Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (2024)

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By: Rachel GurkPosted: 07/05/2021

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Creamy homemade tartar sauce is a huge step above commercial tartar sauce. With fresh dill and lemon juice, it has loads of flavor!

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: It’s 100x better than store-bought!

How long it takes: 10 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: just a bowl and knife!
Servings: 10 two tablespoon servings

Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (1)

Table of Contents close

  • 1 Recipe Overview
  • 2 About this creamy tartar sauce
  • 3 What you need
  • 4 How to make tartar sauce
  • 5 FAQs
  • 6 How to make this sauce your own
  • 7 Make Ahead Ideas
  • 8 Storage Suggestions
  • 9 Leftover Love
  • 10 More homemade sauces
  • 11 Get the Recipe: Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe

Homemade tartar sauce is unexpectedly good. This “old fashioned” sauce is totally amped up with dill pickles, red onion, and fresh dill. Lemon juice adds just the right acidity and tang to the sauce.

Tartar sauce is perfect for shrimp, crab cakes, fish & chips, fish sticks, fish tacos, and salmon. It also makes an amazing spread for fish fillet sandwiches and po’ boys!

And why limit it to seafood? Use it as a lemon dill dip for crispy sweet potato fries or to top baked potatoes instead of sour cream. Tartar sauce is great on a black bean burger, too.

I served this sauce as a dip for crispy air fryer breaded shrimp (look for the recipe in a couple of days!) and it would also be fantastic on coconut shrimp. While the shrimp were really, really great, my husband just kept saying, “This is the best tartar sauce I’ve ever had!

And it actually is that good! Have you ever heard anyone exclaim over tartar sauce from a jar or plastic bottle? Yeah, probably not.

About this creamy tartar sauce

Homemade tartar sauce with lemon is so much fresher tasting than store bought and just plain easy to make. All it takes is a little chopping, a squeeze of lemon and a grind of black pepper. Add all that to mayonnaise and it’s ready to serve.

Look for the complete printable recipe at the end of this post.

Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (2)

What you need

  • Mayonnaise: This is a mayonnaise based sauce. If you like low-fat or olive oil mayo, that will work fine. Please don’t use Miracle Whip as it is sweeter and will change the flavor too much.
  • Lemon Juice: You’ll love the tangy brightness that a bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice adds to your tartar sauce.
  • Fresh Dill: This fresh herb makes all the difference in the world. You can substitute dried dill but don’t use as much (use 1 teaspoon instead).
  • Dill Pickles: You’ll find that tartar sauce is more flavorful without relish. Relish can add too much liquid and the pickle is so finely processed that you can hardly taste it. Chop dill pickles for a lot more pickle-ness (!).
  • Red Onion: The sharp tang of finely chopped onion is sort of an unexpected, but very welcome, flavor.
  • Black Pepper: for just a bit more seasoning.
Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (3)

How to make tartar sauce

It’s very easy to make homemade tartar sauce. Begin by a little chopping. Finely mince red onion, dill pickle, and fresh dill. How finely you chop the onion and pickles depends on how you like your sauce: larger pieces mean you’ll have a chunkier sauce, smaller pieces mean your sauce will be a bit smoother. Totally up to you!

Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (4)

In a small bowl or large measuring cup, stir the mayonnaise with the rest of the ingredients.

Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (5)

Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to use your homemade tartar sauce.

Tartar sauce makes a delicious dip or spread!

Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (6)

FAQs

Is tartar sauce healthy?

If you’re looking for a sauce that is low fat, tartar sauce probably isn’t a good choice because it’s mayonnaise-based. As part of a healthy diet, tartar sauce is fine in limited quantities, with just over 100 calories per serving (2 tablespoons). It is keto friendly.

How do you thicken tartar sauce?

Tartar sauce will thicken a bit when it’s chilled. If you find that your tartar sauce turns out runny or too thin, try reducing the lemon juice next time. Make sure you always drain the pickles well. If it’s still too thin, try adding a bit more mayonnaise.

How can you tell if tartar sauce is bad?

Smell the tartar sauce. If it smells off, or different from when you first made it, throw it out. If the color has changed or you see mold (yikes!), definitely toss it. It should keep a week, properly chilled, but please don’t take any chances.

Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (7)

How to make this sauce your own

  • Instead of dill pickles, make it with capers, bread & butter pickles, sweet pickles, or pickle relish.
  • Prefer a smooth sauce? Put all the ingredients into a small food processor and process until no chunks remain.
  • Like a little zing? Add a 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard or hot sauce. A dash of ground red pepper is great too.

Make Ahead Ideas

Homemade tartar sauce is actually better if you make it a day ahead to let the flavors blend. Store it in a tightly covered container in the fridge. If it separates slightly, give it a good stir.

Storage Suggestions

The sauce can be stored covered in the fridge for up to a week. Please don’t freeze tartar sauce because mayonnaise doesn’t fare so well in the freezer.

Leftover Love

If you’re bored with dipping, try mixing leftover tartar sauce with a bit of buttermilk to create a salad dressing!

Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (8)

More homemade sauces

Add pizzazz, flavor, and nutrition to your favorite dishes with homemade sauces. Try:

  • Chipotle Salsa (easy blender recipe)
  • How to Make Salsa Verde
  • Homemade Tzatziki Recipe (Cucumber Yogurt Sauce)
  • Fry Sauce – Easy French Fry Dipping Sauce
  • Easy Cheese Sauce – Microwave or Stovetop
  • Tahini Sauce Recipe – 3 Ingredients
  • BBQ Sauce Recipe – easy homemade barbecue sauce
  • Jalapeño Ranch Dip (or dressing)
  • Healthy Ranch Dressing Recipe

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (9)

Recipe

Get the Recipe: Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe

4.50 from 10 votes

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 10 minutes mins

10 servings

Print Rate Recipe

Creamy homemade tartar sauce is a huge step above commercial tartar sauce. With fresh dill and lemon juice, it has loads of flavor!

Ingredients

  • cup mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
  • cup finely chopped dill pickles
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, dill, pickles, and red onions. Sprinkle with black pepper and mix together thoroughly.

  • Cover and store in fridge for up to one week.

Notes

  • Makes 1 1/4 cups
  • Instead of dill pickles, make tartar sauce with capers, bread & butter pickles, sweet pickles, or pickle relish.
  • Prefer a smooth sauce? Put all the ingredients into a small food processor and process until no chunks remain.
  • Like a little zing? Add a 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard or hot sauce. A dash of ground red pepper is great too.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 2tablespoons, Calories: 104kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 6mg, Sodium: 137mg, Potassium: 13mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 22IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 4mg, Iron: 1mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk

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    Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (17)
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Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (2024)

FAQs

What is Chef Ramsay's recipe for tartar sauce? ›

Gordon Ramsay Tartar Sauce
  1. Condiments.
  2. • 1 tbsp Capers.
  3. • 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard.
  4. • 1 Dill pickle, small.
  5. • 1 tbsp Lemon juice, fresh.
  6. • 1/2 cup Mayonnaise.
  7. • 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce.

What is traditional tartar sauce made of? ›

Tartar Sauce Ingredients

It's typically made with mayonnaise, chopped pickles or relish, lemon juice, and herbs (like tarragon and dill). There are also a handful of optional ingredients you can add that take the tartar sauce's flavor to the next level.

How long will homemade tartar sauce keep? ›

Tartar sauce should be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for about a week. Obviously, if it starts to smell funky in the fridge or the flavor is off before the week is up, you should dump it. Similar to other mayonnaise-based condiments, tartar sauce does not freeze well because the emulsion can break.

What are the ingredients in Dukes tartar sauce? ›

Soybean oil, dill pickles (pickles, distilled vinegar, salt, xanthan gum, sodium benzoate, alum, natural spice flavors), distilled and cider vinegar, eggs, sugar, water, salt, olives, capers, parsley, natural flavors, spice, xanthan gum, lactic acid, oleoresin paprika, lemon juice, calcium disodium EDTA added to ...

How do you make James Martin tartare sauce? ›

To make the sauce, whisk the egg yolks and mustard, slowly drizzling in the oil until thick. Then, mix in the vinegar, herbs, capers, shallots, gherkins, lemon juice, salt and pepper. To serve, place the goujons on a plate and spoon the tartare into a ramekin.

Why does tartar sauce taste so good? ›

The yogurt makes this recipe for tartar sauce extra-tangy and creamy. These other key ingredients amp up the flavor even more: Lemon juice – It makes the sauce nice and bright. Capers and diced dill pickles – They add salty, briny flavor.

What is Captain D's tartar sauce made of? ›

What is Captain D's Tartar Sauce? Captain D's Tartar Sauce is a creamy and flavorful condiment that adds a delicious touch to your favorite dishes. It contains simple-to-find ingredients like mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, minced onion, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and optional chopped capers.

What is a good substitute for tartar sauce? ›

Instead of tartar sauce, use a garlicky aioli with or without a little dill or chopped pickle. Another good sauce option that goes well with seafood is a tomato-based co*cktail sauce. Hummus, which is also slightly acidic with lemon juice, can also make a nice dip for seafood.

Does tartar sauce contain vinegar? ›

Ingredients. I like to add diced dill pickles instead of capers. Some of the pickle juice is added to thin the sauce, but feel free to use the same amount of lemon juice. Most recipes call for white vinegar with some sugar added, I like to substitute rice wine vinegar, taking care of both needs there.

Can you freeze homemade tartar sauce? ›

Can you freeze tartar sauce? It's not the best sauce to freeze because mayonnaise “breaks” when it is frozen. Instead, store leftover tartar sauce in the fridge for up to a week. Get creative with leftover tartar sauce.

Does homemade tartar sauce go bad? ›

How long can homemade tartar sauce last? - Quora. I try to anticipate how much I will use and make it fresh for each use. I've become pretty good at estimating and have very little left over. Tartar sauce that has been continuously refrigerated will generally stay at best quality for about 6 Months.

Does tartar sauce go bad? ›

Opened bottles of tartar sauce should remain good for up to six months as long as they're kept in the refrigerator. If you suspect your tartar sauce is going bad, check the bottle for an expiration date. If it has a strange odor or appears to have lost its texture, it's probably time for a new bottle.

Is tartar sauce healthier than mayo? ›

“Tartar sauce has the same issues as mayo. If you can find a mayo made with 100 percent olive oil instead of soybean oil, this would actually be a healthy choice.” Or make your own mayonnaise for a healthier option.

What is the real name of tartar sauce? ›

Tartar sauce (French: sauce tartare; spelled tartare sauce in the UK, Ireland, and Commonwealth countries) is a condiment made of mayonnaise, chopped pickles and relish, caper, and herbs such as tarragon and dill.

What is the difference between tartar sauce and tartare sauce? ›

Tartar sauce is the usual US spelling, tartare sauce is the usual UK/Commonwealth spelling, and sauce tartare is the French spelling for a sauce made of mayonnaise with capers, pickles, herbs, etc. and often served with fried fish. It is very similar to sauce rémoulade.

How does Gordon Ramsay make batter for fish? ›

Cooking instructions
  1. In a large bowl, mix both flours, baking powder and sugar.
  2. Add soda water, lager and salt.
  3. Mix together only until the batter binds together and is smooth. ...
  4. Cover your fish with a dusting of plain flour, then drop into the batter and coat completely.
  5. Pre-heat vegetable oil in deep fryer to 180C.

What is a substitute for cream of tartar sauce? ›

The Best Substitute for Cream of Tartar

For every 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar in the recipe, use 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar. As an example, if your cookie recipe calls for 1 teaspoon baking soda, add 2 teaspoons lemon juice instead of the cream of tartar.

Is tartar sauce good or bad for you? ›

Tartar sauce is typically made with ingredients such as mayonnaise, lemon juice, pickles, and onion, and it can add flavor and moisture to fish dishes. However, it is high in calories, fat, and sodium, and consuming it in excess can have negative effects on health.

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