Try this homemade tartar sauce, and you’ll never want store-bought again. This has amazing flavor and texture with every bite. It’s perfect as a dip for fish sticks, crab cakes, or a spread for seafood sandwiches.
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Homemade Tartar Sauce
I was frustrated with store-bought tartar sauce; one disappointing can after another. Solution: homemade tarter sauce. Making your own is really easy. It’s fresh and amazing for these salmon cakes fish sticks or breaded fish fillets.
My Aunt Anna taught me how to make this Tartar Sauce recipe – she learned it in culinary school, and this is the recipe they made in their restaurant. I’ve probably made this a hundred times, and my fishstick-loving teenage son makes it regularly. It’s our go-to because it’s so easy to make, has simple ingredients and keeps really well in the fridge.
See those fish sticks in the photo – yeah, those are from Costco. Maybe one day, I’ll make my own fish sticks, but for now, these are really good (the Trident brand). Sometimes, I find that I eat more tartar sauce than fish sticks (sounds gross, but this sauce is THAT GOOD!). This recipe stays fresh in the fridge for a few days.
Tartar Sauce Video
Watch my easy video tutorial, and you’ll have this recipe memorized in no time!
Ingredients for Tartar Sauce
- Real Mayonnaise – you can use your favorite storebought mayo or homemade mayonnaise
- Dill pickles – I prefer baby dills for extra crunch since they have more surface area.
- Dill (or) Parsley – you can use fresh or frozen – it adds freshness.
- 1 tsp lemon juice – freshly squeezed is best
- 1 tsp sugar – this balances the sauce, but you can add it to taste
- Pepper – freshly cracked smells and tastes the freshest
- Onion – it’s 2 Tbsp of chopped onion, and it’s optional (I usually skip it when I’m feeling lazy to chop an onion).
How to Make Tartar Sauce
This is really complicated, so pay attention. Are you ready?…
1. Combine everything in a mixing bowl and give it a good stir. Done!
Serve Tartar Sauce With
There are so many great uses for Tartar Sauce, from a dipping sauce to sandwiches. Outside of fish sticks, we love it with:
- Crab Cakes
- Shrimp Cakes
- Fish Tacos
- Salmon Patties
- Onion Rings
- Air Fryer French Fries
- Grilled Salmon Sandwich
Storing Tartar Sauce
Homemade Tartar Sauce keeps really well in the refrigerator. Transfer to an airtight container or jar and refrigerate. It is best enjoyed within 1 week but can last up to 2 weeks.
Tartar Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise*
- 1 cup dill pickles, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp dill, fresh or frozen, OR 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 2 Tbsp onion, finely chopped, optional
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
- Add more lemon juice or pickles if desired.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Way back in the late sixties i worked in a diner where we had carhops . I learned that fries dipped in tartar sauce was pretty good .Trying homemade thanks to you .
I hope you love this recipe! You will never go back to jarred tartar sauce!
Nat,
I used jarred dill relish and dried herbs. This by far is the only recipe I will ever use again for tarter sauce. The hubs scarfed it down! Thanks so much for sharing!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Sharon! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Excellent, thanks. Don’t know why I never made my own before, so much better than store-bought.
I’m glad you think so! Thanks for your great feedback, Teresa.
Exactly what I was looking for!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Mark!
You just saved my bacon!! Well, technically you saved my fish sticks. I thought I had tartar sauce in the fridge, but I was mistaken. My mom can’t eat fish without tartar sauce. (I think the fish simply serves as a tartar sauce delivery device). So, I was in trouble. Google pointed me to you, and I will never buy store-bought tartar sauce again. You’re a miracle worker. Thank you for saving the day!
I’m so glad you discovered my blog and recipe! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Tracey!
Hi, Natasha! I love your website and youtube videos so much and I’ve cooked some of your recipes and my husband and I love them!
I have a question for you about this recipe. I cooked too much tartar sauce and now I no longer have any more salmon cakes.
Do you have any recommendation about how to use this leftover sauce?
I’m from Japan so I’m afraid my English might be difficult for you to understand, but I hope you could do!
Thank you always!
Hi Mayumi, I’m glad you liked it! The tartar sauce keeps covered and refrigerated for 5 to 7 days. You can use it to top other fish recipes.
Excellent!!! I found that I could use a very small amount of Ghee (clarified butter). This reduced the amount of fat while maintaining good flavor. I also used frozen salmon filets that needed to be used (butter, lemon pepper and garlic salt with squeeze of lemon) and baking under a foil covered casserole. The homemade tartar sauce was great!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m so happy you enjoyed that.
great recipe, very simply
I made this last week, is it still good 7 days out?
Hi Laura, I’m glad you liked it! The tartar sauce keeps covered and refrigerated for 5 to 7 days.
Hi,
Can I substitute Greek yogurt and maybe a bit of sour cream for mayo?
For some reason I am not able to eat mayo anymore, but love tartar sce
Aubrey
Hello Aubrey, I imagine that will work. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Very likely the best tartare sauce I’ve ever tasted!!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Finely chopped dill pickles.
Possible to use a store bought jar of dill relish, or are there ingredients in it, that would change the flavor profile?
Hi Greg, I haven’t tried relish, but I think it could still work fine as long as it isn’t a sweet relish which would change the flavor profile.
First I want to thank you for sharing This wonderful recipe. After a long day at work I did not want to stop at the grocery sty for a bottle if crappy tarter sauce. I never made homemade before but I had all the ingredients and decided to give it a shot. I am so happy I did;!!! This totally puts store bought to shame. I will forever mae my own using only this recipe. My husband and ai loved it 😊.
Isn’t it the best! We will never buy tartar sauce again, either! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I use chopped green olives with the pimento..finely chopped fresh green onion (or any onion if not available) sometimes bread &butter pickles if you don’t have olives … m..many ways to change. It up !?!
There sure are! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Delicious. I used relish instead of pickles. I added mustard.
I refrigerated before serving on
Crab cakes and arugula.
Ty
Yum! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Tried this tonight for the first time. My hubby loved it. I had to use dry parsley & dill, didn’t have the fresh on hand. He already had cooked the fish & decided he wanted tarter sauce. I had to mix something quick. Won’t buy the stuff in the jar again. This was quick & simple. So much better for you without all the sodium! Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
Thank you for the wonderful review!
Hi Natasha…just wondering what you mean by ‘real mayonnaise’? Love your recipes!
Hi Marcia, the packaging/ bottle should say “Real” on it. We used Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise.
I ONLY use Hellmans. It makes a big difference. And this sauce is GREAT!
can you use dry dill instead of fresh for the tarter sauce?
can you use dry dill for the tarter sauce?
Hi Helene, we prefer fresh but that will work.
I am making it now with dry and I read that you use 1/3 the amount.
Hi Helene, that will work too. I hope you love it!
Did you do your own mayo? I’m not trying to be cleaver just asking. Fish fingers, it’s so easy to make yourself from fresh fish. Make the effort and you’ll find it even better even though I understand that you’re happy with it now. Just take the next step and you might be even happier. Happy cooking!
Hi Goran, I love that suggestion and thank you for sharing! A homemade mayo tutorial would be fun.
Hello Natasha,I’m from Philippines.So thankful that I found your channel because I love all your recipes its simple and taste good.and this tartar sauce awesome! Iove mayo it’s always been my best choice for sauces.wow,thanks to this.
Hi Chariz, that’s so great to hear. Thank you for sharing that with us, I’m glad that you’re enjoying my recipes!
First time leaving a rating on a recipe but this one deserves it for sure. We didn’t want to go out and buy jarred sauce so I found this recipe and WOW, we will never buy jarred sauce again. This was delicious on the grouper sandwiches my husband made last night. Thank you so much!
Hello Pam, you are very welcome! Thank you for your awesome review and feedback, we appreciate it!