The original post published in May 2011. I’ve updated the photos to spare myself some embarrassment from the total lack of photography skills in the early days of blogging.
Ask anyone from Mississippi if they know about Comeback Sauce and they will look at you shocked for even asking the question. Of course, everyone in Mississippi knows about Comeback Sauce. Even if you’ve never heard the name, you probably know it, too. The sauce that’s served by the steak house chain made famous by the onions that bloom, is reminiscent of Comeback Sauce. Chances are you’ve had it on a burger or sandwich at a new age sandwich shop. It’s a versatile sauce that also makes a great salad dressing. The origins are debated, but most attribute the sauce to a Greek immigrant who settled in Mississippi after WWII.
Most recipes agree on the proportions of mayonnaise to ketchup to chili sauce and heavy on the black pepper. After that, the amounts of all the other ingredients are up for grabs.
Del Monte Chili Sauce. Look for it on your condiment aisle. If you can’t find Del Monte, Heinz is a suitable substitute.
Chili Sauce is a condiment that is usually found on the same aisle as ketchup, mayo and mustard. Look for it on the top shelve. The bottle contains 12 ounces. I’ve always preferred Heinz, but, my store was recently out of Heinz and I bought Del Monte which I’ve found is just as good. It’s always nice to have an option. Chili Sauce and chili pepper are not the same.
I formulated this recipe to give it as much shelf life as possible. Since I opted for garlic powder and onion powder over fresh garlic and onion, the sauce will keep in your refrigerator for as long as you would keep mayonnaise and ketchup. But, don’t worry. It will be eaten long before you have to worry about it spoiling.
It’s uses are many. It’s a dip for vegetables and chips, a salad dressing, a sauce for seafood or a sandwich spread. I will be serving mine tonight with Salmon Patties. It is good on EVERYTHING, except Cheerios.
Comeback Sauce
Mix all ingredients well and store in refrigerator overnight. It needs to sit to let the flavors become “acquainted”. They shouldn’t rush into marriage.
yield: one pint
1 cup Duke’s mayonnaise (one of my Favorites)
1/4 cup Heinz ketchup
1/4 cup chili sauce ( I prefer Heinz or DelMonte. DO NOT substitute Thai Chili Sauce)
1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/4 cup light olive oil
juice of one lemon
Mix all ingredients well and store in refrigerator overnight.
Comeback Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup Duke’s mayonnaise one of my Favorites
- 1/4 cup Heinz ketchup
- 1/4 cup chili sauce I prefer Heinz or DelMonte. DO NOT substitute Thai Chili Sauce
- 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
- 1/4 cup light olive oil
- juice of one lemon
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients well and store in refrigerator overnight. It needs to sit to let the flavors become “acquainted”. They shouldn’t rush into marriage.
- Comeback Sauce goes with EVERYTHING.....except Cheerios.
Joan says
I’d never heard of Comeback sauce until I got Chirsty Jordan’s Southern Plate Cookbook a few years ago. I tried it on her Chicken Planks recipe and loved it. Then when I got Martha Hall Foose’s Screen Doors and Sweet Tea I noticed she had a Comeback Sauce recipe in there. Next I saw it in Sara Foster’s Southern Kitchen. Each recipe including yours is a little different. I guess I need to try them all. Right? I agree with you though Dukes mayonnaise is the only way to go. My family would go on strike if I bought anything else.
Jackie Garvin says
Joan,
I love that you’re a cookbook collector! I read cookbooks like novels. I especially love cookbooks that tell stories.
Everybody puts their own spin on Comeback Sauce. The basics are the same, however, authentic Comeback Sauce is more than mayo, ketchup and lots of black pepper.
Thanks for stopping, Joan!
Joann says
There is an on-line site for Dukes Mayo and yes you can order it!!! I think I will do just that since I live in New York State. Says available in PA, but I never heard of any of the stores.
Jackie Garvin says
Joann,
I’ve shared the link before. Thanks for reminding us all that you can still get Duke’s online. I’ve never ordered it myself so I have no idea how good their customer service is. 🙂
mississippigirl says
I have ordered Duke’s from their website and they have very good customer service and it arrived in a timely manner. However, they do not ship it in the throes of summer because of the heat, unless that has changed since last summer. Doesn’t hurt to check, though. 🙂 I love Duke’s and comeback sauce!
Jackie Garvin says
Thanks for the info, Mississippigirl! I do need to order from the Duke’s website just to test it out. I really don’t like referring people to sites or companies that I’ve never used. I appreciate your comments. 🙂
Joann says
http://www.dukesmayo.com/our-products.asp?id=2
Deanna says
I mail-ordered Duke’s mayo (to be shipped to me here in CA) because I heard it doesn’t contain sugar and I heard it was good. It’s great stuff (and worth the bundle I had to pay for the 3-bottle pack)! I also have no-sugar-added ketchup and chili sauce from Trinity Farms (trinityhillfarms.com), so I can’t wait to make a reduced carbohydrate version of this!
Deanna says
That’s Trinity HILL Farms. Now I have to check out much more of your blog! 🙂
Jackie Garvin says
Deanna,
I hope you have a nice stroll! Let me know if you need help finding anything.
Jackie Garvin says
That sounds interesting, Deanna. I’ll have to check out Trinity Hill Farms. Thanks so much for the info. 🙂
JGex says
I’m from Mississippi… lived there for 31 years and never heard of it. I’m gonna have to see if I can adapt this to homemade from scratch with exceptions for the Tabasco and Worchestershire.
Jackie Garvin says
JGex,
That sounds like an interesting project! I’d love to know how it turns out for you.
Heatherh says
This sounds wonderful! Have you eer tried to “can” it? I’d love to make a big batch all at once and put the jars through a boiling water bath to preserve it, so to speak. Wonder how long it would need to boil? Time to do some research.
Jackie Garvin says
Heather,
I’ve never tried processing it for canning. Here’s my go to link for food processing: http://nchfp.uga.edu/
Rachel says
You can’t safely can this.
First, you can’t safely can mayo at home.
Second, a boiling water bath would probably not do it, anyway.
terry says
Does this taste anthing like the “secret sauce” at Mcds? This looks so good I will def be mixing some up thanks.
terry says
Does this taste anything like the “secret sauce” at Mcds? This looks so good I will def be mixing some up thanks.
Jackie Garvin says
Terry,
It’s been so long since I’ve had a Big Mac I can’t remember the sauce exactly. It’s probably similar because think the Big Mac sauce is a similar color. 🙂
k says
I am going to make this too but I think I am going to veganize it! Hoping it will be just as good!!
Jackie Garvin says
Hi k,
Will you modify it by using vegan mayo? I’l love to know how it turns out.
Julia says
This sounds so good, especially after reading all the comments! I live in Australia – and I will try to get the correct ingredients to give it a go…just a quick question though – is Heinz ketchup a tomato ketchup?
Jackie Garvin says
Hi Julia!
Heinz ketchup is a tomato ketchup. I hope you can find similar enough ingredients to make up a batch. Enjoy! 🙂
Julia says
Thanks Jackie…I’m going shopping now! Won’t be able to find Duke’s mayo but think I can get a reasonable alternative for that, along with the other stuff – will let you know how it goes!
Jackie Garvin says
Best of luck, Julia!
martin says
Born and raised in MS and have no idea this ever existed. I don’t live there now (thank god) but will be trying this out, thanks.
Jackie Garvin says
I hope you enjoy it, Martin! 🙂
Tiffany says
I have never heard of this before. It sounds awefully unhealthy. However the way everyone is talking about, I just have to try it anyway. Just ordered some Dukes online, since I live in Maine. Everyone speaks so highly of it, so I have to try that two. I got a regular one for my boyfriend, and a cholesterol free one for me, since it was the lowest, in fat, sodium, calories, and obviously cholesterol. Excited to try both the mayo and this recipe! Thanks!
Jackie Garvin says
Thanks for stopping by, Tiffany!
Fern Slotman says
I just mixed up our 2nd batch as we just finished off the 1st jar using it instead of tartar sauce on pan fried perch. Since I made it a few months back the flavors had “married” to this awesome flavor. I think this second batch seems runnier, but the hubby squeezed the lemon for juice and gets way more out than I can. But, I’ll put it in the fridge and see if it thickens up. I just use Hellmann’s Mayo as Duke’s is not sold here in West Michigan that I know of. We love using this on sandwiches and as I mentioned in place of tartar sauce.
Jackie Garvin says
Fern,
I’m so glad you like Comeback Sauce! I tell people that once you make it, you’ll always keep a jar in your fridge. If it doesn’t seem to thicken up like you want it to, you can add a little more mayo.
Thanks so much for letting me know you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Debbie FitzSimmonds says
When I print the recipe, it prints out pages and pages of comments…I just wasted all that paper on one reicpe. Maybe you could fix that? Other sites give you a screen to print one copy of the recipe, and you don’t wast reams of paper. Thanks.
Jackie Garvin says
Debbie,
At the end of the every post on the left hand side of the page, is a big green button that says “Print Friendly”. If you click on that button, you then have the option of printing exactly what you want to print. You can delete all the narrative and only print the recipe if you’d like. The “Print Friendly” option automatically exclude the comments from being part of the print option.
Dana says
Just curious about the olive oil in the Comeback Sauce…is it really a *necessary* ingredient? Have you ever left it out? I’m not a big fan of olive oil.
Jackie Garvin says
Dana,
Use whatever cooking oil you like. My preference is olive oil but using a different kind won’t effect the end product. Enjoy! 🙂
Sabrina G says
I made this for the first time this weekend and the whole family loves it. My husband just told me that I will be making it alot. He/we are trying it on everything. Thank you so much for sharing!!
Jackie Garvin says
I’m so glad you like it, Sabrina! You will keep a jar in your fridge for evermore! :
Taylor says
This sounds amazing. Im such dipper kind of person aka I prefer my food with some kind of dipping sauce. I want to make this recipe exactly the same with the dukes mayo and all! I live in upstate new York but we have a fabulous grocery store called wegmans that carries just about everything inculding dukes.. Yes! Hopefully I’m making this bad boy tonight. I’ll let you know what I think . I’m 99% sure I’m just going to be adding to all the wonderful lists of comments. Thanks for sharing.
Jackie Garvin says
Taylor,
If you’re a sauce person, you’ll flip over Comeback Sauce. Please let me know what you think after you try it. 🙂
Tiana says
I’ve got some of this in my fridge now, can’t wait to try it tomorrow! Thanks for the awesome recipe.
Jackie Garvin says
Hi Tiana,
I hope you enjoy the Comeback Sauce! 🙂
Tiana says
I loved it! Bothme and my husband were a little aprehensive when I mixed it up, but after I tried it the next day, I’m in love!
Jackie Garvin says
Tiana,
You’re hooked now! 🙂
Traci Reece says
I just found your post and am dying to try this. I am highly allergic to lemon. Is there a substitution that could be made, or could it be left out of the recipe with similar results? Thanks!
Jackie Garvin says
Traci,
I would suggest making up a batch of sauce without lemon juice and tasting it. If you think some acidity would add to flavor, use a little bit of white vinegar. 🙂
lillian says
thanks so much , i sure will try it, not sure if i find dukes here, in southern georgia, but i will look , thanks again, it sounds so good;-)
Jackie Garvin says
Lillian,
You should surely be able to find Duke’s in South Georgia! 🙂