I Put Mississippi Comeback Sauce On Everything

Having lived most of my adult life as a city girl in Los Angeles and New York, it’s a wonder that comeback sauce, the unofficial condiment of Mississippi, can always be found in my refrigerator.

I fell in love with this Southern staple over a decade ago when my sister married a Mississippi native and they settled in a small town outside Jackson to raise their family. I had never heard of this mysterious dressing-meets-dipping-sauce until I started visiting the state. From the first taste, I never looked back. Comeback sauce is thick and tangy with a hint of sweetness that livens up anything it touches. 

Ways To Use Comeback Sauce

Comeback sauce is so much more than a salad dressing. Of course, it will instantly upgrade any salad, but it can also be used as a spread, a dip, or as a flavorful ingredient swap in some of your favorite dishes.

I like to use comeback sauce to jazz up pasta salad or potato salad. It can also be used in place of mayonnaise when making the filling for deviled eggs. Give it a try as a sandwich spread or slather it on warm, toasted buns the next time you grill hamburgers.

My favorite way to use comeback sauce is for dipping. It is excellent with onion rings or french fries, but you haven’t lived until you dip fried pickles into comeback sauce. 

Key Ingredients

At first glance, a batch of comeback sauce might simply look like thousand island dressing with a Southern accent. However, this versatile condiment is so much more.

The brand of chili sauce has a strong influence on the final outcome of the recipe, so I always reach for Homade Chili Sauce on store shelves. It has a distinctive sweet and tangy flavor that is superior to other brands. The jar is easy to spot because it is in a unique bottle with an intentionally skewed label to give off a truly homemade feel.

The recipe also calls for using a neutral oil. Safflower or canola oil are options, but for a truly Southern twist, use peanut oil. 

Checking the Consistency

The consistency of this sauce can be dictated by personal preference or based on how you want to use it. I like to err on the thicker side when I use it as a dip or sandwich spread. When I know it will be a salad dressing, I thin it a bit to a drizzling consistency. I also find the Homade brand chili sauce results in a thicker sauce whereas other brands are already thinner to begin with.

More Mississippi Recipes

• Mississippi Chicken
• Mississippi Mud Pie
• Mississippi Mud Cake