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This easy 10-minute recipe for homemade tartar sauce is rich, creamy, and perfectly tangy with pickles, fresh herbs, garlic, lemon zest, and a few savory seasonings. Its uses go beyond fried fish; try it on a burger or cold cut sandwich to kick things up!
I love a good dipping sauce, and tartar sauce is no exception. It’s the perfect foil for a crunchy beer battered fish fry, crispy onion rings, or breaded baked fish fillets.
There’s a local London style pub where I live; missing a good fish fry, I recently got one there. Their fish was incredible (it was surprisingly just as good as my favorite fish fry in Buffalo, my hometown), and what really took it over the top was their house-made tartar sauce. Dare I say, it was better than the tartar sauce I was used to back home! Capers and fresh lemon zest were the surprise ingredients (to me). I reverse engineered it and I think I got pretty close.
Store-bought sauce will be a thing of the past after you try this. It’s packed with way more flavor, completely customizable, and quick and easy to make in 10 minutes. Fresh garlic, fresh dill, and fresh lemon zest are my not-so-secret “secret ingredients” that take this over the top!
What is Tartar Sauce?
Tartar sauce is a creamy, savory, tangy mayo-based condiment that’s frequently served as a dipping sauce for fried fish or other seafood.
Tartar Sauce Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Mayo – Mayo is the rich, creamy base for this sauce.
- Minced dill pickle – Instead of relish, I like to mince dill pickle, but relish (sweet or dill) will also work. If you use sweet relish, you can swap out the dill pickle juice for lemon juice.
- Dill pickle juice – Instead of adding vinegar, here we add brine from the jar of dill pickles. Combined with fresh lemon juice, it adds just the right amount of tanginess to this creamy sauce. Instead of dill pickle juice, you can use more fresh lemon juice or half white vinegar + half water.
- Fresh lemon juice and zest – In this recipe we use both fresh lemon juice and zest for tangy, citrusy flavor notes.
- Fresh dill – Dill is a classic ingredient and a lovely addition to tartar sauce, adding a fresh, bright flavor. To me, it’s one of the key ingredients that creates the signature flavor profile! However, if dill isn’t your thing, you can substitute with fresh parsley instead. And if you don’t have fresh dill on hand, you can use 1 teaspoon of dried dill weed.
- Capers – Capers add little bursts of salty, tangy flavor. Don’t worry if you don’t have them on hand, they’re optional here.
- Garlic – Using fresh garlic instead of garlic powder makes all the difference here.
- Worcestershire sauce – This savory fermented condiment packs a punch of umami into this creamy sauce.
- Dijon mustard – For a sharp background note that cuts through the mayo’s richness.
- Hot sauce – This is optional; the amount that this recipe calls for won’t make this spicy-hot, it just adds depth. And of course, feel free to add more or less to taste.
- Sugar – Just a little bit of sugar helps create a balanced flavor profile.
- Salt and black pepper – These pantry-staple spices make sure this isn’t bland.
Step-by-Step Instructions: How to Make Tartar Sauce at Home
- Add all ingredients to a medium bowl.
- Stir well; taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Tips For the Best Homemade Easy Tartar Sauce
- Try the basic version. For a no-frills tartar sauce, combine 1 cup mayo, 3 tablespoons relish (sweet or dill), and 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Instead of minced dill pickle, you can use sweet or dill relish. If you do, instead of dill pickle juice, you can use more fresh lemon juice or half white vinegar + half water.
- Don’t stress it if you don’t have capers, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, or hot sauce. These ingredients create a balanced, complex flavor profile, but they’re aren’t crucial to the recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
The origin of this sauce is up for debate. However, its name comes from a raw meat dish called “steak tartare” that was popular in 19th century France that was served with sauce à la tartare. Whether French cuisine is birthplace of this sauce is unclear; it’s theorized that this sauce may stem from ancient Rome, similar to other French sauces. Additionally, many cultures across the world have their own version of this sauce (such as tarutaru sauce in Japan). The name is derived from the Tatars (which is also spelled Tartars), a Turkic-speaking group of nomadic horsemen from Eastern Europe and Central Asia. (You can read more about the history of tartar sauce on Tasting Table, Taste Atlas, and Wikipedia.)
The ingredients in the simplest form of this sauce are mayo, pickle (sweet or dill, and sometimes in the form of relish), and an acid (such as lemon juice or vinegar).
Tartar sauce is typically served as a dipping sauce along with a fish fry (aka fish and chips!). But it’s also great with fish sticks, breaded baked fish, crab cakes, fish tacos, or fish sandwiches. Additionally, it’s delicious with other breaded dishes, such as chicken cutlets.
You can also use it as the creamy base sauce for deviled eggs, tuna macaroni salad, egg salad, or potato salad (especially if you like dill pickle in your potato salad). Tartar sauce also makes a great dip for raw vegetables and dressing for leafy green salads. And don’t forget to try your French fries (aka “chips”) dipped in it!
It’s a well-balanced, rich, creamy sauce with the perfect amount of tanginess. Lemon juice and/or vinegar add tartness to balance the creamy mayo. Pickles, relish, and/or capers add tangy, salty, briny notes. Fresh herbs, such as dill or parsley brighten it. Additionally, seasonings and aromatics like Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and garlic add depth.
More Mayo Based Condiments to Try
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Tartar Sauce Recipe
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Ingredients
- 3/4 cup mayo
- 4 tablespoons minced dill pickle
- 1 tablespoon dill pickle juice
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 2 teaspoons capers drained and chopped
- 1 clove garlic peeled and crushed
- 3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3/4 teaspoon hot sauce optional; more or less to taste
- 3/4 teaspoon granulated white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a medium bowl and stir well. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
Video
Notes
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This recipe makes about 1 cup, or 8 (2-tablespoon) servings.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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