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
This is sooo good. I used dill, and garlic pickles. It was great with your Salmon patties.
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Paula!
I’ve always added a touch of Ketchup to my tartar sauce. I think I got that from my grandma. I don’t see any recipes that call for it online. Do I come from a crazy family?
Honestly, I haven’t seen or tried that combination. If you like it then you like it. Nothing wrong with that 🙂
Nah, it’s just a tartar sauce trying to be thousand island dressing. Sometimes my grandma used chopped sweet pickles instead of dill.
Delicious and SUPER fast and easy.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Hello there, dear Natasha! This is Sophia from Athens Greece I couldn’t help comenting on this recipe since it’s the first one of yours I tried. I just made it for my 18years old twins, hoping that it would get my son finally eat the fish he constantly avoids – since he’s a strict meat lover. I wanted you to let you know that… goal achived and I cannot thank you enough! As for my daughter (on the contrary huge fish_lover and vegeterian as well) was like “mmhhh mmhhh” while enjoying this beautiful sauce! Thank you! I found your channel on facebook by accident (as good things usually happen) then did some more research and I must say that I love the way you present everything about cooking. I love the simplicity, I love the clarity, plainess and neatless of your recipes, I love the touch of chic on the editing of your channel and videos.
I wish all the best to you and your family, keep up the great job and be sure that I’ve already marked several of your recipes to try in my kitchen asap. I really like them all and I’m so glad that I found your so fine meal_suggestions. Thank you very very much!
I’m so happy you love our recipes, Sophia! Thank you so much for the fantastic review and your encouraging words. I am smiling big reading your comment
I made this exactly as it says (unusual for me). It was perfect! I did use the onion (red onion) and fresh dill and let it all sit for about an hour or more. Served it with fresh deep fried cod sandwich. I won’t buy store bot again. Great!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
I caught myself in a pinch today. I cooked fish and low and behold no tartar sauce. I came across your recipe and decided to give it a try “Very Good” I did have to alter a little bit because I didn’t have enough dill pickles so used a little sweet relish and turned out great. Will make from now on instead of store bought and make sure I have all the supplies. Thank you for sharing…
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
My favorite is: Mayo, Onion, Sweet Pickle Relish, lemon juice. My go to tartar sauce recipe.
That sounds amazing! Thank you for sharing that!
Claussen pickles
Being from the South I’ve been making tartar sauce for years, but never with a recipe. the unknown variant is always the dill pickle. I’m curious if you have found a reliable favorite; my wife has never met a dill pickle she couldn’t eat, but I’m a bit pickier. Oh, by the way, never leave out leave out the onion…finely diced or even grated, amount to taste, Vidalia if you can get them or other sweet variety…just sayin’… 🙂
Bill
Hi Bill! We definitely prefer homemade over here! Thank you so much for sharing that with us!
I’m assuming you use your aunt’s recipe. Have you ever tried halving the cokes before pickling?
Hi Bill, we usually put them in the jar whole – do you prefer to halve them?
I’ve only ever made bread and butter pickles before; but thought perhaps halving would mature them sooner. But on second thought that might also negatively impact crispiness…which by my reckoning is the holy grail of pickle making.
While I’ve got you…I’m not sure if I’ll be able to lay my hands on dill with the flower; would a teaspoon of dried dill be an acceptable alternative ?
Thanks again
I think that will work Bill! Let me know how you like that if you experiment!
how long will this keep in the fridge?
Hi Angela, the tartar sauce keeps covered and refrigerated for 5 to 7 days.
If my mayo is good for a year from now, and seems to be the only real ing. that can spoil, why then do you say this only keeps 5/7 days in fridge? I’m making it now.
Hi Terry, it’s more for the onion and dill which are more perishable.
OK, thank you. I’m using a dry dill, so didn’t think of it that way. Terry
Should there be a little Cream of Tartar in Tartar sauce ??
Hi Bob, Cream of Tartar isn’t a common ingredient in tartar sauce. I’ve seen one recipe with it online which surprised me since Cream of Tartar is usually known for it’s usefulness in baking and not tartar sauce.
Hullo Bob. I replied on this quite sometime back. Yes, you do need a bit of cream of tartar in it – 1/8 to 1/4 tsp, depending on howmuch tanginess you want in your sauce. Modern tastes may have changed, but that is how my 1916 vintage grandmother taught me back in the 70’s. The cream of tartar gives it that little something extra that modern sauces miss. It is also how TARTAR sauce got its name.
Trident’s fish sticks are the best. I have been a supplier of their packaging and the QC is outstanding. I have watched them made on the line and what a QC job they do. You will not know how well their QC is, above the industry. Did you know the largest consumer of fish sticks is Germay??
That’s amazing!! Thank you for sharing that with me!
I worked QC in Our fish plant, and at the end of every day I worked the Mince Machine for fish sticks. It was comprised of all the trimmer’s V-Bones from the days work and never quality checked for parasites. Have not ate a fish stick since..
This is basically the same recipe I have used for years, but I also add some capers.
That’s so awesome! Thank you for sharing that with me, Farrel!
Excellent recipe.. My mom always made homemade tartar and cocktail sauces. My question is, what mayo or salad dressing do you prefer for recipes like this particular one? It’s always a toss up for me between Hellmans and Miracle Whip… What is your go-to mayo?
Hi Shawnee, I always use Real Mayonnaise and not miracle whip and I do go between different brands – Hellmans’s or Best Foods, or Real Mayo.
Best to make sure the mayo does NOT contain canola oil.
If you have a source of freshly laid eggs, homemade is best. Youtube has great videos on how to easily make fresh mayo using a stick blender, and you control the ingredients and flavor.
Thank you for sharing that DJ.
I just gotta jump in here, lol, there is (to me) NOTHING to compare to the taste of DUKES Mayo, it’s mild, and just makes alllll taste so much better, there is to me a slight bitter aftertaste with other mayos. I buy the regular and the lite, love it! And using it now with this.
Yeah Terry! Another Duke’s fan!!!! Nothing better!
Dukes and Hellman’s…same company…both good.
Just recently found Duke’s and am waiting to open it. Good to see a positive review on it. I am fussy about maho and wonder why sme folks don’t realize Hellman’s is mayo and Miracle Whip is saad dressing and has sugar in it. Mayo does not.
I do this but if I don’t have dill pickles a little green relish works too
Thank you for sharing that with us, Bonnie!
Thanks so much for including all the comments; I got some great ideas from them. I can’t eat pickles, so I think I will try finely chopped pickled okra (I get it at Walmart). The vinegar has already reduced the slime, and I’ll rinse it and pat dry to further reduce it. I really appreciate your blog.
I’m so happy that was helpful! I hope you love this recipe!
This Tartar Sauce recipe is the same way my son makes his homemade version except instead of sugar he uses Old Bay!! SO good!!! I will have to show him your version!! Love all your recipes AND your videos!!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review 🙂
I make this recipe with a slight variation. I substituted the bread crumbs with crushed pork rinds for a Keto friendly version. The cakes and tartar sauce are to die for!
Natasha, thank you for sharing this recipe. I recommend your channel to everyone! This is a definite hit at potlucks.
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review Jen 🙂 I’m so happy you found a favorite on our blog!
I am never ever buying tartar sauce again. I use my home made dill pickles and I didn’t skimp with the seasonings.I used onion powder,just a little. Wonderful stuff ! I can’t wait to check out other recipes on your blog.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!.
This is an excellent recipe.
I used my own homemade mayo and my MIL’s carrot pickles instead of dill pickles. I also added a minced clove of garlic, but otherwise followed the recipe as written.
A keeper I will make again and again.
Sounds like you found a new favorite! Thank you for sharing your awesome review with me!