Encharted Cook

  • Recipes
  • Cooking Charts
  • The Dish
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Cooking Charts
  • The Dish
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Cooking Charts
    • The Dish
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Side Dishes

    How to Make the Best Tartar Sauce

    Updated: Apr 12, 2025 · Published: Jul 24, 2023 · by Jan Nunes

    Tartar sauce in a clear glass bowl on a white plate encircled by a lemon, fresh whole chives, a small whisk, and a spoon with text overlay.
    Tartar sauce in a clear glass bowl on a white plate encircled by a lemon, fresh whole chives, a small whisk, and a spoon with text overlay.
    Tartar sauce in a clear glass bowl on a white plate encircled by a lemon, fresh whole chives, a small whisk, and a spoon with text overlay.

    Making your own tartar sauce is the best way to bring out the flavor in your favorite seafood dishes and fried foods. This creamy condiment has just 4 ingredients, makes up quickly, and is easily customizable to your taste.

    My easy homemade tartar sauce recipe is loaded with flavor, so you can skip the grocery store.

    You likely already have all of the ingredients in your pantry or fridge, so you can make a creamy tartar sauce at any time.

    Tartar sauce in a clear glass bowl on a white plate encircled by a lemon, fresh whole chives, a small whisk, and a spoon.
    Jump to Recipe

    Want to save this recipe?

    We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

    This is my favorite recipe that I make and I have lots of variations for you to try.

    Jump to:
    • What is Tartar Sauce?
    • What to Serve with Tartar Sauce
    • Why This Recipe Works
    • Ingredient Notes
    • Steps for Making The Best Tartar Sauce
    • My Top Tip
    • Substitutions & Variations
    • Make-Ahead & Storage
    • More Delicious Sauces You Might Like
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    What is Tartar Sauce?

    Tartar sauce is a creamy condiment that is served with seafood recipes. It typically contains mayonnaise, chopped pickles or relish, and herbs. It may also be enhanced with lemon, capers, chopped green olives, and hot sauce to enhance the flavor of the sauce when paired with a particular seafood dish.

    What to Serve with Tartar Sauce

    • Fish Sticks
    • Fish Fillets
    • Crab Cakes
    • Fried Seafood
    • Fish Tacos
    • French Fries
    • Fried Shrimp
    • Salmon Cakes or Patties
    • Fish Sandwiches
    • Fried Calamari

    Why This Recipe Works

    All seafood restaurants have their own signature tartar sauce, which starts with a creamy mayo base and is customized to pair well with their dishes. This recipe is exactly the same. It is creamy with bits of sweetness but also has lemon and herbs that go very well with fish and seafood.

    For me, the best tartar sauce recipe must have at least three ingredients: mayonnaise, sweet and sour pickle relish, and lemon for flavor and acidity. A sauce with those three ingredients is very delicious with simple fish sticks, sandwiches, and fillets. But I also like to add a single herb like chives or dill weed to make the flavor of the sauce more complex and interesting.

    I've made this easy tartar sauce recipe for years because it has simple ingredients and is quick to make. Just a few minutes before you put your fish on to cook, you can make this sauce in just 5 minutes.

    And the beauty of this recipe is that the flavor is easy to adjust simply by adding more or less of the ingredients stirred into the mayo or customizing the sauce with some of the ingredients I've listed below in the "Substitutions & Variations" section.

    So, let's cook!

    Ingredient Notes

    Ingredients for The Best Tartar Sauce, clockwise from top: sweet pickle relish, miracle whip or mayonnaise, lemon juice, chopped fresh chives, and lemon juice.

    Here's what you need to make your own tartar sauce:

    • Miracle Whip Salad Dressing or Mayonnaise - The base of tartar sauce is creamy mayonnaise. I have a personal preference to use Miracle Whip but you can use your favorite mayo. You may wish to adjust the lemon in this recipe if you use Duke's mayonnaise which has a distinctive lemon flavor.
    • Sweet Pickle Relish - Having both a sweet and sour flavor in the sauce is very pleasing. I like sweet relish but you can use dill relish too. Be sure to drain the relish well before adding it. If you don't have pickle relish you can finely chop whole pickles too.
    • Grated Fresh Lemon Zest and Fresh Lemon Juice - Lemon goes very well with seafood and the acidity of lemon lifts the flavor of the sauce. Fresh is always best and you will need 1 fresh lemon for the zest and the juice.
    • Fresh Chopped Chives - Chives give a mild onion flavor to the sauce and are my favorite herb to add.

    Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.

    Pro Tip

    Straining pickle relish to remove excess moisture.

    A small kitchen strainer does a great job of draining the pickle relish well, which keeps the sauce thick. If the pickle liquid is thick you can use a spoon to press it from the relish.

    Steps for Making The Best Tartar Sauce

    Process Photo 1a - The ingredients for the sauce in a clear glass bowl: Miracle Whip, sweet pickle relish, fresh chopped chives, grated lemon zest, and fresh lemon juice.

    In a small bowl thoroughly combine all ingredients with a whisk or fork. 

    Process Photo 1b - The ingredients have been mixed well in a small glass bowl.

    For the best flavor cover and refrigerate the sauce for at least 30 minutes before serving.

    Close view of tartar sauce in a clear glass bowl on a white plate encircled by a lemon, fresh whole chives, a small whisk, and a spoon.

    My Top Tip

    ♡ If using dried herbs, make the sauce 2 hours ahead of serving.

    Substitutions & Variations

    Tartar sauce is versatile and can be used with many dishes. The following variations allow you to put your own spin on this iconic sauce.

    • Substitute Bread and Butter Pickles. If you don't have sweet pickle relish you can substitute finely chopped bread and butter pickles.
    • Use Dill Pickle Relish. If you like a less sweet sauce, dill pickle relish will add tartness. Substitute it for the sweet relish or use half dill and half sweet relish.
    • Use Dill Weed. Dill Weed is a favorite herb to add to tartar sauce and goes well with both sweet relish and dill relish. It does have a strong flavor so add a teaspoon of fresh dill or ¼ teaspoon of dried dill to change up the taste of your tartar sauce.
    • Substitute Tarragon. Tarragon is a classic pairing with fish and is very delicious. Instead of chives substitute a tablespoon of fresh chopped tarragon or up to 1 teaspoon of dried.
    • Use Dill Pickles or Sweet Pickles. You can substitute finely cut sweet pickles or dill pickles for the pickle relish in this recipe.
    • Add Dijon Mustard. Add a smidgeon of Dijon mustard for a tangy bit of heat. This variation is delicious with simple grilled salmon.
    • Use Capers. Capers add a distinctive flavor to sauces for fish and can be added to tartar sauce. Reduce the relish by half and add drained capers, whole or chopped to the sauce.
    • Add Green Olives. Make a Spanish-style sauce by adding finely chopped green olives and omitting the relish.
    • Add Hot Sauce. Some people like a little heat and you can add a few drops of your favorite hot sauce.

    Make-Ahead & Storage

    Leftover tartar sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

    Tartar sauce in a clear glass bowl on a white plate encircled by a lemon, fresh whole chives, a small whisk, and a spoon.

    More Delicious Sauces You Might Like

    • Barbecue sauce flowing from a spoon into a small dish.
      Homemade Barbecue Sauce
    • Brown gravy being ladled into a gravy boat.
      Homemade All-Purpose Gravy
    • Overhead view of the cooked hearty marinara sauce in a Dutch oven garnished with fresh basil.
      Hearty Marinara Sauce
    • Cranberry Sauce in a glass bowl.
      Whole-Berry Cranberry Sauce

    ♡ Did you love this Tartar Sauce? Please leave a star rating and a comment below!

    📖 Recipe

    Close view of tartar sauce in a clear glass bowl on a white plate encircled by a lemon, fresh whole chives, a small whisk, and a spoon.

    How to Make the Best Tartar Sauce

    4.75 from 4 votes
    By: Jan Nunes
    Making your own tartar sauce is the best way to bring out the flavor in your favorite seafood dishes and fried foods.
    Print Share Pin Email
    Prep Time ~ 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time ~ 5 minutes minutes
    Servings ~ 8 2 Tablespoon Servings
    Calories ~ 199kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Want to save this recipe?

    We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 Cup Miracle Whip Salad Dressing or Mayonnaise
    • 3 Tablespoons Sweet Pickle Relish, Drained Well
    • 2 Teaspoons Grated Fresh Lemon Zest
    • 1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
    • 2 Tablespoons Chopped Chives, Fresh or Dried

    Instructions
     

    • In a small bowl thoroughly combine all ingredients with a whisk or fork.
      1 Cup Miracle Whip Salad Dressing or Mayonnaise, 3 Tablespoons Sweet Pickle Relish, 2 Teaspoons Grated Fresh Lemon Zest, 1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice, 2 Tablespoons Chopped Chives
    • Refrigerate the sauce for at least 30 minutes before serving for the best flavor.

    Notes

    If using dried herbs, make the sauce 2 hours ahead of serving.
    Leftover tartar sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 199kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 223mg | Potassium: 12mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.1mg

    Per 1 serving. All nutritional information on this site is an estimate. Your results may vary.

    Encharted Cook™ or Jan Nunes shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on this website or actions you take as a result.

    © 2018-2025 Encharted Cook, Jan Nunes. All rights reserved.

    Course: Sauces, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American, British, French

    centered image

    More Side Dish Recipes

    • Lemon Cream Fluff in dessert glasses garnished with fresh raspberries and mint.
      Lemon Cream Fluff
    • Scalloped onions are in a white baking dish and garnished with fresh thyme.
      Scalloped Onions
    • Basic French Sauces Chart with white text overlay on a red background.
      Introduction to The Five Basic French Sauces with Recipe Chart
    • A bowl of Pumpkin Soup with Brandy garnished with croutons, black pepper, and chopped chives.
      Pumpkin Soup with Brandy
    Jan Nunes

    Hey There!

    Welcome to Encharted Cook! I'm Jan, a seasoned cook with recipe charts, pro tips, and ideas to help you make delicious dinners. Over the years I've learned that many recipes are related... and if you learn to make one delicious dish, you can make many more!

    more about Jan

    ♥ Spring Favs

    • A pink and fruity sangria in a glass with ice, garnished with sliced orange and a halved strawberry.
      Rosé Sangria

    • Square image of a plate of shrimp garnished with green onions, celery leaves, and a lemon half.
      Italian Marinated Shrimp

    • Chicken Salad with Wild Rice in a large white serving bowl.
      Chicken Salad with Wild Rice

    • Mini trifles are garnished with lemon slices, blackberries, and sugar flowers and placed on a serving tray.
      Elderflower and Lemon Mini Trifles

    ♥ Deliciously Dreamy Cake

    • A tube cake in white frosting decorated with sliced strawberries on its top.
      Strawberry Almond Chiffon Cake

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    More About Encharted Cook

    Privacy Policy
    Copyright Notice | Disclosure Policy
    Contact Me

    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
    • RSS Feed

    ©2025 Encharted Cook, Jan Nunes. All Rights Reserved.

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Email
    • Flipboard

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required