Easy Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe
Published February 25, 2020. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Learn how easy it is to make a delicious homemade tartar sauce recipe that goes excellent with any seafood dish. Whether you put it on Salmon Cakes or serve it up with Shrimp Boil, it’s super simple to prepare and always tasty.
This is actually one of the first things I ever learned to make way back in my restaurant days when I was barely a teenager. It’s my go-to sauce for all things fish and is always a favorite sauce whenever it’s served up, and not-too-mention you can make it under 5 minutes.
Tartar Sauce
This is a very simple mayonnaise-based condiment that originated in France and is most often served with seafood.
What’s in It
Here are the simple tartar sauce ingredients which you may already have in your house.
- Mayonnaise
- Onions
- Capers
- Pickles
- Parsley
- Salt and Pepper
In addition to these few things, you can also add in dill, lemon juice, garlic or tobasco sauce to further enhance the flavor of it.
How to Make Tartar Sauce
Start by small dicing some small yellow onions.
Finely chop some capers.
Small dice some dill pickles.
Add the onions, capers, pickles, mayonnaise, parsley, salt and pepper to a bowl and mix. Simple as that.
Is There a Substitute for It
There is no perfect substitute for it but there are some healthier options. Simply replace the mayonnaise with any of these:
- Low Fat Mayonnaise
- Non-Fat Yogurt
- Low Fat Sour Cream
It does alter the flavor of the overall sauce, but if I did it this way I’d just add in a bit more of everything else to help bring about those flavors.
What to Serve It With
There are tons of great dishes to serve up this tartar sauce with, and here are a few of my favorites:
Make-Ahead and Storage
How To Store: Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. This does not freeze well so don’t attempt it.
chef notes + tips
- In place of the yellow onions in the sauce, you can sub for red onions, shallots or sweet onions.
- My suggestion is to keep this recipe as simple as possible because you want to use it to compliment the seafood, not mask it.
- The brine from the capers and pickles provides plenty of acid to the sauce, so there is no need for lemon juice.
More Sauce Recipes
Easy Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup small diced yellow onions
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped capers
- 1/3 cup small-diced dill pickles
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and mix until combined.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
- How to Store: Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. This does not freeze well so don’t attempt it.
- In place of the yellow onions in the sauce you can sub for red onions, shallots or sweet onions.
- My suggestion is to keep this recipe as simple as possible because you want to use it to compliment the seafood, not mask it.
- The brine from the capers and pickles provides plenty of acid to the sauce, so there is no need for lemon juice.
Absolutely delicious. I added some fresh dill as well. I will never buy jarred tartar sauce again.
Used avocado mayonnaise to avoid soy bean oil. Easy and better than store bought!
Excellent!
I love this recipe as it doesn’t have anything sweet in it. It compliments fish and other seafood perfectly.
Thank you very much.
My husband said, “Now, that’s good!” 😁
I’ve made this again with your home made mayonnais. It is equally delicious. I love your recipes and your videos showing us how to as you promise to take our home cooking “to the next level”. Thank you.
Perfect!
I had never even thought of making my own tartar sauce. This recipe is wonderful and I’ll never buy tartar sauce again. It’s super simple and I have everything on hand. It’s the best!
This is now my go to recipie for tarter sauce…I make fish and chips almost every week and. Love this recipie
Great!
This tartar sauce is fabulous, much better than shop bought
How is there only one review on this recipe. I fry fish very often. This is the only tartar sauce recipe I make. I follow the recipe exactly and it is wonderful every time.
I really dislike capers, and I am wondering if leaving them out of the tartar sauce would alter the taste terribly. Also, can I use a pickle relish instead of the dill pickle?
What spices would I have to use to complete this sauce.
Yes and Yes!