Keto Horseradish Sauce
Published July 4, 2020 • Updated February 24, 2026
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I make this creamy keto horseradish sauce every time I grill burgers. It's thick enough to actually cling to a hot patty, and the heat from the horseradish cuts right through the richness of the beef.
I started making this horseradish burger sauce because I got tired of every store-bought version having added sugar. Checked four brands at the grocery store one afternoon, and three of them had corn syrup or cane sugar in the ingredients. So I made my own, and I’ve been using this exact ratio ever since.
The base is simple: mayo, sour cream, prepared horseradish, Dijon mustard, garlic, and a splash of hot sauce. But the ratio matters more than the ingredient list. I tested this at 1 tablespoon of horseradish (too mild, you could barely taste it), bumped it to 2 tablespoons (my sweet spot for everyday burgers), and pushed it to 3 tablespoons when I wanted real heat that stands up to a thick patty. Start with 2 and adjust from there.
The reason I use both sour cream and mayo instead of just mayo is texture. Mayo alone makes a thinner sauce that slides off the burger the second you pick it up. Adding sour cream thickens the whole thing so it actually clings to the meat. I’ve tried the Greek yogurt swap that some recipes suggest, and it works in a pinch, but the tang is different and it doesn’t coat the same way.
One thing I didn’t do at first that makes a real difference: chill it for at least 30 minutes before serving. Straight out of the bowl, the garlic is sharp and the horseradish hits harder than you’d expect. After 30 minutes in the fridge, everything mellows and blends together. If you’re making this for a cookout, mix it up an hour before you fire up the grill.
I mostly use this on burgers (it’s incredible on a grilled burger where you’d normally reach for chimichurri), but it works on steak too. I’ve spooned it over ribeye and even used it as a dipping sauce for beef tenderloin at Christmas. The horseradish and beef pairing is classic for a reason.
If you’re building a keto burger sauce rotation, this sits right alongside my Chick-Fil-A sauce, tangy BBQ sauce, and bacon jam. Each one hits a completely different flavor profile, so I rotate depending on what I’m grilling. For a low carb condiment spread, I also keep keto ranch, sugar free ketchup, and avocado mayo in the fridge at all times.
The whole batch comes together in about 2 minutes and keeps in the fridge for a full week. I usually double it if I know I’m grilling twice that week.
Ingredients
1/4 cup mayonnaise -
1 - 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
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1 tablespoon sour cream
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1 tablespoon dijon or stone ground mustard
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1 garlic clove, minced
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1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
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1/4 teaspoon salt
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Combine the ingredients
Combine all the recipe ingredients into a small bowl.
Whisk it
Whisk together until combined.
Apply it
Spread burger sauce on top of grilled burger patty.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
How long should I chill this sauce before serving?
I always chill mine for at least 30 minutes. Straight out of the bowl, the raw garlic is sharp and the horseradish hits harder than you'd expect. After 30 minutes in the fridge, the flavors mellow and blend together. If I'm making it for a cookout, I mix it up about an hour before grilling so it's ready when the burgers come off.
Can I freeze keto horseradish sauce?
I've frozen it and it's fine in a pinch, but the texture changes. The sour cream and mayo separate slightly when they thaw, so you get a grainy consistency instead of that smooth, creamy texture. My recommendation: just make a fresh batch. It takes 2 minutes and the ingredients keep for weeks in the fridge on their own.
How many carbs are in this horseradish sauce per serving?
I calculated roughly 1g net carb per 2-tablespoon serving when I use my usual ratio. The carbs come mainly from the prepared horseradish and a trace from the mustard. That said, I always check the label on my prepared horseradish because some brands sneak in sugar. I use Gold's, which has no added sugar.
Can I use fresh horseradish root instead of prepared?
I've done it, and it works, but fair warning: fresh horseradish root is significantly more pungent than the jarred stuff. Prepared horseradish is preserved in vinegar, which tames the heat. If you grate fresh root, start with about half the amount I call for and taste as you go. I actually prefer the low carb jarred version here because the vinegar adds a subtle tang that balances the sauce.
What's the difference between using Dijon vs stone ground mustard?
I've made this with both side by side. Dijon gives you a smoother sauce with a sharper, more uniform mustard flavor that blends into the background. Stone ground mustard adds visible seeds and a more textured bite, which I actually prefer on thicker burger patties. Both work, so I use whichever I have open. If you're spooning this over steak, I'd lean Dijon for a cleaner finish.
How spicy is this sauce — will kids eat it?
At 1 tablespoon of horseradish, my kids eat it with zero complaints. That amount gives you flavor without any real kick. At 2 tablespoons (my usual), there's a noticeable warmth that builds but doesn't linger. At 3 tablespoons, it's got real heat. I make a mild batch for the kids and a spicier one for myself when we grill.
Is this sauce dairy-free friendly?
The sour cream is the only dairy ingredient, so you can swap it out. I've tested it with coconut cream and it works, though the flavor is slightly different. Cashew cream is another option I've used. Just skip coconut yogurt because it's too tangy and thin for this particular sauce.
Does this work on steak and prime rib?
I've used it on ribeye, NY strip, and beef tenderloin. It's a natural pairing because horseradish and beef are classic together. For steak, I bump the horseradish to 3 tablespoons so the sauce holds its own against a fattier cut. For prime rib at holidays, I thin it slightly with a teaspoon of the beef drippings, which sounds odd but makes the sauce taste like it belongs on that specific roast.
Every great burger gets even better smothered with a burger sauce. On keto, we eat a lot of bunless burgers, so burger sauces really come in handy when you want to jazz up your beef. I love topping my grilled burgers with this creamy horseradish sauce – a little bit spicy and full of flavor. It works well on top of your hamburger or grilled steak.
Horseradish, mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, hot sauce and mustard all come together for a delicious spread worthy of any grilled burger!
Went through a couple other versions before this one and kept getting a sauce that was all heat and no depth. The dijon pulls it together in a way those didn't. Grilling this weekend and it's the only sauce I'm putting out.
I've tested probably every bottled horseradish sauce on the market. Same problem every time: too thin, too vinegary, slides right off the burger. This one's different because of the sour cream. It thickens just enough to cling to a hot patty, which sounds like nothing but completely changes how it eats. The dijon layers in a background bite that makes the horseradish hit differently than it does straight from the jar. Made a double batch for our first outdoor grilling weekend and it was gone in two days. Not touching store-bought after this.
Gone in two days for a double batch, that tracks. The sour cream is the whole thing. I went through probably 8 versions before the ratio clicked.
I made this for burgers a few weeks ago and we ended up putting it on everything, sandwiches, chicken, just dipping veggies in it. Now I want to keep a bigger batch so I'm not mixing it up every few days. I usually just whisk sauces in a bowl but I have an immersion blender I've been meaning to use more, and I figured it might work better here since the garlic and horseradish would blend in more evenly. Would that work, or would blending mess with the texture? I've seen mayo-based stuff turn runny when over-processed and I really don't want to break something that's already perfect.
Immersion blender works fine, just keep it short. A few quick pulses to get the garlic and horseradish fully incorporated and you're done. Ten seconds max or you'll start breaking down the mayo.
Every other horseradish sauce I've tried skips the sour cream, and you can taste the difference.
Yeah, takes the edge off the horseradish heat. Without it the sauce is all bite, nothing to hold it together.
One thing I figured out after making this a few times: let the sauce sit for about 30 minutes before you serve it. The horseradish heat mellows just enough that it tastes intentional rather than sharp, and everything kind of rounds itself out. I also bumped it to the full 2 tablespoons of horseradish and pulled back very slightly on the mayo, and the sauce actually clings to a hot patty instead of sliding off the side. Used Primal Kitchen mayo and it held up perfectly. This is the kind of thing that makes people think you did something complicated when really you just whisked a few things together in a bowl. Going on every burger I make this spring.
Primal Kitchen holds way better. The avocado oil base stays emulsified where cheaper mayo separates. And pulling back on the mayo does tighten it up, that's exactly why it grips.
Used stone ground mustard and doubled the hot sauce, figured half a teaspoon wouldn't do much. The heat sneaks up on you though. Didn't expect that.
Yeah the horseradish and hot sauce both do that slow build. Stack them and it compounds twice as fast.
I've been making a double batch every Sunday and portioning it into small jars for the week, and I noticed the horseradish mellows out after a day in the fridge (way less sharp than right after mixing, which I actually like better on burgers). The brand of horseradish matters more than you'd think here, by the way. I tried three different ones and the heat range is wild, so I always start with one tablespoon and taste before going to two. Still putting this on everything.
Day two is a different sauce. And the brand thing is real, I've had some barely register and others that clear your sinuses. Smart to start at one.
Horseradish on a burger was not something I was sold on. I've used it with prime rib for years but putting it on ground beef just felt off. Made this anyway because the ingredient list was short and I had everything on hand. The dijon is what got me. It rounds out the horseradish into something that actually belongs on a burger, stops it from fighting the meat. Spread it on a thick patty right off the grill and it held on perfectly - didn't pool or slide. I went back for more before I was halfway through. This is going on every burger I make once grilling season kicks back in.
Yeah the dijon is what makes it work on beef. Horseradish solo would just fight everything on the patty. Prime rib can take that punch, a burger can't.
Made these burgers last weekend and my son, who drowns literally everything in ketchup, pushed the ketchup aside and used this instead. Even went back for more on his fries. I honestly had no idea the horseradish would mellow out that much with the mayo and sour cream in there (I was a little nervous about the heat). Double batch next grill night for sure.
Ketchup getting pushed aside is maybe the best thing I've heard about this sauce. The sour cream and mayo pull the heat back a lot, at 1-2 tablespoons it's more flavor than burn. Double batch for sure.
My wife refuses horseradish and she scraped the sauce off both her burgers. Something about the dijon and sour cream taming it. Would cut the hot sauce by half next time, but it's already in the rotation.
She's not wrong. The dijon and sour cream pull the heat way back. Half the hot sauce should get her there completely.