🥑 Dairy-Free Burger Sauce
Most classic burger sauces are already dairy-free, but this one is built to be certain: a creamy, tangy special sauce on a plant-based mayo base, with clear notes on keeping it egg-free too. It tastes like the burger sauce you know, with none of the dairy.
🧾 Dairy-Free Burger Sauce — Recipe Card
From I Love Hamburger — ilovehamburger.com
Ingredients
- 0.5 cup dairy-free mayonnaise (115 g)
- 2¾ tbsp ketchup (30 ml)
- 1¾ tbsp dill or sweet pickle relish (15 g)
- 1¾ tsp yellow mustard (5 ml)
- 1¾ tsp white wine vinegar (5 ml)
- 0.5 tsp smoked paprika (1 g)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Whisk the dairy-free mayonnaise, ketchup, and relish together until smooth.
- Stir in the mustard, vinegar, and smoked paprika.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper; add a little more ketchup for sweetness or vinegar for tang.
- Chill at least 15 minutes before serving.
🫙 Storage
Airtight in the fridge for up to 1 week (go by the date on your mayo). Do not freeze — mayo-based sauces separate when thawed.
🔁 Substitutions
- For an egg-free and vegan sauce, use a vegan mayo (most are egg-free — check the label) and confirm your other condiments are vegan.
- No relish? Finely chop 1 tbsp of pickles and add a pinch of sugar.
🍔 What to put it on
Pair it with crisp lettuce, tomato, raw onion, and pickles. It especially shines on these burgers:
Burger HQ Picks Handy for sauce-making
Heavy-Duty Stainless Smash Burger Press
A flat, weighty press is the difference between a real lacy-edged smash burger and a sad steamed puck. Round, broad face for full patty contact.
Check price →Instant-Read Digital Meat Thermometer
Pulls a reading in 2–3 seconds so you can hit 160°F on ground beef every time without cutting into the patty and losing juices.
Check price →Pre-Seasoned 12" Cast Iron Skillet
Holds screaming-hot heat for the deep, even crust that makes a steakhouse-style burger. Lasts a lifetime.
Check price →Outdoor Gas Flat-Top Griddle
A big flat top cooks a dozen smash burgers at once with room for onions and buns. The backbone of burger night for a crowd.
Check price →Thin Flexible Stainless Turner (Smash Spatula)
A stiff, thin, bevelled edge slides under the crust and scrapes up every bit of the browned fond instead of tearing the patty.
Check price →Steakhouse Burger Seasoning Blend
For nights you do not want to measure. Salt-forward with garlic, onion, and pepper — exactly what a burger wants.
Check price →Stainless Grill Accessory Kit
Long tongs, a wide spatula, and a basting brush so you are not fighting your own tools over a hot grill.
Check price →As an affiliate site, I Love Hamburger may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. This does not affect our recommendations.
Frequently asked questions
Isn't regular burger sauce already dairy-free?
Usually, yes — classic burger sauce is mayo, ketchup, mustard, and relish, none of which contain dairy. This recipe simply spells that out and builds on a plant-based mayo so you can be sure, which matters if you also want it egg-free or vegan.
How do I make it egg-free?
Standard mayonnaise contains egg, so choose a vegan mayonnaise, which is egg-free. Check the label on your ketchup, mustard, and relish too, though those are typically egg-free. See our classic burger sauce for the traditional version.