Comeback Sauce
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Feb 19, 2025 
Southern Comeback Sauce Recipe – This beloved Southern condiment adds the perfect kick to any dish. With a smooth blend of creamy mayo, tangy ketchup, and a touch of heat, this sauce is a must-have for drizzling on fries, dipping chicken tenders, or spreading on sandwiches.
Why We Love This Comeback Sauce Recipe
Comeback Sauce… The quintessential southern dipping sauce is served with everything from fried oysters to raw veggies.
It’s a poor man’s remoulade, made with just 6 ingredients including mayonnaise, ketchup, hot sauce, and a couple of other well-selected ingredients.
If you are a southerner, have ever lived in the south, or wish you lived in the south, you should know how to make classic Southern Comeback Sauce.
This Mississippi comeback sauce is the dip that dreams are made of. It has the perfect combination of tangy, savory and sweet flavors that will keep you dipping all day long! I can serious dip anything into this sauce, including fries, chicken tenders, shrimp, and more. And don’t get me started on how much my kids love this stuff!
Ingredients You Need
- Mayonnaise – can use low-fat
- Ketchup – adds sweet and tangy flavor
- Honey – adds natural sweetness
- Hot sauce – I like Sriracha, Frank’s RedHot, and Cholula or Tabasco for something simple
- Cajun seasoning – or make your own with paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper, and salt and black pepper
- Worcestershire sauce – adds savory, umami flavor
How To Make Comeback Sauce Recipe
- In a small bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together until smooth.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Get the Complete (Printable) Comeback Sauce Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
- Not a fan of spice? You can omit the hot sauce, but also go easy on the Cajun seasoning since it usually has cayenne pepper in it!
- The base of this sauce is mayonnaise, however, you can substitute plain Greek yogurt for a healthier sauce! It will be tangier, though!
- Or, make your own homemade mayo instead of using store bought!
Serving Suggestions
So what else can you use Southern Comeback Sauce on? Well… Everything!
Southern Comeback Sauce is perky, creamy, and great for dunking. It’s a fabulous compliment to just about anything!
- Baked Sweet Potato Chips
- Crispy Hash Browns
- Roasted Broccoli
- Tavern Style Fried Chicken
- Burgers and sandwiches
- French Fries of any variety
- Fish
- Hushpuppies
- Buffalo wings
- On Salads as a salad dressing
- Stirred into soup for thickness
- On all fried foods!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can store this tangy comeback sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
If honey is not a great option for you, consider using agave, stevia, or plain granulated sugar for this fry sauce.
You can use any kind of hot sauce you like! Sriracha, Frank’s RedHot, and Cholula are three I always have on hand. Or you can go with something a tad more simple like Tabasco.
Word on the street is that it comes from a Greek restaurant in Mississippi, where they would use it on salad and saltines. The name came from the common goodbye greeting they use in the south. “Y’all Comeback Now!”
Looking for More Sauce Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:
- Cocktail Sauce
- Tzatziki Sauce
- Ranchero Sauce
- Yum Yum Sauce
- Remoulade Sauce
- Whipped Honey Butter
- Creamy Chimichurri Sauce
- Poblano Sauce
Get the Complete (Printable) Comeback Sauce Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Comeback Sauce Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise (could be low fat)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together until smooth.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to serve.
This looks great. Making up a batch for fried catfish patties for our Kentucky Derby Party today. Will probably use 3/4 tbl of honey and 3/4 tbl of sweet chili sauce in mine. I’m always looking to add sweet chili sauce whenever I can. If you ever decide to add a 4th hot sauce to your stash, I highly recommend Crystal’s. I already have the 3 you mentioned in the house. Great minds…………………..
It was delicious!! I used it for Sweet Potato Fries ? ? ?
This was phenomenal on fried green tomatoes!!
I am allergic to honey, is there something that can be used as a substitute?
Hi Sydelle!
Try agave, stevia, or plain sugar. :)
Delicious plain and simple DELICIOUS!!!
What kind of hot sauce. There are so many variations and all taste different
Hi Susan,
In the post I mentioned personalizing the Comeback Sauce with your favorite type of hot sauce. Really, you can use any kind of hot sauce you like! Sriracha, Frank’s RedHot, and Cholula are three I always have on hand. Or you can go with something a tad more simple like Tabasco. Happy Cooking!
First of all, love the name! I’ve never heard of Comeback Sauce but sounds like the perfect burger sauce to me.
I need this sauce on everything!
Sauce makes everything better. This one looks super good.
Next level sauce! Love your list of ideas for everything it can go on!
I think my boys would dip just about anything in this sauce!
This would be great on Blackeyed Pea Cakes and a number of things. Thank you for sharing!
I LOVE Comeback Sauce but I can’t believe I’ve never made it myself! I’m SO excited to try it!