Tartar Sauce Recipe

This tartar sauce recipe is creamy, tangy, and full of dill pickle flavor. It’s an easy homemade sauce with just six simple ingredients and a little crunch in every bite.

I love serving this homemade tartar sauce with fried catfish and Keto Crab Cakes. It’s also easy to make ahead and keep in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• No cooking required: Everything comes together in one bowl in about 5 minutes.
• Easy to customize: You can adjust the texture, add a little heat, or use sour cream for a tangier variation.
• Versatile: Use it as a dip for seafood and crispy sides or as a spread for fish sandwiches.

Ingredients Needed

You only need six ingredients to make this easy tartar sauce recipe. The exact measurements are in the recipe card below.

• Mayonnaise: This makes the creamy base. Since it’s the main ingredient, choose a mayonnaise you already enjoy. Full-fat mayonnaise gives the sauce a rich, creamy consistency.
• Dill pickles: I use finely diced dill pickles instead of sweet relish. They give the sauce its familiar tangy flavor without adding sweetness, and you can control how much crunch you want.
• Red onion: Adds a little sharpness and texture. Mince it finely so you don’t get large pieces of raw onion in the finished sauce.
• Dijon mustard: Adds a subtle savory flavor and a little extra tang without making the sauce taste strongly of mustard.
• Lemon juice: Helps balance the richness of the mayonnaise. Fresh lemon juice is a good choice for its bright flavor.
• Old Bay seasoning: Just a dash adds a little extra savory seasoning that works especially well with seafood. You can use store-bought Old Bay or my homemade Old Bay seasoning.

How to Make Homemade Tartar Sauce

This homemade tartar sauce takes about 5 minutes to prepare. You only need a small bowl and a spoon.

Mix until creamy

Stir everything together until the pickles and red onion are evenly distributed throughout the mayonnaise. The sauce should look creamy with small pieces of pickle and onion throughout.

Chill before serving

For the best flavor, cover and refrigerate for 15–20 minutes so the ingredients have a chance to blend. Stir once more before serving.

Tips for the Best Tartar Sauce

• Chop the pickles and onion finely: Small, even pieces give the sauce a relish-like texture that’s easy to spread or use for dipping.
• Drain excess pickle liquid: If your pickles are especially juicy, let the excess liquid drain off before adding them so the sauce stays creamy.
• Taste before adding salt: Dill pickles and Old Bay already contain salt, so you may not need any extra sea salt.
• Adjust the texture to your preference: Chop the pickles a little larger if you prefer a chunkier sauce, or keep everything finely minced for a smoother consistency.

Variations & Substitutions

This homemade tartar sauce is easy to adjust depending on what you have and the flavor you prefer.

• Dill pickle relish: Use dill pickle relish instead of chopping whole pickles for a quick shortcut. Choose dill relish rather than sweet relish if you want to keep the original tangy flavor.
• Tartar sauce with sour cream: I’ve also made this recipe with sour cream in place of mayonnaise. It makes a tangier sauce with a different creamy texture.
• Spicy tartar sauce: Add prepared horseradish, starting with ½ teaspoon. Stir, taste, and add more if you prefer a stronger kick.
• Fresh herbs: Stir in finely chopped fresh dill for more classic dill flavor or parsley for a milder herbal note.
• Extra tangy: Add a small splash of pickle juice or apple cider vinegar. Start with a little so the sauce doesn’t become too acidic.

What to Serve with Tartar Sauce

Homemade tartar sauce is perfect for fried fish, seafood, and crispy sides. I especially love serving it as part of a Southern-style seafood dinner.

• Fried Catfish: A classic pairing! The creamy sauce is delicious with crispy, seasoned catfish.
• Crab Cakes: I serve this sauce with my Keto Crab Cakes. The dash of Old Bay complements the crab.
• Hush Puppies: Use it as a dip for golden, crispy hush puppies, especially alongside fried fish.
• Fried Shrimp: Serve it on the side for dipping instead of cocktail sauce.
• Salmon Patties: Pair it with my Air Fryer Salmon Patties.
• French Fries and Potato Wedges: Try it with Homemade Air Fryer French Fries or Air Fryer Potato Wedges.

You can also serve tartar sauce with fish sticks or use it as a spread for crispy fish sandwiches.

Make Ahead & Storage

• Make ahead: Prepare the tartar sauce a day in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.
• Refrigerate: Store homemade tartar sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days, provided the ingredients are fresh and the sauce has been handled safely.
• Before serving: Give the sauce a quick stir if any liquid has separated. The pickles and onion may release a little moisture as the sauce sits.
• Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing tartar sauce because the mayonnaise can separate and become watery after thawing.

FAQs

More Seafood Sauces to Try

If you want to change up the flavor of your next seafood dinner, here are a few more homemade sauces to try:

• Bang Bang Sauce: A creamy, sweet-spicy sauce that’s especially good with shrimp and crispy seafood.
• Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce: A buttery, lemony option for fish and shrimp.
• Cajun Garlic Butter Sauce: A savory, buttery sauce with Cajun-style heat.
• Chimichurri Sauce: A fresh, herby sauce that works well with grilled or pan-seared seafood.

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