Tartar Sauce Recipe
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I was frustrated with store-bought tartar sauce; one disappointing can after another. Solution: homemade tarter sauce. Making your own is really easy. It’s fresh and amazing for these salmon cakes fish sticks or breaded fish fillets.
See those fish sticks there – yeah, those are from Costco. Maybe one day, I’ll make my own fish sticks, but for now, these are really good (the Trident brand). Sometimes I find that I eat more tartar sauce than fish stick (sounds gross, but this sauce is THAT GOOD!). This recipe stays fresh in the fridge for a few days.
Ingredients for Tartar Sauce:
1 cup real Mayonnaise
1 cup finely chopped dill pickles
1 Tbsp dill (fresh or frozen), OR 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp finely chopped onion is good too, but optional (I usually skip it)
How to Make Tartar Sauce:
This is really complicated so pay attention. Are you ready?…
1. Combine everything in a mixing bowl and give it a good stir.
Tartar Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup real Mayonnaise
- 1 cup dill pickles, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp dill, fresh or frozen, OR 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 2 Tbsp onion, finely chopped, optional
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
- Add more lemon juice or pickles if desired.
Nutrition Per Serving
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
hi
so think your posts r great
haven’t tried your receipts .. yet,, but plan on soon
thank you
Thanks, Linda. Hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try!
Amazing! Awesome! Easy! And perfect! We fried some fish and had roasted asparagus, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts for the side. This was perfect!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Heidi! Thank you so much for sharing that great review with me.
I have been making tartar sauce like this for years, but I also add capers. Not everyone likes them, but if you do, they are a nice addition. I also added fresh parsley, finely chopped, because I had some in the crisper. I literally just made this tonight to have with halibut!
Thank you for your suggestions, glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Very tasty sauce, I mix half and half Greek yoghurt and kewpie Mayo instead of all Mayo.
Sounds great! Thanks for sharing and we’re glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Just spotted it keeps a few days in the fridge. I also forgot to give you a rating, it’s way better than tge allowed 5 stars.
Thank you, Susie. We appreciate that!
Wow, amazingly delicious. I’ll never buy store bought Tartare Sauce ever again. I made it exactly as stated and without onions. Btw, how long does it keep in the fridge?
Thanks for the great review, Susie. The tartar sauce keeps covered and refrigerated for 5 to 7 days.
I was in a pinch for tarter sauce. This is fabulous. I did add 1 teaspoon of grated onion. Thank you for a great recipe. No more store bought .
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Ann!
Little bit finer cuts, no sugar and 2 tbsp of white wine instead of lemon. Perfection.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This was the best tartar sauce that I have tasted added the onion
excellent
That’s so great, Ann! It’s my favorite also!
Sour cream is a good alternative to mayo for a healthier tartar sauce, cleaner with a less oily taste.
Thanks for the tip, Daniel!
Add a couple of TB of Trader Joe’s chili lime mayonnaise. Wow! Can also add some hot sauce or ground chilis to taste.
Sounds delicious!
This tartar sauce is so good! Very easy and quick to make as well. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Brooke. Thank you for your good comments and feedback!
Live the recipe. It is also a good recipe to mix with tuna for a great sandwich!
Sounds good, Carol. Enjoy!
I added some garlic powder, paprika and vinegar! The vinegar gave more tang!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Chasity!
Love this! I use Bubbies dill pickle relish (no sugar added) to make my life easier, and also because it’s DELICIOUS! But your additions make this spectacular! For those in the Treasure Valley, you can find Bubbies in the refrigerated section at Boise CoOp. Thanks, Natasha!
Thank you for sharing, Haley! I appreciate the review and I am so happy you enjoy this recipe.
Very good the best easy fast the only thing next time I will last the dill pickles in my small chopper
Awesome
Thank you for sharing, Lorraine. I am happy you enjoyed this recipe.
Delicious! Like some of the other people that have posted I was making fish for lunch and the tartar sauce I had in my refrigerator was expired so I googled tartar sauce recipes and yours was the first one that popped up I did not have everything I subbed miracle whip for the mayonnaise dried parsley for the fresh parsley and pickle relish for the pickles and it actually turned out delicious although I will try it the other way when I have all of the ingredients but don’t be afraid to sub out what you don’t have it came out delicious!!!!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Julie! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I just made this and and it is….just that good. I added the optional onion. I will NEVER buy tarter sauce again. Thank you so much for this recipe.
You’re welcome, Donna. Yes, that’s right! No more store-bought tartar sauce moving forward!
This was wonderful! I will always have these staples on hand…(or dried dill and parsley rplacements)
Thank you for sharing!.
You’re welcome, Susan. Thanks for your good comments and feedback!
what’s the shelf life of this tartar sauce? We have some type of fish several times a week. It would be great to be able to make a batch for a week or so.
Hi Lynda, the tartar sauce keeps covered and refrigerated for 5 to 7 days. You can use it to top other fish recipes.
Omg! I will never go back to prepared tarter sauce again! So easy and the deliciousness tastes 10 in my book! Thank you!
You’re very welcome! It really is so easy and good!
This tartar sauce is very good, and easy to make. I will never go back to store bought tartar sauce. Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome, Tia. Thanks for sharing that with us!
So glad I was out out of the tartar sauce I normally use!!! We usually buy the overly-expensive homemade sauce from an Overly-Expensive seafood restaurant but we like to cook our own fresh fish, but loved their sauce. Was out of today when we decided on fish fry and broiled tonight .. but alas, I found your site, this recipe, of course so nice that ingredients are staple, on hand…and (heavy, happy sigh..) I don’t have to buy that over-priced pint of sauce Ever Again!!! This is so much fresher and I mixed a batch of dill and Polish-pickled-Dill pickles together for it. The best of all worlds and is now the go to!! Thank you, and I just signed up for your emails to stay abreast of all your new and delicious recipes 🙂
I’m so happy you found this recipe! I hope you try more soon!
Delicious! My son kept asking his girlfriend if she was just eating tartar sauce. She said, “No. I’m eating my fish too.” Then he asked if she was dipping her fries in it. “Yes.” I had to tell him to leave her alone. She could eat as much as she wanted because I can make more!
That’s great feedback, Melissa. Thanks for sharing that with us, I’m glad that they enjoyed it!
Glad to see that I’m not the only weirdo who likes tartar sauce on my french fries. 🙂 It’s also good on the breaded chicken patties I like from Costco.
Better than the store!! Love all your recipes. You are definitely my first go to when looking for a recipe. Keep them coming!! Thank you.
Thank you, Jennifer. I appreciate it! I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try.
Such a quick and delicious tartar sauce!! Better than the packaged or bottled sauces. It was the best compliment to our fish! Thank you so much Natasha for this incredible recipe! Love your YT channel. God Bless.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, AJ! I appreciate your excellent review!
Easy and sounds delicious but where are the capers?
I hate that I have to use at least 50 characters or you won’t post my comment.
Hi Gracie, we don’t have a character limit on our comments. We haven’t tried adding capers to this recipe, but several of our readers have successfully. I hope you love this recipe.
I loved the ingredients and that included the 1:1 ratio for mayo and pickles. I thought it would be way too many pickles, but it wasn’t!
However, although this recipe called for real mayo, the main difference between mayo and Miracle Whip is that MW has sugar in it. So, when I followed the recipe, the addition of sugar made the whole bowl taste like MW to me. I would definitely leave sugar out next time, and relish (haha) the tartar sauce without it. Thank you for the rest of the recipe, which is unique to me, and I will definitely try to make again.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Cannon!
I made the tarter sauce along with the salmon pattie recipe. Turned out great!! Look forward to making this again.
This is our personal favorite! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Dominic!
Super easy to make and family approved!! You can increase or decrease the ingredients as you see fit. Taste away. I did add a little garlic powder because I love garlic
Adding garlic powder sounds like a good idea. Thanks for sharing, I’m glad your family loved it!
This was PERFECT! I’ve tried to “whip up” my own without following a recipe, only to be disappointed. Thanks for posting this one.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Jackie!
I made fried fish for lunch. Time to eat and realized we were out of tartar sauce so I quickly googled it and yours was the first one to pop up. I loved it! I will never buy it again. I didn’t have dill pickles so I added dill pickle relish instead. I am not allowed to have sugar so I subbed what I one pack of blue sugar. Delish! Thanks for a good simple recipe.
I’m so glad you gave this a try! I hope you try it with pickles next time, and I promise you won’t go back to the bottled tartar! Thank you for your awesome feedback.
What I used miracle whip would it taste as good?im not a fan of real mayonnaise
Hi Mitch, I haven’t tested that yet but feel free to try and do an experiment.
I live in El Salvador and NO ONE has tartar sauce, I sell sauces and you saved my life, simple, delish and feels soooo fresh! I thank you from the bottom of my heart!💖
I’m so glad you found and love my recipe, Karen! Thank you for your excellent review!
Made this to go with baked salmon. Used fresh dill sans onion. Simply amazing. I am never using store brought tartar sauce again.
I want to say thank you for the recipe. This was is exactly what I was looking for. I’ll be making this from now on. This is sooo much better than takeout or premade.
Worth the few minutes it takes to whip up.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Veronica!
You’re very welcome, Veronica. Great to hear that this will now be your go-to recipe. I hope you love all the other recipes that you will try!
That was amazing!! I not cooked shrimp, but also used it on chicken thighs… My husband commented that this was the best, most crisp shrimp he’s ever eaten… Thank you for an easy, delicious meal!!
That’s so great! Thank you for your excellent review, Elizabeth!
Usually I just finely dice an onion and use lime juice instead of lemon juice. One little secret I learned from a friend who lived in the islands is to let the onion sit in the lime juice for about 10 minutes then add in fine sea salt, fresh ground black pepper and enough Mayo to get the consistency I’m looking for. Dill, parsley, pickles, etc. are all optional for me. I think you may really enjoy this.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, John! I will have to try that out!
I really don’t like dill pickles, but I went out and bought a jar of them for this recipe. It’s delicious and I’m SO glad I did. I’ve printed the recipe and will write: “Be sure to drain chopped pickles well before combining with ingredients.” Love it!
Thank you for your good comments and feedback, Janet. Glad you loved this recipe!
Sounds awesome, going to make it right now ! How long will it last in the fridge ?
Sounds good, Mel. This recipe stays fresh in the fridge for a few days.
So… I loved you from the start admitting that you use Costco fish sticks. That was what we were having (Trident panko tilapia) when I found your tartar recipe. My husband was so complimentary of the sauce and said it was way better than what I have previously bought from the store. I have to agree! So, so, so good!!!! Thanks for sharing! 😊
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Anne! I don’t think I’ll ever go back to store-bought tartar sauce!
I made this tarter sauce months ago and loved it! Kina strange, my mother is a good cook and taught me a lot about cooking. She always made it with mayo and sweet relish and it was never that good, so I have always resorted to jarred tarter. No more!! This stuff is a game changer!
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Roxanne!
Excellent tarter sauce. I definitely would have to say this is best I’ve ever had.
Love it! Thanks a lot for your short but very sweet message, Jay!
My recipe is the same, except I like a few drops of tabasco & of Worcetsershire sauced added – gives it a bit of snap! (& for my heavy hubby I use light Salad dressing instead of mayo)
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Sue!
Can you use veganaise instead of Mayo to lower the calories?
Hello Margie, I honestly haven’t tried that yet to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
This is excellent! I didn’t really want to chop that many dill pickles so I did use dill pickle relish and drained them for about 30 minutes on paper towels. Came out nice and thick!
That sounds perfect, Jeanette! Thanks for sharing that with us and for leaving a review. We appreciate your feedback!
My apologies, Natasha. I had to improvise. I cut the recipe in half. I used 1/4 cup dill relish since I had no pickles. (Yes, it was soupy.) I used dill weed.
OMGOSH! I didn’t have any left. Fish. French fries. Ritz crackers. Nothing was safe. Lol. It was great. Thank you.
No worries at all, Tracey. I’m happy that you loved the sauce! Thank you for leaving a review.
This recipe is excellent. I made it to go with with my husband’s freshly caught Walleye from Lake Erie. Never will I buy jar tartar sauce again
That’s great feedback, thanks for sharing that with us. Great to know that you enjoyed this recipe!
It’s more of the same but worth repeating—-fantastic and easy! Thank you so much for being generous with your recipes. Our supermarket breaded fish was elevated. This is my first time trying one of your recipes and I’m now looking forward to trying something else. I love that this is a team effort with your hubby. It increases my desire to sample more of your offerings.
That’s so great! I’m so glad you discovered my blog and liked this recipe, Anna!
My husband really enjoys tartar sauce on his fish and sadly we have not been able to find his “go to brand” for well over a year now. Have tried several others and none have been keepers. Love your recipes Natasha and figured a home made one that you recommend is worth the try. Well, as with all of your recipes, this tartar gets 5 stars! Just made a batch to have with our dinner tonight and without it even getting to sit and rest for a while, when tasted before it headed into the fridge he said “wow, better than even my old jarred favorite”. Love everything we have tried and when looking for something different to try or even a staple with a new flair, I find we head to find a recipe you have so graciously shared. Thank you!!!
Homemade is always best, and I’m so glad this was no exception! Thank you so much for sharing this lovely review with me!
This was delish with our halibut and cod. The only thing different I did was add 2 TBSP prepared horseradish for a little kick!
Sounds great, Kay. Good to know that you liked this recipe and thanks for sharing that with us!
Love this recipe! I always add a little bit of pickle juice for an extra pickle flavor.
That’s a great idea, Abby!
I do that, too!
Natasha, I made this today because I forgot tartar sauce for our fish fry tomorrow. Am I ever so glad I forgot it. I will NEVER buy tartar sauce again thanks to you!! This is absolutely delicious!!
I’m so happy you tried this! You will never buy store-bought again– we haven’t had to! So so good, and I’m glad you loved it too!
Made it without what I didn’t have on hand… lemon juice and sugar… and used 1/3 mayo and 2/3 plain greek yogurt as the mayo was low- Still great results! Thanks!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
This is so good. Even my husband liked it. It’s a keeper for our family.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Great recipe. I have made your Tartar sauce for several fish fries this summer. Everyone loves it.
Its our absolute favorite and popular for good reason! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I make my own tartare sauce as I don’t like the bought version. I just use chopped capers and mayonnaise and it’s really fantastic. I use it always when I cook fish and it’s quite often, sometimes twice a week
Homemade is always better, I’m glad you always make your own too.
I make my Tartar Sauce with the following.
1/4 cup Dill Relish
1 cup Blue Plate Mayo
If not enough relish, add to taste.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Loved this recipe. Family really enjoyed it, even crab cake and salmon cakes recipe which started it all. I will look to your site again for other recipes.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Amazing recipe! Thanks Natasha! Just tried Bonefish Grill’s fish and chips and yours is better!!
Wow! Thank you for that lovely comment and compliment!
Natasha, you’re amazing, your entire family is amazing, and your recipes are always delicious. Thank you so much for bringing a smile to my face and a happy face to my food. Please don’t allow anyone to dim your shine! Well, I’d write more, but I have tartar sauce to make. Thanks!!!
Hi John, thank you very much for your kind words and good feedback. I feel so inspired when I see messages like this. I appreciate you sharing this with us!
Way back in the late sixties i worked in a diner where we had carhops . I learned that fries dipped in tartar sauce was pretty good .Trying homemade thanks to you .
I hope you love this recipe! You will never go back to jarred tartar sauce!
Nat,
I used jarred dill relish and dried herbs. This by far is the only recipe I will ever use again for tarter sauce. The hubs scarfed it down! Thanks so much for sharing!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Sharon! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Excellent, thanks. Don’t know why I never made my own before, so much better than store-bought.
I’m glad you think so! Thanks for your great feedback, Teresa.
Exactly what I was looking for!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Mark!
You just saved my bacon!! Well, technically you saved my fish sticks. I thought I had tartar sauce in the fridge, but I was mistaken. My mom can’t eat fish without tartar sauce. (I think the fish simply serves as a tartar sauce delivery device). So, I was in trouble. Google pointed me to you, and I will never buy store-bought tartar sauce again. You’re a miracle worker. Thank you for saving the day!
I’m so glad you discovered my blog and recipe! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Tracey!
Hi, Natasha! I love your website and youtube videos so much and I’ve cooked some of your recipes and my husband and I love them!
I have a question for you about this recipe. I cooked too much tartar sauce and now I no longer have any more salmon cakes.
Do you have any recommendation about how to use this leftover sauce?
I’m from Japan so I’m afraid my English might be difficult for you to understand, but I hope you could do!
Thank you always!
Hi Mayumi, I’m glad you liked it! The tartar sauce keeps covered and refrigerated for 5 to 7 days. You can use it to top other fish recipes.
Excellent!!! I found that I could use a very small amount of Ghee (clarified butter). This reduced the amount of fat while maintaining good flavor. I also used frozen salmon filets that needed to be used (butter, lemon pepper and garlic salt with squeeze of lemon) and baking under a foil covered casserole. The homemade tartar sauce was great!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m so happy you enjoyed that.
great recipe, very simply
I made this last week, is it still good 7 days out?
Hi Laura, I’m glad you liked it! The tartar sauce keeps covered and refrigerated for 5 to 7 days.
Hi,
Can I substitute Greek yogurt and maybe a bit of sour cream for mayo?
For some reason I am not able to eat mayo anymore, but love tartar sce
Aubrey
Hello Aubrey, I imagine that will work. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Very likely the best tartare sauce I’ve ever tasted!!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Finely chopped dill pickles.
Possible to use a store bought jar of dill relish, or are there ingredients in it, that would change the flavor profile?
Hi Greg, I haven’t tried relish, but I think it could still work fine as long as it isn’t a sweet relish which would change the flavor profile.
First I want to thank you for sharing This wonderful recipe. After a long day at work I did not want to stop at the grocery sty for a bottle if crappy tarter sauce. I never made homemade before but I had all the ingredients and decided to give it a shot. I am so happy I did;!!! This totally puts store bought to shame. I will forever mae my own using only this recipe. My husband and ai loved it 😊.
Isn’t it the best! We will never buy tartar sauce again, either! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I use chopped green olives with the pimento..finely chopped fresh green onion (or any onion if not available) sometimes bread &butter pickles if you don’t have olives … m..many ways to change. It up !?!
There sure are! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Delicious. I used relish instead of pickles. I added mustard.
I refrigerated before serving on
Crab cakes and arugula.
Ty
Yum! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Tried this tonight for the first time. My hubby loved it. I had to use dry parsley & dill, didn’t have the fresh on hand. He already had cooked the fish & decided he wanted tarter sauce. I had to mix something quick. Won’t buy the stuff in the jar again. This was quick & simple. So much better for you without all the sodium! Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
Thank you for the wonderful review!