Tartar Sauce Recipe

Overhead view of a glass jar filled with tartar sauce, garnished with dill sprigs, and surrounded by fresh herbs and a squeezed lemon half.

4.89 from 54 votes

Once you try this Tartar Sauce Recipe, you’ll never want store-bought again. It's super easy to make in just 5 minutes with just 7 simple ingredients. It's tangy, creamy and the absolute dipping sauce for seafood and so much more!

As written, this recipe is vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free. To make it vegan, swap regular mayonnaise for a plant-based alternative.

Prep Time5

Total Time5

Servings: tablespoons (approximately)

Calories: 97kcal

Chef: Jessica Randhawa

Ingredients

▢ 1 cup mayonnaise - (full-fat recommended)
▢ ¼ cup dill pickle - drained and finely chopped
▢ 1 tablespoon fresh dill - minced
▢ 1-2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
▢ ½-1 teaspoon granulated sugar
▢ 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
▢ 2 teaspoon capers - drained and chopped
▢ salt + black pepper - to taste

Instructions

Prepare your ingredients: Finely chop the dill pickles, fresh dill, and capers. Measure out the remaining ingredients.
Combine: In a small mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, chopped dill pickles, minced fresh dill, fresh lemon juice, sugar, Dijon mustard, and chopped capers. Stir everything together until the mixture is smooth and evenly combined.
Season to taste: Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust as needed. Optional: For a little heat, stir in 2–3 drops of hot sauce, such as Tabasco.
Chill: For best results, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
Serve and store leftovers: Keep any leftovers stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days.

Notes

Ingredient Swaps:

Instead of the dill pickle, you can try using dill pickle relish, chopped cornichons, or chopped green olives.
Instead of the fresh dill try either fresh parsley or fresh chives, or a combo of each. I have not tried making this recipe with dried dill, but if you'd like to give it a try, start with ½-1 teaspoon for every one tablespoon of fresh dill.
Instead of fresh lemon juice, use a 1:1 ratio of white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. A splash of pickle juice can be added for tang and brininess.
Instead of capers, use chopped green olives, kalamata olives, anchovies, or omit if unavailable.

Keep leftovers stored in a sealed container and in the refrigerator. Best enjoyed within 4 to 5 days. Freezing is not recommended.

Nutritional information is per (1) tablespoon of tartar sauce.

Nutrition

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