This Homemade Tartar Sauce is slightly tangy, slightly sweet, and the perfect accompaniment for your fish fry, salmon patties, or other seafood dinner. Easy to prepare & ready in minutes! You probably already have most of the ingredients you need on hand and it tastes so much better than anything you can buy at the store.

Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe

Tartar sauce is a staple for many seafood dinners, from fish sticks and beer battered fish to salmon patties and crab cakes. We eat quite a bit of it in our home, especially now that I’ve perfected my beer battered fish recipe, and I found most tartar sauce from the store to be lacking in flavor.

I prefer to make homemade versions of the condiments we use often when possible and homemade tartar sauce, like most sauces, is incredibly easy to make. Just 7 ingredients whisked together and you’re good to go! I do recommend preparing this a bit in advance, just because the flavors get better when they have time to rest.

What Is Tartar Sauce?

Tartar sauce is a condiment often served with seafood, like fried oysters and shrimp, and fish. It has a mayonnaise base and is usually made with pickles, capers, and herbs plus a little lemon juice. It usually has a slightly sweet, slightly savory, and overall tangy flavor that pairs nicely with fried foods. Some like to take a shortcut and make it with just mayonnaise and relish, but I find that flavor profile to be lacking, so I like to make it myself from scratch.

Helpful Tips & Possible Variations

• Granulated sugar is recommended. A small amount of sugar balances out the tanginess and also helps to sweeten the sauce just a touch.
• Capers. Drain and rinse the capers before adding. These can be omitted if desired but do add a nice tangy, salty flavor.
• Skip the onions. Personally, I love the flavor that Vidalia sweet onions give to the sauce but if you’re not a fan of onions, you can easily omit them.
• Add some seasonings. Fresh dill or fresh parsley both add some fresh flavor to the sauce, though I do recommend choosing just one or the other.
• Switch up the pickles. If you prefer a sweeter condiment, try using bread and butter pickles or sweet pickles in place of the dill pickles.
• Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce. For a more complex flavor another option is to add a splash of Worcestershire sauce for its savory umami undertones.
• Make it lighter. For a tartar sauce with fewer calories, you can swap the mayonnaise for a light mayo or plain yogurt. Note that both of these options will affect the creamy texture slightly and the yogurt may give it more tang.

How to Make Tartar Sauce

1. Combine ingredients. In a small bow, whisk together 1 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup finely diced dill pickles, 2 tablespoons very finely diced sweet onion, 1 teaspoon drained and rinsed capers, 1 teaspoon dill pickle juice, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper.
2. Taste and adjust. Give the sauce a taste test and add more seasonings or lemon juice if necessary.
3. Refrigerate. For best results, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.

Serving Suggestions

Nothing goes together quite like tartar sauce and our recipe for beer battered fish! It’s a match made in heaven. This homemade tartar sauce is also great served with salmon patties, crab cakes, and popcorn shrimp. I’ve even seen people dip their roasted veggies and sweet potato fries into it!

How Long Will This Last?

This easy tartar sauce will last for up to a week in the fridge. Keep it stored in a tightly sealed airtight container and give it a good stir before serving again.

More Homemade Sauce Recipes:

• Chick-fil-A Sauce
• Remoulade Sauce
• Yum Yum Sauce
• Tzatziki Sauce
• Sweet Chili Sauce

I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!