Forget the store-bought stuff or waiting until you go to your favorite fish house to enjoy cool and creamy tartar sauce. You can make the BEST at home in just 5 minutes with ingredients you probably already have! This zippy Homemade Tartar Sauce recipe is extra creamy, tangy and loaded with crunch from just the right amount of onions and pickles.
What is Tartar Sauce?
Many people ask if Tartar Sauce is just mayonnaise. It isn’t! It’s a sweet and savory mayo-based fish and seafood dipping sauce made with pickles, onions, garlic, lemon and Worcestershire sauce.
RELATED RECIPES: Louisiana Remoulade Sauce, Homemade Cocktail Sauce
Made right, classic Tartar Sauce has loads of flavor and is the perfect partner for fried catfish, white perch, salt water fish, shrimp, crab, salmon and all your favorite seafood dinners (that even includes fish sticks). I love to dip my French fries, onion rings and cornbread hush puppies in it too!
You’re Going to Love Serving Homemade Tartar Sauce With:
- Spicy Creole Shrimp Foil Packets
- Easy Southern Salmon Patties
- Homemade Cornmeal Fish Fry Mix
- Crab Cakes Sliders
- Low Country Shrimp Boil
Classic Tartar Sauce Recipe Ingredients
- real mayonnaise
- sweet pickle relish
- yellow onion
- Worcestershire sauce
- garlic powder
- fresh lemon juice
- salt & coarse ground black pepper
How To Make Easy Homemade Tartar Sauce for Fish & Seafood
Making this sauce couldn’t be any easier, but the taste benefits are off the charts! I’m not kidding when I say the store bought stuff can’t touch it!
Measure & Dice. Measure out the ingredients and dice the onion.
Mix & Chill. Stir it all together and chill in the fridge before serving. That’s it!
Recipe Variations & Add-Ins
- Because we love a chunky tartar sauce with lots of crunch, I sometimes finely dice a few sweet pickles to add to the relish.
- Add a little fresh dill, parsley, or chives for more herby flavor.
- If your prefer dill pickles over sweet, use a dill relish. Most recipes that use dill relish also add 1 teaspoon sugar to their recipe.
- Looking for an extra punch of savory flavor? Think about adding a teaspoon Dijon mustard.
Making It Ahead & Storing Tartar Sauce
Homemade tartar sauce is ideal for making in advance because the flavors only become more intense with time. Make this sauce 1-2 days before your big fish fry to serve a winning sauce!
This tartar sauce recipe usually lasts 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator if kept covered. However, if it’s served at a shrimp boil or fish fry and has sat outside for any length of time, it shouldn’t be served again.
More Delicious Sauces You’ll Love
- Homemade Cocktail Sauce
- Louisiana Remoulade Sauce
- Campfire Fry Sauce
- Pineapple Honey Mustard
- Alabama White Sauce
- Sweet & Spicy Tennessee BBQ Sauce
If you love tartar sauce & have made this recipe, give it all the stars & leave a fun comment! Or tag me @SouthernDiscourse on social media to be featured. I love hearing from you!
Tasty Homemade Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup real mayonnaise
- ½ cup sweet pickle relish, drain away some juice, but not all
- ½ cup finely diced yellow onion
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- ½ large lemon
Instructions
- Add mayonnaise, relish, onion, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt & pepper to a large measuring cup or medium bowl. Squeeze juice from ½ lemon over ingredients.
- Whisk together. Cover and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving. Spoon into serving dish and serve!
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Notes
I appreciate all your recipes. Thank you.
Hi, Lynda! You’ve made my day! Thank you so much for being a part of Southern Discourse.