Homemade Tartar Sauce

You could buy tartar sauce from a store, but as with most things, homemade is infinitely better, both for flavor and adaptability. Though the origins of the sauce are a little murky, what is clear is that this creamy, tangy, acidic condiment is a MUST for serving with seafood, and goes surprisingly well with a myriad of other recipes too. Make our recipe as-is to go the classic route, or get creative with your mix-ins. Not a fan of sweet pickles? Not a huge dill person? No problem! Read on for our tips on how to make this easy condiment completely your own.

What Is Tartar Sauce?

This creamy condiment is a little sweet, a little tangy, and full of herby flavor, thanks to a combination of mayonnaise, pickles and/or capers, herbs like dill or tarragon, a little lemon juice, and a touch of sugar. Though store-bought jars (or, the horror, the packets) usually contain something akin to flavored mayonnaise, true tartar sauce should have a little texture so you can really taste all the components.

How To Make Tartar Sauce

INGREDIENTS

• Mayonnaise: The base of your sauce, it'll retain its signature white color and provide lots of creaminess. Feel free to use your favorite store-bought brand.
• Bread & Butter Pickles: Bread & butter pickles are sweeter and a little more zesty than your average dill pickles, and considering fresh dill is called for, I didn't want to overload the sauce with too much dill flavor. If you only have dill pickles, decrease the amount and taste as you go!
• Capers: Another briny addition to tartar sauce, and they're mild enough that they'll provide that signature flavor without overwhelming the finished product.
• Lemon: A touch of lemon zest and lemon juice balance out the more savory notes of tartar sauce.
• Granulated Sugar: Again, taste as you go, but the sweetness really makes this sauce stand out and help balance the stronger dill flavor.
• Kosher Salt: I develop with Diamond Crystal, but if you only have Morton or table salt, cut the amount by half.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Minus the chopping, this really is a one-step sauce. Track down a nice-looking serving bowl (or a jar if you're making ahead) if you've got one, then combine the mayo, pickles, capers, dill, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and salt (I found a whisk was best for this).

Once everything is combined, serve immediately or store in the refrigerator whenever you're ready to use it.

Serve with your favorite fried seafood and lots of lemons alongside!

Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.

Variations

Start with the ratios of my recipe, then feel free to make substitutions based on what you like. Some ideas for swaps:
— Replace herby dill with still-anise-forward-but-less-grassy tarragon.
— Skip the added sugar and go harder on the bread-and-butter pickles.
— Use vegan mayonnaise to keep this plant-based.
— Go above and beyond and make your own homemade mayo.
— Prefer things more savory? Use dill pickles or gherkins in place of the bread-and-butter pickles.

Serving Ideas

It’s classic alongside fish and chips, of course, but don’t stop there. Any battered fish, like our fried fish sandwich, our fried fish tacos, or our Nashville hot fish and chips would all benefit from this creamy sauce. Not into frying? Serve it atop one of our many grilled fish recipes with an added squeeze of lemon. It’s not all about seafood either—try it on a French dip sandwich, a hot dog, or a chicken burger. You could even try swapping it anywhere you’d use mayonnaise, like in a tuna or chicken salad.

Storage

This recipe will last for up to 1 week in the fridge in an airtight container, so make it and have fun with what you serve it with!