5 Ingredients or Fewer

Magical Three-Ingredient Dressing

by:
February 27, 2019
21 Ratings
Magical Three-Ingredient Dressing
Photo by Rocky Luten
Author Notes

Mayonnaise-haters, look away. This magical dressing—which leans entirely on the creamy, tanginess of mayo and the spicy, garlicky Huy Fong sauce I eat by the jarful—is my secret weapon for any quick salad, grain bowl, seared protein, or sautéed green in need of some zhooshing up. It asks pretty much nothing of you, and gives you everything in return. —Ella Quittner

  • Prep time 1 minute
  • Makes About 1/3 cup dressing
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons Huy Fong Chili Garlic sauce (or similar)
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise (I use Sir Kensington’s or Duke’s or Hellman’s)
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 large pinch salt, plus more to taste
In This Recipe
Directions
  1. Whisk together all ingredients. Taste, and add more salt as needed. Thin with water if desired, or leave as is for a creamier dressing.
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  • John Christopher Nelson
    John Christopher Nelson
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    LASGarcia
  • lisa goldberg
    lisa goldberg
  • Regine
    Regine
  • Wayne Smith
    Wayne Smith
Ella Quittner

Recipe by: Ella Quittner

Ella Quittner is a contributing writer and the Absolute Best Tests columnist at Food52. She covers food, travel, wellness, lifestyle, home, novelty snacks, and internet-famous sandwiches. You can follow her on Instagram @equittner, or Twitter at @ellaquittner. She also develops recipes for Food52, and has a soft spot for all pasta, anything spicy, and salty chocolate things.

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17 Reviews

Jill F.
Jill F. April 16, 2019
Made this tonight on a quinoa bowl. It was delicious. Will use it again!!
 
John C.
John C. April 16, 2019
I’ve tried the dressing and it’s great. I’m curious if the dish that it’s used on in the photo above is also a food52 recipe? That looks awesome as well.
 
LASGarcia
LASGarcia March 7, 2019
I make a similar version with Kewpie Mayo, Sambal and Yuzu Ponzu... I vary the amounts depending on what I am using it for. More Ponzu for dumplings, more mayo for spreading.
 
Author Comment
Ella Q.
Ella Q. March 7, 2019
Sounds delicious, I love Kewpie Mayo!
 
lisa G.
lisa G. March 6, 2019
This sauce packs some heat! Used it on home made french fries, flank steak and even scrambled eggs. It instantly became a favorite :)
 
Author Comment
Ella Q.
Ella Q. March 6, 2019
So glad it's a favorite! :)
 
Hilary
Hilary March 4, 2019
Delicious sauce! It's true it is a bit spicy (I don't mind but my husband found it a bit too much). Increasing the mayo ratio is a quick fix! I can see this as a spread in sandwiches, too!
 
Author Comment
Ella Q.
Ella Q. March 6, 2019
Yum, I'm all for that!
 
Regine
Regine March 3, 2019
I made this sauce but it is too hot for me. However, if you like it hot, it is delicious.
 
Laura
Laura March 3, 2019
Yummy! Similar to my go-to of mayo mixed with kimchi juice... love it on pita with scrambled eggs and greens
 
Author Comment
Ella Q.
Ella Q. March 6, 2019
Wow, need to try ASAP.
 
bebere99
bebere99 February 28, 2019
That combo of mayo / acid / chili garlic sauce is a staple here. We top omelets with it, use it as salad dressing, burger condiment, etc, etc. Sometimes we don't even mix the main ingredients! Haven't yet tried this on ice cream, but … well … it has possibilities.
 
Author Comment
Ella Q.
Ella Q. February 28, 2019
Endless possibilities :)
 
Wayne S.
Wayne S. February 28, 2019
Tastes great although it has 4 ingredients not 3. lol
 
Eric K.
Eric K. March 1, 2019
Hi Wayne, thanks for trying it!

Also, with our "#-ingredient" recipes, we don't count salt, pepper, water, and cooking fats, i.e. pantry items we're guessing you have covered. Hope that helps.
 
Corj
Corj February 28, 2019
I just bet it would make a great marinade / basting sauce for cooking (tofu, shrimp, chicken).
 
Author Comment
Ella Q.
Ella Q. February 28, 2019
Totally! Sometimes I also use just the chili garlic sauce + vinegar or lemon juice + salt as a marinade for chicken thighs.