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. Along with my Easy Homemade Barbecue Sauce and my Rustic & Hearty Marinara, it's one of my go-to sauce recipes, with plenty of fun variations to try!
You likely already have all of the ingredients in your pantry or fridge, so you can make a creamy tartar sauce at any time.
🔍 Quick Look: How to Make the Best Tartar Sauce
- Ready in: 5 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Calories: ~199 kcal per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- Main Ingredients: Mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, lemon, and fresh chives
- Elements of Taste: Sweet, Sour, & Creamy
- Cook Method: No Cook. Just mix and chill.
- Difficulty: Easy, making it great anytime you need a quick and easy sauce.
- Why You'll Love It: This creamy and tangy sauce with bits of sweet pickle and bright lemon and chive flavors pairs well with seafood and fried foods.
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Jump to:
- 🔍 Quick Look: How to Make the Best Tartar Sauce
- What is Tartar Sauce?
- Why This is The Best Tartar Sauce Recipe
- Ingredient Notes
- Substitutions & Variations
- Pro Tip!
- Steps for Making the Best Tartar Sauce
- My Top Tip
- What to Serve with Tartar Sauce
- Tartar Sauce Recipe FAQ's
- Make-Ahead & Storage
- More Delicious Sauces You'll Love
- 📖 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.
Why This is The Best Tartar Sauce Recipe
The best tartar sauce recipe is the one you can make at home in minutes with simple pantry ingredients.
This easy homemade tartar sauce starts with a creamy mayo base, then gets a burst of flavor from sweet pickle relish, fresh lemon juice, and just the right touch of culinary herbs like fresh chives.
The result is a sauce that's tangy, a little sweet, and full of flavor-just like the signature tartar sauces you find in seafood restaurants. Ready in only 5 minutes, this quick tartar sauce is perfect for fish sticks, crispy fillets, or even seafood sandwiches."
Just like my homemade barbecue sauce, the best part of this recipe is how easy it is to adjust-just tweak the ingredient amounts or try one of the substitutions and variations below!
So, let's cook!
Ingredient Notes
Here's what you need to make your own Homemade Tartar Sauce:
- Mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip) - The creamy emulsion base that anchors the sauce. Use your favorite full-fat mayo for richness. If you use Duke's (which already has a tangy lemon note), reduce the added lemon slightly to avoid over-brightening.
- Sweet Pickle Relish - Adds fruity-sour crunch and a touch of sweetness. Be sure to drain excess liquid so the sauce stays thick.
- Fresh Lemon Zest & Juice - These are brightening agents: zest provides aromatic oils, and juice lends acidity. Both help balance the sweetness and richness.
- Fresh Chives - Offers a gentle onion-garlic flavor and fresh green note. If swapping dried chives, allow time (≥ 2 hours) for rehydration to develop flavor.
Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.
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.
Change the Pickle Relish
- Use Dill Pickles or Sweet Pickles. You can substitute finely cut sweet pickles or dill pickles for the pickle relish in this recipe.
- 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 adds tartness. Substitute it for the sweet relish or use half dill and half sweet relish.
Add Other Herbs
- 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 has a strong flavor, so add a teaspoon of fresh dill or ¼ teaspoon of dried dill to change up the taste.
- Substitute Tarragon. Tarragon is a classic pairing with fish and is very delicious. Instead of chives, substitute 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped tarragon or up to 1 teaspoon of dried.
- For More Ideas for Herbs. Check out my post 15 Essential Culinary Herbs Every Cook Should Know.
Add Salty or Spicy Elements
- 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 Dijon Mustard. Add a smidgeon of Dijon mustard for a tangy bit of heat. This variation is delicious with simple grilled salmon.
- Add Hot Sauce. Some people like a little heat and you can add a few drops of your favorite hot sauce.
Pro Tip!
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
Step 1 - Combine. In a small bowl, thoroughly combine all ingredients with a whisk or fork.
Step 2 - Chill. For the best flavor, cover and refrigerate the sauce for at least 30 minutes before serving.
My Top Tip
♡ If using dried herbs, make the sauce 2 hours ahead of serving.
What to Serve with Tartar Sauce
- Fish Sticks
- Fish Fillets
- Crab Cakes
- Fried Seafood
- Baked Salmon
- Crispy Fish Sandwich
- Italian Marinated Shrimp
- Fish Tacos
- French Fries
- Fried Shrimp
- Salmon Cakes or Patties
- Fish Sandwiches
- Fried Calamari
Tartar Sauce Recipe FAQ's
Tartar sauce gets its name from the French sauce tartare, first served with steak tartare-a dish inspired by the Central Asian Tatar people. Over time, the sauce evolved to include mayonnaise, pickles, capers, and herbs.
Lemon juice or lemon zest is the secret ingredient to make the best tartar sauce.
If using dried herbs, make the sauce 2 hours before serving to allow them to rehydrate and flavor the sauce.
Make-Ahead & Storage
- Make-Ahead: You can make this tartar sauce earlier in the day and chill it until serving time. The flavor is always better when this sauce is made ahead of time.
- Storage: Leftover tartar sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Do not freeze.
More Delicious Sauces You'll Love
♡ Did you love this Homemade Tartar Sauce? Please leave a star rating and a comment below!
📖 Recipe
How to Make the Best Tartar Sauce
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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
- Combine. 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
- Chill. Refrigerate the sauce for at least 30 minutes before serving for the best flavor.
Notes
Nutrition
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.
Jim says
It's funny I just made some last weekend. I use Duke's plus chopped sweet onion. I chopped it real fine and 3 ingredient is sweet relish. I've been doing this for years.
Jan Nunes says
Hi Jim, Chopped sweet onion sounds delicious! We all have our favs for tartar sauce, right?😊
Have a wonderful day! ~Jan