The Tangy Ingredient That Gives Store-Bought Ketchup A Creamy Upgrade

Ketchup was the french fry's best friend until a new condiment — what some consider "Ketchup 2.0" — stepped into the picture: a humble dip known as fry sauce. This half-and-half combo of ketchup and mayonnaise has captured hearts in Utah and Idaho for decades, and plenty of other places have embraced the dip's tangy, creamy flavors. Fry sauce is famous these days, breaking out of family cookbooks and homestyle restaurants and parading onto grocery store shelves in branded bottles. Heinz makes Mayochup, Goya makes Mayo-Ketchup, and if you're in the market for 250 individual packets of the stuff, you can even get Pikalo-brand mayo ketchup on Amazon.

While each brand has a unique recipe, sometimes fry sauce is just better homemade — and we recommend adding some sour cream to the mix for a tangy surprise. More specifically, you'll want to swap out the mayo in traditional fry sauce with sour cream to create a dip that's lighter than the mayo version but still creamy and smooth (it has lower sodium, too). Add some minced white onion and Worcestershire sauce to create a bit more flavor and round out the taste of this new condiment that you can use on anything from burgers to fries to chicken. You can even try using it as a creamy salad dressing.

Sour cream adds a bright zest to homemade fry sauce, especially when you combine it half-and-half with ketchup. This dip is great on its own, adding a pop of flavor and intrigue to your backyard barbecue. We love combining traditional Heinz ketchup or a low-carb, low-sugar, keto-friendly option like Yo Mamma's ketchup with any brand of sour cream. You could even spring for some Only Plant Based vegan sour cream if you want to make a non-dairy fry sauce.

Other store-bought condiments to combine with ketchup and sour cream could be horseradish or sriracha sauce for some heat, or pickle relish for more zest. If you want to add a punch of flavor to store-bought ketchup, try adding sour cream plus roasted garlic, pesto, or balsamic vinegar. Finish with fresh chives to add a crunchy texture and sprinkle of green to the dip. Seasonings like garlic powder, salt, pepper, paprika, or allspice add more depth of flavor and complex tasting notes to the sauce. If you want to save your homemade fry sauce for later, keep it in a sealed container and store it in the fridge for up to a week.