Classic Southern Condiment Recipes Everyone Should Love as Much as We Do

By Southern Living
November 08, 2018
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox
We Southerners know our condiments. We also know that few meals can be considered complete without the addition of a favorite dressing or two. That’s why we’ve not only mastered the art of selecting choice condiments, mixing them ourselves, and dressing our dishes, but we’ve also passed that art on to other generations. From the sweet to the savory, these classic spreads and sauces elevate even the blandest of mains and sides.For this list we’ve rounded up our favorites—the time-tested condiment recipes we turn to again and again to help add flavor to the dinner table. They’re easy enough to re-create at home in your kitchen, and they’ll quickly become reliable staples in your pantry or refrigerator. Included here are apple butter, relish and chutney; barbecue sauce, mayo, and honey mustard; and comeback sauce, dressing, and pepper jelly. There’s a condiment here for every occasion, from afternoon teas to tailgate parties and every event in between.
Start Slideshow

1 of 31

Apple Butter

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Have you heard? It’s Time To Make Apple Butter (And Put It On Everything). This sweet spread is a classic; just add biscuits.

Get the recipe: Easy Apple Butter

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 31

3 Sauces from Pantry Condiments

Get the recipes:

Alabama White BBQ Sauce

Creamy Honey Mustard

Comeback Sauce

3 of 31

Barbecue Sauce

Hector Manuel Sanchez

Slather this sauce on anything that comes off your grill during the summer—your meats will thank you.

Get the recipe: Sweet-and-Spicy Barbecue Sauce

Watch the video: How to Make Barbecue Sauce

Advertisement

4 of 31

Buffalo Sauce

Southern Living

This sauce has the perfect heat quotient for both chicken wings and crisp celery stalks—do you drizzle or dip?

Get the recipe: Spicy Buffalo Sauce

Watch the video: How to Make Spicy Buffalo Sauce

5 of 31

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Photo: Alison Miksch

When in doubt, put ranch on it. A pour of our Herbed Buttermilk Ranch Dressing is better than any bottle you’ll find at the grocery store.

Get the recipe: Herbed Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

6 of 31

Caramel Apple Dip

Jennifer Davick

No autumn season is complete without a taste of caramel apple. When the craving strikes, whip up a batch of this Southern-favorite recipe.

Get the recipe: Caramel Apple Dip

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 31

Chocolate Gravy

Southern Living

It’s a rite of Southern passage.

Get the recipe: Chocolate Gravy

Watch the video: How to Make Chocolate Gravy

8 of 31

Chutney

Victor Protasio

Chutney is the fruity, spiced recipe that’s always ready to celebrate the holidays.

Get the recipe: Spiced Plum Chutney

Watch the video: How to Make Cranberry-Pecan Chutney

9 of 31

Comeback Sauce

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Double batches, always.

Get the recipe: Comeback Sauce

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 31

Ranch

Southern Living

Are you Team Ranch? You definitely are if you think most dishes could be improved with a dollop of ranch dressing.

Get the recipe: Cool Ranch Sauce

Watch the video: How to Make Cool Ranch Sauce

11 of 31

Cucumber-Basil Dressing

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Stylist: Buffy Hargett

Drizzle it over a salad or dunk veggies—this dressing does it all.

Get the recipe: Cucumber-Basil Dressing

12 of 31

Fiery Sweet Dipping Sauce

Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

This craveable sauce will have everyone dipping by dinnertime.

Get the recipe: Fiery Sweet Dipping Sauce

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 31

Fig Jam

Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele

This jam is easy as can be, and as a bonus, it will impress all your guests.

Get the recipe: Fig and Lemon Refrigerator Jam

14 of 31

Green Goddess Dressing

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Katelyn Hardwick

Legend has it this dressing originated in San Francisco in the 1920s. We’re fans of its bold flavors and bright-as-springtime hue.

Get the recipe: Green Goddess Dressing

Watch the video: How to Make Green Goddess Dressing

15 of 31

Honey Mustard

Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

We’ve never met a meat that can't be improved by a dunk into a ramekin full of honey mustard.

Get the recipe: Creamy Honey Mustard

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 31

Hummus

Photo: Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Some of our absolute favorite recipes take dippable, spreadable hummus and add something new, like sweet potatos or boiled peanuts, to make something different, fresh, and delicious.

Get the recipe: Sweet Potato Hummus

Watch the video: How to Make Boiled Peanut Hummus

17 of 31

Mayo

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

We love mayonnaise so much, we learned how to make it ourselves.

Get the recipe: Classic Homemade Mayonnaise

Watch the video: How to Make Homemade Mayonnaise

18 of 31

Meatloaf Sauce

Southern Living

This sauce will easily elevate your classic Monday night meatloaf.

Get the recipe: Meatloaf Sauce

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 31

Mustard-Cream Sauce

Photo: Alison Miksch

Just fancy and flavorful enough for date night.

Get the recipe: Mustard-Cream Sauce

Watch the video: Spice-Rubbed Tenderloin with Mustard-Cream Sauce

20 of 31

Pecan-Praline Dip

Alison Miksch

This is the decadent dip that’ll meet all your sweet condiment needs.

Get the recipe: Pecan-Praline Dip

21 of 31

Pepper Jelly

Hector Manuel Sanchez

When it comes to pepper jelly, we’ve seen it all: Red, green, purple, pineapple, whiskey, blueberry—they’re all good.

Get the recipe: Red Pepper Jelly

Watch the video: Why Southerners Love Pepper Jelly

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

22 of 31

Rémoulade

Caitlin Bensel

This recipe is fast—and fantastic. It’ll prompt po’boy cravings all season long.

Get the recipe: Quick Rémoulade Sauce

Watch the video: How to Make Kicked-Up Cajun Remoulade

23 of 31

Roundhouse Kick Sauce

Alison Miksch

Ready for a kick of flavor? Try this sauce.

Get the recipe: Roundhouse Kick Sauce

Watch the video: How to Make Fried Pickle Chips with Roundhouse Kick Sauce

24 of 31

Salsa

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Never skimp on the salsa—especially not our Cast-Iron Salsa or our Cranberry-Jalapeño Salsa Dip, both of which are the stuff of holiday legend.

Get the recipe: Cranberry-Jalapeño Salsa Dip

Watch the video: How to Make Cast-Iron Salsa

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

25 of 31

Sausage Gravy

Southern Living

Open-faced biscuits are just begging for a pour of savory Southern sausage gravy, don’t you think?

Get the recipe: Sausage Gravy

Watch the video: How to Make Sausage Gravy

26 of 31

Sweet Pepper-Peanut Sauce

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez

This delicious Asian-inspired sauce starts with pepper relish and chopped cocktail peanuts.

Get the recipe: Sweet Pepper-Peanut Sauce

27 of 31

Tomato Gravy

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez

If you know, you know: Tomato gravy is one of the South’s best kept secrets.

Get the recipe: Tomato Gravy

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

28 of 31

Tomato Jam

Hector Sanchez

This old-fashioned recipe mixes up a savory jam for biscuits, toasts, and any other preparation you can dream up.

Get the recipe: Tomato Jam

29 of 31

Turkey Gravy

Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Everyone needs an heirloom gravy recipe. This one might be destined to be yours.

Get the recipe: Ultimate Make-Ahead Gravy

Watch the video: Learn How to Make the Ultimate Make-Ahead Gravy

30 of 31

Vinaigrette

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Let your lettuce live a little with a vinaigrette that’ll make you crave salad every night of the week.

Get the recipe: Lemon-Shallot Vinaigrette

Watch the video: How to Make a Vinaigrette

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

31 of 31

White Barbecue Sauce