Condiments
725 recipes found
Russian Dressing
Contrary to its name, Russian dressing was invented in New Hampshire in the early 1900’s and may have gotten its name because the original recipe included a staple of Russian cuisine: caviar. Often used as a dip or a salad dressing, it is perhaps best known as a spread on the iconic Reuben sandwich. Pink in color from a combination of ketchup and mayonnaise, it is frequently mistaken for its sweeter sibling, Thousand Island dressing, but Russian dressing is spicier thanks to the addition of horseradish. This recipe is flexible: Grating the onion releases more of its flavorful juices, but mincing works just fine. Swap the onion for shallot, if you like, or use smoked paprika instead of sweet. For an extra-spicy kick, add a dash of hot sauce.
Pure Jalapeño Salsa
This fiery, minimalist salsa proves that even humble kitchen staples — like garlic powder and fresh jalapeños — can surprise you. Simmered until tender, then mashed by hand or blended to a coarse purée, the chiles become the perfect backdrop for garlic powder, which deepens as it sits, taking on a warm, almost toasty edge you’d never get from raw garlic. A short fermentation (if you let it) softens the salsa’s heat and introduces a subtle, tangy complexity (see Tip). It’s a salsa that evolves — bold on Day 1, balanced by Day 3 — making it perfect to spoon over pizza, tacos or anywhere you’d reach for a pickled chile.
Aguacate Ahumado (Spicy Avocado Salsa)
Many salsas are fresh, raw and bright. But this pico de gallo turns a corner. A smoky corner. Finely chopped chipotles in adobo end up glazing the soft pieces of avocado, and it tastes deep and charred, even though it takes all of five minutes to make. It shouldn’t taste this good. But it does. Serve on sandwiches or tostadas, or with a bowl of plantain chips.
Mast-o-Khiar (Cucumber Yogurt With Sizzled Mint and Crunchy Pistachios)
A signature dish in Persian cuisine, mast-o-khiar is a creamy yogurt dish that is often served with rice, grilled meats or warm flatbread for dipping. At its core, it’s a simple yet refreshing combination of yogurt, cucumber and dried mint bloomed in oil. This version adds a few extra layers of flavor — bright lemon juice and zest for tang, raisins for a sweet chewiness and pistachios for crunch. The sizzled dried mint brings a deep, earthy smokiness that fresh mint just can’t replicate. Light yet satisfying, it’s the perfect cooling contrast to rich, spice-laden dishes.
Princess Pamela’s Sauce Beautiful
Summery, tart and slightly sweet, this sauce ingeniously uses peach preserves to make a perfect pairing for pork chops. It also works as a tart dressing for a kale or chicory salad, highlighting the fruit at its peak while also adding richness thanks to butter and oil. In the mid-60s, Pamela Strobel served this condiment, her signature sauce, alongside dishes like fried chicken, black eyed peas and smothered pork chops at her restaurant, Little Kitchen. Princess Pamela, a moniker given to Ms. Strobel when she asked a printer what the name of her business should be, wore the title well: She ruled over her minuscule soul food spot underneath her apartment in New York City’s East Village, deciding who was let in (and who was kicked out).
Pineapple Chow Chow
This piquant pickled relish is widely believed to be descendent from English piccalilli. In Trinidad and Tobago, chow chow is a staple during the holiday season, and is often served with baked ham and hops bread on Christmas morning. Typically Trinidadian chow chow is made by soaking a bevy of fruits and vegetables like Chinese long beans and green papaya overnight in a salty-sweet brine. This quicker stovetop adaptation nixes the need for a night-long soak, and incorporates canned pineapple to add both sweetness and heft to its bright and assertive mustard base.
Sambal Oelek
The best thing about making sambal oelek yourself — besides the fact that the finished result is much more nuanced and complex than what you can purchase in stores — is that you can tailor it to your taste. Add more tomatoes and fewer chiles if you want it less spicy; leave out the nuts if you like (although they do add a nice body and nuttiness to balance out the spice and salt). Use this sambal oelek, which was adapted from Zulfikar Fahd, the chef and owner of Java Bali Kitchen, a Indonesian pop-up restaurant in Toronto, as an ingredient in other recipes or on its own as a bright, punchy condiment to complement any number of mains. (Try it with fried chicken!)
Pepper Sauce
Throughout the English and French-speaking Caribbean, homemade pepper sauce in glass jars or plastic bottles are an important part of the tablescape, kept within reach to add a burst of fruity, sharp heat to whatever is being eaten. This version, from cookbook author Lesley Enston, is earthy thanks to the addition of culantro, a fresh herb not to be confused with cilantro. From island to island, and even household to household, the recipe varies, but Scotch bonnets, the brightly colored bonnet-shaped chiles native to the region, are a must. Feel free to play around with this sauce to create one that matches your tastes, adjusting the seasonings or adding a pinch of a spice like clove or nutmeg. Keep a jar on hand to add a teaspoon or so to dishes from the Caribbean like braised oxtails or to serve as a condiment for dishes like fried snapper with Creole sauce.
Chiltomate Salsa (Tomato and Habanero Sauce)
Smoky and fruity and with a sneaky heat, chiltomate salsa is a combination of habanero chiles and tomato popular throughout the Yucatán peninsula. While it’s made in many ways, this version, which is adapted from the chef Alex Henry, is particularly fresh. The tomatoes are cooked only by blackening their skins so their tang remains. They’re then mashed — skin, seeds and all — with charred habanero, cilantro leaves and stems into a chunky sauce. At El Molino del Sureste, Mr. Henry’s restaurant in St. Louis, it’s served over venison sausage and black beans, and at Sureste, his food hall spot, it tops steak tacos, but it’s great on all grilled meats.
Salsa Negra (Smoky Garlic and Walnut Salsa)
This salsa, inspired by Gabriela Cámara’s Salsa Negra recipe in her cookbook “My Mexico City Kitchen,” is a versatile and flavorful addition to any meal. It has a perfect balance of heat and sweetness that enhances breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between. The spice level is moderate thanks to morita chiles — smoked, dried jalapeños — that add a smoky note to the salsa. Stir a dollop into scrambled eggs or spread on toasted bread leading up to avocado toast. As long as it’s refrigerated and the oil doesn’t go rancid, it keeps indefinitely. Keep a little out at room temperature so that its full flavors are expressed. This is a great time to splurge on pre-peeled garlic available at most supermarkets.
Mango Salsa
Bursting with sweetness, tang and a little heat, mango salsa is the colorful sidekick that’s always invited to the party. A balance of flavor and texture is key to building this simple condiment. Choose ripe but not mushy mangoes so the flesh doesn’t fall apart. For a contrast in textures, use one riper mango and one less ripe mango. The sharp bite from the red onion and the heat from the chile pleasantly complement the sweetness of the fruit. Add as much lime juice as you like to wake up the taste, and don’t forget to season with a little salt to draw out all the natural flavors. Have fun adding other ingredients like avocado, pomegranate seeds, cucumber and jicama, plus a sprinkle of Tajín for an extra kick. Serve with tortilla chips or pita triangles for scooping, or alongside grilled meats, fish or tacos. Mango salsa is best served the day it's made, but will keep covered in the fridge for up to two days.
Balsamic Glaze
This two-ingredient balsamic glaze recipe is your pantry’s secret weapon. The simple reduction of balsamic vinegar and brown sugar or honey will leave you with a thick glaze and concentrated, complex sweet-sour flavor. When boiling the vinegar, be sure to turn on the vent or open a window, as the mixture is as fragrant as it is potent. Adding a sweetener is completely optional; the vinegar will naturally become more intense and a bit sweeter as it cooks down. If your reduction becomes too thick, simply add a dash of water to help loosen. Add this glaze to marinades, dressings or roasted vegetables (such as broccoli), or drizzle it over caprese salad or grilled peaches. Toss strawberries with a spoonful of balsamic glaze to enhance their flavor for strawberry shortcakes or strawberry pretzel pie.
Roasted Garlic
Unlike sautéing, which enhances garlic’s aromatic bite, roasting garlic transforms it almost entirely, making it immensely soft and sweet, with a rich caramel color. It becomes ultra fragrant and easy to spread. Using roasted garlic is a simple way to add depth to dressings, sauces, dips and sides like mashed potatoes, grains and vegetables. Add it to your avocado toast or tuna sandwich for a little upgrade. Carefully peel the roasted garlic and refrigerate in a sealed container for up to two weeks or in the freezer for a month. Alternatively, you can squeeze the garlic out to use and store as a paste.
Tamarind Sauce
This tangy Trinidadian condiment is spiced with amchar masala, a traditional local blend that’s similar to garam masala, and brightened with culantro, cilantro’s earthy, robust cousin. Adapted from “Islas: A Celebration of Tropical Cooking” by Von Diaz (Chronicle Books, 2024), this tamarind sauce from Brigid Washington is luscious, inky, sweet but complex. It pairs well with spicy curries, samosas and other flavorful fritters, grilled steak or roasted vegetables, and balances the spiciness of the channa in Trinidadian doubles.
Spicy Mint-Cilantro Chutney
Tangy and spicy, with a touch of sweetness, this fresh, herbaceous chutney is incredibly adaptable, and will brighten up curries, stews, fritters, and grilled seafood and chicken. Adapted from “Islas: A Celebration of Tropical Cooking” by Von Diaz (Chronicle Books, 2024), this no-cook, blended chutney hails from Mauritius, but similar chutneys can be found across Indian Ocean nations. Drizzle it and other dynamic sauces on top of spicy Trinidadian doubles.
Mango Chutney
Ripe mangoes work best as a base for this sticky, deliciously sour and heavily spiced condiment. The intense sweetness of the cooked mangoes is fittingly balanced by apple cider vinegar, crushed red pepper, ginger and garlic; nigella seeds add some texture and bitterness. One dollop of this chutney lends a kaleidoscope of flavors to any meal or snack, from a simple sandwich to a kebab or roast chicken. Mango chutney typically tends to be somewhat thick, but if you prefer a looser texture you can add more water during the cooking process. You can adjust the bite as you like, keeping as many or as few mango chunks intact as you’d like. This chutney is customizable, but its punchy flavors remain.
Tomato-Habanero Salsa
With only three main ingredients — tomatoes, onion and habanero — this chunky, saucy, salsa is bold, simple and beautiful in its simplicity and multiple uses. The roasted tomato leads, slightly smoky with an acidic tang; the roasted onion provides sweetness; and the habanero provides a bright pop of flavor that transforms into a light yet spicy kick that lingers and tickles the tongue. The salsa is as versatile as it is addictive: Dip it with chips, or spoon it over sunny-side-up eggs huevos rancheros style, grilled meats, cheesy quesadillas, crispy taquitos or avocado toast. It also makes a quick, lively breakfast: Spoon about 1/4 cup salsa onto a heated small skillet, pour a couple whisked eggs on top for a quick egg scramble with a side of toast.
Garlic Confit
These golden, jammy jewels of garlic cloves and the infused oil in which they were cooked can be used anywhere you’d use caramelized onions: Spread the softened cloves on toast or pizza, buzz them into a dip or mashed potatoes, or mix them into a grain salad. Use the oil for pasta, salad dressings, roasting potatoes or frying eggs. While cooking foods submerged in fat over a low temperature was originally necessary for food preservation, this process, known as confit, has survived the introduction of refrigeration because ingredients emerge from the warm bath supremely sweet and tender.
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Both tangy and slightly sweet, balsamic vinaigrette is versatile enough to complement a variety of greens and vegetables without overpowering them. In this basic recipe, a spoonful of Dijon mustard balances the vinegar’s sweetness with a touch of acidity, and it also helps thicken, or emulsify, the dressing. Keep the balsamic vinaigrette refrigerated in an airtight jar for up to a week; it may separate over time, but can easily be whisked together again. Before serving, bring it to room temperature and give the jar a good shake.
Garlic Butter
Garlic butter is so simple to make and a small luxury to have on hand to add oomph to many dishes. It can be made (and even frozen) ahead of time, so recipes like garlic bread are ready to deploy at a moment’s notice. Add a dollop to steak as it rests, or to melt into plain pasta for a luscious sauce. The herbs and lemon zest here are optional, but they do add a jolt of freshness and help balance the butter’s richness. Garlic cloves can vary in size, so add as many or little to suit your taste.
Caramelized Onions
Soft, caramelized onions can add sweetness and richness to any dish that calls for sautéed onions, but they are especially good in soups, curries, sandwiches, pastas and dips — which is to say, everywhere. (Keep a container on hand, refrigerated for 1 week or frozen for a couple months.) Typically a time-intensive process, this recipe speeds things up by starting the onions covered to help release their liquid and repeatedly pouring in water and scraping the bottom of the pan to incorporate the delicious browned bits. Be sure to stand by and stir the onions often to prevent burning, although you’ll want to anyway to soak up their smell.
Green Anchovy Butter
Straight out of the tin, anchovies can be assertive, but their umami flavor can be judiciously harnessed, adding depth to Caesar salad dressing, pasta puttanesca and other recipes. Affordable and accessible, jarred or canned anchovies can be a great introduction to tinned fish. This butter, from Anna Hezel’s cookbook, “Tin to Table: Fancy, Snacky Recipes for the Tin-thusiasts and A-fish-ionados” (Chronicle Books, 2023), makes good use of anchovy’s salty notes, taming it with fresh herbs and lemon to create a bright green spread that has many uses: Baste it over a seared steak, toss it with pasta or roasted vegetables, melt it and toss with fresh popcorn, or cook an egg in it. Anchovies can provide a salty, funky undercurrent or a whack of flavor; they may be diminutive but their presence is substantial.
Grilled Steak With Sauce Rof
A combination of onion, parsley, scallions and chile, this classic Senegalese sauce adds complexity to dishes. Typically used to stuff fish as a marinade and top it as a bold relish, it is also great for tempering the smoky char of grilled chicken or steak. In this recipe, some sauce rof is used as a marinade and served as a topping. Thinned with a dash of olive oil, the relish also gets lemon juice to add a lovely sparkle. Go for a nice marbled cut of meat — the fat intensifies the flavor of the grilled meat and the sauce rof cuts through the richness. This condiment can be made up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated in an airtight jar.
South Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce
South Carolina’s contribution to regional American barbecue is mustard sauce. Barbecue buffs in these parts understand the wonders that mustard can work on pork, how the spice enhances the meat’s sweetness while the acidity cuts through the fat. A good mustard sauce is a study in balance, the bite of mustard and mouth-pucker of vinegar offset by the sweetness of honey or brown sugar. Tradition calls for using ballpark-style mustard, but this recipe instead opts for the finesse of Dijon-style mustard or a grainy mustard. Serve this sauce over smoked, pulled or grilled pork (it goes great with pork tenderloin), smoked or grilled chicken, grilled salmon and other seafood, and why not, whole roasted cauliflower.