Name: Blooming Onion Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: ½ cup mayonnaise; ½ cup sour cream; 3 Tablespoons ketchup; 2 Tablespoons horseradish sauce; 1 teaspoon granulated garlic; ½ teaspoon kosher salt; ½ teaspoon dried oregano; ½ teaspoon black pepper; ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

By: Jill Mills Posted: Aug 27, 2026

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This copycat Outback Steakhouse Blooming Onion Sauce is creamy, tangy, and spicy, with ingredients like sour cream, mayo, horseradish, and ketchup. It takes just 5 minutes to prepare and makes an irresistible dipper for everything from blooming onions to chicken tenders. It even works on burgers and sandwiches!

A spoon above a jar of blooming onion dipping sauce

If you’ve never had Outback Steakhouse blooming onion sauce, you’re in for a treat. It’s a bit hard to describe the exact flavor, but it’s one of those creamy-tangy-spicy-savory condiments that works as a dipping sauce and a sandwich spread. It has some of the same ingredients as burger sauce but is made with horseradish instead of relish and packs more tangy, acidic heat overall.

It’s absolute must-make if you try my blooming onion recipe. A blooming onion without blooming onion dipping sauce just isn’t the same! And if you don’t feel like making a fried onion, you should still make this because it’s just as good with fries, and it’s our new favorite sauce for air fryer chicken tenders.

The best part is that it’s made with just a handful of ingredients in about 5 minutes and stores well in the fridge. So make some now to enjoy on various things throughout the week!

Why This Blooming Onion Sauce Is So Good

Outback copycat. This blooming onion dipping sauce is exactly what you get at Outback with their bloomin onion appetizer. So if you feel the urge to sneak extra home to dip your fries in later, you’re in luck!
Tangy, spicy, garlicky. It’s hard to explain the exact flavor of this blooming onion sauce because there are so many elements to it. Mayonnaise adds richness, sour cream adds tanginess, the ketchup brings in some sweetness, and the horseradish adds sharp heat. But there’s also granulated garlic, cayenne, and oregano to bring in even more flavor notes.
Ready in 5 minutes. Whipping this up at home is as easy as adding everything to a bowl and whisking. The key is to remember to prepare it in advance, as it’s best when it’s had time to chill for the flavors to meld.

Overhead view of ingredients needed to make blooming onion sauce

Ingredient Notes

This sauce has a pretty short ingredients list, which makes it great for whipping up anytime. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for the exact measurements.

Mayonnaise & sour cream – Mayonnaise adds richness while the sour cream adds tanginess to balance it out, and they both contribute to the creamy base. Greek yogurt also works in place of the sour cream.
Ketchup – Adds some sweetness and tomato flavor to the sauce. I love my homemade ketchup here.
Horseradish – Adds a sharp, spicy bite to the sauce.
Spices – Granulated garlic, salt, dried oregano, black pepper, and cayenne pepper add more flavor to the sauce.

How To Make Blooming Onion Sauce

It takes just five minutes to whip up this dipping sauce. The printable instructions are in the recipe card below.

Mayo, sour cream, ketchup, horseradish, and spices in a bowl

Whisk the ingredients. Add everything to a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth and combined.
Taste test. Give the salt a taste and adjust as needed. Salt, cayenne, and horseradish are typically the things I add more of.
Chill. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Overnight is best.
Enjoy. Stir again, give it another taste if needed, and serve.

A small glass jar of blooming onion sauce in front of onions

Recipe Tips & Variations

There are lots of ways to customize this copycat Outback bloomin onion sauce. Here are some ideas.

Add more flavor. For extra flavor, try adding a teaspoon of smoked paprika, a splash of hot sauce, or a pinch of sugar to balance the tanginess.
Adjust the horseradish. If you prefer a milder flavor, reduce the horseradish to 1 tablespoon. For more heat, add an extra tablespoon. Also, be sure to use prepared horseradish and not fresh horseradish!
Customize the spice level. Adjust the cayenne pepper to control the heat. Add more for a spicier kick or omit it for a milder sauce.
Thin the sauce. If you want a thinner sauce, mix in a tablespoon of milk or water until it reaches your desired consistency.
Make ahead. Blooming onion dipping sauce should be prepared in advance. At the very least, mix it up before you begin prepping to make blooming onions. But I recommend making it even further ahead than that. Preparing the sauce a day in advance enhances the flavor as the ingredients have more time to meld.

A hand dipping an onion petal in a jar of blooming onion dipping sauce

Ways To Use It

The obvious way to use blooming onion dipping sauce is…well, for blooming onions. But there are so many other ways to use it. It’s a fantastic dipper for French fries (I love it on my favorite shoestring fries!), onion rings, and crispy chicken tenders.

It can also be used as a spread on burgers and sandwiches to add some tangy heat. We love it on smash burgers, chicken burgers, and even salmon burgers.

Proper Storage

As I mentioned above, blooming onion sauce is best prepared in advance. It will stay fresh for up to 1 week in the fridge. Just keep it in an airtight container, such as a jar with a tightly fitting lid.

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