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Home » Recipes » Dips, Sauces, & Spreads

Homemade Tartar Sauce

Oct 1, 2022 · 21 Comments

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Collage of homemade tartar sauce with fried fish being dipped into tartar sauce on the top, a cup of tartar sauce next to lemon wedges on the bottom, and the words "easy tartar sauce" in the center.

Make this creamy, tangy Homemade Tartar Sauce recipe in just 5 minutes with simple pantry ingredients. It will go perfectly with your favorite fish or seafood. Tangy fresh squeezed lemon and zesty dill relish make this sauce amazing!

Homemade Tartar sauce in a light blue bowl with a lemon wedge in front and fish behind.

Homemade Tartar Sauce

I love making my own sauces.  Not just because it's usually a frugal option, but because they just taste so darn much better when they're homemade.

And I promise that's the case with this Homemade Tartar Sauce.  We make it every time we're having fish for dinner, or better yet, crab cakes.  Mmmm...

Well, no matter what you put it on, it's delicious, and takes just 5 minutes to make.  

Homemade tartar sauce in a blue bowl with lemon wedges around

What is Tartar Sauce?

Tartar sauce is a cold sauce, usually served with fish or seafood. It's mayo based and usually contains some type of chopped pickles, relish, and/or capers.

This recipe uses dill relish and sweet relish with a squeeze of lemon juice for extra tang.

We usually think of serving tartar sauce with fish, but it can also be used as a yummy chip or french fry dip.

Fried fish being dipped into homemade tartar sauce in a light blue bowl

What to Eat with Homemade Tartar Sauce

  • Baked Catfish Nuggets
  • Lemon Pepper Baked Catfish - super easy!
  • Lump Crab Cakes
  • Cajun Baked Catfish
  • Beer Battered Fish - my favorite!

Homemade Tartar Sauce Video

Small bowl filled with homemade tartar sauce and topped with fresh chopped parsley next to a lemon wedge and fried fish

Homemade Tartar Sauce

Make this creamy, tangy Homemade Tartar Sauce recipe in just 5 minutes to go perfectly with your favorite fish dish!
5 from 20 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer, Sauce
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Homemade Tartar Sauce, Tartar Sauce
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 158kcal
Author: Michelle

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mayo
  • 2 tablespoons dill relish
  • 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder

Instructions

  • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients.
  • Transfer to a jar or bowl with a lid, and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
  • Serve cool with your favorite fish.

Video

Notes

  • For best results, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. This allows the ingredients to really marry and the flavors to really deepen and combine. I like to make mine the day before to really let the flavors meld.
  • This recipe makes about 21 tablespoons total, which makes about 10 (two tablespoon) servings. The nutrition information is for one (2 tablespoon) serving.
  • Fresh squeezed lemon is best in this recipe!
  • To add even more fresh flavor, you can add a little fresh dill, about 2 teaspoons.
  • Customize it to your tastes! Add a little fresh dill, some finely chopped capers, or some fresh chives or parsley.
  • Homemade Tartar Sauce can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 158kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 188mg | Potassium: 4mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Vitamin C: 1.2mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.1mg
Did you make this recipe?I love seeing your creations. Snap a quick photo and mention @TheGraciousWife or tag #thegraciouswife on Instagram! Leave a STAR rating below!

UPDATE NOTES: This recipe was originally published April 2016. It
was republished with an updated recipe, new photos, step by step instructions, and tips January 2019.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Pamela Lutrell says

    April 21, 2016 at 12:24 pm

    I will use this one! Thanks for sharing with the Thursday Blog Hop!

    Reply
  2. Anita says

    April 30, 2020 at 1:42 pm

    Homemade tartar sauce is the best, especially when I have fresh lemon and fresh dill to make the sauce, 100x better than store-bought!

    Reply
  3. Cindy says

    April 30, 2020 at 1:45 pm

    Made this today for my husband. He is a HUGE tartar sauce fan. It was a hit. He said 5 stars all the way!

    Reply
  4. Emily Liao says

    April 30, 2020 at 1:53 pm

    This tartar sauce was so easy to make, and delicious. Won't be using store-bought now.

    Reply
  5. Kelly Anthony says

    April 30, 2020 at 2:12 pm

    I couldn't agree more that homemade sauces are just so much better than storebought. I can't wait to give this recipe a try.

    Reply
  6. Alison says

    April 30, 2020 at 3:03 pm

    I've only ever had store bought tartar sauce and was never a big fan, but this recipe made me a convert.

    Reply
  7. Dannii says

    June 20, 2020 at 1:41 am

    We love making our own with homemade fish fingers. So creamy and delicious.

    Reply
  8. Nart at Cooking with Nart says

    June 20, 2020 at 6:54 am

    Tried this recipe and it was absolutely delicious. Will be making this again!

    Reply
  9. Liz says

    June 20, 2020 at 7:16 am

    The starter sauce looks super easy, simple, and delicious! I so appreciate recipes with few ingredients 🙂

    Reply
  10. kim says

    June 20, 2020 at 7:27 am

    Love this recipe! It was super easy and had such great flavor! Will definitely be making again!

    Reply
  11. Jen says

    June 20, 2020 at 8:12 am

    My husband makes his like this and adds a little hot sauce…delicious! Never need to buy the store version anymore.

    Reply
  12. Lindsay says

    March 14, 2021 at 1:50 pm

    It's great to have a simple recipe like this on hand for fish recipes. I can't eat fried fish without a little bit of tartar sauce - it's a requirement 🙂

    Reply
  13. Biana says

    March 14, 2021 at 2:03 pm

    Homemade tartar sauce is so delicious! Will be making it soon, to serve with fish.

    Reply
  14. Toni says

    March 14, 2021 at 3:07 pm

    We made crab cakes today and I was out of tartar sauce. I found this recipe and had all the ingredients. It’s absolutely delicious!

    Reply
  15. Tara says

    March 14, 2021 at 3:26 pm

    I love how easily this tartar sauce comes together! Definitely better homemade and sounds perfect paired with seafood. Yum!

    Reply
  16. Kay says

    March 14, 2021 at 3:32 pm

    I love tartar sauce, but have never thought of making my own! Can't wait to try this recipe out!

    Reply
  17. Pam Greer says

    March 15, 2021 at 8:19 am

    I had no idea it was so easy to make tartar sauce! No more little jars of it going bad in the fridge!

    Reply
  18. Claudia Lamascolo says

    March 15, 2021 at 8:32 am

    this looks spot on perfect! Love me some with my fish fry this weekend!

    Reply
  19. Jennifer Allen says

    March 15, 2021 at 8:56 am

    This is my go-to recipe for tartar sauce! I make it whenever we have a fish fry. The dill relish gives it such a nice tang!

    Reply
  20. Beth says

    March 15, 2021 at 9:29 am

    Yum! So delicious and one of my favorites! We had fish for dinner last night and this sauce was amazing with it! Definitely a recipe to save! Thanks!

    Reply
  21. Sue says

    October 05, 2021 at 6:32 pm

    We really liked the recipe.

    Reply

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Hello! I'm Michelle!
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