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Tartar sauce is one of those creamy, tangy condiments that turns a plain piece of fried fish into something you actually crave, and I started making it from scratch the first weekend Maddie and Lizzie begged for fish night and I realized the store bought jar just was not cutting it. If you love our homemade sweet and sour sauce, this easy dipping sauce is the briny, dill flecked cousin you will reach for every single time.
It comes together in one bowl in about ten minutes, and the flavor is so much fresher and brighter than anything you can buy at the grocery store.
Tartar Sauce Quick Look
- 🕐 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🍴 Cook Time: 0 minutes (no cooking required)
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes (includes chilling)
- 🍽 Serving: 8 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 203kcal per serving
- 🌶 Flavor Profile: Creamy and tangy with briny pickle relish, salty capers, fresh dill, and a bright hit of lemon
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our homemade buttermilk ranch dressing
Quick Answer
Stir dried minced onion together with fresh lemon juice and let it sit for 5 minutes to soften. Add mayonnaise, dill pickle relish, chopped capers, fresh dill, dijon mustard, a little sugar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, then whisk until smooth and creamy. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour so the flavors meld, then serve cold with fried fish, crab cakes, or fries.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to read why this recipe works
- Blooming the dried minced onion in lemon juice first softens those little flakes and pulls out their flavor, so you get a savory onion note all through the sauce without any hard, crunchy bits getting in the way.
- Real mayonnaise as the base gives the sauce its rich, creamy body and stays perfectly emulsified, which is why homemade tartar sauce clings to fried fish instead of sliding off the way thin, watery versions do.
- Using dill pickle relish AND chopped capers builds two different layers of briny tang. The relish brings sweet, vinegary crunch while the capers add a sharp, salty pop that store bought tartar sauce almost never has.
- Fresh dill and a little dijon mustard wake the whole thing up. The dill keeps it bright and garden fresh, and the dijon adds a gentle sharpness that balances all that creamy mayo.
- A pinch of sugar plus Worcestershire sauce rounds out the acidity and adds a savory, almost umami depth. It is a tiny amount, but it is the difference between flat and crave worthy.
- Chilling for at least one hour lets every flavor meld together and mellow. The sauce tastes noticeably better cold and rested than it does the second you whisk it, so do not skip the rest.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No cooking and one bowl. You whisk everything together in about ten minutes with zero heat, which makes this the easiest condiment you will ever put on the table.
- So much better than store bought. Fresh dill, real capers, and a squeeze of lemon give this a bright, layered flavor that the jarred stuff just cannot match, a lot like our easy homemade BBQ sauce.
- Endlessly versatile. It is perfect for dipping fried fish and shrimp, spreading on a fish sandwich or burger, or serving alongside crispy fries, so one batch stretches across a whole week of meals.
Key Ingredients
- Mayonnaise: The creamy base of the whole sauce. Use a good full fat real mayonnaise for the richest body and the best cling on fried fish.
- Dill Pickle Relish: Brings the signature sweet and tangy crunch. Drain off any extra liquid first so the sauce does not turn runny.
- Capers: Tiny briny buds that add a salty, sharp pop. Give them a rough chop so the flavor spreads through every bite.
- Fresh Dill: The herb that makes homemade tartar sauce taste garden fresh and bright. Fresh is worth it here over dried.
- Dijon Mustard and Lemon Juice: A little dijon adds gentle sharpness while fresh lemon juice brings the acidity that ties the creamy and briny flavors together.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
- Make it spicy: Stir in a few dashes of hot sauce, a pinch of cayenne, or a spoonful of prepared horseradish for a tartar sauce with a kick.
- Make it sweeter: Swap the dill pickle relish for sweet pickle relish if your family likes a sweeter, more classic diner style sauce.
- Herb swap: No fresh dill on hand? Fresh parsley or chives work beautifully and keep that fresh, green flavor.
- No capers: Leave them out and add a little extra relish, or finely chop a dill pickle spear in their place.
- Lighter version: Use half mayonnaise and half plain Greek yogurt for a tangier, lighter sauce that still tastes great with our easy salmon patties.
How to Make Tartar Sauce
- Bloom the onion. Stir the dried minced onion and fresh lemon juice together in a large bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Add everything else. Add the mayonnaise, dill pickle relish, capers, fresh dill, dijon, sugar, Worcestershire, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Whisk and chill. Whisk until smooth and creamy, then cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Always chill before serving. Even a quick 30 minute rest in the fridge makes a big difference, but a full hour gives you the deepest, most melded flavor.
- Drain the relish and capers. Pat them dry or press out the extra brine so your finished sauce stays thick and scoopable instead of watery.
- Chop the capers. A rough chop releases their briny flavor and spreads those little salty pops throughout the whole bowl.
- Use real, full fat mayonnaise. Light or whipped mayo makes a thinner sauce with less richness, so the full fat version is worth it here.
- Taste and adjust. Pickle brands vary in sweetness and salt, so taste at the end and add a little more lemon, salt, or relish until it is just right.
- Make it ahead. This sauce actually tastes better the next day, so it is a great one to stir together a day before a fish fry or party.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Tartar sauce was born to go with crispy fried seafood, so this is your go to dip for a fish fry. Spoon it next to our copycat Captain D’s battered fish, pile it on a plate of classic Southern fried catfish, or set out a bowl with air fryer catfish nuggets for dunking.
It is also the perfect sandwich spread. Slather it on a toasted bun for a homemade fish sandwich, use it in place of mayo on a burger, or spread it on a wrap with leftover fried fish or shrimp. The bright, briny flavor cuts right through anything rich and fried.
Do not stop at seafood, though. This sauce is fantastic as a dip for crispy fries, roasted potato wedges, or even crunchy veggies, and it makes a great base for a quick seafood salad. A batch keeps in the fridge all week, so it is an easy way to make weeknight dinners feel a little more special, just like our easy salmon patties do.
Tartar Sauce FAQs
Classic tartar sauce is made of a creamy mayonnaise base mixed with dill pickle relish, capers, fresh dill, dijon mustard, and lemon juice, plus simple seasonings like garlic powder, salt, and pepper. A pinch of sugar and a splash of Worcestershire sauce round out the flavor. It is the tangy, briny combination of pickles and capers against the rich mayo that gives tartar sauce its signature taste.
Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, homemade tartar sauce lasts about one week. Because it is mayonnaise based, always keep it cold and never leave it out at room temperature for more than two hours. Give it a quick stir before each use, since a little separation is completely normal.
Yes, and it actually tastes better when you do. Making it a day ahead gives the dried onion, dill, capers, and relish time to meld into the mayo, so the flavor is deeper and more balanced. Just keep it covered in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
Both start with a mayonnaise base, but remoulade is usually spicier and more complex, with additions like Creole mustard, paprika, and hot sauce that give it a golden or pink color and a bold kick. Tartar sauce is milder and tangier, built around pickles, capers, and dill. Tartar sauce leans cool and briny while remoulade leans warm and zesty.
Freezing is not recommended. Mayonnaise based sauces separate and turn watery or grainy once thawed, so the texture will not be the same. Tartar sauce comes together so quickly that it is best to make a fresh batch whenever you need it and store leftovers in the fridge.
Tartar sauce is the classic partner for fried fish, fish and chips, crab cakes, fried shrimp, and salmon patties. It is also delicious as a spread on fish sandwiches and burgers, or as a dip for french fries, potato wedges, and crispy vegetables. Anytime you have something crispy and savory, a cool spoonful of tartar sauce makes it better.
Other Recommended Condiment Recipes
If you make this easy tartar sauce, please leave a star rating and a comment below to let me know how it turned out. I love hearing what you served it with, and your reviews help other readers find the recipe too. Happy dipping!
For another creamy sauce, try our avocado ranch.
Chop a spear of our homemade dill pickles into this tartar sauce for even more briny crunch.
Easy Homemade Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dried minced onion
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons dill pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon capers drained, rough chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the dried minced onion and lemon juice, let it sit for 5 minute.1 1/2 tablespoons dried minced onion, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Add the mayonnaise, dill pickle relish, capers, dill, dijon, sugar, Worcestershire, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine.1 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons dill pickle relish, 1 tablespoon capers, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, 1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard, 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- Cover and refrigerate at least one hour before serving.
Notes
- Use Real Mayonnaise: For the best flavor, use your favorite brand of real mayonnaise.
- Chill Before Serving: Letting the sauce chill for at least an hour enhances the flavors.
- Adjust to Taste: Feel free to adjust the seasonings to suit your preferences.
- Fresh Ingredients: Using fresh dill or fresh lemon juice can elevate the taste.
- Make It Your Own: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different flavors like adding additional capers or mustard.
- Small Batch: If you only need a little, you can easily halve the recipe.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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I’ve been looking for a recipe that is delicious and not too sweet. We didn’t have any relish, so I subbed a Vlasic zesty pickle spear that cut into teeny pieces. The rest I followed exactly, and it is perfect!!! Thank you for sharing!!
This is exactly how I make my tartar sauce too! It’s so yummy!
Thanks so much for sharing on Show Me Saturdays! Hope to see you again this weekend!
~ Ashley
I totally agree that homemade sauces are sooo much yummier! I also try to make my own whenever I can. Thanks for sharing! I definitely want to try this. Pinning