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.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
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
What kind /brand of dill pickles do you use? I love to eat pickles but I only like the good deli type ones like boars Head or claussen; but I’m thinking the cheap “picklier” ones that are bright green might add more flavor?
Hi, I think you’re right about the cheap picklier ones – they seem to add more of a vinegary punch, but the Boars Head and Claussen are also good.
Tartar sauce should include the same ingredients as a steak tartar: pickles, shallots (not onion), and capers. There should be enough acid from the capers and pickles, plus that in the mayo, to not need to add lemon juice, though it’s a question of taste. As are the optional parsley or dill. Generally, if you need these other ingredients, there’s too much mayo and not enough capers, pickles and shallots.
In your recipe, there are certainly not enough capers!
Thank you for sharing that with us!
Made it last night to go with fishcakes. Only had cornichons pickled with chili. Wow did that add a fantastic kick! Thanks Natasha.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
YOU ALREADY HAVE SO MANY HAPPY FANS, BUT I JUST HAVE TO COMMENT ANYWAY. THIS STUFF IS TO DIE FOR! HUSBAND, 2 TWEENS AND A TEEN INHALED IT WITH SLOPPY SALMON PATTIES TONIGHT.
THANK YOU.
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review 🙂
I use cilantro instead of dill in mine and never had the exact measurements- I use to hate fish till I started making my own tartar sauce -can’t wait to try yours with dill- also add a little sour cream
I hope you love it, Sue!
How long will this keep in refrigerator?
Hi Elaine, the tartar sauce keeps covered and refrigerated for 5 to 7 days.
Can I use dill pickle relish rather than cutting up dill pickles?
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. 🙂
I added some lemon zest for a little more lemon flavor
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Really super alagoshus good
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Simply amazing! This is my go to recipe. I always double the recipe and add a tbsp on minced garlic as well. The onions are a must for me but I beyond mince them so my kids don’t even know I added any! Thanks for a superb recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Thanks for the recipe! I was making fish and chips last night and realized our bottle of tartar sauce was expired! I didn’t have ALL your ingredients on hand, but I had mayo, tangy dill relish, lemon juice and fresh cracked pepper. So I can’t say I made your recipe exactly, but you certainly inspired me (and helped with knowing proportions to make my own). I’ll never buy store-bought tartar sauce again, especially since it always seems to expire before I can finish it!
I love that you were able to make this work, Monica!! Thank you for the wonderful review!
easy and delicious went amazing with the salmon cakes ! 🙂
Isn’t it the perfect combination! Thanks for your feedback!
This tartar sauce is awesome. I will never buy store bought again. I’d give it 10 stars…its that good.
Wow! Thank you for this amazing review, Addison!
This is so good! I make it just as the recipe specifies.
Very satisfying and I liked the hint of lemon. Goes great with our beer-battered cod we like to eat.
Thank you!
Yes! So perfect with beer battered cod! Thank you for the awesome review, Joy!
This is my first time making Tartar Sauce. It’s really good. I didn’t have dill or parsley so I just left them out. Yummy!
That’s so great! Thank you for sharing that with us!
This recipe was awesome. Best tarter sauce recipe I’ve ever made. I only substituted Vegenaise for the Mayo for a slightly healthier option. I also used 1/2 Tspn of Dill and 1/2 Tbspn of Parsley. Thx for sharing your recipe!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Michelle! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Dear Natasha! I make home made dill pickles,my grandma recipe,I always use the dill from the pickles for recipes like this and for my yogurt tziziki,the dill flavor is so much richer than the fresh ones in this kind of recipes ! When people ask me how do I get this flavor in this recipes I tel them “my secret”!!! You really should try!!! But then you will need my grandma’s perfect and sooo eazy to make recipe!!! “Estusha”s dill pickles” ! I will be more than happy to share it offcors!!! 😊💗I will make your Tartar and I will put chopped fresh chives instead of onions(not cooked onions are to sharp for me I use green onions or chaives)and I will let you know how it was(for us here in tel Aviv -beautiful Israel!)by the way,is it fish in the photo next to the Tartar? Look’s solo yummm! Can I have the recipe?? And exactly what fish you used? Thank you very very much! And so sorry for the loooooong massage!!! Dont know what happened to me today…sorry!😏☺️😍
Hi Yaeli! Yes, please share that with us, we love to hear about new recipes from our readers. I really appreciate the longer but thoughtful messages!recipe here, please enjoy!
This is the best tartar sauce ever! And you’re right, no more store bought ones for me ever again! And I love love love your salmon cake recipe and have made it many times now and it’s always a big hit with the family. Thank you Natasha for all your amazing recipes!
You are very welcome. Thank you for giving this recipe a try!
I don’t like tartar sauce, do you think it’s going to taste good with some lemon aioli?
Hi Yailenne. Which recipe are you referring to? 🙂
Oh sorry! I was talking about the salmon cakes recipe. I’ve just try it and it was awesome!
Oh thank you for clarifying! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
My husband loved and I did too
Hi Sarah! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
I added a tbsp of capers [well-drained] – it was really tasty
That sounds really good! Thanks for sharing 🙂
This recipe was awesome including the tartar sauce recipe! Just make sure you follow the directions to the T. Be certain to use unsalted butter and the salmon/croquettes will turn out awesome! I even made the homemade tartar sauce it was simply marvelous! I think my friend for sending this to me through Facebook. I think it was Olivia thanks a lot! Love you!
Thank you for your thoughtful review! I’m so happy you all enjoyed this!