This honey dill mustard sauce is a super simple, herby, rich, delicious sauce to pair with gravlax or other types of seafood, meat, veggies, rice etc.
No cooking involved, comes together in minutes, with lots of options for different flavor variations and additions!
- Why this recipe works
- Ingredients
- How to make honey dill mustard sauce
- My best recipe tips
- Recipe variations
- Serving suggestions
- Recipe FAQs
This creamy dill mustard sauce is PERFECT to pair with gravlax . You might even think this sauce has similar Nordic / Scandinavian origins as gravlax… and you’d be 100% correct!
This creamy mustard and dill sauce is known as hovmästarsås or gravlaxsås . Traditionally, you make it by combining oil, vinegar, and mustard.
But this has now evolved into a more flavorful mustard sauce made with oil, vinegar, mustard, dill, sugar, and seasoning . It’s so easy, and it’s honestly one of my favorite sauces and condiments .
Why this recipe works
- Super simple to make with simple ingredients, and you can’t go wrong with the classic flavor combination!
- The melted butter gives this sauce additional creaminess, and the mouthfeel of a hollandaise sauce as well.
- While it pairs SO well with salmon gravlax, this sauce is excellent with other seafood, chicken, veggies, rice etc. It’s versatile!
- I share tips on how to really enhance the flavor of this sauce as well!
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Dijon mustard
- Whole grain mustard – optional (replace with dijon mustard if you like)
- White wine vinegar
- Dill
- Honey – can be replaced with regular sugar
- Salt
- Butter – optional (leave out if you don’t want to use butter)
- Chives – optional
Adding two types of mustard gives more flavor and depth to the sauce. But if you don’t have both, you can just use dijon mustard.
In addition to the olive oil, you can also add some melted butter . The melted butter adds a subtle creaminess and additional richness to the sauce. But this is an optional substitution and can be left out.
Chives are not really traditional in this sauce. But the garlic-scallion flavor from chives is a lovely herby addition to this sauce.
You could add some minced garlic instead, but the flavor of chives is more delicate. Again, you can leave this out if you want to keep this traditional, but I really love that flavor!
How to make honey dill mustard sauce
Step 1 – Chop and prepare the herbs
Wash and dry the dill (and chives, if using). Then finely chop the herbs and set aside.
I use about 1/4 cup of loosely packed chopped dill, but you can add more or less. Since dill and mustard are the main flavors, I like to be generous with the dill.
Step 2 – Melt the butter
Melt the butter in the microwave in a large microwave-safe bowl (image 1) .
Step 3 – Add the rest of the ingredients
Add the olive oil to the butter along with the honey and vinegar. Add the dijon mustard and whole grain mustard (if using) (image 2) . The mustard will also help to emulsify the mixture.
Whisk the ingredients together really well until you have an emulsified mixture that looks creamy (image 3) .
Step 4 – Adjust the flavor
Taste and salt the sauce base to season. You can also add extra vinegar, honey, or even mustard to get the flavor profile you prefer.
I like my mustard dill sauce a little sweeter, so I tend to add a little extra honey.
If the the mustard sauce is too thick, add some water to thin it out to the right consistency.
Step 5 – Add the herbs
Once you have a sauce with the preferred balance of flavor, add the herbs (image 4) .
Add the chopped dill and chives and whisk to combine (image 5) .
The honey mustard dill sauce is now ready to be served in a small bowl or jar (image 6) .
My best recipe tips
- Use ingredients that you enjoy the flavor of. There’s no cooking involved here, so the fresh flavor of the ingredients you use govern the flavor the final sauce.
- Using two types of mustard is not a requirement, but it’s a great way to add more texture and flavor to the dill mustard sauce recipe.
- White wine vinegar has a milder flavor, so it won’t overpower the flavor of mustard and dill.
- Don’t be afraid to adjust the flavor to your taste! Add more vinegar for increased acidity More honey or sugar to make it sweeter Add more mustard to increase the mustard flavor and heat
- Butter is also optional, but adds just a touch of creaminess that makes the sauce taste richer.
Recipe variations
This recipe for honey mustard dill sauce doesn’t stray too far from the classic. But you can keep the same classic flavors, and make variations of this sauce as well. It’s a great condiment to have.
- Maple mustard dill sauce – Instead of honey or sugar, use maple syrup to sweeten the sauce.
- Adding other herbs – I make this recipe with dill and chives. You can also use cilantro, which will complement my dill cilantro salmon gravlax very well.
- Spicy mustard dill sauce – Adding crushed chili, cayenne pepper, or fresh chopped chili will give you a spicy variation of this sauce.
- Other spices that you can add – You can absolutely add other spices such as fennel, caraway, cumin etc. Make sure the spices complement what you’ll be serving with the sauce as well.
- Asian inspired dill mustard sauce – Instead of white wine vinegar, use rice vinegar and / or lime juice. Instead of salt to season it, use soy sauce or fish sauce. Add finely chopped cilantro and spring onions as well. Will be great paired with this Vietnamese lemongrass chicken rice bowl .
Serving suggestions
- I made honey dill mustard sauce to pair with my salmon gravlax recipe .
- Serve this sauce with any salmon dish – like grilled or pan fried salmon , or this slow roasted salmon . Or as a dipping sauce with smoked salmon dip as part of an appetizer board.
- This pairs so well with any type of seafood, including oysters. In fact, I made this along with mignonette sauce to serve with some freshly shucked oysters recently.
- Drizzle this sauce over roasted or baked potatoes or other roasted vegetables like these roasted brussels sprouts or roasted delicata squash .
- You can even drizzle it over cooked rice or quinoa – like this quinoa tofu salad . You can use my guide on how to cook fluffy quinoa for delicious results!
- This is great with sandwiches too! A ham and egg sandwich or a shrimp katsu sandwich (ebi katsu) or a smoked salmon bagel would be amazing when paired with this honey dill mustard sauce.
How best to store this dill mustard sauce?
I store this sauce in the fridge in an airtight jar. It will last in the fridge for up to 5 days . Make sure to re-whisk the sauce as it will thicken in the fridge.
Can I freeze it?
Yes, you can! But the sauce will separate when it thaws out. So you may need to use a stick blender to emulsify it again.
Can I make this with dried herbs?
I recommend using fresh herbs, as they will have the best flavor. However, if you only have dried herbs at home, you can absolutely use them.
Recipe
Dill Mustard Sauce With Honey
Ingredients
- 3 - 4 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 2 tbsp chopped chives optional
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1.5 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp whole grain mustard replace with an equal amount of dijon mustard if you only want to use one type of mustard
- 2 tbsp honey use 1 tbsp if you prefer a less sweet sauce
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash and dry the dill and chives and then finely chop the herbs. Set aside. 3 - 4 tbsp chopped fresh dill, 2 tbsp chopped chives
- Melt the butter in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl. Place the melted butter in a bowl that’s large enough to whisk the sauce in. 2 tbsp melted butter
- To the butter, add the olive oil, honey, mustard (both dijon and whole grain), and vinegar. ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp white wine vinegar, 1.5 tbsp dijon mustard, 1 tbsp whole grain mustard, 2 tbsp honey
- Vigorously whisk the mixture until you have a creamy emulsified sauce.
- Taste and add salt to your preference if needed. You can also add honey or vinegar to balance the flavor to your taste. Salt
- Once the mustard sauce is seasoned and adjusted to your liking, add the chopped herbs and whisk to combine. 3 - 4 tbsp chopped fresh dill, 2 tbsp chopped chives
- Pour the sauce into a bowl and serve alongside gravlax or other seafood dishes or meat dishes or roasted veggies etc.
Nutrition
Recipe from The Flavor Bender by Dini Kodippili
Dill Mustard Sauce With Honey https://www.theflavorbender.com/honey-dill-mustard-sauce/
