Russian dressing

American  

noun

1. a sharp mayonnaise dressing containing chopped pickles, chili sauce or ketchup, pimientos, etc.

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Russian dressing British  

noun

1. mayonnaise or vinaigrette with chilli sauce, chopped gherkins, etc

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Etymology

Origin of Russian dressing

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

It comes with rye bread, sliced Emmental cheese, coleslaw, Russian dressing and Raye’s Cranberry Mustard.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 15, 2025

I use mayo as a base for many sauces: spicy mayo, curry mayo, maple mayo, Russian dressing, lemon tarragon brown butter mayo, and more.

From Salon • May 28, 2024

As for sandwiches, the reuben hits pleasure points with tangy sauerkraut, sweet Russian dressing and half a pound of thinly shaved corned beef.

From Washington Post • Jun. 20, 2022

It was the Russian dressing that’s basically mayonnaise, ketchup, and relish mixed together.

From Slate • Jul. 23, 2020

Russian dressing is seldom reliable; not only is there an unpleasant odour, but in damp weather the pelts often become clammy, which is due to the saline matter in the dressing mixture.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 3 "Frost" to "Fyzabad" by Various