History
Don Carlos Edwards, founder of the Arctic Circle burger chain, invented fry sauce in 1948 at his Salt Lake counter when a customer asked for mayonnaise mixed into the ketchup. Within a decade the condiment spread across Utah; by the 1980s every Wasatch-front burger counter, drive-through and even McDonald's franchises in Utah served it. The 50/50 mayo-and-ketchup ratio is the canonical form, though commercial brands add pickle relish, paprika or buttermilk.
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Common allergens: Egg
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 120g mayonnaise (real, not light)
- 120g ketchup
- 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (optional)
- Pinch of paprika
- Pinch of salt
Method
- Whisk mayonnaise and ketchup together in a small bowl until the color is a uniform pinkish orange.
- Stir in the optional sweet pickle relish and Worcestershire sauce.
- Season with paprika and salt to taste.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes for the flavors to meld.
- Serve cold alongside hot French fries, onion rings, or as a burger spread.
Tip from the editors. Real mayonnaise (not low-fat) and a sweet ketchup is the canonical Salt Lake ratio; resist adding hot sauce or mustard, which moves the sauce outside the Utah idiom.
Where to eat fry sauce
Fry sauce in Salt Lake City
Crown Burgers ★ 4.5
Crown Burgers on East 200 South runs until 22:00 Monday through Saturday, anchoring late-night counter service for the pastrami-burger crowd downtown.
TryPastrami burger and gyros at the late-night counter
Apollo Burger ★ 4.0
Apollo Burger on Redwood Road, the local Utah burger chain since the 1980s, runs charbroiled pastrami burgers and Greek-American sides for under $11.
TryPastrami burger and souvlaki combo
Pretty Bird Hot Chicken ★ 4.5
Pretty Bird on Regent Street, chef Viet Pham's Nashville-style fast-casual since 2018, runs a hot chicken sandwich combo for $9 to $14 at the order counter.
TryHot chicken sandwich combo
More cities are in research. Want fry sauce covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.