If there's one thing that can make or break a beef roast dinner, it's the sauce sitting next to it. This Creamy Horseradish Sauce comes together in about a minute, with sour cream, prepared horseradish, a touch of Dijon, white balsamic vinegar, fresh chives, and lemon zest. It's bold without being aggressive, tangy without being sharp, and it pairs beautifully with any beef roast on the table. Our rule: if the bowl is empty before dinner is over, it's a good batch. We've never had a bad one.
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The Horseradish Cream Sauce That Actually Keeps Up With the Main Course ✨
We started making this sauce because jarred horseradish cream was always a little… sad. 🫠Too mild to bother with, and the tang just tastes like vinegar instead of anything interesting. When you're putting a slow cooker prime rib roast on the table, the sauce alongside it should actually keep up with the main event!
What makes this version work is the balance. Prepared horseradish brings the heat and the distinctive sharpness, but the sour cream base rounds it out immediately. The lighter, less assertive flavor of white balsamic adds brightness without fighting the horseradish for attention. A little lemon zest and fresh chives finish it off, and the result is a horseradish cream sauce that tastes like something you'd get at a steakhouse, not something that's been sitting in a jar since October. 😉
It's also the sauce we always make ahead and pull out of the fridge just before the prime rib comes out of the slow cooker. It mellows just a little as it sits, which is actually a good thing - the flavors knit together, and the sharpness settles into something more nuanced. It also works beautifully as a condiment for leftover prime rib sandwiches the next day. Basically: if beef is on the table, this sauce belongs on it.
🫚Ingredients for This Creamy Horseradish Sauce Recipe
Everything you need is probably already in your fridge. This is a no-cook, one-bowl sauce with just a handful of pantry staples.
How to Make Horseradish Cream Sauce ✨
Don't overthink this one. It's a bowl, a spoon, and a minute of your time.
- Step 1: Add the sour cream, mayonnaise, prepared horseradish, Dijon, white balsamic vinegar, chives, and lemon zest to a bowl. Don't add salt and pepper yet!
💡 Drain your horseradish first. Prepared horseradish can have a lot of liquid sitting at the top of the jar. Drain off the excess before measuring, so the sauce doesn't end up too watery.
🍊 White balsamic, not regular. White balsamic is milder and less sweet than traditional balsamic, and it lifts the sauce without overpowering the horseradish. In a pinch, a splash of white wine vinegar works; just use less, since it's sharper.
- Step 2: Stir to combine, then add salt and pepper to taste. If you want an extra kick of heat, add more horseradish. For more brightness, add a touch more vinegar.
🧄 Want to add garlic? A small clove of fresh garlic, finely grated, really works to make this a creamy garlic horseradish sauce! Add it in Step 1 and let it mellow during the rest time.
💡 Want a looser consistency? Add a splash of milk or cream, a teaspoon at a time, until it reaches the texture you're after.
- Step 3: Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving. The sauce tastes better after a short rest, allowing the flavors to settle and the heat to mellow slightly.
❄️ Make it ahead. This sauce keeps well in the refrigerator for up to a week in an airtight container. We always make it the day before a big dinner and pull it straight from the fridge to the table. It's best served cold with a roast, anyway!
Garnish with fresh chives before serving.
What to Serve With Creamy Horseradish Sauce 🍽️
This sauce was built for beef. The most natural pairing is our slow cooker prime rib; it's the dish that makes this sauce necessary.
It's also excellent alongside a chuck roast in the oven for weeknight roast beef dinners, (and this slow cooker sirloin tip roast for a leaner cut!) or with our melt in your mouth roast beef when you want the same energy with less of a special occasion.
It's also a surprisingly great match for Dutch oven corned beef and cabbage - the sharpness cuts right through the richness of the brisket in the same way it does with prime rib!
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If you make this Creamy Horseradish Sauce, we'd love to hear from you! Leave a comment below with your rating for the recipe. Share with us by tagging us on Instagram! We love seeing your creations! 📸
📖 Recipe
Creamy Horseradish Sauce Recipe (For Prime Rib & Beef Roasts)
Ingredients
- 1 cup sour cream (240g)
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise (60g)
- 4 tablespoons prepared horseradish drained, to taste, varies by brand, see notes!
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2-3 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar to taste
- 2 tablespoons chives finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest about the zest of 1 medium lemon
- ½ - 1 teaspoon kosher salt to taste, add slowly, see notes
- ¼- ½ teaspoon black pepper to taste
- Chives & fresh cracked pepper for garnish optional
Instructions
- Add the sour cream, mayonnaise, prepared horseradish, Dijon, white balsamic vinegar, chives, and lemon zest to a medium bowl.1 cup sour cream, 4 tablespoons mayonnaise, 4 tablespoons prepared horseradish, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 2-3 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons chives, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- Stir to combine, then add salt and pepper to taste. Adjust - more horseradish for heat, more vinegar for brightness.½ - 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh chives and black pepper just before serving.Chives & fresh cracked pepper for garnish
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Notes
- Make-ahead: This sauce is best made at least 15 minutes before serving, and up to 24 hours ahead. The flavor improves as it rests. Pull it straight from the fridge when serving - cold is the right temperature alongside a warm roast.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Stir before serving if it has been sitting, as slight separation is normal.
- Drain the horseradish: Prepared horseradish can have excess liquid in the jar. Drain it first so the sauce doesn't turn thin or watery.
- White balsamic substitute: If you don't have white balsamic vinegar, use white wine vinegar - start with 1 teaspoon and add more to taste, since it's sharper than white balsamic.
- Horseradish heat note: Prepared horseradish varies in heat by brand. Taste before adding the full amount and adjust to your preference. Fresh grated horseradish root works here too - use slightly less, as it's typically more potent.
- Salt note: Recipe is written for Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If using Morton's kosher salt or table salt, use approximately half the amount by volume. Add slowly, taste, and adjust!
- Serving suggestions: Pairs beautifully with Crockpot prime rib, oven braised chuck roast, corned beef and cabbage, and melt in your mouth roast beef. Also excellent as a condiment for prime rib sandwiches.
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