulade is a sweet-sour condiment, and undersweetened remoulade just tastes like thin mayonnaise.