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Mississippi Comeback Sauce. An all purpose sauce that is a cross somewhere between a rémoulade sauce and Thousand Island salad dressing, great for a sandwich spread or dipping sauce. A Mississippi original! |
Mississippi Comeback Sauce
Comeback Sauce, which also has some, shall we say, rather interesting alternative spellings, was birthed in the 1930s at a Greek restaurant, The Rotisserie, located in Jackson, Mississippi. Known back then as simply their house dressing, it very quickly caught on and has earned fame, spreading across the city to other restaurants and eventually across the south. Comeback Sauce is truly the queen mother of all Mississippi condiments.Completely versatile, Comeback Sauce can be used as a burger condiment, as a sandwich spread {it is super duper yummy good on a fried baloney sandwich with caramelized onions on Whitewheat bread, oh my...}, smeared alone on simple plain saltines, or preferably, Captains Wafers, used as a salad dressing, as a dip for crudités, fried green tomatoes, boiled shrimp, fried shrimp, raw, steamed or fried oysters, fried pickles, fried mushrooms, onion rings, french fries, well, just about anything really! It's a basic all around sauce that once you try, I'm sure you'll fall in love with.
Though ingredients now vary a bit from region to region, most contain some mix of mayonnaise, ketchup, chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion and garlic ... to start. From there, it is your own creation really, so feel free to experiment and decrease, increase or add ingredients that sound good to you. With all due respect to those who author the recipes containing only mayonnaise, ketchup and a lot of black pepper, that is not a true Comeback Sauce. It's a decent fry sauce, but it's not Comeback Sauce!
Mississippi Comeback Sauce has a more intense, layered profile and has a little bit more to it than those three ingredients! I prefer my sauce smooth, so I use garlic and onion powder, but feel free to exchange that for fresh if you prefer. Just be sure to mix it up ahead of time and give it time for the flavors to marry in the fridge, because it only gets better. Aptly named, it really is so good you'll "comeback for more."

Throw in chopped up boiled egg and a bit of sweet pickle relish and you'll have yourself a mighty fine, kicked up Thousand Island dressing.
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Heinz Chili Sauce is a tomato based product, containing tomato puree, onion, garlic and other seasonings. |
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Recipe: Mississippi Comeback Sauce
©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish
Prep time: 10 min | Yield: About 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- 1/4 cup of chili sauce
- 1/4 cup of ketchup
- 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon of spicy mustard
- 1 cup of mayonnaise
- 1/4 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
- Couple dashes of hot sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama), or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
- The juice of 1/2 of a lemon
Put all of the ingredients in a blender and process until well mixed. Taste and adjust for seasonings. Store in fridge for about a week. Use on everything!
Cook's Note: Worcestershire sauce can be a strong flavor for some. Start with 1/2 teaspoon and increase up to a full tablespoon, or more, to taste. For an extra spicy kick, substitute Sriracha chili sauce for the regular chili sauce. Storage time will depend on the freshness of the mayonnaise, but try to use this up in about a week or so generally. Be sure to store it in the fridge a tightly closed container, like a Mason jar if you have one and remember you can use it as a sandwich spread, on a salad, on hamburgers, as a dipping sauce for french fries and other fried foods, and it'll be gone before you know it!
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Sounds good. I like all-purpose sauces. Thanks
ReplyDeleteThis is something I hadn't heard of, Mary, but I think it would taste delicious as I love those ingredients seperatly.It certainly is an all purpose sauce!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by! This sauce does look fabulous... I'll have to try it!
ReplyDeleteLove your blog and will definitely be following. I look forward to reading more.
Audra
audradetillier.blogspot.com
Oh..I am so glad I found you!!! Or you found me....looks delicious...I could eat your blog!
ReplyDeletesandy toe
The name caught my attention and I think I've had this before. Love it- thanks for sharing : )
ReplyDeleteWe have a sauce sauce similar to this in our family. We use it for steaks, French fries, shrimp, Fish, fried chicken, well, most near anything. It's simply a glob of Miricle Whip, a squirt if ketchup, and several dashes of Lee & Perrin. Stir it up and dip in.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all you do in this blog. Love it
Jan
If ketchup what?
DeleteI make a very similar sauce for dipping boiled shrimp but don't measure anything since I've been making it since I was a kid and watched my Daddy mix it up when we had boiled shrimp. I use Hellmann's mayo, ketchup, Worcestershire, Louisiana hot sauce or Tabasco, fresh lemon juice and horseradish. It's some good stuff!!
ReplyDeletehay hay, I did make some of this sauce, and its very good, maybe i added too much of something, its a teeny bit too sweet, can some one give me a suggestion as to what I could add to diminish the sweet a bit?
ReplyDeletethanxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and BLessings from the SOUTH.
More lemon maybe? Or spicy mustard or hot sauce? Where's the sweet coming from?
ReplyDeleteKetchup I'll bet
DeleteI agree - the only sugar is from what is contained in commercial chili sauce or ketchup but I don't find this recipe to be sweet myself!
DeleteIf you use Miracle Whip instead of Mayo, it might be sweet.
DeleteI heard about this sauce from a famous chef named Cat Cora on a Food Network special a few years ago. I have made it and love to eat it on just about anything. I have also found that you can order it online already made and jarred. So simple to make, think I would rather have anything homemade, tastes so much better, if you live in the south! Thanks for the recipe! Keep up the great work you do Mary!! xoxo
ReplyDeleteSheila, I love Cat! Not only is she a famous chef, she is a famous southern chef, and a Mississippian too to boot!! Hope you enjoy my version of this fabulous sauce!!
ReplyDeleteI found a similar recipe on another blog that is terrific also. One cup of mayo, 1/4 cup ketchup and 2 tbls. black pepper. I don't know why but the pepper does not make it hot. It just adds a good flavor. I eat it with fries. It is sooooo good.
ReplyDeleteHi B.J.! Well, I have seen that recipe and I'd hardly say it's similar. I disagree with its author that it qualifies as a Mississippi Comeback Sauce. In my opinion it's just basically, well, a sauce of mayonnaise & ketchup with a lot of pepper!! There's a little more to a true "Comeback Sauce" than that.
ReplyDeleteHi Mary - I finally made your Comeback Sauce today using all the ingredients in your recipe. Oh my goodness, was it good! I see why those other recipes (with little more than mayo, ketchup and tons of pepper just don't cut it!)
ReplyDeleteI spread it liberally on BLT sandwiches. SO SO delicious. I see why it's such a keeper. I thought I'd write it up on my blog - giving you all credit, my photos, etc. Okay with you? Let me know. Thanks.
Thanks so much Carolyn - glad you enjoyed it. It's some good stuff isn't it??!! :) Course! I can't wait to see what you have to say about the differences between Mississippi Comeback sauce and mayo/ketchup/pepper sauce! Be sure to send me the link!! I'll share it on my FB page - so let me know!
ReplyDeleteHello there! For a bit of extra kick, try that Asian Sriracha "Rooster Sauce" for the hot sauce in the recipe. So good!!
ReplyDeleteI do love Sriracha so that would be a wonderful addition, thank Shawna!
ReplyDeleteMoved to Mississippi over the summer,and they serve it just about everywhere and for something so simple it really is absolutely perfect with so many things...any fried food goes well and on any sandwich that's not covered in tomato sauce already
ReplyDeleteHello Mary,
ReplyDeleteFirst let me say that I have been using your recipes for about two years and have never been disappointed.
I grew up on what was then Delta Dr. in Jackson, I would walk past the Rotisserie, each day on my trek to and from school. I would always be awe struck by the food in the huge display windows. One of the cooks took a liking to me and each afternoon on my trip home he would greet me with an afternoon snack which consisted of a paper Dixie Cup, filled with the sauce and a portion of what ever meat was available.
After the Rotisserie, closed he came to work for my dad in the construction business. After growing up and learning to cook, I asked him for the recipe. He informed me that only one man made the sauce and that he never shared the ingredients with anyone. Just yesterday I ran into my old friend Jim, he is now seventy six years young and still working, cooking, and still trying to duplicate the sauce.
Thanks For The Great Recipes
Terry
Thanks Terry and what a great memory!! Wish somebody had that old sauce though - sure would be nice to know!
ReplyDeleteThey serve an awesome version of this dressing at Bill's in Jackson - a wonderful Greek restaurant. Go there frequently when visiting my parents in Jackson.
ReplyDeleteQuestion for Mary - do you ever add Worcestershire sauce? And is there a recommendation for cutting down just a tad on the sweetness? Thank you!
Ann
Hi Ann! There is Worcestershire sauce in this recipe but there is nothing that makes it sweet, other than what is in commercial ketchup and chili sauce. The only way to counter that would be to increase the acids I suppose, or make your own homemade ingredients. Hope that helps!
DeleteI've been wanting to try this recipe out for a while and am finally making it! How long would you say it lasts in the fridge?
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting to try this recipe out for a while now and I finally am! Looks delicious and can't wait! How long would you say it lasts in the fridge?
ReplyDeleteHey Rosie! Though you can certainly multiple it, this recipe is a small batch mostly just for single use. I'd say if you doubled or tripled it, try to use it up within a week or two though I'm guessing it'd be fine even longer than that. Just store it in the fridge a tightly closed container, like a Mason jar. Hope that helps!
DeleteMy husband and I make something very similar to this and call it "Oompa sauce." We derived the name from the color. When our friend was pregnant she ate so much of this we said her baby would turn out looking the same color as the sauce... like an Oompa Loompa from "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." hahaha... hence the name Oompa sauce.
ReplyDeleteWe never measure, just look at the color to see if it's close to an Oompa's face. C=
My husband and I make something very similar to this and call it "Oompa sauce." We derived the name from the color. When our friend was pregnant she ate so much of this we said her baby would turn out looking the same color as the sauce... like an Oompa Loompa from "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." hahaha... hence the name Oompa sauce.
ReplyDeleteWe never measure, just look at the color to see if it's close to an Oompa's face. C=
Oh! I LOVE it!!
DeleteYou know what? I'll bet those people who think this is too sweet are using Miracle Whip instead of mayonnaise.
ReplyDeleteJust guessing,
Deb in Indiana
I was kinda leaning toward that too Deb!
DeleteI love your recipes. They are all so hardy... Real Man-food!!! hahaha... I think sometimes you put Slap ya mama in everything just cuz you like the name though!!!! Too bad we cant get any of those good Cajun spices in Canada and have to settle for ones made by Hi's or mass produced ones from non southern companies. It would be nice to have a copycat recipe for Slap ya mama so we could have something similar at least. We can get Old Bay at least and sometimes you come across some of Emeril's spice mixtures. But no Zatarains or Slap ya mama etc.
ReplyDeleteLOL, probably does seem that way I guess! :) I haven't made up a copycat just simply because that brand is so readily available down here. It really is just a perfect blend of the salt and peppers, with garlic that we pretty much use it like an all purpose seasoning. It's only a suggestion really - any good brand of Cajun or Creole seasoning will do and it can also be omitted or made up with the individual salt, pepper, black and red pepper and garlic powder.
DeleteWith so many things readily available on the Internet these days, you shouldn't have too much trouble getting anything you want... I checked and they have Slap Ya Mama seasoning on Amazon!
DeleteThere is a wonderful version at Weidmanns in Meridian Mississippi!
ReplyDeleteWill have to check that out on my next trip up that way Lori!
Deletelove that restaurant! I was born in Meridian.
DeleteYou know, there's a chicken finger place (started in Louisiana) that has a sauce very similar to this.
ReplyDeleteNo I didn't - whereabout?
DeleteRaising Kane Chicken Fingers I am sure. There might be one in Biloxi by now. They are all over. Started in BRLA.
DeletePS my distant cousins make Slap Your Mama seasoning so thank you for the push.
Yep, shoulda bought stock in that before I started blogging as much as I have turned others on to the stuff!
Deletethe chicken finger place is probably Raising Cane's, and they have a sauce they use on the chicken tenders and french fries that is like the Comeback Sauce
ReplyDeletehttp://www.raisingcanes.com/
Mary I just wanted to say thank you so much. I am so happy I fell across your blog a few years ago; you've become a well loved reference in my house.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are loving your new house,
Jenny
Jenny, I have had the roughest, most stressful & emotional week this week all related to trying to close on our old house & reading your comment tonight was just the lift I needed. Thank you SO much for taking the time, just at the right time tonight to stop by. I know it wasn't an coincidence & I really appreciate it. And, yes, we are loving our new house & so happy to finally be closing the door on the other one so that we can now focus on just enjoying this one!!! {{{{HUGS}}}}}
DeleteI visited "home" in Jackson MS recently and was surprised when the restaurant we were in actually served MS Comeback Sauce--- I thought that was so great---they went outside the box of the usual, Blue Cheese, Thousand Island, Ranch Dressing choices.
ReplyDeleteA long time ago when Fisherman Wharf restaurant was still on the beach (pre-hurricane) served a sauce to eat with saltine crackers while you waited for your food. I am convinced that it was at least a form of Comeback Sauce, though they didn't refer to it that way.
DeleteCan this recipe be canned?
ReplyDeleteHey Ashley! You know, it keeps for awhile in the fridge so I've never tried canning it though somebody may have tried at some point. Wish I could help but I'm afraid I just don't know how to advise you on that, so sorry!
DeleteThank you for this great looking version! I use Comeback sauce for everything -- salads, sandwiches, burgers, seafood, fries, etc. Yesterday I used it to accompany rotisserie chicken. This could be Mississippi's greatest contribution to the nation!
ReplyDeleteIt is pretty good stuff isn't it?
DeleteThis sauce was Amazing!! My 5 and 6 year old daughters enjoyed it as much as my husband and I:) THANK YOU for posting this recipe!
ReplyDeleteA comment about canning it...I can pretty much any and everything. To can this, I would omit the mayo. There should be enough acid in the rest of the ingredients for it to not spoil. Then add the mayo before serving or the night before.
Blessings,
Rachel
Thank you Rachel - it's a great sauce isn't it? It never lasts long enough for that here really, but thanks so much for the tip on canning too!
Deletejust made this and I can't wait to make something to put it in, on, around, smear on, dip in, swim in, dive in.....
DeleteWould this work on a fried bologna sandwich, Mary? I've never had one
Oh gracious, I LOVE a fried bologna sandwich Bonita! This would be great, but I'm still partial to plain ole mayonnaise myself!
DeleteMary, I’ve been wanting to try your recipe for quite some time now. It’s extremely similar to what I’ve been making for the past 30+ years; with the exception of the olive oil. Mine is more like a blend of Russian and Thousand Island Dressings (including pickle relish). My friends in NY wanted me to bottle it. One asked what I’d call it? I don’t know… Crazy Ivan’s Nine Hundred Ninety-Nine Island dressing? And yes, I use it for everything; including a salad dressing.
ReplyDeleteI had this sauce for the first time about a month ago in a little seafood restaurant in Florence, SC; Tubb’s Seafood. They make every sauce, batter, whatever, themselves. It was outstanding, and different than mine; although my wife disagrees. Whatever, I’ve got to try this. Thank you.
God bless.
I am from the low country of Georgia and as a child we made a sauce very close to this. We used it to dip Charley's Chips. It was so good.
ReplyDeleteThis may be a silly question but what is chili sauce? I have never bought or even heard of this....
ReplyDeleteIt's a tomato based commercial product. If you scroll up above the recipe to the post, there's a picture of it.
DeleteMade the sauce but used sriracha like you suggested and added a little more pepper, garlic and onion powder. We love it!!! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! Glad y'all enjoyed it!!
Delete